Best Anime Shows On Funimation (The month of january 2023)

Covering both new and classic anime, the service’s library is absolutely stacked with goodies. It does not matter what genre someone prefers, they are likely to find a show on the platform that fits their needs. Let’s take a look at the best anime series on Funimation.

Best Winter 2023 Anime On Funimation

Since acquiring Crunchyroll, Funimation has stopped advertising currently airing shows on its own service, so much so that the banner for its “Current Season” is still promoting Spring 2022. Consequently, anyone interested in weekly releases should subscribe to Crunchyroll or HIDIVE, depending on which series they wish to follow.

While simulcasts might not be Funimation’s reason for existing, the platform still has a small handful of Winter 2023 anime.

BOFURI: I Don’t Want To Get Hurt, So I’ll Max Out My Defense. Season 2

BOFURI is back and as charming as ever. At the behest of her friend, Maple joins a virtual reality MMORPG called New World Online and decides to invest all her points in defense so that she does not get hurt. Apparently, this game has some balancing issues since Maple almost immediately becomes one of its strongest players.

BOFURI is very much a power fantasy, albeit one that revolves around girls rather than guys. Maple and Sally carry most of the anime, and they are incredibly likable. Quite comedic in nature, BOFURI does not take itself too seriously; however, the show still knows how to present a fun action sequence.

By The Grace Of The Gods 2

Like seemingly every quarter of the last few years, Winter 2023 is packed to the brim with isekai shows. Although far from the theme’s most hyped release of the season, By the Grace of the Gods 2 carves out a niche through its iyashikei tone. A slow-life isekai anime, the series is far more concerned with establishing its fantasy world’s everyday rhythm than sending its protagonist on a lengthy mission to fight the Demon Lord.

RELATED: Isekai Anime To Watch If You Love By The Grace Of The Gods

Continuing from season 1, Ryouma’s present goal is to run his laundry shop, which he does alongside a few close friends and a gaggle of slimes. By the Grace of the Gods is the perfect show to throw on when someone wants to shut off their brain and escape to a relaxing world.

D4DJ All Mix

Idol anime can be a difficult sell to the uninitiated, which is a shame since the genre is well-represented in the Winter 2023 season. The sequel to Fall 2020’s D4DJ First Mix, D4DJ All Mix continues to chronicle Yoba Academy’s peculiar idol scene that centers around DJ remixes rather than conventional pop tracks.

Ultimately, this concept is little more than a gimmick, and the show is likely to hit home with anyone searching for an entertaining and lighthearted idol series. D4DJ All Mix dedicates a fair amount of time to the girls’ school lives, and the anime is not especially concerned with chronicling the group’s rise to superstardom.

Best Horror Anime On Funimation

Ghost Hunt

Horror and anime do not regularly go hand-in-hand, but there are a couple of exceptions. Luckily for fans of the genre, most of the best horror anime are on Funimation, and Ghost Hunt is the most crowd-pleasing show on the service. Split into an array of cases, each arc follows Kazuya Shibuya and Mai Taniyama as they investigate all sorts of spooky tales, and they are accompanied by a quirky cast of recurring characters.

Ghost Hunt has haunted houses, creepy dolls, and a fair amount of genuine scares. The anime delivers a traditional horror experience fit for Halloween night or a random Tuesday.

Boogiepop Phantom

An adaptation of Kouhei Kadono’s light novel series, Madhouse’s Boogiepop Phantom is a challenging sit, both thematically and narratively. Following a non-linear structure, the anime is simultaneously episodic and serial, as each chapter follows a different character who is connected through a shared event. Consequently, the story can be tough to follow at times, and the episodic narratives exist to further the anime’s main psychological themes.

RELATED: Best Avant Garde Anime, Ranked

Boogiepop Phantom is not going to be to everyone’s tastes, and that is perfectly fine. However, the series is unique enough that it should be tried by anyone who is interested in horror.

Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou

Except for maybe Another, Higurashi: When They Cry is arguably the most popular horror anime of all time; however, some people might not be aware that the franchise made a comeback over the last few years. Gou returns viewers to Hinamizawa for another loop, and while the story initially hits many of the same beats as the 2006 show, things eventually find a new path that comes with more than a few exciting (and horrifying) surprises.

As tends to be the case with this series, the horror mostly comes in the form of gore, although Gou also does a decent job of building up tension in its second cour. Even if some familiarity with When They Cry is recommended, newcomers starting with Gou should still be available to follow the plot.

Other Recommended Horror Anime On Funimation:

Best Slice Of Life Anime On Funimation

Aria

Slice of life tends to be associated with the mundane, but that is not fully accurate; rather, the genre depicts the everyday lives of its characters. In some cases, this involves attending school in a quiet Japanese town while leading a life free of worries. Other times, a character’s “normal” involves ferrying a gondola on another planet that has been terraformed to resemble Venice.

Aria is therapeutic. Guiding viewers through a beautiful city alongside delightful and grounded characters, the anime will heal somebody’s tired mind after a stressful day behind a desk.

Barakamon

Following a public bust-up with a critic, Seishuu Handa, a talented but indignant calligrapher, is sent to a remote island by his father. Initially, Seishuu sees this as an opportunity to focus on his work, but the artist soon finds that the locales will not leave him alone. This proves to be exactly what the arrogant guy needs.

RELATED: The Greatest Slice Of Life Anime Of All Time

Hilarious and emotionally satisfying, Barakamon accomplishes a lot during its short runtime. Not only does it do a stellar job of establishing the culture of Goto Islands, but the anime guides Seishuu through a brilliant arc while also introducing a wide roster of three-dimensional characters. If someone is trying to introduce a friend to slice of life, Barakamon is the anime to pick.

Technically, Barakamon is a comedy, but the anime is an even better representative of the slice of life genre.

Mushi-Shi

Mushi-Shi is quite atypical for a slice of life anime, mainly because its subject is about as far removed from the mundane as possible. The eponymous Mushi are entities that exist alongside humans, although most people cannot perceive them directly. Seemingly tied to nature, these beings are mostly harmless, but they can inspire incidents to happen out of no ill will.

Mushi-shi are people who devote their lives to studying the Mushi, as they travel across Japan to further their knowledge. One such person is Ginko, and while the anime’s protagonist largely tries to remain a silent observer, he does occasionally have to get involved. Mushi-Shi is a beautiful and quiet anime that tackles the surreal in as naturalistic a way as possible.

Other Recommended Slice Of Life Anime On Funimation:

Best Romance Anime On Funimation

Toradora!

An all-time classic, Toradora! is likely to be among someone’s first exposure to romance anime, even if the show’s initial episodes lean into comedy more than anything else. Ryuuji and Taiga are direct opposites in more ways than one. While the former’s intimidating presence hides a mature and gentle personality, the latter’s cute appearance does not reflect her fiery and violent nature. Ryuuji and Taiga have generally avoided each other, but the high school students decide to combine forces since they both have crushes on the other person’s closest friend.

RELATED: Greatest Romance Anime Of All Time

Toradora! chronicles the main characters’ friendship as they grow to trust and respect each other. Ryuuji and Taiga’s dynamic is endearing, funny, and even emotional, and their relationship develops naturally throughout the series.

Sasaki And Miyano

Funimation has a couple of Boys Love stories, which is one of the most niche subgenres in anime. People unfamiliar with these shows might struggle to find a welcoming entry point, especially since quite a few of these anime are rather intense. Regardless of whether someone is a BL newbie or veteran, they need to add Sasaki and Miyano to their watch list if they are at all interested in romance.

Sasaki and Miyano have a chance encounter and wind up bonding over Boys Love manga, a world the latter introduces to the upperclassman. As the two spend more time together, they start to develop a mutual interest, something neither boy is fully prepared to handle. Sasaki and Miyano is simply charming, and the anime’s core relationship is healthy and sweet.

