Oshi no Ko continues to break records with its opening song, Idol, reaching the top of the charts in Japan and the US.
Oshi no Ko continues its triumphant journey, this time reaching 200 million online views for its opening theme, “Idol” by YOASOBI, in just nine weeks. With the views exclusively from Japan, this sets a new record on Billboard Japan, making it the fastest song to reach 200 million views. But this is not the first record it has broken. It previously surpassed 100 million views in just five weeks and debuted at number 1 on the most listened songs chart on April 19th on Billboard Japan.
This success, in fact, is not limited to Japan alone. The English version of the song has also reached number 1 on the Billboard chart in the US, debuting at number 6, while the original Japanese version has reached the tenth position. This places “Idol” as the first song in history originally composed in Japanese to reach the top of the US charts.
“Oshi no Ko” is an anime that premiered on April 12th, based on the manga of the same name by Akasaka and Yokoyari. The manga can be read in Spanish on the free service MANGA Plus, and the anime can be watched on the streaming platform Crunchyroll. The premise of the series is that a gynecologist is murdered and reincarnated as the son of his favorite idol, only to discover that the world of music is neither beautiful nor glamorous.
While facing some controversial issues along the way, “Oshi no Ko” is proving to be an absolute success both in Japan and internationally. This is evident in its numbers and the popularity of its opening, achieving something that no other anime had achieved before: reaching the top of the most listened songs in the United States. With the conclusion of the first season yet to be seen, it seems that “Oshi no Ko” is here to stay.
From the creators of Attack on Titan comes a new anime that promises to be the new anime queen of 2023: Hell Paradise.
If there is one thing that 2023 is not lacking, it is anime, even less so when we have the long-awaited end of Attack on the Titans on the horizon. Until that happens, although it is true that we have the second season of authentic hits such as Spy x Family, Jujutsu Kaisen, Kimetsu no Yaiba or Pokémon, now without Ash or Pikachu, we still lack a new series that stands out. One that gets us out of our chairs with excitement after each episode. But Mappa, the studio behind Attack on the Titans, always provides, and that is why they have brought us Hell’s Paradise, or as it is known in Japan, Jigokuraku.
Adapting Yuji Kaku’s eponymous manga spanning thirteen volumes published between January 2018 and January 2021, Hell’s Paradise is an action series with psychological thriller overtones in the context of a dark fantasy world that may powerfully remind us of cult classics like Berserk.
In Hell’s Paradise we follow Gabimaru, a ninja who is captured during an assassination mission. Sentenced to be executed, his captors discover to their horror that no matter what they try, Gabimaru’s body cannot die. Seeing this as a possibility, he is offered a chance to be redeemed from his crimes: he can go to the newly discovered island of Shinsenkyo, where it is said that there is an elixir capable of making anyone who consumes it immortal. If he goes there, gets it and comes back alive, he will be pardoned for his crimes. Thus begins the story of Hell’s Paradise and the relationship between Gabimaru and Sagiri, the executioner who is assigned to make sure he does not try to escape or leave aside his mission, as they explore the island, where they will find the island’s own threats, plus all the other death row inmates who have been promised the same treatment and will not hesitate to try to kill them so as not to have to share the elixir with them.
Having premiered last April 1 on Crunchyroll, the first eight episodes of the first season of the series have already been broadcasted. With a very good animation, an excellent drawing and not sparing any detail, whether erotic or gore, it respects the original work to the maximum, loaded with a brutality, much more subtle than it might seem.
If you like works like Attack on the Titans or Chainsawman, or enjoyed manga like the sadly incomplete Berserk, Hell’s Paradise is the anime you’ve been waiting for. One of the most interesting works of the year, made by a veteran studio with a great resume like Mappa, promising to be crowned as one of the great series of the year.
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After him he left 700 different titles and about 60 anime: a total of 150,000 pages. Doing a quick calculation, it is about ten a day throughout his life. And still wanted to do more.
On February 9, 1989, the god of manga left us forever. Osamu Tezuka, who started creating his own stories professionally in 1945, never stopped working until the very moment of his death. He left “Ludwig B” unfinished, a fictionalized biography of Beethoven. Behind him, he left 700 different titles and around 60 animes, totaling 150,000 pages. Doing a quick calculation, that’s about ten pages per day throughout his entire life. And he still wanted to do more.
It is curious that Tezuka drew inspiration from Disney films to add more expressiveness to his designs because later on, it was the American company that “got inspired” (to put it mildly, shamelessly copied) one of his works, ‘Kimba the White Lion’. From Kimba to Simba, they didn’t put much thought into it.
Before Rumiko Takahashi, Eiichiro Oda, Clamp, or Tite Kubo, there was Tezuka, who always refused to confine himself to a single genre. He created shonen (manga for boys), seinen (for adult readers), and shojo (his unforgettable ‘Princess Knight’). Although he enjoyed creating, he had so many ongoing projects that he often escaped from editors to have a peaceful drink.
