8 Best Anime Series Movies to Watch

1. Monster, 2004

At first glance, Monster doesn’t seem like the typical anime of the 2000s. With its muted colors, realistic action, and Eastern European setting, it seemed like a more subdued series compared to other thrillers. But because it feels so realistic, Monster is one of the most thrilling psychological series that happens to tackle the value of a human life, as the compassionate doctor Kenzo Tenma grapples with the weight of having saved a boy who grows up into a manipulative psychopath. Mangaka Naoki Urasawa and showrunner Masayuki Kojima directly challenges their respective philosophies through excellently paced investigations, well-developed characters, and the thorough examination of the different ways humanity has failed each other, and it’s downright beautiful to see how this anime adapts Urasawa’s complex, sophisticated story so faithfully.Genre: Animation, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Actor: Hidenobu Kiuchi, Hideyuki Tanaka, Hisayoshi Suganuma, Ichirō Nagai, Junko Takeuchi, Kazuo Kumakura, Kyoko Hikami, Mami Koyama, Mamiko Noto, Nobuo Tanaka, Nozomu Sasaki, Ryusuke Obayashi, Shuichi Ikeda, Takayuki Sugo, Tomokazu Seki, Tsutomu Isobe
Rating: R, TV-14

Dorohedoro is a delightfully bizarre and visually striking anime series that immerses viewers in a dark and twisted world of sorcery and macabre humor. With its unique blend of supernatural elements, gritty action, and offbeat comedy, the show captivates with its eccentric characters and intricate plot. The animation is stunning, bringing the gritty cityscape of Hole to life, while the engaging storyline keeps you hooked with its mystery and intriguing revelations. Dorohedoro is a wild ride that embraces its quirkiness, offering a fresh and exhilarating experience for anime fans craving something delightfully unconventional.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Hisao Egawa, Hozumi Goda, Kengo Takanashi, Kenyu Horiuchi, Mayu Udono, Mitsuhiro Ichiki, Miyu Tomita, Miyuri Shimabukuro, Reina Kondo, Ryohei Kimura, Shigeru Chiba, Shin-ichiro Miki, Takehito Koyasu, Takuma Terashima, Tetsu Inada, Tooru Nara, Wataru Takagi, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Yu Kobayashi, Yuki Kaji

3. Fruits Basket, 2021

On-screen, we’ve seen downtrodden Cinderella-esque leads, we’ve seen humans transform into animals, and we’ve seen whole families cursed, but Fruits Basket takes all these plot devices and transforms them into something completely different. As Tohru Honda gets to learn about the mysterious Sohma family, and she and friends gets into fun and wacky hijinks with the curse, the series takes the legend of the Chinese zodiac as a unique and effortless means to discuss systemic, generational abuse and resulting trauma that can occur within a family. The classic shoujo manga was first adapted into anime in 2001, but we’re recommending the later 2019 adaptation, which goes more in depth and depicts the complete story.Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Actor: Ai Kakuma, Aki Toyosaki, Atsumi Tanezaki, Kazuyuki Okitsu, Kengo Kawanishi, Maaya Sakamoto, Makoto Furukawa, Manaka Iwami, Megumi Han, Miyuki Sawashiro, Nobunaga Shimazaki, Reina Ueda, Rie Kugimiya, Satomi Sato, Takahiro Sakurai, Takuya Eguchi, Toshiyuki Morikawa, You Taichi, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuma Uchida, Yuuichirou Umehara
Rating: TV-14

4. Haikyu!!, 2020

Fun, wholesome, and relatable, Haikyu!! celebrates the highs and lows of high school volleyball. The show starts off focused on two freshmen volleyball players from opposing middle school teams, who have to learn teamwork in order to be accepted into their high school club. While the team might initially come across as self-conscious, over-the-top, highly dramatic characters, it’s clear that they're coming from a shared love for the competitive sport (and that they also just happen to be going through puberty). However, the show’s strategic storytelling makes us care about the team: explanations about volleyball tactics are taught just at the right moment in order to heighten the stakes of every player’s move. Simultaneously, every player moves into each new plot point as a natural consequence of their backstory and their perception of each event. Haikyu!!’s agile approach makes the show a compelling watch, and a great place to start if you're new to anime.

