(Credit: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba / Facebook, One Piece / Facebook)
Out of the world storytelling, dynamic characters, and heart-tugging plots — these are just some of the things people love about anime. After all, there’s a compelling reason why anime buffs would shell out to cosplay as their favourite characters, invest emotionally in fan fiction, and splurge on merch. There’s just something about it that ignites a fiery passion. From comedy, sci-fi, to fantasy, there’s an extensive range of genres you can find in the world of anime. If you’re looking for an escape from reality, here’s our list of the 21 best anime series to watch.
Anime is a term used outside of Japan to refer to Japanese animated works, including films and series. Beyond your childhood shows like Pokemon and Digimon, there are a deluge of anime genres such as sci-fi, comedy, adventure, horror, martial arts and more. In the realm of anime, anything is possible — which is why you can expect to find plots that push existing boundaries.
Shonen literally means “for boys”, which points towards the target demographic of the anime series. However, they really are for a wide range of audience. It is the most popular anime genre that mainly revolves around young men who are trying to be the best in what they do, save the world, and protect their loved ones. Within this wide umbrella is a myriad of sub genres such as dark fantasy, adventure, and martial arts.
Jujutsu Kaisen is one of the best anime series to watch that has been all the rage these days, sweeping up multiple awards including “Anime of the Year” in 2021. This new series is set in a world where Cursed Spirits feed on humans, and fragments of a demon have been scattered. It revolves around the adventures of Yuji Itadori, a high school student who joins a secret organisation of Jujutsu Sorcerers in a bid to kill the demon to protect the living.
This highly-rated anime series blends comedy, adventure, fighting, myth and lore brilliantly, and definitely deserves a spot on this list. If you get into it, get ready to meet many vibrant characters that you’ll grow to love.
Jujutsu Kaisen anime merchandise to get: Love collecting figurines of your favourite anime characters? Get the Gojo Satoru Banpresto Figure (available on Toymana Official Store)!
Genre: Adventure, dark fantasy, supernatural
Length: 1 season, 24 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Demon Slayer is a heart wrenching anime about a boy, Tanjiro, who lost his parents and had his sister, Nezuko, turned into a demon. However, unlike most demons who eat human flesh and are enemies of the demon slayers, Tanjiro found himself an unlikely ally and companion in Nezuko. They traverse the Demon Slayer realm as a formidable duo, fighting against demons and protecting others from suffering the same fate that befell them.
This highly-rated anime has a well balanced mix of comedic and touching moments — so get ready to laugh your heart out and ball your eyes out. Furthermore, it’s also one of the best Netflix anime series to watch that has found itself at the top of many recent anime charts. In addition, a new season of this anime was recently released in 2021. Watch it now so you don’t find yourself missing out on the conversation that might seep into your interactions with your friends now that there’s a season 2!
Demon Slayer anime merchandise to get: Fans of the adorable Nezuko can get the Banpresto Nezuko Figure or the Tamashii Nations Figuarts Mini Little Nezuko (both available on Toymana Official Store). You can also snag the 2022 Demon Slayer Calendar (available on TCSB Shopping) to decorate your work desk!
Genre: Adventure, dark fantasy, martial arts
Length: 2 seasons, 33 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Viu, Crunchyroll, Funimation
Attack On Titan is hands down one of the G.O.A.T.s (greatest of all time) in the anime world. It has impeccable storytelling, well-developed characters, and incredibly exciting fighting scenes that keeps you at the edge of your seat.
Set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian world where humans live in constant fear of the invasion of titans, Eren Yeager is determined to save humanity after witnessing a painful loss. This highly-rated anime series is definitely one of the best options to watch on Netflix.
Attack On Titan anime merchandise to get: If you’re head over heels for Levi Ackerman, start collecting his figurines like the cute Funko Pop! Levi Action Figure (available on TOMMO.sg)! Want to be a part of the scouts regimen? Get the Freedom Wings Necklace (available on DW Shop)! You can also display your favourite AOT characters on your wall with the Attack On Titan Poster (available on Hawley Living Mall).
Genre: Action, dark fantasy, post-apocalyptic
Length: 4 seasons, 75 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
New releases: Attack On Titan Final Season: Part 2, 9 January 2022
Shirou Emiya, an honest and hardworking teenager, enters the Holy Grail War, the fifth iteration of a battle royale against his will. In this game, combatants fight with magic and command Heroic Spirits to help them fight. The prize? A magical artifact that can grant you any wish.
Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is one of the best anime to watch that’s part of the legendary Fate Series. It is adapted from a homonymous visual novel that has three different endings, based on the readers’ choice. Instead of doing an interactive show like Bandersnatch, there are three main storylines for the anime series. We recommend starting with this series, followed by Fate/Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel, and finally its prequel, Fate/Zero.