Tezuka’s life was filled with paradoxes and coincidences. He started his adult life by obtaining a medical degree, and his career as a mangaka was built on a work about medicine (the fantastic ‘Black Jack’). Finally, his last words were spoken to a nurse. It is said that when he was lying in bed, suffering from terminal stomach cancer, a professional removed his drawing equipment.
“Please, let me work!” were the last words spoken by the god of manga at the age of 60, knowing that he still had many more stories to tell. His legacy continues to this day with works like ‘Pluto,’ which presents ‘Astroboy’ from a modern perspective. But perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his posthumous career was the discovery made by his daughter. In 1994, five years after his death, she opened a drawer that had remained closed since then.
Inside, she found a half-eaten ounce of chocolate, an essay about Katsuhiro Otomo and his work on ‘Akira,’ various sketches… and a significant number of erotic drawings featuring anthropomorphic animals. Frankly, even forty more years would have been too few for Tezuka.
Paranoia Agent is a cult anime and now it's coming to Amazon Prime Video, to encourage you to watch it, we give you five reasons why you shouldn't miss it
Paranoia Agent is one of the most unique series in the history of modern anime. Referred to on more than a few occasions as the Twin Peaks of anime, it should come as no surprise that it has behind it a cult phenomenon that is more present among film and television fans than among otaku and anime fans in general. Paranoia Agent is not your typical anime series. It’s not what you think of when we talk about anime. Or not the first thing you think of.
Created by Satoshi Kon, a renowned anime director of worldwide prestige who left us prematurely on August 24, 2010 -of which I also wrote a book-, the series condenses all the obsessions of its author. Metafiction. The difference between reality and what happens in people’s minds, if such a difference exists. The interest in the female characters. His warm, human look, always ready to make a deep portrait of the psychology of his characters.
So, because you shouldn’t miss Paranoia Agent now that it’s premiering on Amazon Prime Video, we’re going to give you five reasons why you should watch it. Five specific reasons why you should drop everything you’re doing and go running to see this masterpiece not only of anime, but of modern television in general. Because Paranoia Agent is the demonstration that Satoshi Kon was capable of embroidering the best audiovisual fiction.
Describes our society by telling us interconnected stories
If there is something undeniable about all of Satoshi Kon’s work, it is that he is very interested in the behavior of human beings. How we think, how we relate to reality and how that affects us and our environment. That’s something that in Paranoia Agent he took a step further, dedicating entire episodes, and the series itself, to how society’s ideas can end up shaping reality. Both in people’s private lives and in society itself.
This takes shape in different episodes in different ways. Although the whole plot revolves around this idea, it is best if we give examples of a few particular episodes so as not to gut the whole series. For example, in the second episode, a sixth-grade boy goes from being extremely popular to being absolutely marginalized by being associated with the boy with in-line skates and a golden baseball bat who assaults a woman in the first episode. Similarly, in the ninth episode a group of housewives share stories about that same boy, clearly made up, only to disbelieve the otherwise true stories of another housewife who does not belong to their clique.
All of this ends up connecting to the overall plot in different ways, threading it all together both narratively and philosophically. And that’s one of the most fascinating things about Paranoia Agent. How Satoshi Kon managed to make a series that manages to introduce us to unique conflicts in each episode that feel important in their own right and speak to us about social problems that we know and understand, but also form a larger picture of our problems as a society.
Shows his story (does not tell it) through his villain
Because the story of Paranoia Agent is the story of its villain. A guy always smiling, with golden roller skates, a bat bent in half equally golden, and homicidal ambitions with the protagonists of each particular episode. For what reason? That’s something the story never explicitly tells us. It doesn’t need to. It prefers to do something much better: it shows us.
Satoshi Kon took the maxim “don’t tell, show” to heart his whole life. That’s why the guy with the golden bat doesn’t give speeches. No one explains his behavior. And the only explanations for his behavior come from clearly delusional characters. His behavior is understood as soon as we think about who he assaults, what happens when those people are assaulted and what happens in the last episodes, when the other main characters manage to run away from him.
Paranoia Agent does not leave no stone unturned. Everything is connected. Nothing is explained, but the attentive viewer will know everything that has happened and why. Is it a difficult series? Not necessarily. But it’s not a series to watch in your sleep. That’s why the opening is thunderous and the ending is almost a lullaby: Satoshi Kon wanted to wake us up before it started and send us to sleep at the end of each episode. Because Paranoia Agent should be lived like that. Almost like a dream.
Netflix brings us some meaty anime to enjoy this June in the form of Pokémon, Black Clover, and an adaptation of a modern cult classic.
In June, the heat starts to rise, and even though the summer season hasn’t officially begun, that doesn’t mean Netflix is leaving us without some exciting anime releases. Although there may be few, they are quite substantial. Within just two weeks, Netflix brings us renowned titles returning and a manga cult classic receiving its first-ever animated adaptation. So, without further ado, let’s see what Netflix has in store for us this premiere season.
The popular series by Yūki Tabata is premiering its first film after four years since the beginning of its anime broadcast. In “Black Clover: The Sword of the Wizard King,” which releases on June 16th, Asta will have to confront Konrad, the former magic king of the Clover Kingdom. He must join forces with both old and new characters to overcome the greatest threat he has faced so far.
