Crunchyroll is one of the most important streaming services for anime fans. It was one of the first legitimate ways to watch new anime without piracy. Additionally, it’s the largest anime streaming site at this time. The service is relatively cheap and the free version lets you watch most things with ads. The entire service has a metric ton of excellent anime. However, there are some that stand above the rest. Here are the best Crunchyroll anime right now.
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Editor’s note: Crunchyroll is available in many countries all over the world. Some of these shows may not be available in all regions.
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1. My Hero Academia (super-series)
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular super-series shows right now. It tells the story of Midoriya, a boy idolizes the world’s best hero, All Might. He eventually goes to the school where All Might teaches and learns how to become a hero himself. There is also a group of antagonists that try to do away with everybody. The show focuses on that good and evil paradigm. This one is super popular and surprisingly good. Many call it this generation’s Naruto. Its popularity and continuously running manga means this one should go for a good long time and there are plenty of seasons to binge so you can catch up.
2. Naruto (super-series)
Naruto is another exceptionally popular and good super-series. The show spans over 700 episodes in total between Naruto (220 episodes) and Naruto: Shippuden (500 episodes). Crunchyroll has every episode. The first is linked at the button and the other one is here. The show follows the story of Naruto and his friends Sasuka and Sakura, specifically Naruto and Sasuke as they deal with enemy organizations, corrupt family members, and other stuff. The show is notorious for its filler episodes, but you can find watch lists without filler if you don’t want to sit through 700+ episodes. This is easily one of the best of the best super-series anime on Crunchyroll. Those who want to keep going after they’re done can check out Boruto: Naruto Next Generations with its 150+ episodes at the time of this writing.
3. Fate series (action-adventure)
The Fate series is an ongoing action-adventure show about a Holy Grail war. Characters in the show summon old heroes and use those heroes as avatars to do battle on their behalf. We would list this as a super-series, but it’s actually rare for new entrants into the series to follow the stories of the ones that came prior. For instance, we recommend Fate/Zero before Fate/Stay Night (linked at the button). However, after that, you can watch the other shows in basically any order you want since they don’t really continue on a linear path. The latest show in the series is Fate/Grand Order. The only downside of the series are its confusing names and sheer number of separate shows. You may need to look around a bit to find everything.
4. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (action-adventure)
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is one of the seminal anime works. It’s one of those ones everybody should watch at least once. It’s insanely popular with a good story and surprisingly good art and animation for its age. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is actually the second iteration of the show. This one follows the manga and the adventures of Alphonse and Edward Elric as they hunt for the Philosopher Stone. The original version of the show (with a completely different ending) is currently available on Netflix.
5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica (thriller/horror)
Puella Magi Madoka Magica doesn’t feel like a thriller at first. However, it definitely makes its intentions known after the first few episodes. The show focuses around a group of magical girls who trade a lifetime of servitude for one wish. This presents a lot of obvious problems that very strongly bother the titular character Madoka. The series is actually quite old, but still definitely holds up by today’s standards. A second iteration of the show, Magia Record, launched in 2020 along with an accompanying mobile game of the same name. This is one of the seminal anime on Crunchyroll. It’s one of the must-watch shows on the platform.
6. The Perfect Insider (mystery)
The Perfect Insider is a mystery anime. The visual novel debuted in 1996 so this isn’t the newest property, but the anime is from 2015. The story revolves around two people who travel to an island and solve murders. There are some science fiction elements as well. The show starts a little slow, but ramps up considerably toward the end of the run. The show is only 11 episodes so it’s actually a quick watch overall. There aren’t a ton of good anime mysteries, but this is one of the best.
7. Toradora! (romantic comedy)
Toradora! (yes, with the exclamation point) is a romantic comedy about Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, two high school students who live across the street from one another. They have crushes on each other’s friends, so they venture out to set each other up with the other one’s crush. The show runs for 25 episodes, longer than most visual novels-turned-anime on Crunchyroll, and it has plenty of great romantic and comedy moments.