Fate/Stay Night anime merchandise to get: Simps for model student Rin Tohsaka can illuminate your room with the Fate/Stay Night Rin Tohsaka Lamp (available on fantasylife.sg) – a warm night light that changes colours with the touch of a button!
Genre: Dark fantasy
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Where to watch anime: Crunchyroll
If you’re a fan of superhero movies, you’ll probably enjoy My Hero Academia — set in a world where everyone is born with Quirks (superpowers). Not for Izuku Midoriya, though, who did not have any Quirks of his own. Things take a turn for him when All Might, the great superhero in Japan, takes him under his wing. Midoriya subsequently enrolls in U.A. High School, a prestigious training academy for heroes-to-be, and pursues his dreams of becoming a superhero. This anime series takes inspiration from superhero comic books, and its characters were even used to promote Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War!
My Hero Academia anime merchandise to get: Want to deck your display cabinet with My Hero Academia characters? We’ve got you covered with figurines like the QPosket Katsuki Bakugo Figure (available on Simply Toys Official Store) and the Banpresto Tamaki Amajiki Figure (available on Gifts Greetings Official Store)!
Genre: Adventure, science fantasy, superhero
Length: 5 seasons, 113 episodes
Where to watch anime: My Hero Academia Season 6, release date TBA
Haikyuu! (translated as volleyball) is one of the best anime series available to watch on Netflix. The story follows Shoyo Hinata, a short boy who is heavily inspired by a volleyball player nicknamed ‘The Little Giant’. He joins his school’s volleyball team, but finds himself the sole member. After two years, his friends finally decide to join him and compete together in a tournament. Subsequently, they meet several setbacks, but continue to push each other. This anime series garnered much interest in the sport, and is widely recommended as one of the best anime series to watch! This 2021, a new season of Haikyuu! has been confirmed!
Haikyuu! anime merchandise to get: Fans of Haikyuu!, it’s time to add these adorbs Haikyuu! Round Roll Plush Dolls (available on AKKO FIGURES.sg) to your soft toy collection. We think the expressions on these dolls are absolutely hilarious and representative of their characters!
Genre: Coming-of-age, comedy, sports
Length: 4 seasons, 85 episodes
Anime sites to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Where to watch anime: Season 5, 2022
If you’re intrigued by plots about the afterlife, we recommend adding Bleach, one of the best anime series, to your to-watch list. It follows the adventures of Ichigo Kurosaki, a teenager who has the ability to see ghosts. He obtains powers of a shinigami (soul reaper) and sets out on a quest to save the world.
It’s another behemoth that has a whopping 366 episodes. If that sounds daunting, most fans agree the first 63 episodes are the greatest, so watching those will suffice if you’re short on time.
Bleach anime merchandise to get: Those who swoon over Ichigo have to snatch up the Banpresto Soul Entered Model Ichigo Kurosaki Figure (available on Gifts Greetings Official Store) that features him in one of his coolest poses!
Genre: Adventure, supernatural
Length: 16 seasons, 366 episodes
Anime sites to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Where to watch anime: Thousand-Year Blood War, 2022
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (FMAB) tells the story of brothers Edward and Alphonse Eric. Abandoned by their dad who was a notable alchemist, they were raised by their mother, Trisha. The brothers were curious about alchemy since young, and embarked on a journey to learn more about its secrets after their mother passed on. After that, they returned home trying to revive their dead mother with alchemy, only to lose their own bodies in the process.
Genre: Adventure, dark fantasy, steampunk
Length: 5 parts, 64 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix
Naruto is one of the best anime series of all time that needs no introduction — it has itself a huge fanbase that might actually fight you if you claim otherwise. It follows the story of the titular character, Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja who seeks to become the Hokage (leader of his village). He grew up without a family, and wished to gain the recognition and acceptance of the villagers who ostracised him. Unbeknownst to Naruto, he was the human host of a great demon fox.
Naruto anime merchandise to get: Show your love for Naruto with anime figurines like the Banpresto Naruto Figure and the Banpresto Uchiha Sasuke Figure (both available on Toymana Official Store)!
Genre: Adventure, fantasy comedy, martial arts
Length: 9 seasons, 220 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Highly rated at 8.8/10 on IMDb, One Piece is one of the best anime series to watch that will be well worth your time. It revolves around Monkey D. Luffy, a 17 year old boy who sets off on a journey from the East Blue Sea in search of the mythical One Piece to become the King of all pirates. He experiences crazy adventures and meets intriguing people along the way. Unlike most representations of pirates that tend to portray them as villains, Luffy is a pure-hearted guy who’s brimming with curiosity. Overall, this anime will bring you on a fun ride full of laughter!