“Black Clover” is a series heavily influenced by Kentaro Miura’s “Berserk” while drawing inspiration from “Dragon Ball Z,” “YuYu Hakusho,” and other fantasy works like “The Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter,” and Guillermo del Toro’s films. The result is a series with a more teenage-oriented approach, gaining a significant following among teenagers and adults alike. After a two-year hiatus, fans hope this movie marks the return of the series in 2024.
Pokémon Ultimate Journeys: Part 3 (June 23)
Ash and Pikachu have already completed their journey in the anime, but in the western world, we haven’t seen it officially yet. Until this month of June. Because in “Pokemon Ultimate Journeys: Part 3,” we will witness exactly that. We’ll see Ash face off against Galar Champion Lionel for the title of World Champion, with all his travel companions cheering him on as they continue their own adventures, including encountering the legendary Pokemon Groudon and Kyogre.
While this is the twenty-fifth season of the anime, the good news is that it can be watched without prior context. With the previous two parts available on Netflix, that’s all you need to catch up on the final adventures of Ash and Pikachu and prepare yourself to seamlessly continue with the new era of Pokémon, this time without Ash but with another Pikachu.
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers (June 29)
One of the most intriguing releases this month on Netflix is “Ōoku: The Inner Chambers.” Originally published as a manga by Fumi Yoshinaga from 2004 to 2020 in nineteen volumes in the Melody magazine, and adapted into film and television twice, this is the first time the series is being adapted into an anime. It holds great reverence in Japan and is considered a modern cult classic, which is not surprising considering its fascinating premise.
Ōoku is a historical series set in the Edo period, spanning from 1603 to 1867. In this alternate reality, a strange plague has caused a rapid decline in the male population, leading women to take on most positions of power. As a result, men find themselves in subordinate roles, assuming historically female-dominated positions. The series presents a feminist gender perspective, offering a unique portrayal of Japan’s history and highlighting the idea that, ultimately, Simone de Beauvoir was right: one is not born a woman, but rather becomes one.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice will arrive on our screens in the form of an anime, according to recent rumors from an insider from the world of Japanese animation.
It’s becoming more and more common for popular franchises to get their own anime. Castlevania and Cyberpunk on Netflix have both done a lot of good for video game franchises, and even though Blade Runner 2049 wasn’t exactly a hit, you can argue that Blade Runner Black Out 2022 was a short anime worth watching. So it should come as no surprise that there’s a rumor that another video game is soon to get an anime adaptation. And that game is none other than Sekiro.
This announcement comes from an influencer in the anime world called oecuf0. This person began dropping the possibility of something showing two emojis, one of swords and one of a japanese mask along with a gif of a swordsman in a forest, to clarify later that the announcement of the Sekiro anime is coming. Something that comes to confirm the rumors that have been heard for some time that in the next Sony Showcase will announce the anime of a famous video game.
How much truth there is to this is something we don’t yet know. What is clear is that Sekiro is a beloved game and that, after the success of Elden Ring, From Software has a very sweet creative profile to make this kind of adaptations. So we shouldn’t be surprised if we can soon come here to confirm that an anime adaptation of Sekiro is coming to our screens.
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From space cowboys to superheroes in training, these anime are some of the best out there!
Not sure what anime to binge next? Many may not know it, but Hulu has a surprisingly solid library of both new and classic anime, as well as some lesser-known hidden gems. Grab a snack and get comfy. Here’s a list of the best anime you can start streaming on Hulu right now.
Imagine if you were a god. Sounds perfect, right? Well, in the world of “Noragami,” being a god isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Not all gods are created equal, and Yato dreams of one day becoming as famous as the rest of his all-powerful brethren. In his quest to attain greatness he stumbles across a half-phantom girl named Yato, and a meek teenage boy named Yukine… who also happens to be a living weapon. “Noragami” is a quirky series with a lot of heart, and its original take on Japanese mythology stands out from the crowd.
9. “Assassination Classroom”
Image courtesy Viz Media
The world only has one year until it’s totally destroyed. The entity behind the apocalypse? A schoolteacher. Well, not exactly a schoolteacher: a strange and tremendously powerful otherworldly being that looks like a weird yellow smiley face with octopus arms. He’s not all bad, though: he gives humanity a chance to avert its grim fate by offering to teach them how to kill him. In addition to teaching his junior high classroom normal subjects like algebra and history, this neon yellow horseman of the apocalypse also schools the kids in the ways of assassination. “Assassination Classroom” has a dark sense of humor and offers a delightfully bizarre ride from start to finish.
8. “Trigun”
Image courtesy Madhouse
“Trigun” is a quirky cyberpunk western that was a major hit when it first arrived stateside in the early 2000s. Our hero is Vash the Stampede, a gunslinger with an astronomical bounty on his head. Pursued by hordes of bounty hunters and an (arguably undeserved) bad reputation, Vash is also shadowed by Meryl and Milly, a pair of insurance agents that try to minimize the damage left in Vash’s wake. In addition to being an accomplished gunfighter, Vash also has a mean case of amnesia, and. as the series progresses, he slowly begins to discover details about his mysterious past.
