There’s no question that Crunchyroll is the best place to stream anime in America, and the streaming service has a few exclusives that prove it has taken the number one spot for anime lovers in the West.
Not only is Crunchyroll home to some of the best anime series of all time, but the platform also has some of the best series around that Westerners can’t find anywhere else. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime also have a few great exclusives, but they’re missing out on Crunchyroll’s best.
Crunchyroll’s best anime exclusives come in a variety of genres. Some are action-packed, some are emotionally gripping, and some feature some of the most entertaining stories around. They’re just some of the reasons why a Crunchyroll subscription is basically required for anime fans in America.
Takopi’s Original Sin
Animated By Enishiya, Based on the Web Manga By Taizan 5
There aren’t many series quite like Takopi’s Original Sin. It’s an incredibly unique series that is gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, and intellectually stimulating in just 6 succinct episodes. This anime series isn’t for the faint of heart either, as it’s one of the few series willing to go to the darkest places possible.
Takopi’s Original Sin is one of the best anime series that is less than 15 episodes long. It tells an amazing story in less time than it takes most anime series to get the ball rolling, proving that anime doesn’t need to be long to be great.
Tower of God (Season One)
Animated By Telecom Animation Film, Based on the Manhwa/Webtoon By S.I.U.
Tower of God is one of the first amazing Manhwa series that got adapted into an equally amazing anime. The first season is incredible, showcasing the brutal and beautiful Tower and a cast of characters desperate in their attempts to climb it.
The first season of Tower of God features some of the best animation in the entire art form. There isn’t another series like it. Unfortunately, the second season is a massive drop-off in quality from the first, but even though the second season isn’t worth watching, the first season certainly is.
Wistoria: Wand and Sword
Animated By Actas, Based on the Manga By Fujino Ōmori
Over the past 5 years, there have been a few anime series like Wistoria: Wand and Sword. The series centers itself around a determined, magic-less character in a world that values magic over anything else. This character focuses on strengthening their physical abilities instead, climbing the ranks of the world when few thought they could.
While the concept is similar to Mashle: Muscles and Magic, Black Clover, and even Megalobox, Wistoria: Wand and Sword stands out thanks to unreal animation. The series itself has a few pitfalls, but they don’t take away from some of the most exciting fights around.
Golden Kamuy
Animated By Geno Studio and Brain’s Base, Based on the Manga By Satoru Noda
Golden Kamuy is a rare anime series that shines a light on the Ainu, the often forgotten indigenous group of people from Northern Japan and Eastern Russia. They’re a deeply spiritual, nomadic group of people that play a prominent role in Golden Kamuy, and the series is better for it.
Golden Kamuy isn’t one of the most dominant, mainstream series on the planet like Dragon Ball or Naruto, but it has developed a deep, rich group of fans that love it thoroughly. It’s easy to see why, as the art style, the world the story takes place in, and the characters that fill it make this a stand-out Crunchyroll classic.
To Be Hero X
Animated By BeDream, in Collaboration with PB Animation Company, Studio LAN, and Paper Plane Animation Studio, Based on the Donghua By Li Haoling
Like Lord of Mysteries, To Be Hero X is an anime series that is putting China on the map in terms of animation. China has never had big anime series in the West, but they’re coming out lately with amazing series that prove the country will play a major role in the future of the art form.
To Be Hero X is incredibly ambitious. While a lot of other series choose to take an easy route or tell a simple story, To Be Hero X goes for it. It leaves no stone unturned, telling a moving narrative through some of the best, most intricate animation China has ever had on offer.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
Animated By A-1 Pictures, Based On TheLight Novel By Takibi Amamori And Imigimuru
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! might be the single best romance anime to recommend to someone who hates romance anime. This series is a breath of fresh air in a genre filled with tired, boring tropes that weigh it down more often than not.
Makeine! somehow makes fun of and celebrates the romance genre at the same time, the mark of a series that knows the genre inside and out. If the story wasn’t a big enough reason to watch this series, the art style is unbelievably captivating. A-1 Pictures knocked it out of the park with Makeine!, and season two looks to take the franchise’s success even further.
The Elusive Samurai
Animated By CloverWorks, Based on the Manga by Yusei Matsui
The Elusive Samurai is so strikingly beautiful that it feels like an exhibition of how good art in anime can be. The art style and the animation come together to create one of the most ambitious, thoughtful, and breathtaking anime series of the past few decades.
The story itself is amazing too, as it tells a fictionalized narrative of the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate in the 1300s. The Elusive Samurai is dark, action-packed, and hilarious. Through only a few episodes, it sets itself up to be one of the most gripping anime series in years and a wonderful Crunchyroll exclusive.
My Dress-Up Darling
Animated By CloverWorks, Based on the Manga By Shinichi Fukuda
My Dress-Up Darling is a textbook romance anime. Female protagonist Marin Kitagawa is arguably the best girl in all anime, and her relationship with Gojo is easily one of the best in the entire genre. Their chemistry is so good it feels like the pair were made for one another, the staple of an excellent romance series.
My Dress-Up Darling is another series with amazing animation, wonderful side characters, and more. It also features an intriguing niche, focusing on the world of cosplay and all of the work that goes into making an outfit and fitting into it.
Gachiakuta
Animated By Bones Film, Based on the Manga By Kei Urana
Gachiakuta is Crunchyroll’s current crown jewel. It’s an amazing anime series that proves that some of the best shōnen series are a little dark. Gachiakuta is setting the gold-standard for shōnen anime at the moment, daring other series to be as brave and bold as Rudo and the rest of the cleaners.
Like Hunter x Hunter, Gachiakuta is more than comfortable heading towards uncomfortable moments. It’s an ambitious series that isn’t afraid to go for it, highlighting what makes a shōnen series truly top-tier. The fights are bloody, the characters’ interactions with one another are hilarious, and the main character is crazy in the best way possible.
Solo Leveling
Animated By A-1 Pictures, Based on the Web Novel By Chugong
What can be said about Solo Leveling that hasn’t been said already? It’s taken the world by storm, put manhwa on the map, and has broken more records than most people can count. At this point, it would be easier to talk about what makes Solo Leveling bad than all the things that make it unreasonably good.
Solo Leveling has become one of the most beloved anime series of all time through its main character, Sung Jinwoo. He’s the perfect example of how to make an edgy character, as he’d rather fight on his own than be slowed down by those around him. Crunchyroll made an amazing call when they made Solo Leveling a Crunchyroll exclusive.
- Release Date
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2024 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
- Directors
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Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
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Genta Nakamura
Yoo Jin-ho
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
