A time-traveling robot cat, a monster-hunting afterlife,
and a city engulfed in bubbles — Netflix has some serious Anime gems you don't want to miss!
In a post-apocalyptic future, the remnants of humanity live inside a labyrinthine
technological city-state and are hunted by spiderlike robots known as the Safeguard.
The 2017 anime action film "Blame!" offers humanity salvation in the form of Killy,
a black-clad warrior from "below" who rescues a young girl named Zuru from the Safeguard.
In search of a human being who possesses the Net Terminal Gene that can control the robots,
Killy teams up with Zuru and Cibo, a cyborg who predates the techno-apocalypse,
to save Zuru's village. Conceptually dense and packed with skull-crushing action,
"Blame!" earns the exclamation point in its title.
"Attack on Titan" director Tetsuro Araki envisions a transformed Tokyo in this
post-apocalyptic remix of "The Little Mermaid." Five years before the events of the film,
mysterious bubbles began falling from the sky, triggering strange gravitational abnormalities.
Now, with the entire city of Tokyo encased in an enormous bubble, teams of surviving
teenagers battle for supplies via dangerous parkour games. When one game knocks a young
Blue Blazes team member named Hibiki to the sea, a strange girl called Uta manifests out of bubbles
to rescue him. Who is Uta? Where did she come from? And what forgotten secret binds her and
Hibiki together? "Bubble" explores these questions with skillful writing and eye-popping animation.
"Beautiful."
Athletic sixth-grader Kanna has lost her passion for running after the
traumatic death of her mother. But on the day of the school marathon,
Kanna wears her mother's bracelet and discovers its mystical ability to slow time to a crawl.
As it turns out, Kanna's running ability is part of a magical birthright. Accompanied by a talking
rabbit and a fleet-footed demon boy, she must hurry across Japan and gather offerings for a
special feast for deities before time runs out. Populated by likable characters and visually
appealing gods, "Child of Kamiari Month" is a clever and absorbing fantasy travelog.
Man's relationship to the environment has been a powerful theme in anime for a long time. In
"Children of the Sea," a young girl named Ruka discovers her profound connection to the ocean
when she meets Umi and Sora, brothers raised underwater with supernatural aquatic abilities.
As Ruka tries to understand this connection, she is submerged into a mystery about
disappearing sea life. "Children of the Sea" engulfs its audience with
psychedelic visuals and profound questions about man's place in the natural world.
Sixth-graders Kosuke and Natsume were drifting apart, but now they are "Drifting Home."
"See? We'll never do it unless we cooperate, you little idiot."
"Quite acting like my sister, because you're not my sister."
"I'm glad I'm not because you're a brat!" When the old, abandoned apartment building they
grew up in faces demolition, the former best friends reconnect on top of the roof.
This all-ages adventure takes on a survivalist spin when a flash flood suddenly sends the
apartment building adrift in a mysterious, seemingly endless sea, separating Kosuke,
Natsume, and their friends from the rest of the world. The children will have to rely on
their wits if they're going to make it home. Luckily, they have help in the form of Noppo,
the ghost haunting the apartment building. "Drifting Home" is a smart,
satisfying, and occasionally surreal coming-of-age story.
"Neon Genesis Evangelion" is a genre-smashing classic and one of the defining shows of the
1990s, not just for mecha anime but for the medium itself. The story follows a 14-year-old boy who
reluctantly pilots the giant robot Evangelion Unit-01 against invading interdimensional beings
called Angels. "Evangelion" was revolutionary in its combination of thrilling action,
striking visuals, and a story that turned its young heroes' psyches into battlefields.
"The End of Evangelion" is, as the title promises, the conclusion to the original "Evangelion" TV
series. The last Angel has been destroyed, leaving the Eva pilots –- despondent Shinji,
hotheaded Asuka, and enigmatic Rei –- to face one final enemy: humanity. Visceral, shocking,
and brilliant, the end of "The End of Evangelion" is still discussed today,
cementing its place as a modern anime classic.
"I'm sure I'll just realize the obvious, over and over."
"Fireworks" puts an imaginative spin on a story about a young boy's first love.
Norimichi secretly loves his classmate Nazuna, a beautiful but troubled girl
planning to run away from home. On the day of their town's fireworks festival,
Norimichi is helpless to stop Nazuna's mother from forcibly taking her back home.
Upset and heartbroken, Norimichi throws a glass marble belonging
to Nazuna and wishes that he could turn back time. To his surprise,
the marble creates an alternate timeline where Nazuna and Norimichi run away together,
but how many wishes and alternate worlds will it take for the star-crossed couple
to finally escape their pursuers? Tender and thoughtful, "Fireworks" is highly invested in
the dreams and fears of its young protagonists, leading to an emotionally explosive finale.
High school student Masaru Kato is on his way home for his little brother's birthday when a random
attacker stabs him in the subway. Kato should be dead, but instead of the afterlife, he wakes up in
an austere white room containing several strangers and a mysterious black sphere called Gantz.
After outfitting Kato with a special suit and futuristic weapons, Gantz orders this team to
hunt down monsters invading the city. If they win, they can regain their freedom,
but if they fail, the entire team will die. Bursting with unconventional heroes
and hideous monsters, "Gantz: O" is a relentlessly paced action-thriller
that gives viewers a taste of the ultra-violent "Gantz" franchise.
"Watch me! I'm gonna hit a bullseye on that thing!"
In the near future, giant monsters overrun the Earth, and humanity's only chance for survival
is to flee the planet with help from alien technology. 20,000 years later, humans return
to find the Earth's environment transformed into a world that now belongs to Godzilla.
