Netflix is undoubtedly among the most popular streaming services available and has recently added some genuinely good anime to catch up on with the likes of Full Metal Alchemist, Death Note (and no, I don’t mean that bastardised live-action adaptation), Angel Beats, and Anohana – not to mention the meme-worthy and outrageously entertaining Shounen classic, Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure! But one thing these all share is that they’re not Netflix originals. For the most part, as far as anime is concerned that tagline doesn’t inspire much confidence. Fortunately, some recent additions to the line-up have shown that Netflix is capable of releasing some genuinely good shows of its own, with brand-new series as well as adaptations of previously existing manga and video games. Hopefully this is a trend they will maintain, and we won’t have to put up with more Neo Yokio’s…
While now is certainly an opportunity to catch up on classics you missed out on, or marathon all the seasons of One Piece, there’s still a few Netflix anime originals that are worth checking out that might make you reconsider the quality of some of their own offerings. Just steer clear of the likes of their 3D animated remake of Saint Seiya – Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac.
1 – Castlevania
Drawing influences from Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (NES, 1989), the Netflix exclusive anime Castlevania became a surprise hit, following Trevor Belmont as he takes up arms against Dracula to defend the people of Wallachia from Dracula’s thirst for vengeance and his demonic army.
Where Hollywood studios have a track record for failing to successfully create cinematic adaptions of video games, Castlevania succeeds thanks to having good writers with a passion for the source material – despite Warren Ellis admitting to having little familiarity with the series. Castlevania‘s cast of characters is one of the series’ greatest strengths, with interesting motivations and character arcs, who don’t all fall easily into typical roles or character archetypes. Heroes come across as somewhat darker, leaning towards anti-heroes, while villains show a sympathetic streak that make them interesting to follow. But then, what would we expect when producer Adi Shankar teams up with legendary comic book writer, Warren Ellis, the writer behind Transmetropolitan?
Dracula himself is the most compelling character, rooted in a sympathetic revenge tale in which he seeks to exact vengeance on the local populace for the death of his lover who offered him a chance at redemption before being burned as a witch. Fans are likely to appreciate the visual style, which appears to draw from Ayami Kojima’s art from fan-favourite Castlevania: Symphony of the Night with an excellent score that remains true to the series it spawns from. If the oppressive gothic nature of the Netflix Castlevania adaptation hypnotises you like one of Dracula’s vampiric goons, then 2007s Devil May Cry: The Animated Series is a recommendation that manages to similarly adapt a beloved gaming franchise with similar care and attention.
2 – AJIN: Demi-Human
Originally published as a manga series written and illustrated by Gamon Sakurai, Ajin: Demi-Human was adapted into a 3D animated film trilogy by Polygon Pictures, before going on to produce it as a series. It tells the story of student Kei Nagai, who discovers he is an “Ajin” – humans who are gifted with potent regenerative abilities triggered by otherwise mortal injuries, along with other superhuman abilities. They’re considered dangerous, hunted down by governments who claim to “protect” them, though really Ajin are subjected to inhumane experiments. The temptation of curbing mortality is presented as a prominent theme and the only way to be sure someone is human or an Ajin is to watch them die. For Kei Nagai, who is driven purely by logic causing rifts in his relationships even within his own family, this forces him to become a fugitive on the run. It more or less goes without saying: if you’re looking for something upbeat and optimistic with a bubbly charm to lose yourself in and escape from the real world, you might want to turn away.
It’s very rare for 3D animation in anime to work favourably, however Ajin – ironically like its titular Demi-humans – seems to be one of those rare occurrences. Pulling from dark fantasy, supernatural and thriller elements, this series has a gritty allure with a thought provoking narration – though simple enough to not need too much exposition, unlike Polygon Picture’s Knights of Sidonia – held up by a great cast of characters and polished animation that shows that 3D animation can stand up alongside its traditional 2D counterpart when it is done right.
3 – Hi Score Girl
The 1990s was an exciting time for gaming. If you were smart enough to save your lunch money for the arcade round the corner, and careful enough not to start an arcade-wide gang-war for beating the local so-called “expert” Hoshida player, then you were lucky enough to have witnessed some of the best arcade titles that defined a whole generation of gaming. With the likes of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter II (re-released more times than there are Call of Duty games now), classic Beat ‘Em Ups from Turtles in Time to Streets of Rage, and countless Shooters and Racers, Hi Score Girl captures fond memories of a nostalgic era of gaming.
The story follows the gaming life of Haruo Yaguichi and his involvement with the arcade gaming scene in Japan. Described as a ’90s arcade romantic comedy, Hi Score Girl is known for its accurate depictions of gaming software, hardware, and the culture that grew around it – from the misplaced excitement presented by the possibilities of the Neo Geo Pocket, to the launch of the SEGA Saturn, and the dawn of a new era that introduced 3D gaming to the market.
Woven between gaming trivia that will educate even seasoned gamers is a romance plot. A love triangle is formed when Akira Ōno, daughter of a rich family, encounters Haruo for the first time during a Street Fighter II match. While she never talks, her facial expressions are used to convey her thoughts and feelings in a way that highlights the series’ more expressive and stylistic animation. Koharu Hidaka meanwhile begins to develop affectionate feelings for Haruo and an interest in gaming (with a natural talent for fighters) after spending time with Haruo and his Neo Geo MVS, the choice system for arcade fighter fans, bringing the arcade experience home: no wonder she got so good at Street Fighter!