Your Lie In April

Your Lie in April is probably the most famous romance anime of all time, and such a reputation can produce high expectations that are nearly impossible to meet. That said, the show more than lives up to the hype. A gifted pianist, Kousei Arima has been unable to perform ever since his mother’s passing, causing the teenager to turn his back on music. One day, Kousei stumbles upon an enigmatic violinist named Kaori, a performer who embraces life with every fiber of her being. The two hit it off, launching a beautiful friendship built on music, love, and tragedy.

Your Lie in April has all the trappings of a traditional romance anime, but the story primarily revolves around Kousei’s attempts to face and move on from his trauma. In many ways, this is a coming-of-age anime that happens to use romance as a catalyst for its protagonist’s maturation. While not without flaws, Your Lie in April is a modern classic with strong characters and great music.

Your Lie in April is a shonen manga, but it is too popular of a romance show to not feature in this section.

Other Recommended Romance Anime On Funimation:

Best Drama Anime On Funimation

March Comes In Like A Lion

Drama is such a vague concept that hundreds of shows could theoretically slot into the category, however, March Comes in Like a Lion is the definitive dramatic anime. Just to be clear, the show is not melodramatic or relentlessly sad; in fact, it has its fair share of lighthearted moments. That said, the anime’s depiction of depression, bullying, and self-hatred is fantastic.

Rei is a young shogi player with a bright future, however, he is also socially awkward and tends to isolate himself from everyone around him. Over its two seasons, March Comes in Like a Lion explores Rei on a psychological and emotional level, all the while introducing a myriad of nuanced characters who shape the protagonist’s development without sacrificing their own lives.

Death Parade

Quindecim is a bar that exists outside of time and space, and its purpose is to decide which of the recently deceased deserves another chance or to be wiped out of existence. Governed by Decim, two people enter the bar and engage in some type of contest, the winner of which is awarded reincarnation.

RELATED: Best Anime That Will Make You Think

Along with exploring the Quindecim’s behind-the-scenes mechanics, Death Parade largely follows an episodic format as it dives into the lives of the story’s competitors. Unsurprisingly, this is one intense anime.

Bunny Drop

Bunny Drop could slot into the slice of life section, however, the anime’s opening episode has quite a dramatic tone compared to most of that genre’s output. At the funeral of his grandfather, the directionless Daikichi meets Rin, the deceased relative’s illegitimate daughter. After seeing how his shocked and grieving family shuns the girl, Daikichi decides to step up and become her guardian.

Initially, the two struggle to adjust to each other and their new situation, but they gradually develop a touching bond built on respect and love. Bunny Drop is a beautiful, grounded anime about parenthood, responsibility, and growth, the latter of which is experienced by both Daikichi and Rin.

After finishing the Bunny Drop anime, think twice before reading its manga’s unadapted chapters.

Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai

Do not judge a story by its title, a suggestion exemplified by Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai. Based on Hajime Kamoshida’s light novels, this anime follows Sakuta Azusagawa, a teenager who tends to get dragged into supernatural-esque mysteries fueled by “Puberty Syndrome.” This essentially means that somebody’s insecurities begin to manifest in reality; for instance, if someone believes that nobody sees them, they would start to disappear.

Split into short arcs centering around a different girl that Sakuta needs to assist, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai tackles themes and struggles that many people might be able to relate to. This is also not a harem, as the story’s beating heart is the relationship between Sakuta and Mai Sakurajima, the eponymous bunny girl.

Classroom Of The Elite

Classroom of the Elite is all about mind games. Koudo Ikusei Senior High School pits its classes against each other, with the worst students (Class D) receiving the least benefits. Moving up in this world entails dragging someone else down, and quite a few students are willing to cross ethical lines. On the surface, Class D’s Kiyotaka Ayanokouji seems like an average and boring student who rarely has anything of significance to add to conversations. In reality, Ayanokouji might be the scariest student in Koudo Ikusei.