7. “Black Lagoon”
Image courtesy Madhouse
Mild-mannered businessman Rokuro Okajima goes for the company trip of a lifetime when his ship is hijacked by a group of modern-day, gun-toting pirates. Hung out to dry by corporate management, Rock reluctantly turns to a life of crime himself, joining up with the colorful crew that kidnapped him. Rock joins stone-faced captain Dutch and sharp-tongued Revy and delves into the seedy underworld of the island of Roanapur. Rock and the crew encounter warring gangs, ex-Spetsnaz assassins, mercenaries, and other rogues as the mild-mannered businessman gets in touch with his bad self. Think “Breaking Bad” but with a fair bit more action.
6. Mobile Suit Gundam Wing
Image courtesy Sunrise
Giant fighting robots? You bet. “Mobile Suit Gundam” is regarded by many as a pioneer in the mecha anime subgenre. First arriving on the scene way back in the ’70s, Gundam has been around in various incarnations since then. Despite the many iterations of the series and its spin-offs, the central plot remains constant: in the future, groups of humans split off from Earth, heading into orbit to form colonies of their own. Eventually, these colonies declare their independence, and a war ensues. Instead of tanks, warriors fight with massive Gundam mech suits. “Mobile Suit Gundam” Wing isn’t the only Gundam series available on Hulu either: several other Gundam spin-offs are available as well.
5. “My Hero Academia”
Image courtesy Bones
In our world, superheroes are the exception, not the rule. Whether it be the X-Men, Spider-Man, or Batman, heroes have to keep their identities secret, and are sometimes feared and reviled by the general populace. “My Hero Academia” turns that trope on its head. In the world of “My Hero Academia,” heroes are the norm, and most people have powers of some kind or another. Everyone, that is, except for Izuku Midorya. One of the minority without powers, Izuku dreams of becoming a hero too, and enrolls in a high school for heroes in training. Izuku and his powerful new friends have to take on supervillains, protect the innocent, and make sure that their homework is turned in on time.
4. “Sailor Moon”
Image courtesy Touei Animation
Middle school student Usagi Tsukino has a lot on her plate. Aside from the usual boy troubles and school stress, she’s also a magical guardian known as Sailor Moon. She’s tasked by a talking cat, Luna, with protecting the world from the monstrous forces of darkness and tracking down the missing Moon Princesses. She does it all without breaking a sweat (or her nails) and is never without a sarcastic remark in the meantime. “Sailor Moon” is a classic anime series that can be surprisingly relatable, and is a must-watch for all ages.
3. “Tokyo Ghoul”
Image courtesy Pierrot
They’re not quite vampires, they’re not quite zombies, but they still thirst for blood… and lots of it. Ghouls are the new problem plaguing mankind, and they look and act totally normal by day. They could be your boss, your brother, your neighbor… but by night, they prowl the streets looking for their next innocent victim to devour. After a near-death experience leaves college student Ken Kaneki an unwilling ghoul, he’s forced into a dark and bloody world that he wants no part of. Fortunately, he manages to find another group of peaceful ghouls, but they’re hunted by the ruthless CCG task force. It soon becomes clear to Kaneki that things aren’t as black and white as he thought: ghouls aren’t all bad, and the CCG can be just as disturbing and inhuman as the monsters they claim to protect the public from.
2. “Psycho-Pass”
Image courtesy Production I.G.
“Psycho-Pass” is a must-watch for any cyberpunk fans. If you liked “Blade Runner,” “I, Robot” or “Detroit: Become Human,” “Psycho-Pass” is the series for you. In the future, crime is nearly nonexistent thanks to a new system of omnipresent supercomputers that can detect unstable individuals and wipe them out before crime ever occurs. Akane Tsunemori is a rookie officer that finds herself paired with the elite Enforcer unit, a squad of dangerous latent criminals that hunt down those deemed to be a threat to society. Things start to unravel when it becomes apparent that a dangerous killer is somehow fooling the system, and Tsunemori and her new friends in the Enforcer unit race to stop the threat.
1. “Cowboy Bebop”
Image courtesy Sunrise
Sci-fi meets film noir meets westerns in “Cowboy Bebop.” Bounty hunter Spike Spiegel and his crew make a living tracking down all manner of dangerous rogues across the solar system. The team has to contend with their own shadowy pasts just as much as they do the criminals they’re hunting, and the series effortlessly shifts tones between sarcastic humor and some pretty deep existential musings. “Cowboy Bebop” is a shining example of the best of anime, from the animation, to the voice acting, to the characters, and the soundtrack. It’s widely regarded to be one of the greatest anime series of all time. See you, space cowboy.
Wrapping up
Did we miss anything? Not to worry; Hulu has plenty more anime to devour, no matter what your tastes are. We’ll also be updating this article as Hulu expands its already hefty anime library, so be sure to check back with Softonic to see what’s new.
Looking to jump into anime? Here are the 10 best you can watch on Netflix.