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama

Actor: Ayumu Murase, Daisuke Namikawa, Hiroshi Kamiya, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Hisao Egawa, Kaito Ishikawa, Kaori Nazuka, Kazunari Tanaka, Koki Uchiyama, Koutaro Nishiyama, Mark Ishii, Masaru Hayashi, Miyu Irino, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Nobuyori Sagara, Ryohei Kimura, Ryota Takeuchi, Satoshi Hino, Shinnosuke Tachibana, Soma Saito, Subaru Kimura, Sumire Morohoshi, Toshiki Masuda, Yoshimasa Hosoya, Yu Hayashi, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuki Kaji, Yuu Hayashi

Rating: TV-14

5. Rilakkuma and Kaoru, 2019

Meet Rilakkuma, a relaxed teddy bear (which is indeed what his name translates to in Japanese), and Kaoru, a Japanese office worker in her mid-thirties, who lives with said bear as well as a smaller white bear named Korilakkuma and a yellow chick by the name of Kiiroitori. As whimsical as all this may sound, the show offers up endearing and humane life lessons to go with all the heart-warming cuteness as Kaoru navigates being single, her apartment building being demolished, and her job stressing her out. It combines charming stop-motion characters with great writing, adorable animation, and a beautifully quiet tone. You might be surprised at the profundity of a show that, at the surface, is about a Japanese girl with cuddly toy roommates. It's hard to compare it to anything else!
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Kids
Actor: Abby Trott, Ayano Kinashi, Barbara Goodson, Hitoshi Honma, Issei Takubo, Kana Odaira, Kanako Nishiyama, Mai Kanazawa, Masako Matsuno, Mikako Tabe, Shigeru Sugimoto, Soki Matsumoto, Takayuki Yamada, Veronica Taylor, Yuzuha Kobayashi
Director: Masahito Kobayashi
Rating: TV-PG

6. Blood of Zeus, 2024

After the success of Castlevania, it became apparent that there was a market for American anime– so Netflix teamed up with Powerhouse Animation Studios and the Greek-American Parlapanides Brothers to create Blood of Zeus. Claiming to be a tale “lost to history”, the show takes familiar strands of Greek mythos, such as demigod births, fantastical beings, and powerful gods, woven together through the journey of Heron as he sets out on a heroic quest. It’s a distinctly Western tale, but the epic battles, arena duels, and demonic hunts mixes well with Powerhouse’s animesque art style, creating a novel combination that feels fully original.Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Adam Croasdell, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, Chris Diamantopoulos, Claudia Christian, Danny Jacobs, David Shaughnessy, Derek Phillips, Elias Toufexis, Fred Tatasciore, Jason O'Mara, Jason O'Mara, Jennifer Hale, Jessica Henwick, Mamie Gummer, Matt Lowe, Matthew Mercer, Melina Kanakaredes, Vanessa Marshall
Rating: N/A, TV-MA

7. The Promised Neverland, 2021

Intricately constructed and unbearably suspenseful from beginning to end, the first season of The Promised Neverland is a masterclass in using the episodic structure of TV to maximize the effect of a mystery-driven thriller. By placing us firmly within the perspective of its child protagonists (who are, to be fair, incredibly smart and determined), every step towards freedom still feels like a shot in the dark, and every setback becomes increasingly more devastating. Even as the season hurtles towards its conclusion, it never becomes clear how much its characters will succeed, if at all. Intelligent editing and animation that goes from ominous to fully grotesque ensures that something always feels off or too good to be true, no matter what.

And it says a lot about the sheer quality of the first season that it's still worth recommending despite a truly awful, rushed second season, which ignores its own themes and resorts to lazy animation just to get through the story faster. Viewed as a two-season series, The Promised Neverland can't help but look disappointing, squandering an exhilarating first half with developments that lead nowhere. But even on its own, season one stands tall as a stunning achievement in anime—a self-contained story of selflessness and hope in the face of dehumanization and despair.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thriller

Actor: Ai Kayano, Ari Ozawa, Erisa Kuon, Hiyori Kono, Lynn, Maaya Uchida, Mari Hino, Mariya Ise, Nami Fujita, Nao Fujita, Shinei Ueki, Shizuka Ishigami, Sumire Morohoshi, Yoshino Aoyama, Yuhko Kaida, Yuko Mori

Rating: TV-14, TV-MA

8. Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, 2023

Set in a fictionalized version of Japan's Edo period, where a deadly disease affecting only men has led to women taking traditionally-male roles, Ōoku is steeped in social commentary on gender and sexuality. The concept is well-established in its 70+ minute first episode, allowing the story to set a foundation for a fascinating progression in this world. By centering the powerful warlord figure, the Shogun, it illuminates the shadows women occupy to support a country with little to no recognition. With a political throughline and an inherently feminist lens, Ooku: The Inner Chambers offers a beautifully-animated series with few gimmicks and lots of depth.

Genre: Animation, Drama

Actor: Eriko Matsui, Jun Fukuyama, Kikuko Inoue, Mamoru Miyano, Miyuki Satou, Sanae Kobayashi, Tomokazu Seki, Yuki Kaji

Rating: TV-MA