8. Ore Monogatari (romantic comedy)
Ore Monogatari (which translates to its English name, My Love Story!!) is another romcom manga-turned-anime. It’s about a larger than average dude who saves a girl from a groper on a train. The ensuing romance is the mostly the topic of the show. The manga was fairly popular among Japan’s female readership and the anime is a pretty good adaptation. The show has 24 total episodes, all available on Crunchyroll along with a live action movie (not available on Crunchyroll).
9. Flying Witch (slice of life)
Flying Witch is a slice of life about a girl who moves in with some relatives as part of her witch training. The show revolves around Makoto’s daily life and all of the stuff she has to get used to and learn. In classic slice of life style, there really isn’t too much of a story arc here. The enjoyment comes from the show’s chill vibe, comedy moments, and character interaction. It runs for 12 episodes so it’s a shorter watch, but it’s one of the best slice of life anime on Crunchyroll.
10. Hibike! Euphonium (slice of life)
Hibike! Euphonium (Sound! Euphonium) is another slice of life show. This one follows the story of a group of girls in an ensemble band club and their journey to make it to nationals. The show focuses mostly on character interactions as they learn their instruments and grow together as friends. This one is by Kyoto Animation, a studio known for its over-the-top, but utterly gorgeous animation style. The show has a total of 25 episodes along with an OVA, although the show’s quality takes a bit of a dip in season 2.
11. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (fantasy)
Demon Slayer is a fantasy with a standard anime premise. Tanjiro’s family is killed by some demons and the event leaves his sister a demon as well. He becomes a demon slayer to try and turn his sister back into a human. The show has some pacing issues, but Ufotable does a truly excellent job with fight scenes and animation in general. The show has 26 episodes in total and it’s one of the rock solid anime on Crunchyroll.
12. Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World (fantasy)
Re:Zero is one of the most popular isekai Crunchyroll anime not named Sword Art Online. The show follows Subaru, a Japanese youth pulled into an alternate world. He meets a variety of colorful characters there and becomes integrated with their little group. Additionally, every time Subaru dies, he simply moves back in time to a checkpoint. The show is most known for its strong supporting cast and you’ve probably seen memes of Rem and Ram if you’re into anime at all. The show goes for 25 episodes and Crunchyroll has both the subs and dubs for this one.
13. KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world (comedy)
KonoSuba is an isekai comedy following the life of Kazuma, a loser who dies and gets dragged into another world. There he meets a group of people with more flaws than anything. This one parodies the MMORPG style isekai experience, usually with great success. The show’s over-the-top slapstick comedy style is quite good and the show’s following is quite strong. There are 20 episodes in total with 2 OVAs. Crunchyroll has all of them in both subs and dubs. It’s one of the best anime on Crunchyroll for sure.
14. Asobi Asobase (comedy)
Asobi Asobase is an excellent comedy for those who like edgier humor. The show’s comedy style involves hard hitting shock humor, slapstick, and highly exaggerated animation. It’s technically a slice of life, but focuses much more heavily on comedy moments. The show is about three girls who are part of a fake after school club. They basically make up stuff to do in every episode. Some of it is truly hilarious. The show may be a bit raw for some, though.
15. Honorable mentions
Below is a list of our honorable mentions, or anime that definitely would make this list if we made the list longer. They are in alphabetical order. We know this list could be much, much longer as there are a ton of great anime on Crunchyroll, but we can only make the article so long.
Ancient Magus Bride – Ancient Magus Bride is a slice of life about a girl with a rough life who is purchased by a mage. She deals with depression and PTSD from previous events in her life and the show has been praised for its interpretation of those conditions.
A Place Further Than the Universe – This one is an adventure show about a group of friends who travel to Antarctica to look for Shirase’s missing mother. This one is a shorter watch at 13 episodes but it’s definitely worth it for adventure fans.