Though there are certainly some more dedicated anime streaming sites out there, most folks don’t have to look too far to find some quality anime to binge. Whether you prefer fast-paced action, slapstick comedy, or something a little more introspective, here’s a list of 10 quality anime series available to anybody with access to a Netflix account.
This classic anime movie from the ’70s has withstood the test of time. This heist film was one of anime legend Hayao Miyazaki’s first films, and though it doesn’t bear the Studio Ghibli name, his influence still shows.
The tale follows a gentleman thief, Lupin, in the aftermath of a spectacular heist. He soon finds that the piles of cash that he made off with are actually counterfeit, and tracks the forgeries to the mysterious Castle of Cagliostro.
However, there’s more going on than meets the eye, including a trapped princess and secret treasure. This is a classic adventure that will appeal to any Miyazaki fan.
Is there anything more anime than giant robots? In Gurenn Lagann, they’re just another part of the landscape. Set in a future where the evil King Lordgenome has forced humans to live in settlements beneath the planet’s surface, teens Simon and Kamina dream of going topside. Soon enough they find themselves wrapped up in the rebellion against the king, fighting alongside the forces of humanity.
Though the series has plenty of action, at its heart it’s a tale about perseverance, growth, and the power of the human spirit.
Kill la Kill is over-the-top in all the best ways. No-nonsense protagonist Ryuko Matoi arrives at the prestigious Honnoji Academy on a quest to find the person who murdered her father. That hunt continues as she uses a powerful Scissor Blade and a talking combat suit to quite literally battle her way through high school cliques and some more sinister enemies behind the scenes.
Behind the breakneck pacing, action, and laughs, Trigger actually has quite a lot to say about superficial fashion, peer pressure, and the expectations society places on our appearance. Be warned: this anime is extremely addicting, and once you start you may not want to stop.
A far cry from the fast-paced world of Kill la Kill, Violet Evergarden is a more introspective tale.
The show focuses on the titular character, Violet, a former child soldier. After the war comes to a close, she struggles to find a place for herself in the peacetime world, and eventually finds work as a writer, drafting letters of all kinds for all manner of different people. As she does, she comes to learn more about herself and what it means to connect with others.
It’s a story that’s at times heartwarming, heartwrenching, and definitely worth watching.
Attempting to explain Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure in just a few sentences is no easy feat. The series follows several generations of the Joestar family, a powerful clan of psychic warriors. As the series jumps across time, the audience follows the Joestars on a whole host of crazy and madcap adventures.
Though that’s probably the best way to describe Jojo in a nutshell, it doesn’t do justice to the sheer insanity of the series itself. It’s utterly ridiculous in the best way. Anybody watching should prepare for a hefty dose of weirdness and be ready to laugh to the point of tears.
Fate/Zero is just one of several Fate anime series available on Netflix, but we think it’s one of the best of the crowd.
Each anime in the Fate series is based around the same central premise: the show follows secret societies and power players as they engage in a covert war to gain possession of the legendary Holy Grail. To fight this war, participants adhere to a strict set of rules and battle using legendary warriors summoned from throughout history. King Arthur, Alexander the Great, and Gilgamesh all put in appearances, and one of the best parts of the show is seeing its unique spin on these mythical historical figures.
First things first: put that horrible live-action English adaptation out of your head. Though the live-action version may have been a travesty, its anime source material isn’t.
Teenager Light Yagami comes into possession of a mysterious notebook with a sinister power: anybody who’s name is written in the book dies instantly. Light embraces this newfound power and embarks on a crusade to eliminate evil… but as they say, power corrupts.
The famous detective L, a sort of modern-day Sherlock Holmes, sets out to track down Light and put an end to his killing spree. Death Note is a crime thriller with a dose of supernatural horror thrown in; think “Se7en” meets “Final Destination.”
We’ve got more giant robots for you, but Neon Genesis Evangelion takes a drastically different tone as opposed to “Gurenn Lagann.” After humanity is nearly wiped out by a cataclysmic event, extraterrestrial beings dubbed Angels appear to threaten the survivors. A top-secret organization known as NERV makes use of highly advanced mechs, EVAs, to combat the threat.
The series focuses on the young EVA pilots, namely Shinji Ikari. Sure, you’ve got giant robots fighting alien monsters… but underneath that, Neon Genesis Evangelion takes a hard and sometimes uncomfortable look at the nature of human connection, pain, loneliness, and the possibility for growth.
The questions that Evangelion poses will linger with you long after the credits roll… and on that note, be sure to check out the companion movie, “End of Evangelion,” after the finale.
From the same studio that created “Kill la Kill,” Little Witch Academia is basically Harry Potter if it were set in an all-girls school. The show is a breath of fresh air compared to some of the darker selections on this list.
Atsuko Kagari is our protagonist, a young aspiring witch who can’t quite seem to get the hang of her powers. After arriving at the academy, she meets the kind-hearted Lotte Jannsson and the delightfully dark Sucy Manbavaran, and the trio find themselves stumbling into all sorts of trouble.