One Piece anime merchandise to get: Are you really a fan of One Piece if you don’t own any One Piece merchandise? Apart from D Luffy Figuarts (available on Toymana Official Store), you can also buy the Banpresto Roronoa Zoro Figure and Banpresto Sabo Figure (both available on Toymana Official Store). Prefer to make a more subtle statement? The Skechers One Piece Sport Shoes (available on Skechers Singapore Official Store) are perfect with One Piece colours and prints.
Genre: Adventure, fantasy
Length: 20 seasons, 981 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Upcoming releases: One Piece: Red (movie), 6 August 2022
Death Note is an iconic anime series that you might recall seeing two decades ago. It pushes boundaries by having a villain as the main character. In Death Note, Light Yagami, a teenage genius, discovers a notebook that gives its user the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. In a bid to create a crime-free society, Light attempts a worldwide massacre of people who he believes are lacking morals.
This is one of the best thriller anime to watch if you’re looking for something more intense. There have been multiple live action adaptations of Death Note, including an American movie released on Netflix in 2017.
Death Note anime merchandise to get: Take a leaf out of this iconic anime with the Death Note Notebook (available on JH Anime Cos) that’s complete with the silver necklace and black pages!
Genre: Mystery, psychological thriller, supernatural thriller
Length: 37 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is a beautiful anime that never fails to cue the waterworks. It centers around a group of six childhood friends who drift apart after one of them, Menma, dies in an accident. Subsequently, she comes back to her friend, Jinta, who withdrew from society and lived as a recluse, to ask for a wish to be granted. This highly-rated anime is one of the best options to watch if you’re ready to go through a rollercoaster of emotions — get ready the tissues if you start!
Genre: Coming-of-age
Length: 1 season, 11 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Mob Psycho 100 is yet another masterpiece by the creator of One Punch Man, regarded as one of the best anime series to watch. It follows the story of Kageyama Shigeo, a psychic eighth grader who has to keep his powers under control. He attempts to use his psychic abilities to charm his crush in school (think bending a spoon and lifting objects using his mind), hoping to be friends.
Genre: Action, comedy, supernatural
Length: 2 seasons, 25 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Seinen anime refers to anime for young men, which targets an older audience. Therefore, you can expect more violence, characters with a lot of depth, and more exploration of morals. Instead of young boys in a bid to be the best, these stories tend to center around people who have tried and failed.
Steins;Gate explores the interesting theme of time travel. Rintaro Okabe, a self proclaimed “mad scientist” in Akihabara Tokyo, discovers a cell-phone operated microwave oven that can send text messages back in time. He investigates this, and eventually invents a device that allows time travel.
Highly rated at 9.1/10 on MyAnimeList, Steins;Gate is hailed as a masterpiece of the science fiction genre. This is definitely one of the best anime series to watch, especially if you enjoy a mind-bending plot paired with stunning visuals.
Steins;Gate anime merchandise to get: Steins;Gate fanatics will be stoked to know that you can get the Steins Gate Kurisu Makise Table Lamp (available on LED Anime Fans Gift Shop) to zhng your desk up!
Genre: Psychological thriller, science fiction
Length: 2 seasons, 26 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Tokyo Ghoul is set in a city haunted by ghouls — creatures who look like normal humans but survive by feasting on human flesh. Ken Kaneki survives his rendezvous with a date who turns out to be a ghoul. Against his will, he was turned into a half-ghoul after undergoing a surgery. Kaneki fights to cling on to his humanity, while attempting to survive.
Apart from an interesting premise, Tokyo Ghoul is also filled with intense fight scenes accompanied by a hair-standing soundtrack. To sum up, this is definitely one of the best anime series to watch!
Genre: Dark fantasy, supernatural thriller
Length: 2 seasons, 36 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Looking for some comedic relief? One Punch Man is the way to go! It tells the story of a man, Saitama, who went through intensive training to be able to defeat all his foes with a single blow, hence his moniker “One Punch Man”. His infamous training routine consisting of 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 kilometer run every day for 3 years has even been adapted to real life as the One Punch Man training routine.
Unlike many other protagonists in other anime series who go through hell and meet several obstacles along their way of growth, this one takes the complete opposite approach. Even the final bosses are unable to withstand the blow of Saitama. To conclude, this is definitely one of the best comedy anime series to watch during the holidays — available on Netflix too!
One Punch Man anime merchandise to get: For an extra boost for your daily workouts, put on the chic Skechers One Punch Man Lifestyle Shoes (available on Skechers Singapore Official Store) and channel your inner Saitama! In addition, you can get the Funko Pop Saitama Figure Toy (available on blackolive.sg) and the One Punch Man T-Shirt (available on DJA Man Clothes Store).
