Seriously, they have more anime than you might have expected.
Disney+ is a somewhat controversial streaming service for anime fans. While it is one of the biggest streaming platforms out there, it’s not exactly famous for its anime content: most anime fans tend to watch anime on services like Crunchyroll instead. That said, Disney+ has enough anime in their catalog that make the subscription worthwhile.
You should probably get a Hulu subscription instead if you’re in the US (or in another country where Hulu is available). Both services are Disney subsidiaries — and with a Disney Bundle subscription you get access to both. Here are some anime from the streaming services that make these subscriptions worthwhile.
The currently airing Undead Unluck is quite a unique series among battle shounen. It focuses on a duo of protagonists, one of whom is immortal and the other is cursed with putting anyone she goes near into grave danger.
These two have to fight against an organization that is going after them — for one reason or the other — and the plot develops from there. Very soon it becomes hard to explain, so just trust us on this one: it’s very entertaining, and you shouldn’t skip it.
If you’re a Bleach fan, you probably have been excited for the adaptation of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Yes, it was criticized in the manga, but many years after the original anime ended, fans wanted any kind of closure for it.
Fortunately, the anime actually improves upon the flaws of this arc. That said, the only actual way to legally stream it is Disney+ or Hulu — depending on where you are. If you consider yourself a fan of the series, it’s definitely worth watching.
Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyou) is an excellent mystery thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world. It follows two characters who travel the destroyed world in search of something called “paradise”, all while fending off enemies and having to deal with their past.
The anime takes a “show, don’t tell” approach, slowly revealing bits of information, and the full picture only becomes clear later on.
Summer Time Rendering
Perhaps the most notable example of so-called “Disney+ jail” is Summer Time Rendering (Summertime Render). The series was actually limited to the Japanese region of the service only before dropping on Hulu/Disney+ half a year later. Many watched the fansubbed version instead.
Thankfully, it’s available now, and it’s absolutely worth it — it is one of the greatest modern time travel anime.
Sand Land: The Series
Akira Toriyama’s recent passing has brought people’s attention to him once again. While most people know him for the Dragon Ball franchise, that’s only one of the few of his works.
Sand Land was a short manga that was turned into a movie in 2023 — and in March 2024, Toriyama’s script was used, extending it to a 13 episode series. The first half is already out on March 20.
The Tatami Time Machine Blues
Technically, The Tatami Time Machine Blues (Yojouhan Time Machine Blues) is a standalone series. Yes, it uses the characters from the cult classic The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei) — but it’s not a sequel, as it’s seemingly set in an alternate universe.
The anime is an artsy short project — only 6 episodes long — that tells a fully complete story of a group of friends who accidentally stumble upon a time machine. It’s worth watching if you’re a fan of the genre.
Mission: Yozakura Family
One of the biggest Weekly Shounen Jump hits right now is Mission: Yozakura Family (Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen) — a teenage spy action-comedy with a hint of romance.
The anime adaptation has been expected for a while, and it’s finally airing this Spring. The anime has been announced to come to Hulu/Disney+, and while some fans are upset, it’s not a reason to despair: the service has enough anime to justify subscribing to it.
Star Wars: Visions
Yes, there’s a Star Wars anime. Visions is a Disney+ original series (this makes sense, considering Star Wars is a Disney property), consisting of short episodes that are set in the Star Wars universe.
Many of them are only loosely connected to the main plot of the movies, but they’re worth watching — they’re pretty short, they look pretty unique, and they expand the lore in interesting ways.
Ishura
Ishura is one of the oddest isekai anime of recent years. That is because it’s not really an isekai the way you expect it to be: yes, there are characters who came from another world, but the story doesn’t focus only on them.
Instead, the anime follows around two dozen insanely powerful characters involved in a complicated political setup. The first few episodes serve to introduce its massive cast, but once the plot kicks in, the anime becomes amazing — just stick with it.
The Fable
Another upcoming anime from Spring 2024, The Fable focuses on the life of an experienced hitman. He’s forced to retire from his job and live in society as a normal person for a whole year — and the task is way harder than one might realize.
The manga is iconic for a reason, and it’s finally getting an anime — which will be on Disney+ and Hulu.
Seriously, they have more anime than you might have expected.
