20 Animes CrunchyRoll Has That You Should Be Watching
If you've yet to take the dive into anime, the holiday season is the perfect time to do some incredible binging.
With Crunchyroll being free to download, there's no excuse to be on the outside looking in when it comes to some great animes. I listed what I felt were some of the best anime to start off with and I hope this list can guide you to watching even more in the future. I'll be crossing my fingers that I can get any newcomer on the anime train.
1.My Hero Academia
In a world of superheroes, "Quirks" is what gives you the power to be extraordinary, in MHA we follow Izuku Midoriya and his journey from quirkless wimp to standout hero. It's a show with some great fight scenes as well as some heartfelt moments that had me teary-eyed a few times. The class of 1-A that the show really focuses on, gives you a great selection of characters to cheer for as you see all of them take another step closer to becoming Pro Heros.
2.Attack on Titan
A dark fantasy drama set in a post-apocalyptic world where giant humanoid "Titans" roam the land making humans live behind walls to protect the last of humanity. This story goes deeper into the why and how these "Titans" came to be and the importance of the main protagonist Eren Jaeger in all of it. It's a show that has taken the anime world by storm and, personally is one of my favorites.
3.Fire Force
For any pyro fan out there, this show is for you. It revolves around Shinra Kusakabe and his fellow Fire Force comrades from Company 8 who take on not only fire-bursting demons called "Infernals" but also a doomsday cult by the name of "The White Clad." It's yet another addictive show with amazing animation and rich storytelling that has you cheering for not only Shinra but all of the Company 8 members, in particular Arthur, whose dumb persona makes him sometimes the most genius fighter.
4.Sword Art Online
Imagine you decide to play a VR MMORPG game and find out that you're trapped in the game until you die or someone beats the game. That is the beginning premise of this incredible anime that has Kazuto Kirigaya living his young life in a simulation with very real consequences. Heads up though, that seasons get more intense when it comes to its violence, it took me by surprise by Season 4.
5.Haikyu!!
I never thought I'd find a sports anime to my liking, I figured there wouldn't be any real stakes to watching a show about sports in anime form. Boy was I wrong, as I finally took the leap on Haikyu!! and realized how invested I was in seeing the rise of Shoyo Hinata. You get to see the short-statured kid fall in love with the game of volleyball and deliver some crushing spikes on his opponents. Don't sleep on this anime as I did for so long.
6.Jujutsu Kaisen
Whenever I think of Sorcerers, Harry Potter comes to mind but this isn't that kind of sorcery. In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, people radiate cursed energy through negative emotions which in turn create cursed monsters. Sorcerers are trained to not only control their cursed energy but to use it to defeat these curses that are looking to destroy humanity. It's a wild concept that's done superbly well and makes anybody a fan of the show's lead Yuji Itadori, although Gojo is probably another fan favorite character as well.
7.Naruto and Naruto Shippuden
Following the story of young Naruto Uzumaki, both these shows tell stories of a different part of this young ninjas life. Naruto is primarily set during his early years of training to become a ninja. This comes with some ridicule as his immaturity downplays his dreams of becoming the next Hokage of his village. This is also the time when he learns about the Nine-Tailed Fox that was sealed into his body as a baby and what that power means for young Naruto. In Naruto Shippuden, we see a more mature and skilled ninja, as well as details of other tailed beasts' hosts that are being captured and killed for mysterious reasons.
8.Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
Following the events from Naruto Shippuden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations focuses on Boruto and the children from some of our favorite Naruto characters. We get to see the kind of parent that Naruto has become and also how similar Boruto is in his aspirations and maturity.
9.Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood
With the original series airing in 2003, FMA: Brotherhood is a more accurate depiction of the manga than the previous adaptation. The story follows two brothers Edward and Alphonse, who in a desperate attempt to bring back their deceased mother try a form of alchemy that leads to Edward losing an arm and leg while Alphonse loses his body but has his soul housed in a suit of armor. This is just the beginning of this duo's journey as they travel on a quest to discover more about the powerful Philosopher's Stone, and the potential of restoring their bodies.
