2020 was a unique year in that, due to the pandemic, people were stuck at home with a lot of time on their hands. Many people turned to television and film as a way to escape the new reality we were living in. We saw a rise in popularity for genres like Korean dramas, documentaries, and filmed versions of Broadway plays and musicals.
For fans of anime, Netflix offers a range of great shows to stream. Here are some of the best, available now with English subtitles and, in some cases, dubbing too. With a variety of genres to choose from, there’s sure to be something for everyone on this list.
- Attack on Titan
- Death Note
- Devilman Crybaby
- Naruto
- One Piece
- Pokémon
- Sailor Moon
- Sword Art Online
Table of Contents
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)
The death of Meiko “Menma” Honma left a group of her childhood best friends reeling and in pain. Years later, Menma’s ghost appears to Jinta Yadomi, the former leader of the group who has isolated himself since her death. Menma asks Jinta to help her fulfill her final wish so that she can move on to the afterlife. This request brings Jinta and his friends back together as they process their pain and grief for the first time.
Attack on Titan (2013-present)
For a hundred years, humanity lived peacefully inside a 50-meter wall (around 165 feet) that protected against humanoid, man-eating giants known as “titans.” That peace is entirely destroyed when an abnormally large titan suddenly appears and breaches the wall, opening the way for the monstrous creatures to flood into civilization.
After witnessing his mother’s death, Eren Yeager joins the Scout Regiment—the military branch tasked with battling the titans. Each arc in Attack on Titan moves at full throttle, leaving readers barely any time to catch their breath.
Beastars (2019-present)
In a world of anthropomorphic animals, peace and harmony exist on the surface but the tension between carnivores and herbivores boils underneath. Here, every character is labeled with the stereotypes associated with their species—even if they do not prove to be entirely true. Legoshi, the main character, has a quiet personality, but as a towering gray wolf is perceived with fear and even suspected as the predator who killed a rabbit. However, it is this very rabbit, Haru, who he falls in love with which challenges everything he thought he knew about himself.
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (2006-2007)
In the alternate universe of Code Geass, Japan has been taken over by the Holy Empire of Britannia and is now a colony referred to as “Area 11.” The rebel forces against Britannia are still fighting, and one day Lelouch Lamperouge is caught up in a terrorist attack. He is saved by a girl who gives him a power called “Geass” that allows him to control others. With this new ability, Lelouch—who is an exiled Brittanian prince—begins to look for those responsible for his mother’s death and battles the government that has long oppressed Area 11. Code Geass is an exciting show from its first episode
Death Note (2006-2007)
Light Yagami wants to be-like. After finding “Death Note” – a notebook that the *of death, Ryuk, dropped into the human world – the high school student learns that anyone whose name is written in its pages dies. Immediately, he begins to write down the names of criminals in order to create a utopia without evil. However, it doesn’t take long before international law enforcement organizations start to hunt down the person behind the murders. They partner with a renowned but anonymous detective who goes by L.
The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. (2016-2019)
All Kusou Saiki wants is to have a normal, quiet life where he doesn’t stand out – which is quite the challenge when he was born with a variety of supernatural powers, ranging from mind reading and telepathy to X-ray vision and psychokinesis. In order to keep his abilities hidden and stay under the radar, Saiki often has to go through great lengths and use a lot of mental energy to appear average. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. is refreshing and lighthearted, with Saiki’s deadpan internal monologue about the struggles of having psychic abilities being the highlight of the show.