RELATED: Classroom Of The Elite: Things You Might Not Know About Koudo Ikusei Senior High School

Concluding its second season in Summer 2022, Classroom of the Elite is an addictive watch that keeps audiences constantly guessing. The characters hold many surprises, and the show is more than willing to paint anyone, including its protagonist, in a negative light.

Other Recommended Drama Anime On Funimation:

Best Sci-Fi Anime On Funimation

Cowboy Bebop

By this point, it is almost a cliche to mention Cowboy Bebop in a “best of” list. It is the anime equivalent of saying Citizen Kane is the greatest movie of all time; nevertheless, a boring pick is deemed as such because it is usually valid. Cowboy Bebop is one of the best anime on Funimation because it is among the greatest shows of all time, and its brilliance has not diminished at all over the last two decades.

RELATED: The Best Femme Fatales In Anime

Throughout its 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop delivers unforgettable standalone storylines and deep character studies for the main crew, all of which receive satisfying conclusions. The anime’s music, visuals, and writing are all top-notch.

Psycho-Pass

A popular subset of sci-fi is cyberpunk, and, alongside Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass is arguably the best example of this subgenre in anime. The series envisions an alternative future where Japan has gained stability by punishing thoughts rather than actions. This society is built on the Sibyl System, a network that measures a person’s biometrics to determine their Crime Coefficient (or Psycho-Pass). If someone is deemed a threat, a special unit of the Public Safety Bureau shows up to deal with the situation, usually arresting or killing the target. While reversible initially, if someone’s Psycho-Pass is clouded for long enough, they have no way to come back to normal.

Psycho-Pass follows the officers in charge of upholding Sibyl’s peace. The characters are divided into Inspectors and Enforcers, the latter of whom are expected to do the dirty work since their Psycho-Passes are already beyond the point of no return. Throughout its stellar first season, this sci-fi anime slowly dissects Sibyl’s influence on society, presenting arguments both in favor and against its existence. While heroes and villains exist, Psycho-Pass shows that both sides are nuanced.

Steins;Gate

Alongside Cowboy Bebop, Steins;Gate has established itself as the definitive sci-fi anime. A convincing argument can be made that the genre has yet to produce a project superior to White Fox’s 2011 show, and that extends to the very good Steins;Gate 0, which is also available on Funimation. Steins;Gate revolves around the Future Gadget Laboratory, a group that seeks to unlock the secrets of time travel. Led by the enigmatic Rintaro Okabe, this organization spends most of its time either goofing around or conducting groundbreaking research that could have dire consequences.

An anime of two halves, Steins;Gate‘s first cour plays out almost like a slice of life as it follows the everyday misadventures of the laboratory’s members. While slow, these episodes are charming and firmly establish the main character’s personalities and the relationships that ground them. The anime’s second half is an entirely different beast, delivering action, suspense, and tragedy. Different as these two halves might be, they come together to create an unforgettable experience.

A Certain Scientific Railgun

Kazuma Kamachi’s A Certain Magical Index light novels are awesome, but its anime adaptation is a bit all over the place. While the first two seasons are passable interpretations of a great story, the anime’s third series is a rushed mess that leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily, someone does not need to like or even watch A Certain Magical Index to enjoy A Certain Scientific Railgun, a spin-off that eclipses the main show in just about every way.

Set in Academy City, the anime follows Mikoto Misaka and her closest friends (or enemies) as they hang out, take part in festivals, and investigate conspiracies involving clones and human experimentation. Outside a few filler arcs, it is mostly riveting and entertaining stuff, and that includes a season 2 storyline that is a genuine contender for the best arc in anime history.

Outlaw Star

Slightly overshadowed by other late ’90s sci-fi series, Outlaw Star deserves to stand alongside the likes of Cowboy Bebop and Trigun. Sunrise’s show follows a group of misfits in search of the Galactic Leyline, a quest that takes them across the universe.

Packed with humor, lovable characters, and solid action, this cult classic offers pulpy fun with hints of depth. The show’s animation is off its era, however, like nearly everything else about Outlaw Star, it has aged like fine wine.