10.Rurouni Kenshin
After a life of being a ruthless assassin, Himura Kenshin travels the countryside of Japan offering his aid to anybody in need as his penance for the murders he's committed. He wields a reverse katana so that even in combat he won't take another life, though this proves to be difficult as old and new foes test the limit of his peaceful ways.
11.Trigun
Vash the Stampede is wanted for sixty billion dollars and even though he is a pacifist who is more lover than fighter, he just can't stop bringing destruction to any town he visits. It was a slow burn in the beginning for me, but Vash's kind-hearted and comedic way of dealing with sticky situations always carried an episode even if it felt like a filler. Another great show that you can get through relatively quickly without investing too much time.
12.Hunter X Hunter
When Gon Freecss finds out that his father is not only alive but a famous hunter, he goes out on his quest to find him. To do so he must become a licensed hunter himself and with a select group of friends they must overcome some impossible odds to get to their goal.
13.Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Tanjiro Kamado comes home after a day in the village to discover his family slaughtered by a demon, and his only surviving sibling Nezuko, who has transformed into a demon herself, shows signs that her humanity is still somewhere in her. After running into a Demon Slayer and proving his bravery and willingness to protect his now demon sister, he is given a chance to become a Demon Slayer himself and be on the search for a possible cure for Nezuko.
14.One Piece
One of the longest-running anime and manga to still exist, One Piece is not for the faint of hearts. If you decide to start watching this show commitment is key. The pirating adventures of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are countless at this point but offer a deep rich story that you can only get with a show that has been running since 1999. Luffy and his crewmates are fantastic characters to cheer for as they search for the coveted treasure "One Piece" that will make Luffy the next Pirate King.
15.Bleach
With the ability to see ghosts, Ichigo Kurosaki never thought much of his gift until he meets Rukia, a Soul Reaper whose sole purpose is to rid evil spirits known as Hollows. After his younger sister is taken by a Hollow, he recklessly jumps into action which leads Rukia to be severely injured and left with no options but to siphon some of her power to Ichigo. This is the genesis of his Soul Reaping and introduction into the spiritual world he knew nothing about.
16.Hajime No Ippo: The Fighting!
As a boxing fan, Hajime No Ippo really does their homework on not only the history of boxing but the techniques that made some of history's best boxers the greats that they were. Ippo is a shy kid who never stands up for himself until one day a pro boxer saves him from some bullying and shows him the benefits of being able to box. This lights an immense fire in Ippo as he is naturally strong from all the manual labor he does working for his mom. Ippo's development into the boxer he becomes is inspiring to see but also comedic when combined with the brotherly relationship he develops with Pro Boxer Takamura. Although the animation may look dated, the boxing matches and overall technique shown is top-notch.
17.One Punch Man
There are a lot of overpowered protagonists on this list but none more than Saitama who can literally defeat most villains in a single punch. This leads to Saitama being bored from never being challenged by the countless monsters that terrorize the city. This premise really makes for an interesting take on the superhero genre and lends to some great laughs when you see Saitama's unenthusiastic face when facing enemies, unless he of course is shopping which seems to be his only joy in life.
18.Inuyasha
When Kagome is taken down her family's well by a demon, she is transported to another time where she meets Inuyasha, a half-demon, half-human who is searching for a jewel of immense power. After the jewel is shattered into many pieces, the duo travels all over Japan on an adventure to collect the shards to covert Inuyasha into a full demon. Their adventures lead to meeting some great allies but also some formidable foes as many demons and humans alike are also in search of the shattered jewel.
19.JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Unlike most animes, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure doesn't focus on one main protagonist. It follows the story of the Joestar family over generations and the history that the last name comes with. The most frequent powers used are called "Stands" which is like an extension of the user and comes in different forms some good and some strange. It's a refreshing take on storytelling focusing on how this family became the warriors they are and how they have faced off against evil time and time again.
20.Death Note
When a mysterious black notebook called the "Death Note" falls into the hands of Light Yagami, he discovers that he can kill anyone as long as he writes their name in the book and knows their face. He further learns the history of this notebook from a "Shinigami" named Ryuk and why he brought this powerful book to the human world. This compels Light to rid the world of criminals which makes him the greatest killer but also the most wanted criminal of them all.