The colorful cast of characters makes this show unforgettable, from the ambitious and arrogant Diana Cavendish to the rebellious tomboy Amanda O’Neill. Honestly… we think that Little Witch Academia might actually be better than Harry Potter.
FMA: Brotherhood is actually one of two Full Metal Alchemist series on Netflix. Brotherhood is essentially a reboot of the original series, with improved animation and a few different plot lines. The show’s core remains the same though, combining strong characters with a tense and suspenseful plot that give us a bit of a “Game of Thrones” vibe.
The show follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, two military alchemists that stumble upon a conspiracy that may put the entire nation at risk. Together with their friends, Ed and Alphonse fight to discover the truth behind the mystery while at the same time trying to find a way to return Alphonse to his true body. As a note: this is perhaps the only time we’re going to recommend watching the English dub over the original Japanese. The translation and adaptation is superb, and the stellar voice cast includes the likes of Travis Willingham and Laura Bailey.
Before you plop down on the couch to binge that next anime, we want to make clear that this is only a handful of titles from the huge library of anime available on Netflix. If you don’t see anything on this list that quite catches your interest, Netflix has plenty of other options to choose from. We’ll also be updating this list as Netflix adds new selections to its library, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest additions!
From the somber world of ‘Bojack Horseman’ to the comedic setting of ‘Family Guy’ these shows are NOT for kids.
Many Americans believe animation belongs to the “kids” category, which is a shame; some quality television falls under this description! Some shows are wildly different from the kiddie cartoons you might find on Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. Passing it off as a childish cartoon is a great way to miss a few of the greatest TV shows.
There are excellent shows that are intended for kids but have great value for older audiences (we’re looking at you, “Adventure Time” ). However, we want to highlight a few titles made specifically for the grownups. Most are admittedly comedic, but all are extremely entertaining.
They are our…
Top 10 animated shows for adults
The classics
Archer
This is the best show about the worst people ever.
In real life, we don’t want to meet Sterling Archer or any of the other characters in this show. In fact, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere near their spy agency. They’re the most bungling, addle-brained group of covert operatives ever to see the light of day and God help anyone who gets involved in their antics.
Luckily, this makes them hilarious to watch!
Family Guy
“It seems today that all you see is violence and movies and sex on TV, but where are those good old fashioned values on which we used to rely? Lucky there’s a family guy!”
“Family Guy” follows the Griffin family through insane adventures. It’s a sitcom gone wrong, featuring Peter as the inappropriate but well-intentioned father, Lois as the “average” stay-at-home mom, Chris, the teenage son, Brian as the talking dog, Meg as the character everyone else loves to hate, and Stewie as the ridiculously intelligent and villainous prodigy baby.
Together, they might manage to not burn down the neighborhood.
Futurama
“Futurama” stars Fry who gets stuck in a cryogenic chamber in the year 2000 and falls asleep for 1,000 years. When he wakes up, it’s the future!
As you might expect, one thing leads to another and he falls in love with a one-eyed alien named Leela and befriends an alcoholic, kleptomaniac robot named Bender.
Together, they find jobs at Planet Express, a delivery company owned by Fry’s distant nephew, Professor Farnsworth. They begin a journey that may actually end with them making deliveries once in a while. But more often than not, they’ll barely escape from insane journeys with their lives intact!
Subsequently, the creator Matt Groening also made “The Simpsons” and “Disenchantment,” the latter quite recently. We recommend all of them, but include “Futurama” because it’s our personal favorite!
By anyone’s reckoning, though, “Futurama” created some of the best memes:
Samurai Jack
When you’re done palling around through the comedies, stop by “Samurai Jack” for a welcome change of pace.
Jack receives a sword that can defeat the demon Aku, a powerful being that simply embodies evil. Aku sends him forward in time to a dystopian future because hey, why not put off killing the samurai with a magical sword?
Hey, demons procrastinate, too.
In the future, Jack begins his quest to return to his own time and defeat Aku. This results in a back-and-forth battle that nearly sees victory for each side time and time again.
Look, “Samurai Jack” isn’t necessarily for adults. It’s rated TV-Y7, and was made by the same person that made “Dexter’s Laboratory” and “Powerpuff Girls.” However, “Samurai Jack” never captured that older younger audience as much as it captured older viewers.
Think “My Little Pony,” but with demons and samurai.
South Park
“Come on down to South Park and meet some friends of mine!”
Namely, meet Stan Marsh as the middle-class lead, Kyle Broflovski as a neurotic stereotype, Eric Cartman as the overweight sociopath, and Kenny McCormick as the lower-class kid all the others ignore. Kenny also dies in pretty much every episode.
Oh, trust us, this show gets controversial. The rumors are true.
If you’ve ever wanted a hilarious show that goes where no show was willing to go before, this show is for you. The things they “get away with” will leave you stunned.
Up-and-coming shows
Bob’s Bugers
A family that makes burgers together: it’s a simple concept that gets big laughs.
Bob and Linda Belcher try to hold their family-owned joint together, but they have a lot to handle. They have their awkward outcast daughter Tina, friendly but difficult son Gene, and highly intelligent and manipulative youngest child, Louise.