Genre: Action, comedy, superhero
Length: 2 seasons, 24 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
If you’re in need of a good laugh, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure will do the trick. This series follows the adventures of the Joestar family, with each part centering around one member, starting from Jonathan Joestar. If you’re wondering why the character’s name is in English instead of Japanese, it is because the writer, Hirohiko Araki, is a huge fan of Western music. Therefore, many of the characters in Jojo are named after his favourite musicians and songs.
This iconic anime series will keep you on your toes, with each episode piquing your curiosity further. We definitely recommend putting this anime on your to-watch list this holiday season — get ready for outlandish characters, hilarious moments, and beautiful animations! For Jojo fans, a new season of this anime has just dropped on Netflix this 2021, so go catch this best anime to watch!
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure anime merchandise to get: Apart from collecting Jojo memes, take your love for this anime series up a level with the Jojo Acrylic 3D Night Lamp (available on fantasylife.sg)! Furthermore, you can deck your room walls up with vintage Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure posters (available on Randy Sticker Poster Wall).
Genre: Adventure, fantasy, supernatural
Length: 5 seasons, 164 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
If you’ve got an appetite for crime and mystery, Monster is one of the best anime series to watch. It revolves around the story of a well-respected neurosurgeon, Dr Kenzou Tenma, whose life takes a dark turn. Ordered to perform surgery on a famous performer instead of a poor immigrant, Tenma was left overwhelmed with guilt after the immigrant died as a result. He was again ordered to perform surgery on a mayor instead of a young boy by his superiors.
This time, he stood his ground and refused, leading to the death of the mayor. As a result, Tenma suffered dire consequences for Tenma, as he lost his position. Mysteriously, the hospital director and two other doctors were murdered.
Genre: Crime, mystery, suspense
Length: 37 episodes
Where to watch anime: Amazon Prime, Crunchyroll
Erased is one of the best anime series to watch this holiday season — it’s one of those that gets you hooked from the beginning and keeps you at the edge of your seat with a thickening plot. It tells the story of Satoru Fujinuma, who was sent back in time to prevent the events that lead to his mother’s unfortunate death. If you’re a fan of mystery, you won’t be disappointed.
Genre: Mystery, science fiction, thriller
Length: 1 season, 12 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Mecha anime is a genre that involves giant humanoid robots with outlandish powers. They often involve plots about war and apocalypse.
In an alternate timeline, Lelouch vi Britannia, an exiled prince, obtains the “power of absolute obedience”, also known as Geass. Wielding this power, he instigated a rebellion against the Holy Britannian Empire, one of the three superpowers in the world. He starts a series of mecha battles — battles using machines like humanoid walking vehicles.
Widely regarded as an S-tier anime, Code:Geass is one of the best anime series that is definitely worth adding to your to-watch list. Get ready for not just exciting action, but a battle of wits and insane plot twists.
Genre: Alternate history, mecha, military
Length: 2 seasons, 50 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix, Crunchyroll
Aired from 1995 to 1996, Neon Genesis Evangelion is the ultimate classic anime series that is still well-loved to this day. The story is set in 2015 (20 years from its debut), where the earth has been hit by an event named “Second Impact”, and became damaged beyond repair. After that, killer mechs known as Angels arrive on earth to take out the remaining survivors. To protect the human race, the United Nations works with a special military organisation, Nerv.
Furthermore, Neon Genesis Evangelion was one of the first anime series to go viral online, and has had a huge influence on the anime scene. To sum up, this is definitely one of the best anime series to watch, especially if you enjoy dystopian-themed shows.
Neon Genesis Evangelion anime merchandise to get: Hooked on this anime series? Shout your love for it with the Neon Genesis Evangelion iPhone Case (available on digitalclub.sg) and Neon Genesis Evangelion Anime T-Shirt (available on NATHE SG)!
Genre: Apocalyptic, mecha, psychological drama
Length: 26 episodes
Where to watch anime: Netflix
With the multitude of genres available in this list of best anime to watch, you’ll definitely find a series that’s up your alley. In addition, there are several new seasons released this 2021, so catch up on them if you haven’t! If you end up in love with these anime, or already are, check out the anime merchandise we have on sale in the slider above! To make your anime marathons more enjoyable, get the best Japanese snacks to munch on! For more recommendations on what shows to add to your watch list, check out our list of the best Chinese dramas and best K-dramas in 2021!
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Ending the year with a blast (of fireworks).
Prep a merry feast!
Deck the halls with boughs of holly!
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