Attack on Titan – Attack on Titan is one of the most popular anime of the last decade. It received huge mainstream success in North America and is known for its graphic violence and genuinely frightening premise. The show takes eternity to release new episodes and most people already watched the show in English (still doable on Funimation). Still, the sub isn’t bad and Crunchyroll has every episode to date.
Blue Exorcist – Blue Exorcist is an action-adventure show about the son of Satan becoming an exorcist to defeat Satan. He learns of his hidden powers after his father is killed and decides to use his powers for good, keeping them locked away in a special katana.
Dr. Stone – Dr. Stone is a slice of life adventure show with some fantasy elements. Everybody in the world is frozen into stone and a super smart kid is accidentally unfrozen and he now intends to unfreeze everybody, except some people like the new world without so many people in it.
Fruits Basket – Fruits Basket is a romantic comedy about a girl who runs away from a bad home to live with some friends. However, those friends can morph into animals. The story kind of goes from there. The show is 26 episodes long and it’s a decent watch for fantasy romantic comedy fans.
Gundam: The Origin – Gundam is the biggest mecha franchise in all of anime. The Origin follows the plot of the original Gundam series, but with something a little more modern than its modest 1970’s animation. The run was originally 4 episodes at 60 minutes each, but Crunchyroll has a 13 episode version with standard length episodes.
Gurren Lagann – Gurren Lagann is an action-adventure mecha show by Gainax, the same studio that does Neon Genesis Evangelion. In fact, the people who made this eventually spun off to make Studio Trigger, the studio behind Kill la Kill. In any case Gurren Lagann is an excellently written show about two boys who break out of their subterranean homes to see the open world where chaos ensues.
Kagura-sama: Love is War – This one is a romantic comedy about two kids who actually love each other, but refuse to admit it out of a matter of pride. They believe that the first one who does loses. They otherwise make a perfect couple. This is another one for romantic comedy fans.
Kill la Kill – Kill la Kill is an outstanding action-adventure show from the makers of Gurren Lagann (even though it was technically a different studio). The show is about Ryoko, a girl looking for her father’s murderer. The show’s themes revolve around clothes and how people use clothes to define themselves. It’s best known for its over-dramatic animation and Mako, one of the best side characters ever.
Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid – This show (MKDM for short) is a popular slice of life about a woman with a dragon maid. The two start living together after Kobayashi helps fix Tohru’s tail and Tohru decided to repay the life debt. Soon a younger dragon comes into the picture and the three begin acting like a family. Aside from a few not great minutes at the beginning of episode 6, the show is charming and fun.
No Game, No Life – No Game, No Life is an isekai about two siblings who are offered to live in a world that focuses on games. Disputes in this new world are handled with gambling and other events. The show only lasts for 12 episodes but it definitely has its moments and is one of the more popular isekai no named Sword Art Online.
A Certain Scientific Railgun, A Certain Magical Index, and A Certain Scientific Accelerator – These three shows all take place in the same universe. The Scientific series focuses on characters who live in a city of child prodigies who have special abilities while Magical Index focuses more on the universe’s spiritual characters. You can watch the shows in any order, but Scientific Accelerator takes place after the first two seasons of the other shows. All three shows are active right now and there are still new episodes coming out.
Rising of the Shield Hero – Rising of the Shield Hero is another isekai fantasy show about a Japanese youth summoned into a parallel world. The parallel world acts like an MMORPG. Naofumi receives a legendary shield and finds himself a group of adventurers. The show definitely has its ups and downs, but its 25 episode run is a solid watch.
Yakusoku no Neverland – Yakusoku no Neverland (The Promised Neverland) is a dark fantasy thriller with science fiction elements. The show takes place in the future where an 11-year old orphan finds out that their little orphanage is actually a meat farm for a higher species. We don’t think you need any further introduction. Have fun!
If we missed any excellent anime (and we likely did), tell us about your favorites in the comments below!