Interesting fact: their pilot episode broke viewership records. Of course, with a name like “Human Flesh,” who wouldn’t want to give it a try?
Bojack Horseman
Picture this: a world where humans and talking animals live together in harmony. Or…at least in the average-day American discord.
This Netflix-exclusive is the world of Bojack Horseman. Years ago, he was the famous leading actor of the hit TV series “Horsin’ Around.” Now, he’s another burnout celebrity living off his former glory while slowly ruining his life with substance abuse.
The show feels like a comedy for a while, but as time goes on, there are increasingly introspective moments. These moments go into the nature of depression, purpose, and family. The fun never leaves, but we should note that fans love this show for more than just the laughs.
Castlevania
OH YEAH!
Long ago, a series of 8-bit, side-scrolling games took us on an adventure to kill Dracula. We loyally followed…again and again and again!
The games started with Simon Belmont, but this new TV show begins with the story of Trevor Belmont, the last of his family name. He spends his days drinking and fighting in taverns until the world comes crashing down after the Church of Walachia kills Dracula’s human wife for allegedly practicing witchcraft. The once-benevolent vampire lord sets out on a quest to destroy all humans and begins (as one does) by summoning an army from Hell.
Slowly but surely, others come to Trevor’s side to join the fight against Dracula: Sypha, a nomadic mage, and Alucard, the [spoilers] son of Dracula. Their battle will be legendary!
Also, props to Simon and Richter Belmont for getting into Super Smash Bros!
One Punch Man
What if a hero was too powerful? What if they were truly OP?
Saitama can beat every bad guy with one punch, but bad guys aren’t his problem. He’s become so powerful nothing in life can catch his interest. Even when powerful monsters appear with greater frequency, he finds himself unmatched.
If you’ve ever wanted to watch a godlike hero with arguably more power than Superman struggle through life’s daily challenges while occasionally wrecking a villain with no trouble, watch this show. If you like action, watch this show. If you like comedy or anime or character development or musings on dreams, motivation, and inner fulfillment, watch One Punch Man!
Let’s just get this out of the way: we understand that a lot of the fanbase has ruined “Rick and Morty.” However, you shouldn’t let a few bad apples spoil the bunch, no matter how annoying they are:
If you haven’t heard of it yet, this show follows the hyper-intelligent, dimension-hopping outlaw Rick Sanchez and his awkward grandson, Morty Smith. Together, they go on adventures that occasionally end in the Earth’s invasion, destruction, or their own deaths.
Yeah, they get themselves into some pickles.
The toxic fanbase shouldn’t dissuade you from watching this show. The political commentary mixed with the action and comedy make for a fun experience.
From Overwatch to the MCU, these staffs put most other weapons to shame!
Oh, yeah. There’s gonna be a lot of Gandalf.
Grab your wizard hat, double-edged straight sword, and haversack of rations, because we’re going on an adventure!
If you were like us as a kid, after reading a good fantasy novel or watching a particularly exciting movie, you went outside and played with sticks. You imagined they had the power to shoot flames, summon shields, or turn people into frogs.
Why? Because magical staffs are awesome! Whether they channel a user’s inherent energy, like Gandalf’s staff, or possess wild magic of their own, like Wabbajack, each of these iconic scepters contain the stuff of dreams, nightmares, and more.
So, let’s talk about the…
Top 10 Magical Staffs in Pop Culture
10. Jafar’s staff
Ew. Creep.
Before Jafar takes over Agrabah, fights Aladdin, and turns into a wildly powerful genie of darkness, his staff is nothing short of memorable. The moment he dials in on Jasmine’s father, the Sultan, with those jeweled snake eyes and turns a once-proud man into his personal flying monkey, there’s no forgetting his staff!
Seriously. If you saw a costume-less person on Halloween holding a snake scepter, we’re willing to bet you’d think: “Huh, where’s the rest of their Jafar getup?” Trust us, it’s true.
But let’s ask the real questions here: does Jafar use his own magic? Does the staff have power itself? Is he a magician because he found the staff, like Aladdin found the lamp? Is Jafar, at heart, just another street rat dreaming of becoming a prince, who took a wrong turn toward the dark side? Is his mother named Martha?
If you haven’t seen “Rise of the Guardians,” we recommend it!
Jack Frost, the main character, teams up with Earth’s guardians, the Avengers! Wait, no, he joins holiday heroes like Santa, the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and Sandman. Together, they battle Pitch, the veritable lord of nightmares.
But forget all that for now. Look at Jack’s staff!
It is shaped like an avant-garde shepherd’s crook and made of either a gnarled branch or a bunch of brown paper towels wrapped around PVC pipe. This staff creates ice and cold when used by Jack Frost. Generally, he just brings winter to Earth, but when children are in danger of Pitch’s nightmare-scape, he’ll essentially become Frozone from “The Incredibles.”
We’re pretty sure Jack Frost’s staff isn’t the source of his true power, because he became a guardian after saving his brother from ice. THEN he gained frost magic, so it was inside him all along! Isn’t that nice?