Disney+ is a somewhat controversial streaming service for anime fans. While it is one of the biggest streaming platforms out there, it’s not exactly famous for its anime content: most anime fans tend to watch anime on services like Crunchyroll instead. That said, Disney+ has enough anime in their catalog that make the subscription worthwhile.
You should probably get a Hulu subscription instead if you’re in the US (or in another country where Hulu is available). Both services are Disney subsidiaries — and with a Disney Bundle subscription you get access to both. Here are some anime from the streaming services that make these subscriptions worthwhile.
The currently airing Undead Unluck is quite a unique series among battle shounen. It focuses on a duo of protagonists, one of whom is immortal and the other is cursed with putting anyone she goes near into grave danger.
These two have to fight against an organization that is going after them — for one reason or the other — and the plot develops from there. Very soon it becomes hard to explain, so just trust us on this one: it’s very entertaining, and you shouldn’t skip it.
If you’re a Bleach fan, you probably have been excited for the adaptation of the Thousand-Year Blood War arc. Yes, it was criticized in the manga, but many years after the original anime ended, fans wanted any kind of closure for it.
Fortunately, the anime actually improves upon the flaws of this arc. That said, the only actual way to legally stream it is Disney+ or Hulu — depending on where you are. If you consider yourself a fan of the series, it’s definitely worth watching.
Heavenly Delusion (Tengoku Daimakyou) is an excellent mystery thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world. It follows two characters who travel the destroyed world in search of something called “paradise”, all while fending off enemies and having to deal with their past.
The anime takes a “show, don’t tell” approach, slowly revealing bits of information, and the full picture only becomes clear later on.
Summer Time Rendering
Perhaps the most notable example of so-called “Disney+ jail” is Summer Time Rendering (Summertime Render). The series was actually limited to the Japanese region of the service only before dropping on Hulu/Disney+ half a year later. Many watched the fansubbed version instead.
Thankfully, it’s available now, and it’s absolutely worth it — it is one of the greatest modern time travel anime.
Sand Land: The Series
Akira Toriyama’s recent passing has brought people’s attention to him once again. While most people know him for the Dragon Ball franchise, that’s only one of the few of his works.
Sand Land was a short manga that was turned into a movie in 2023 — and in March 2024, Toriyama’s script was used, extending it to a 13 episode series. The first half is already out on March 20.
The Tatami Time Machine Blues
Technically, The Tatami Time Machine Blues (Yojouhan Time Machine Blues) is a standalone series. Yes, it uses the characters from the cult classic The Tatami Galaxy (Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei) — but it’s not a sequel, as it’s seemingly set in an alternate universe.
The anime is an artsy short project — only 6 episodes long — that tells a fully complete story of a group of friends who accidentally stumble upon a time machine. It’s worth watching if you’re a fan of the genre.
Mission: Yozakura Family
One of the biggest Weekly Shounen Jump hits right now is Mission: Yozakura Family (Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen) — a teenage spy action-comedy with a hint of romance.
The anime adaptation has been expected for a while, and it’s finally airing this Spring. The anime has been announced to come to Hulu/Disney+, and while some fans are upset, it’s not a reason to despair: the service has enough anime to justify subscribing to it.
Star Wars: Visions
Yes, there’s a Star Wars anime. Visions is a Disney+ original series (this makes sense, considering Star Wars is a Disney property), consisting of short episodes that are set in the Star Wars universe.
Many of them are only loosely connected to the main plot of the movies, but they’re worth watching — they’re pretty short, they look pretty unique, and they expand the lore in interesting ways.
Ishura
Ishura is one of the oddest isekai anime of recent years. That is because it’s not really an isekai the way you expect it to be: yes, there are characters who came from another world, but the story doesn’t focus only on them.
Instead, the anime follows around two dozen insanely powerful characters involved in a complicated political setup. The first few episodes serve to introduce its massive cast, but once the plot kicks in, the anime becomes amazing — just stick with it.
The Fable
Another upcoming anime from Spring 2024, The Fable focuses on the life of an experienced hitman. He’s forced to retire from his job and live in society as a normal person for a whole year — and the task is way harder than one might realize.
The manga is iconic for a reason, and it’s finally getting an anime — which will be on Disney+ and Hulu.
