Best Anime to Watch On Hulu

By subscribing to Hulu, you can guarantee access to more than 500 anime titles whenever you please. No longer do you have to risk visiting questionable websites to watch your favorite anime or discover a new series. From classic series such as Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop to the most recent releases including the second season of Blue Exorcist, Hulu has definitely done extensive research for the most satisfying anime. Here, you can check some of the most entertaining and rewarding anime on Hulu.

Starting off the list is one of last year’s most highly anticipated anime series, Erased. Also known as Boku Dake ga Inai Machi, this series kicked off 2016 with a well-directed and emotional first episode. If you were given a chance to go back in time to correct a fatal mistake, would you be willing to take the risk? This is the question that faces Satoru Fujinuma, a twenty-nine-year-old guy who has seemingly lost his drive to pursue his passion of creating manga. After a fatal event occurs, he begins an emotionally affecting journey that involves some of the most appealing characters in recent years, especially Kayo Hinazuki. In fact, Satoru and Kayo’s interactions alone make Erased a must-watch anime on Hulu. While Erased is considered a thriller, its strength relies on the genuinely heartwarming moments initiated by Satoru as he tries to turn things around.

This is perhaps Kyoto Animation’s most popular series ever, possibly only topped by The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. If you are not a fan of the slice of life genre but you are interested in seeing just a bit of it, K-On!! is the series you should start with. Many people, even avid anime viewers, believe that slice of life is nothing more than people wasting their everyday lives. In contrast, K-On!! argues that these seemingly mundane moments are worth cherishing, for they indicate the various moods of each individual. The series perfectly explores the ordinary events in the lives of four young girls who dream of making it big in the music industry but end up having tea and eating cake most of the time. In addition, you must not simply pass up the opportunity to see the stunning animation of Kyoto Animation.

Released in July 2014, Terror in Resonance was the latest collaboration between the legendary director Shinichiro Watanabe and the iconic composer Yoko Kanno. With a distinct and mysterious trailer, anime viewers were eager to see this MAPPA production. The series follows two brilliant teenagers as the city of Tokyo experiences a terrorist attack without any fatalities. Although it only has 11 episodes, Terror in Resonance managed to evoke a strong political message while also tugging at the heartstrings with the exceptional soundtrack and the cinematic visuals. You should see this anime on Hulu to witness some of the most enthralling scenes of all-time.

Madhouse’s anime adaptation of One-Punch Man turned out to be a massive hit in 2015. Once it began airing, even non-anime viewers started to pay attention due to the online buzz. Instead of being like any other action and fighting series, One-Punch Man successfully creates a parody of shounen tropes. As the anime title implies, the main character of the show has the amazing ability to knock his opponents out with a single punch. Regardless of the duration of each conflict, the show squeezes in some of the most epic fight scenes in recent memory. This is a great series both for new and old anime viewers. Saitama and Genos have essentially become anime memes in their own right, and you should see this to prepare for the second season.

Before One-Punch Man ruled the anime community, it was Attack on Titan that dominated the scene. With an electrifying first episode that featured a unique art style and glorious music from Hiroyuki Sawano, everyone started talking about terrifying, human-eating titans. Moreover, this anime series successfully combined spectacular action with political intrigue. As the titans keep on damaging what’s left of humanity, can the remaining survivors cooperate together and find an answer against these monsters? As the most successful anime of 2013, one needs to see this to know why Attack on Titan cosplays became common, with many fans wanting to be Eren, Sasha, Levi, Armin, and Mikasa.

In this world, parasitic aliens survive by taking over the bodies of human beings. Once they have infiltrated them, these aliens begin investigating the human race. However, Shinichi Izumi’s parasite wasn’t able to completely take over his body. Due to this, Shinichi and the parasite are forced to work together to protect Shinichi’s family and friends from the more aggressive aliens. Parasyte is a brutal anime series with great philosophical themes alongside heart-pounding fight sequences. This is the second anime on this list that was produced by Madhouse. What’s interesting about Parasyte is that the manga it originated from was completed more than two decades ago. For some reason, Madhouse took notice of the sci-fi horror series and decided to make a 24-episode series out of it.

In a society that can tell you which career you’ll be the most successful in, are you willing to choose another option? In Psycho-Pass, the world seems to be in a utopian state since humanity has advanced its science and technology to assess the violent tendencies of human beings. Thus, criminals are ideally caught even before they do something horrible. However, Akane Tsunemori will soon realize that her world isn’t as perfect as it seems upon investigating a series of strange crimes. Since it is written by the infamous Gen Urobuchi, who also wrote Puella Magi Madoka Magica, expect Psycho-Pass to be a brutally rewarding experience. Once you watch this anime on Hulu, you will witness the amazing production by Production I.G. and the exhilarating music of Ling Tosite Sigure.

This is the third Madhouse entry on this list, and for good reason. At a staggering 148 episodes, the 2011 anime adaptation of Hunter x Hunter has managed to capture the attention of the anime community with its sense of adventure and outstanding character development. In Hunter x Hunter, you will follow Gon Freecss on his journey as he attempts to meet his father. Eventually, he becomes a hunter like his father and meets three great friends named Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. Aside from them, he will encounter daunting allies and villains, each with their own set of goals. It’s a crazy adventure, but it’s definitely worth seeing. At times fun yet heartbreaking, Hunter x Hunter is one of the smartest shounen series of all-time.

Cowboy Bebop is the oldest entry here, and it still ranks highly due to its timeless appeal. Before Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoko Kanno worked on 2014’s Terror in Resonance, they were already creating Cowboy Bebop with the help of Studio Sunrise. Premiering in 1998, the 26-episode series forever changed anime both in Japan and in the West. In this critically acclaimed series, you will see how Spike Spiegel lives his life as a bounty hunter with Edward, Faye Valentine, and Jet Black in a future where Earth is already a wasteland and humans have succeeded in space colonization. With its episodic nature, Cowboy Bebop carefully examines philosophical themes involving existence and purpose. As one of the most influential series of all-time, you have to see this anime on Hulu.

Before White Fox worked on last year’s monster hit series Re:Zero, the studio produced on the critically-acclaimed Stein’s;Gate. An adaptation of a visual novel of the same name, Stein’s;Gate is part of the Science Adventure series created by Nitroplus and 5pb. For lovers of time travel and thriller elements, this is the perfect anime on Hulu. In fact, this is definitely superior to last year’s Erased series. For 24 episodes, you will get to follow Rintarou Okabe as he and his pals attempt to earn a scientific breakthrough while working in an old building. Even though it starts of as a lighthearted anime, things will eventually take a more serious and darker tone.