Other Recommended Sci-Fi Anime On Funimation:

Best Shoujo Anime On Funimation

Fruits Basket

Funimation has both the 2001 and 2019 adaptations of Fruits Basket; while the former has its moments, the latter is a far more enjoyable and complete experience. The homeless but still optimistic Tohru Honda moves in with the Sohma family, a respected group who hide a rather unique secret. It does not take too long for Honda to develop close friendships with the family’s members, forming relationships that drive growth for everyone involved.

RELATED: Fruits Basket: Every Main Character’s Age, Zodiac, And Height

Gorgeously animated, beautifully written, and narratively satisfying, Fruits Basket is one of the best anime on Funimation regardless of genre or demographic.

Kaleido Star

A somewhat lesser-known shoujo anime, Kaleido Star is a character-driven drama set within a circus troupe. Sora Naegino makes her way to the United States to pursue her dream of joining the eponymous Kaleido Star, a journey that has a rough start and hardly gets easier as things proceed. Although there are some fantastical elements, the 2004 anime predominantly focuses on the challenges faced by young performers seeking to survive in an industry that has little time for failure.

The characters make this anime, as they feel like real people rather than archetypes. The first season is stronger than the second, although the latter is still enjoyable and picks up steam nicely as it goes along.

Revolutionary Girl Utena

An indisputable classic, Revolutionary Girl Utena is a masterpiece. A deconstruction of shoujo anime in many ways, the 1997 series follows Utena Tenjou, a girl who wishes to become a prince in honor of someone she met as a child. This road ushers her to Ohtori Academy and Anthy, a girl with a strange power that could change the world. Deciding to protect Anthy, Utena takes on all sorts of threats, including from other students.

Revolutionary Girl Utena revolves around the relationship between Utena and Anthy, chronicling their growth as people who are searching for their identities. As it is quite surreal, the anime can be a touch difficult to follow at times, but it is worth the effort.

Other Recommended Shoujo Anime On Funimation:

Best Sports Anime On Funimation

Megalo Box

Created in celebration of Ashita no Joe‘s 50th anniversary, Megalo Box takes place in a futuristic setting where boxing has evolved to utilize special mechanical arms. Junk Dog (Joe), an underground boxer, decides to take part in a high-stakes competition featuring the best boxers in this world, which he enters without an exoskeleton.

Splendidly animated, Megalo Box tells a character-driven story that forces its protagonist and side characters to constantly evolve. Both seasons are great and tell complete stories.

Ping Pong The Animation

Directed by Masaaki Yuasa, Ping Pong the Animation is a sports anime that is really not about its primary activity. The story revolves around two friends, Smile and Peco, who bounded over table tennis. However, when Peco starts to lose his way, Smile makes it his mission to bring his friend back.

Ping Pong the Animation packs a lot of depth into its short run, exploring the psyches of its core characters and the relationships that help shape them. Its art style is also unique and complements the narrative.

The Prince Of Tennis

Some sports anime strive for realism and authenticity, but The Prince of Tennis is not one of them. Debuting in the early 2000s, this long-running anime blends tennis with battle shonen-style powers that progressively grow more absurd with each passing arc. While that might not be to everyone’s tastes, for those who do like their sports with a touch of over-the-top mayhem, The Prince of Tennis is made for them.

RELATED: The Best Summer 2022 Anime & Where To Watch Them

With its acquisition of Crunchyroll, Funimation seems to be less interested in airing seasonal shows; in fact, the service does not even have a page dedicated to Summer 2022 anime. Consequently, the platform only has a small selection of current series, and The Prince of Tennis 2: U-17 World Cup happens to be one of them.

Other Recommended Sports Anime On Funimation:

Best Harem Anime On Funimation

Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend

Harem stories are all about bringing people together in an attempt to spread love, friendship, and miscommunication. The genre is an acquired taste, but if someone is looking to test this flavor, Saekano is the perfect sample. In the pursuit of his dream to develop a game, Tomoya Aki assembles a team of talented individuals who specialize in different areas. Now, they happen to be all women, which proves to be a blessing (or a curse) since Tomoya is creating a dating sim.