It’s just as much about the actual games themselves, the history surrounding the various releases, and the experiences had playing them as it is about the relationships formed while sharing these experiences. In other words, if you’re here because of Street Fighter or Darkstalkers and not so much the drama, there’s still plenty to enjoy while soaking up the nostalgia of a time when E. Honda was readily available and not locked behind a DLC pack…
4 – Beastars
Think Disney’s Zootropolis, but… anime? Originally written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, Beastars is set in an alternative version of the modern world, inhabited by anthropomorphic animals culturally divided between carnivores and herbivores: not too drastically different so far. Legoshi is a large grey wolf struggling with his vegetarian lifestyle as a natural carnivore, and a characteristically timid student at Cherryton Academy. However, when Tem the alpaca (not many places you’ll find that in a sentence) is found to have been brutally murdered and devoured by an unknown carnivore (we presume…), tensions between the students rise with a strong sense of distrust. Naturally, a romance also begins to bloom between Legoshi and Haru, a dwarf rabbit. If anything, Beastars is worth watching (and/ or reading) purely for being the only place to have a romance story between an anthropomorphic wolf and a rabbit. When the opening lines “would you really eat your own classmate?” are joined by a string orchestration suitable for an episode of Hannibal, you know you’re in for an interesting series…
This happens to be one of the few anime to utilise a 3D animation style well while maintaining the style of the original manga it is based on. Somewhat like Zootropolis, it manages to graft humanistic facial expressions to recognisable animal characters in a way that adds to the overall charm. And like the Disney animated movie, there’s a lot of surprisingly relatable sub-context thanks to the paranoia and divisive nature of Beastars‘ animal society. It certainly twists Old Major’s anecdote that “whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.”
5 – Kakegurui
An elite high school, and the children of some of Japan’s wealthiest and most influential families make up the setting of Kakegurui – which effectively translates as gambling addiction. In Hyakkaou Private Academy, the student hierarchy is determined by their gambling prowess and their monetary contributions made to the student council – which, in a satirical twist, feeds back into the school gambling system – as opposed to conventional academic achievement. We are introduced to Yumeko Jabami, a second-year transfer student who appears to be an intelligent, cheerful high-schooler at a glance, but is actually a compulsive gambler addicted to the thrill you can only get from a deck of cards and a stack of chips. As she threatens the hierarchy of the school gambling system, she draws the attention of the student council who decide it’s time to shut her down. Kind of like in a Vegas casino…? The one thing you can safely bet on is that it’s every bit as eccentric as it’s concept. The writing is comical and manages to faithfully capture Tōru Naomura’s original art style.
6 – Devilman Crybaby
Arguably the most stylish anime on Netflix, Devilman Crybaby is an updated adaptation of the Go Nagai Devilman manga, which itself has inspired countless video game, manga and anime franchises, including Shin Megami Tensei and Neon Genesis Evangelion. In Devilman Crybaby, an ancient race of demons returns to invade the human world, leading Ryo to fuse his childhood friend, Akira, with a demon, creating the titular Devilman. With the powers of a demon, and the soul of a human, Akira uses his new form to protect the world from the demonic invasion, while making use of his vamped-up sex appeal and new found confidence at high-school…
Original themes and ideas from the manga are adapted to fit the modern setting, presenting theological and anti-war themes, as well as the violent, often cruel nature of humans. In a relevant twist, the presentation of bigotry and paranoia, LGBT, and teen sexuality and puberty are also explored, making it a far more engaging series than it may appear at a glance. It also doesn’t hurt that it boasts some of the most stylish animations to bear the “Netflix original” tagline, with an equally creative soundtrack that fuses hip-hop, rock, and metal, to say nothing of its remixed 1970s anime theme tune.
7 – Carole & Tuesday
From the legendary director behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo – Shinichirō Watanabe – comes Carole & Tuesday. Set in the future on Mars, it follows teenager Tuesday Simmons, the daughter of a politician on the run from her family to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Armed with a suitcase and a Gibson acoustic guitar, she crosses paths with busking singer and pianist Carole, an orphaned refugee from Earth and aspiring fellow musician. Together they form the titular singer-songwriter duo, Carole & Tuesday, and enter the Mars’ Brightest talent show. Basically X-Factor but on Mars, making it infinitely cooler.
While big-band ‘60s and ‘70s jazz-blues fuelled the atmosphere of Cowboy Bebop and hip-hop influenced the choreography behind Mugen’s fighting style in Samurai Champloo, the soundtrack here takes a more key role in the story itself. There’s a mix of different styles, reflecting each of the contestant’s personalities, from indietronica, indie pop, synth pop, and electro dance tracks. Carole & Tuesday themselves, meanwhile, favour a more stripped-down acoustic guitar, piano and vocals setup.
This isn’t a series for those looking for action, having more slice-of-life, drama aspects to it. In this sense, Carole & Tuesday contrasts against some of Watanabe’s other popular works, but for the music, voice acting, animation, and story writing, it is one of the must-watch Netflix originals.
