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Crunchyroll has become the platform to watch anime, allowing millions of people all over the world to enjoy some of the best series that the genre has to offer. A lot of users on Crunchyroll have been able to stay up to date with some of their favorite shows, while others have been exposed to stories that they wouldn’t have found easily without it.
In that regard, which are the best anime to watch right now on Crunchyroll? The list for the same is quite extensive, as there are a lot of shows that are worth everybody’s time, but we have attempted to curate some of the best anime series you can watch on the platform right now.
Disclaimer: This list is subjective and follows no particular order.
Blue Lock and 9 other anime series on Crunchyroll that you cannot miss out on
1) One Piece
If there is a series that was made to be binged on Crunchyroll, then that is One Piece. While having over one thousand episodes has been viewed as a huge obstacle to starting the series, once you begin, it becomes addictive, which is testament to the amazing worldbuilding, compelling characters, and well-constructed arcs that this story has to offer.
The premise is known even to people that haven’t watched it: Luffy is a young pirate that wants to find the legendary treasure known as One Piece, thus becoming the King of the Pirates in the process. Along the way he forms his crew, who all have their own goals and dream, hoping to find the treasure while having loads of cool adventures.
It is a very simple premise, but One Piece is a modern epic that deserves all the praise that it gets and one that becomes a memorable experience.
2) Blue Lock
There is a lot of anime on Crunchyroll, but Blue Lock definitely has a very unique premise for a sports series and that is much appreciated.
Yoichi Isagi is a talented teenage Japanese football striker who has recently lost a school final because he decided to make a pass when he could have shot. Frustrated by this, he accepts the offer to join the Blue Lock: a project where the most talented teenage Japanese strikers are going to have to overcome tests and trials until one stands as the winner, getting a chance to play with Japan’s Under-20s national team.
Blue Lock differs from typical sports series because it’s all about the individual and not the team, leading to a lot of compelling and driven characters, plus the fact that the plot rarely takes the easy way out.
3) Vinland Saga
There are very few anime series in the modern industry that have the nuances and philosophical undertones of Vinland Saga. And considering that other seinen classics like Vagabond and Berserk are very unlikely to get anime adaptations that do them justice, it is much appreciated that the other one of the trinity is getting such a good anime adaptation.
Thorfinn is a young Nordic warrior whose father was murdered right before his eyes by Askeladd, the man he now works for, and he is constantly training and killing so he gets strong enough to exact his revenge. However, the story eventually takes a massive turn and becomes an exploration of the meaning of violence.
Vinland Saga is a fascinating watch, filled with compelling characters, and with a protagonist in Thorfinn who is in a constant state of development, learning, and growing as the plot moves along.
4) Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer is one of the most known anime series out there these days and now is a very good time to watch it considering that the third season is already on Crunchyroll.
Tanjiro Kamado is the son of a family in a small town, but his life changes when most of his family is murdered by a demon, and his sister, Nezuko, is turned into one as well. He manages to survive and decides to become a Demon Slayer, people dedicated to destroying these creatures for good.
The thing about Demon Slayer is that it is quintessential anime: the characters, the fight scenes, the emotional moments, the humor - everything is very classic shonen anime, and that is part of its charm because it never overstays its welcome and the animation does a phenomenal job in raising the quality of the source material.
5) Hell's Paradise
Hell’s Paradise might be one of the hottest properties on Crunchyroll right now because it just got started and has already received a lot of positive reviews. The story is centered around a hired assassin called Gabimaru, who is sentenced to die but is offered a chance to live if he manages to get an elixir from a very dangerous place where not even top-class fighters have survived.
With a compelling narrative, a very straightforward main character, and an interesting setting, Hell’s Paradise has everything to be one of Studio MAPPA’s best projects right now.
6) My Hero Academia
In simple terms, My Hero Academia is Marvel and DC Comics through the lenses of Japanese manga and anime, which is a formula that has proven to be quite successful for all the people involved.
One of the most popular anime series in the last decade or so in Crunchyroll and the anime fandom, the world of My Hero Academia is one where superpowers, known as Quirks, are very common, and the protagonist, a kid called Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, doesn’t have any powers of his own, but dreams of becoming a superhero, just like many of his idols. Thus, his journey begins.
The premise of superheroes through anime sensitivities is very interesting, and the fascinating worldbuilding makes it a compelling watch, even if the opening arcs can be a bit slow in terms of pacing.
7) Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a very curious case because it is one of those unique cases where it has become appreciated even by non-anime fans, or at least by people not that used to the medium.
It has gone as far as having a famous Symphonic Metal band like Epica doing an EP of cover songs of the series’ soundtrack, so it is easy to assume that Attack on Titan has gone places over the years:
The story takes place in an isolated civilization that is covered in walls to protect themselves from massive creatures known as Titans, which have eradicated the rest of humanity. So, the plot is centered around a group of young people trying to find a solution to this problem and live with freedom.
Of course, that is a very simple summary of a very complex, albeit very entertaining story, and one that, despite some noticeable narrative mistakes, has a lot to offer to the viewer and should be given a chance on Crunchyroll.
8) Dr. Stone
There is a very good argument to be made that Dr. Stone is one of the most underrated series in Crunchyroll right now due to how strong it is as a story, and how little recognition it gets compared to some heavyweights like Demon Slayer or the aforementioned Attack on Titan. Regardless, there is much to like here.
After more 3,000 years of almost the entire human race being turned into stone, protagonist Senku Ishigami, a 15-year-old that happens to be a prodigy of science, awakens and works his way into finding a solution to bring back humanity. Of course, he has to deal with a lot of threats along the way.
The premise itself is already quite interesting, and Dr. Stone manages to keep the ball rolling in many compelling ways, making a story worth everybody’s time.
9) Hunter X Hunter (2011)
Hunter X Hunter is no longer running, and there is no sign that the anime is going to continue due to the uneven nature of the manga’s schedule, but there is no denying that this is one of the all-time greats of shonen anime series and one that should be watched on Crunchyroll at least once.
The brilliance of Hunter X Hunter lies in the fact that it seems like a standard shonen series at first but then manages to subvert a lot of tropes and clichés of the genre, becoming a very complex, delightful, and at times beautiful story with strong worldbuilding and even stronger characters.
10) The original Dragon Ball
Might as well end the list with a classic! Dragon Ball Z is always worth watching again, but that applies even more to the original Dragon Ball series, especially now that it is available on Crunchyroll.
Long before the insane power scaling and universe-level threats, this was the story of Goku and Bulma traveling across the world to find the seven Dragon Balls to get their wishes, explore, and go on adventures, and also participate in the world-famous Martial Arts Tournaments. There was a greater emphasis on adventure, comedy, and mysticism here, often delivering some of the most underrated moments in the entire franchise.
The original Dragon Ball is often forgotten by anime fans, both new and not-so new, so it is worth giving it a watch once again on Crunchyroll.
Final thoughts
There are of course other series worth watching on Crunchyroll, but these are some of the best worth everybody’s time, and most of them have a lot of value when watching them twice, which is always a sign of a good story.