8. Mercy’s Staff (Caduceus)
Source: ZaziNombies Lego Creations
In the picture above, the cosplay staff was made entirely of Legos.
Now, about the staff: anyone who’s played Overwatch knows the importance of healers. No healer is better known than the techno-angelic Mercy, who uses her staff to heal teammates while they fight. We aren’t exaggerating when we say a good medic makes the difference between life and death, victory and defeat.
Wouldn’t it be great if your teammates didn’t also verbally abuse you while playing healer? That would be awesome.
If so, you’ve probably seen the Sailor Moon girls. And if you’ve seen the Sailor Moon girls, you’ve probably seen their awesome staffs!
Each one of the Sailors has their own staff, but Sailor Moon herself wields the Moon Stick. The Moon Stick allows Sailor Moon’s alter ego to transform into Sailor Moon. It also allows her to launch attacks such as the Moon Healing Escalation Attack.
If you haven’t seen “Sailor Moon,” do yourself a favor and check it out on Crunchyroll.
Never forget, in the original animated film, this staff performed some of the most exciting and versatile feats of magical power ever to be seen in a Disney movie.
5. Shazam’s Staff
The recent release of Shazam contained what we believe to be a seriously underrated staff! Simply by touching it and saying the wizard “Shazam”s name, orphan Billy Batson turns into a superhero!
While the staff doesn’t actually produce ice, control minds, or open portals like you’d expect from something on this list, it’s still awesome. We believe the ability to turn anyone into a super-strong, lightning-powered hero who can fly gives it a firm bid for Number 5, at least.
Few character introductions hold a candle to that of Gandalf the White. He appears in a flash of glory and uses pure magical energy to swat aside Legolas’s arrow and Gimli’s ax. When the radiance dies down, you see him fully, in new duds holding a beautiful white staff.
It’s his final form: the original convoluted staff became a shiny, pale piece of artistically intertwined branches. When put to its full use, Gandalf can personally ward off an entire flock of Nazgul.
Even when used without magic, it still can knock orcs over the head with ease. This staff does a whole lot, and looks good doing it! It’s equally as awesome in the old EA “Return of the King” game.
3. Loki’s “Sceptre”
C’mon, people. It’s Marvel.
The scepter was first seen in “The Avengers,” and came back in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” where it helped create Vision. It also helped give Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver their powers.
The staff shoots blue bolts of energy. It uses the power of the Mind Stone. It can control people with just a touch. The pointy end can skewer agents named Coulson. The blunt end can briefly bonk Captain America in the head before he shouts “not today” and spin-kicks you in your shiny, helmeted head.
Alright, that got silly but you got the point: it’s awesome!
Although you might not be able to wield Thor’s hammer, Loki’s scepter can be just the tool you need to plan your own alien invasion.
There may never be another game like Skyrim. Our fingers are crossed so hard for Elder Scrolls 6, we can’t even tell you.
In Skyrim, there were many staffs. Dragon priest staffs shot elemental energy, Magelight staffs performed great alteration spells. Conjuration staffs like the Sanguine Rose brought Dremoras from the planes of Oblivion. Yet, despite all of that…
No. Other. Staff. Can. Turn. Someone. Into. A. Sweet Roll.
Wabbajack is the Daedric artifact of Sheogorath, the Daedric prince of madness. When using it on an enemy or an NPC or chicken that looked at you funny, it will have a completely random effect on them.
Maybe it will turn them into a bunny who scampers off in fear. Maybe it will make them explode in a blur of lightning. The Wabbajack essentially throws its target into a lottery where anything can happen to it.
It will forever live on in our hearts as one of the most wildly, delightfully unpredictable weapons in video game history.
Though frankly, every line that comes out of Gandalf’s mouth sounds a little mystic and exciting, in no small part thanks to the acting prowess of Ian McKellan.
According to the novels, generally, Gandalf uses it to channel his own magic. In the movie, this can be seen when he illuminates the Mines of Moria and fights the Balrog. In the books, we particularly enjoyed when the fellowship was stuck in a tree and Gandalf pretty much burned the forest down to ensure their escape. That was intense!
Aside from Loki’s sceptre, this can be considered the most popular and widely known staff in pop culture. Gandalf the White’s never captured the universal charm and simplistic beauty of this one, with its white crystal held in the twisted branches.
Conclusion
Eat your heart out, swords.
These staffs go to show that your typical weapon might not be the most effective. Though you shouldn’t bring a knife to a gun fight, bringing a staff to a Nazgul fight might be in your best interest.
If we missed anything you wanted to see, let us know about it in the comment section below.
This is the best show about the worst people ever.
“It seems today that all you see is violence and movies and sex on TV, but where are those good old fashioned values on which we used to rely? Lucky there’s a family guy!”
“Futurama” stars Fry who gets stuck in a cryogenic chamber in the year 2000 and falls asleep for 1,000 years. When he wakes up, it’s the future!
When you’re done palling around through the comedies, stop by “Samurai Jack” for a welcome change of pace.
