As Netflix’s anime stable keeps ballooning, we’ve narrowed its true originals to the essentials, prioritising completed runs, consistent animation, and stories that actually stick the landing.
Let me be honest: back in the day, if I saw the words Netflix Original stuck to an anime series, I skipped it. No hesitation, no regrets. To me, 'Netflix anime' smelled like a shortcut for people who couldn’t be bothered to hunt for the deep cuts. I cut my teeth rooting through message boards for weird OVAs, single-season misfits, and cult classics you only heard about through rumour. That was half the thrill—finding something genuinely brilliant, not whatever the algorithm spat out next to Love Is Blind. But after actually committing to a run of these 'Netflix Originals'... turns out, I'd written off a lot of absolutely top-tier anime for no good reason. Some of these genuinely belong in the all-timers list—across horror, romance, wild fantasy, and, yes, the odd sports saga that makes you start caring about school badminton. Below, you’ll find ten that I wouldn’t hesitate recommending to anyone, even if you’ve got an anime backlog that stretches back to primary school.
Season 1 of Delicious in Dungeon scored a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
What makes the cut There’s only one rule for this list: the series had to be either Netflix-produced outright, or the streaming giant has exclusive rights somewhere (I’m not turning this into a wall of imported shounen). Everything else is fair game. I dodged any show that’s just a carbon copy of something you could find on prime-time Japanese TV, and made sure the selection represents the proper range—from hyper-stylised monster slaying to slow-burn drama that quietly rearranges your brain. Here’s my current playlist, in no particular order:
- 'Dorohedoro' (2020 – Present) – This grimy, unhinged dark fantasy started out as a deeply strange manga about a bloke with a lizard head out for revenge. The anime is equal parts filthy, funny, and occasionally stomach-turning, but the perfect antidote if you think fantasy should be a bit more deranged. After six years, season two finally dropped in 2026. If you expect any character here to behave well, you’re in for a shock.
- 'Pluto' (2023) – Don’t be fooled by the Astro Boy connection; this isn’t kid stuff. Urasawa stretches a single manga arc into a seven-hour meditation on grief, war, and artificial intelligence, with more kitchen-table tension than robot carnage. The pacing is deliberate—if you demand pyrotechnics, it’s probably not for you.
- 'Devilman Crybaby' (2018) – Classic manga rebooted as a stylised trip through hell, courtesy of Masaaki Yuasa. The animation is wild, the music is a shot of adrenaline, and the overall effect is like a horror film and a rave crashed into each other. As bleak as anime gets—if you’re feeling fragile, maybe save it for later.
- 'My Happy Marriage' (2023 – Present) – Ignore the whole 'Netflix Original' confusion: Netflix just bought the worldwide streaming rights after the fact. What matters is the show itself—arranged-marriage fantasy with bloodline magic and painfully earnest romance. The drama unfolds at a glacial pace, but the chemistry between leads pays off. Expect a three-episode special later in the year; there were minor stumbles with s2’s delays but nothing fatal.
- 'Castlevania' (2017 – 2021) – The exception to the 'all video game adaptations are rubbish' rule. Warren Ellis turns a basic monsters-vs-humans premise into a witty, vicious, and even occasionally moving adult animation. Only four episodes for the first run—more of a taster than a full meal—but stick with it. Completely separate from Nocturne, too, so no need to do your homework first.
- 'Delicious in Dungeon' (2024 – Present) – Adventurers cooking and eating monsters: sounds like nonsense, plays like a genuinely clever look at fantasy ecosystems. Also, the party dynamic is a joy. Gory at points, oddly sweet elsewhere, and the lore-building is subtle. Waiting three years between seasons is irritating, though—s2 is due in October 2027, so plan your binge.
- 'Blue Box' (2024 – Present) – Sports and romance in equal measure, and not afraid to leave its central couple in limbo (a decision that made half of anime Twitter combust). If you only have patience for a 12-episode romcom, steer clear—this one takes its sweet time, with season one covering 80 manga chapters and no neat pay-off. The manga’s heading to its finish line in 2026.
- 'Violet Evergarden' (2018 – 2020) – Kyoto Animation at its most polished. Looks like a moving painting, but the real magic is in the storytelling—a trauma recovery arc told through episodic, post-war vignettes. Quiet and heartbreakingly earnest, but not the typical melodrama. Binge it too quickly and you might run out of tissues. Hats off to Netflix for making this available worldwide.
- 'Kakegurui' (2017 – 2019) – Betting, mind games, and more theatrical excess than most West End musicals. Card games have never felt so apocalyptic. It’s all style and psychological warfare, with every match a battle of ego. You’ll know within one episode if the extreme facial expressions are your cup of tea—or enough to give you nightmares.
- 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners' (2022) – Proof that sometimes, the spin-off is better than the original. Tied to a game infamous for disaster at launch, this 10-episode cyberpunk tragedy still managed to pull in rave reviews. Fast, brutal, and unafraid to end on a gut punch, the upcoming sequel will follow an entirely new crew. If you want more of David, tough luck.