10 Best Beginner Anime on Netflix

September 2, 2025

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Diving into anime can be a little overwhelming for those who aren’t exactly sure where to find the biggest shows. As the medium continues its meteoric rise in popularity, it seems every major streaming service is doing all they can to add as many titles to their lineups as possible.

Fortunately for those who aren’t committed to mainly anime platforms like Crunchyroll, Netflix has greatly increased the number of available original anime series on their service throughout the last number of years. There’s quite a bit for fans to choose from, but these 10 shows are perfect for those just getting their feet wet.

Komi Can’t Communicate

Animated by OLM, Based on the Manga by Tomohito Oda

Before it landed on Netflix, Komi Can’t Communicate was a highly popular manga series that cultivated its own sizable fan base thanks to an incredibly wholesome premise and likable characters. The adaptation by OLM only further spread that popularity, making it one of the top coming-of-age anime stories of the 2020s.

The series follows Hitohito Tadano, a perfectly average teenage boy who happens to sit next to Shoko Komi in class, the school’s most popular beauty queen. Upon getting to know her, however, he realizes her silent, stoic demeanor isn’t some stuck-up personality trait, but is rather due to her overwhelming anxiety.

Komi Can’t Communicate is an incredibly heartwarming slice-of-life experience, and one of the decade’s top comfort anime.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Animated by Science Saru, Based on the Graphic Novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley

There’s a rather significant chance non-anime watchers have heard the name Scott Pilgrim. The graphic novel series received a significant surge in popularity following 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs the World, and in 2023, was adapted into an anime series by the distinguished and highly regarded studio Science Saru, titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

Those unfamiliar with the source material will have no problem jumping into Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, as the series features its own original take on O’Malley’s graphic novel series. Science Saru is known for its breathtaking visuals, and the narrative has more of a Western feel for those who are still on the fence about diving headfirst into anime.

Good Night World

Animated by NAZ, Based on the Manga by Uru Okabe

Good Night World is a perfect entry point for new fans into one of anime’s most popular genres, the ‘got sucked into a video game’ narrative that’s been popular since the mid 2010s. Based on the manga by Uru Okabe, Good Night World follows a dysfunctional family into an alternate digital world.

Filled with drama, action, and deep exploration in a fantasy setting, the series offers a quick 12-episode taste of the sort of story that’s uniquely common to the medium of anime, and packs in a neatly tied-in-a-bow narrative. It isn’t the most complex series the genre has to offer, but it’s perfect for those just beginning their anime journey.

Devilman Crybaby

Animated by Science Saru, Based on the Manga by Go Nagai

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from something like Good Night World, Science Saru’s Devilman Crybaby is for viewers looking to dive head first into the sort of strange and often twisted stories anime has to tell. The series is based on the highly influential 1972 Devilman manga, but updates its story to fit a modern setting.

Devilman Crybaby is not for the faint of heart, and should probably only be enjoyed by the dedicated dark fantasy fans out there. As one of Netflix’s earliest original anime series, it became the center of attention upon release in 2018, and has continued to take unsuspecting viewers by surprise ever since.

Kotaro Lives Alone

Animated by Liden Films, Based on the Manga by Mami Tsumura

Kotaro Lives Alone is a Netflix Original that flew somewhat under the radar on release, and is another example of a sort of show that’s largely unique to anime and manga. Despite an innocent premise and overly cute artstyle, the series does not hesitate to step into some heavier themes, and can often become quite an emotional experience.

Four-year-old Kotaro Sato moves into an apartment on his own, and the series follows his neighbors of all different backgrounds coming together as a community to look after the boy. Kotaro Lives Alone is a low-energy, comfort slice-of-life series that will draw some tears on first watch.

Pluto

Animated by Studio M2, Based on the Manga by Naoki Urusawa and Takashi Nagasaki

Pluto is an interesting case of an anime series based on a manga by a legendary artist, Naoki Urusawa, which itself was based on a story from the Astroboy manga by arguably the most famous manga artist ever, Osamu Tezuka. The series follows a robot detective attempting to hunt down a mysterious killer who plants horns into the heads of their victims.

In a time when robots and artificial intelligence are somewhat touchy subjects, Pluto does well to examine human and robot relations while touching on themes like oppression, individuality, war, violence and more. The series is a tight eight episodes, making it an easy watch for any sci-fi fan with some spare time on their hands.

Delicious in Dungeon

Animated by Trigger, Based on the Manga by Ryoko Kui

As one of 2024’s top new titles, Delicious in Dungeon is for fantasy fans who are getting a little tired of the usual fantasy tropes. The series follows a standard party down into a series of dungeons crawling with increasingly dangerous creatures the further down they traverse, but offers a unique spin by using cooking as a central motif.

As they take certain threats out, those threats become the main ingredients in whatever lunch or dinner is that day. It’s a fun and fresh take on the dungeon fantasy genre that’s popular in anime, and the series incorporates quite a bit of drama and action as it goes on.

Aggretsuko

Animated by Fanworks, Original Anime Series

At first glance, some viewers might be put off by a series about a cute red panda by the creators of Hello Kitty, but it would be unwise to judge Aggretsuko too soon. The 2018 anime is tailor-made for lost adults in their mid-20s doing everything in their power to figure out their lives.

Retsuko, the series’ titular red panda, is a single 25-year-old accountant who works far too much and likely isn’t paid nearly enough. When the troubles of life become just a bit too big to handle, and she’s ready to explode, she goes to karaoke and sings death metal to blow off steam.

If any 20-something lost, tired, and angry viewer wants their adult version of Hello Kitty, she can be found screaming in a karaoke booth.

Violet Evergarden

Animated by Kyoto Animation, Based on the Light Novel by Kana Akatsuki

Violet Evergarden is far more than the pretty visuals and steampunk aesthetic it’s become known for, but it wouldn’t be entirely untrue to say that Kyoto Animation did some of their best work on the series. Despite the relaxed vibe present throughout the majority of the series, Violet Evergarden is not afraid to touch on some darker subjects.

The titular character is a former child soldier who was raised with the sole purpose of becoming a weapon. Now, years after the war had ended, she must learn human emotions and the meaning of love while working a job typing others’ letters to loved ones. The series is an incredibly emotional affair, and ends in one of the best anime movies of the 2020s.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Animated by Trigger and CD Projekt, Based on the Video Game by CD Projekt Red

Video game adaptations, in any storytelling medium, are historically hit or miss. However, 2022’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners does justice to its best-selling source material by expanding the world of the game and following an all-new cast of characters.

With intense action, impressive visuals, and a gripping story, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has proven itself to not only be one of the greatest anime series of the last decade, but one of the very best ever. The rise and fall of protagonist David Martinez is one of the most tragic tales the seedy Night City has ever seen, and is guaranteed to stick with viewers long after the credits have rolled.

Netflix is home to countless highly acclaimed anime series, but there is none better for budding anime fans than Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.