Kaiju fans who can't get enough of the King of the Monsters should seek out "Godzilla: Planet
of the Monsters," the first computer-animated film in the franchise's history. The far-flung
future setting puts a unique spin on a classic formula, and without the confines
of live action film making, Godzilla is a more terrifying force of nature than ever before.
A young boy takes a fantastical climb up his family tree in "Mirai," a sweet
and profound film by acclaimed "Belle" director Mamoru Hosoda.
4-year-old Kun is upset by the sudden presence of his new baby sister Mirai and throws tantrums
around his parents. A teenage girl then appears, telling Kun she is Mirai from the future. Kun goes
on a magical journey through his family's past, gaining a better understanding of his parents,
sister, and himself. In 2019, "Mirai" was nominated for best animated feature at the
Academy Awards, becoming the first non-Studio Ghibli anime film to earn the distinction.
Anime fans can explore the legendary giant robot franchise from the very
beginning with "Mobile Suit Gundam I." The first of three compilation films
retell the events of the original 1979 anime television series.
"Mobile Suit Gundam" introduces Amuro Ray, a young, burgeoning psychic,
also known as a "Newtype," and pilot for the experimental mobile suit weapon known
as the Gundam. Engaged in an intergalactic war, Amuro fights to defend his friends and
allies and forms a lifelong rivalry with the enigmatic, masked pilot Char Aznable.
"Mobile Suit Gundam I" and its two companion films
are essential viewing for any mecha anime fan. To see them
is to understand why the "Gundam" franchise has captivated audiences for over 40 years.
Energetic young ninja Naruto Uzumaki trains so that he can one day become leader of his village,
but his trust in his teacher is tested in "Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire."
A celebratory film for the "Naruto" series' tenth anniversary, "The Will of Fire" follows
Naruto's pursuit of their teacher, Kakashi, after he deserts their village. In actuality,
an evil ninja has cursed Kakashi so that he may absorb his power, and Naruto is determined to
save his mentor before he can sacrifice himself. "Naruto Shippuden the Movie:
The Will of Fire" combines the fluid, fast-paced action the series is known
for with an encouraging story about overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
"We have to protect the Leaf Village I love. That's the only future that
matters! That's the future the children need!"
Recently orphaned in a car accident, young Okko moves into the inn operated by her grandmother
and prepares to become its new caretaker. The inn rejects no one according to her grandmother,
which is lucky for Okko because she can see and communicate with the ghosts haunting it.
"Okko's Inn" is a cheeky collection of spirited vignettes. It touches on death
openly and gently, with the spirits helping Okko come to terms with her
grief as they all prepare to move on to the next stage of their existence.
"One Piece" is an international pop culture phenomenon. The original manga
series has over 490 million copies in print, shattering world records, and the official
anime adaptation has aired over 1,000 episodes since 1999. The sheer immensity of "One Piece"
may seem intimidating for viewers eager to dive into the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy,
a boy pirate whose body gained the elasticity of rubber after eating a devil fruit.
One place to start? "One Piece: Strong World," a feature-length
film with an original story developed by "One Piece" creator Eiichiro Oda.
In "Strong World," Luffy and the Straw Hat pirates are scattered after the evil Shiki, who also has a
devil fruit power, abducts their navigator Nami=. Showcasing Oda's eye-catching character designs
and spry storytelling, "One Piece: Strong World" is a buoyant and exciting adventure.
The ultimate magical girl, the sailor-suited hero who fights for love and justice, shines on the
screen in "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal the Movie." Split into two films on Netflix,
this faithful adaptation of Naoko Takeuchi's beloved manga series chronicles Sailor Moon's
battles against the Dead Moon Circus. Released during a solar eclipse, these colorful minions
of the wicked Queen Nehelenia threaten everything Sailor Moon and the Sailor Guardians hold dear.
But a mysterious Pegasus named Helios, who appears in Sailor Chibi Moon's dreams,
may hold the key to their salvation. "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal
the Movie" has it all — friendship, adventure, talking cats, evil queens,
circus girls from space, flying dream horses, and, yes, love and justice.
What would you do if you could go back in time to meet your great-great-grandparents?
Would you tell them about the future? Ask them about their past? Or give them
a robotic cat from the 22nd century to help them straighten out their disastrous lives?
The touching and imaginative family film "Stand by Me Doraemon" chooses the third
option. Fifth-grader Nobi is bullied at school and in danger of failing his classes when he's
visited by his future descendant and gifted with a talking robot cat named Doraemon. With
the help of Doraemon and his endless array of gadgets, Nobi has the power to give himself a
better future. But if he succeeds, will his new best friend leave him forever?
What is the strangest thing you've ever done for love? Whatever your answer,
middle-schooler Miyo Sasaki has it beat. Miyo's outgoing personality hides a broken heart. Her
father has recently remarried, and her crush, Hinode, is totally unresponsive to her feelings.
Thanks to a mysterious mask seller, Miyo acquires a mask that turns her into a cat whenever she
wears it. Posing as a stray cat named Taro, Miyo can forget her troubles and even win Hinode's
affections. However, every gift has a price, and Miyo risks being trapped in her cat form forever.
"I am in trouble."
Under its magical trappings, "A Whisker Away" is a sweet and genuine love story that takes the
complex emotions of its young heroine seriously — even when she's an adorable white kitten.
"Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop" is a movie as bubbly and effervescent
as its title. Cherry is an introverted teenager
who works with senior citizens and prefers to express himself via handwritten haikus.
Smile is a popular streamer and online influencer who self-consciously hides her braces behind
a facemask. After a mix-up at a local mall, their fates are intertwined for a glorious,
shining summer. Every frame of Kyohei Ishiguro's sweet romcom pops with vibrancy and color,
resulting in a viewing experience so joyful the screen practically glows.