The world of anime is expansive and offers many unique stories with compelling characters, engaging plots, and epic moments. While some anime come and go, many deliver unique and memorable experiences. Those types of anime typically contain well-written storylines and characters.
We want to highlight the best anime that adult viewers should watch on Netflix. From psychological thrillers to gruesome horror series, we have a variety of adult anime here to whet your appetite.
Feel free to leave your comments about our choices below. If we forget one of your favorites, let us know in the comments. We’ll be sure to add it later.
Mononoke
If you’re into stories with a distinct story structure and captivating mystery components, Mononoke might be the series for you. This tale is broken into five unique tales, each inspired by beloved Japanese folk tales. At the center of this narrative is the Medicine Seller, a being who must uncover the truth, reason, and shape behind each spiritual entity he meets.
This anime provides interesting commentary surrounding humanity’s complexities and problems concerning environmentalism. Additionally, the story tackles greed and selfishness in nuanced ways, leaving audiences enamored. Coupled with its vivid and symbolic imagery, Mononoke is worth watching.
Monster
Monster, by Naoki Urasawa, is a gripping psychological thriller that’ll leave you in utter disbelief. This story contains genius writing from stellar plot twists to dramatic encounters. It follows a surgeon named Kenzou, who is shunned by many for his decision to save a child’s life over his town’s mayor. When this child grows up to be a mass murderer, it’s up to Kenzou to bring him to justice.
This tale delivers a remarkable cast and gives everyone a chance to shine. Whether they appear in multiple chapters or not, fans will be shocked at the level of care and detail that went into crafting each personality involved in this work. Coupled with a realistic art style and gritty world, Monster is a must-watch for anyone who loves well-crafted noir tales.
Devilman Crybaby
Netflix can be hit or miss with their offerings, especially when it comes to its originals. Devilman Crybaby is not only a solid adaptation, but it’s a brutal and thematic work that’ll keep adult audiences invested. Our story follows Akira, a boy who attends a party filled with humans and demons. Akira sacrifices himself to save one of his allies, resulting in him becoming Devilman, a menacing warrior.
With his devil abilities, Akira must fight demons, protect humans, and learn to cope with his demonic habits. Devilman Crybaby delves into mature topics concerning discrimination, sexuality, religion, and others. Additionally, this series features strong explicit content that wouldn’t be suitable for younger audiences. If you have the stomach to sit through its barbaric scenarios, then we recommend you give this bloodbath of an anime a shot.
Castlevania: Nocturne
Netflix’s Castlevania was a beloved anime original and one that successfully captured the spirit of Konami’s beloved video game franchise. Seeing how successful Castlevania became over time, it made sense for Netflix to continue exploring this vampiric and brutal universe through 2023’s Castlevania Nocturne.
This anime is based on the Castlevania games Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night and follows its lead vampire hunter, Richter. Richter embarks on a heart-pounding quest full of mythical beasts, dreary locales, and intriguing enemies and allies. It offers a delightful mixture of action, history, and suspense and promises viewers will be satisfied by the end of it all. If you’re someone who loves vampires, historically rich tales, or bone-chilling violence, this is the anime for you.
You can read our thoughts on Castlevania: Nocturne in our full-season review here!
Flavors of Youth
Anthology anime are a dime in a dozen in today’s anime industry. While you have stellar works like Robot Carnival, there’s always a possibility the industry dishes out something that’s simply decent like Star Wars Visions. Thankfully, Flavors of Youth is one of those anthology anime that sticks to its guns and produces a great experience for history buffs.
This anime’s tales are themed around food, clothing, and shelter with each taking place in China-themed locales. History fanatics and Chinese residents will appreciate this work for its strong attention to detail, incredible romance elements, and gripping drama. Coupled with its colorful visuals and fascinating characters, Flavors of Youth is worth watching.
Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off
Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off delivers a new take on the classic graphic novel series written by Bryan Lee O’Malley. While those who read the original comic run or experienced the live-action film will adore this more than a newcomer, Takes Off delivers a story that’s easily digestible for newcomers. That said, Takes Off follows the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World storyline to a tee in its first chapter.
However, it departs when Scott disappears after his battle with Ramona Flower’s ex, Matthew. Therefore, this anime follows Ramona, who embarks on a journey to discover the truth behind Scott’s departure and to rekindle her connections with previous exes. While this tale isn’t a flawless work, it has enough delightful comedy, fun action scenes, and charming personalities to warrant your attention.
You can read our thoughts on Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off in our full-season review here!
Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga is an incredible Viking-themed anime with mature themes and well-developed characters. The story’s set amidst a war between England and the Danes. While civilians detest the war, every Viking besides Thorfinn praises it. While Thorfinn hates war, he’s determined to murder Askeladd, a man who exterminated his father.
This anime delves into the psychological impact death and war has on an individual’s mind. Through characters like Thorfinn and others, this anime explores themes of revenge, betrayal, and redemption. Additionally, it highlights the cruel aspects of Viking society, giving fans bits of educational and historical value. Coupled with intense fights, Vinland Saga is a great anime for those craving a sophisticated anime experience.
Aggretsuko
If historical works aren’t your fancy, and you are someone who loves funny, cute, and colorful slice-of-life tales, Aggretsuko might be worth checking out. This anime follows Retsuko, a red panda who struggles to grapple with her stressful office job and uses heavy mental to vent her frustrations. Through meaningful encounters and comical activities, Retsuko will craft a pleasant life for herself.
Many adult viewers will resonate with Retsuko’s problems with her workplace’s principles and matters concerning her personal life. Additionally, every season provides Retsuko with more hurdles to overcome. From helping an idol group achieve fame to strengthening her relationship with a future lover, fans will admire how this stressed-out red panda handles it all.
You can read our thoughts on Aggretsuko in our full-season review here!
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Cyberpunk Edgerunners, much like Castlevania: Nocturne, is a Netflix original series based on a video game property. Instead of following a protagonist from the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, this anime includes original characters. This allows anyone who isn’t familiar with the IP to hop aboard for the ride.
With his intense violence, dramatic dialogue, and beautiful OST, Cyberpunk Edgerunners will captivate many adult audiences. The story follows David, a troubled male who is in a bit of a pickle. After getting expelled from his academy, David meets Lucy, a data thief who lets him join a team of criminals as an Edgerunner. We observe David’s new life of crime with Lucy and her crew members.
You can read our thoughts on Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in our full-season review here!
Pluto
Monster isn’t the only Naoki Urasawa tale we’d love to recommend to adult anime fans. Enter Pluto, a fascinating sci-fi tale that deeply explores the implications and complexities of artificial intelligence. This tale is based on Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy and adapts one of that tale’s most prolific story arcs.
It follows Gesicht, a robot inspector who must uncover the truth behind a beloved robot named Montblanc’s demise. As mentioned in our Monster entry, this story offers similar degrees of depth and intrigue. It delivers exceptional twists to keep viewers on their toes and beautiful visuals to immerse audiences in Gesicht’s technologically advanced society.
Additionally, the characters in this work receive stupendous development and characterization. Although this series can be a hassle to sit through due to its 60-minute-long episodes, you’ll be doing yourself a solid by watching this.
You can read our thoughts on Pluto in our full-season review here!
So, there we have it, our picks for the best anime adults should check out on Netflix!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!