Saekano blends romance, slice of life, and comedy quite well, crafting a holistic and satisfying overall experience. Most of the main characters are likable and fully developed, which is not that common in harem shows. Unfortunately, only season one is available on Funimation, so fans will need to look elsewhere to watch the rest of the show.

The Quintessential Quintuplets

The Quintessential Quintuplets is shockingly good. On the surface, a show about a guy tutoring five identical twins who gradually develop feelings for their mentor sounds like it should be trash (in a fun way); yet, the anime blows away these expectations almost immediately.

The Quintessential Quintuplets treats its characters with respect, allowing each of them to exist with flaws, eccentricities, and fears. This mentality extends to both the protagonist and the girls, all of whom feel like three-dimensional people rather than archetypes. Season 2 is particularly strong.

The Quintessential Quintuplets is a shonen anime, but it was included here since that demographic is not traditionally associated with the harem genre.

Other Recommended Harem Anime On Funimation:

Best Isekai Anime On Funimation

That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Isekai has been around for a long time, but the concept truly became mainstream over the last decade. Nowadays, every season tends to have a couple of shows about people being whisked away to other worlds; consequently, this subgenre has become oversaturated and overexposed. While there are plenty of underwhelming isekai stories out there, occasionally something like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime comes along that illustrates why this premise has so much potential.

RELATED: Isekai Anime To Watch If You Love That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime

Funnily enough, this show contains many of the common tropes that characterize isekai: an overpowered protagonist and a (somewhat) generic fantasy world influenced by MMOs. However, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime builds beautifully on these foundations, crafting an uplifting story filled with action, comedy, and unforgettable characters. When Satoru passes away, he reawakens in a new world as a slime. Despite starting from the bottom, Satoru learns that he has the power to consume the skills of other monsters, and he quickly grows strong. Going by Rimuru, the protagonist sets out to start a kingdom for monsters.

Overlord

Essentially the exact opposite of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Overlord tells the story of Ainz Ooal Gown, a former human who becomes trapped as his gaming avatar in a world reminiscent of the RPG he used to play. There is just one massive difference: Everyone in this world is far less powerful than Ainz.

Cast in this new role alongside servant NPCs that are also quite deadly, Ainz sets out to learn more about this world, a journey that sees him embracing a straight-up villainous role. Overlord is an isekai anime from the perspective of the final boss of a game set within a universe that has no heroes to fall back on. Darkly comical and bizarrely satisfying, this show is evil in the best possible way.

Overlord 4 is currently airing on Funimation, making it one of the streaming service’s only Summer 2022 anime. So far, the new season has been quite good and fascinating, with the story pushing the Great Tomb of Nazarick’s inhabitants to take on different roles.

Log Horizon

In many ways, Log Horizon is the prototypical MMORPG isekai anime. Thousands of Japanese players suddenly find them stuck as their avatars in Elder Tale, a game world that is, luckily for the heroes, a bit more forgiving than Elden Ring. While there is the usual adventuring that one comes to expect from the genre, Log Horizon focuses heavily on the players’ attempts to integrate themselves within this world. While they were birthed from code, Elder Tale’s NPCs are living, breathing entities who have made this realm their home. Consequently, the teleported players must learn to co-exist with these people.

Log Horizon‘s first season stands toe-to-toe with nearly any other isekai anime out there. It has a fantastic and unique main character, good animation, and stellar world-building. The sequel seasons struggle to reach the same heights, but they are still enjoyable in their own right.

Other Recommended Isekai Anime On Funimation:

Best Action Anime On Funimation (Not Battle Shonen)

Fate/Zero

Anyone looking for smooth animation and glorious fight sequences can safely turn to the Fate franchise for guidance. Not everything associated with the license strikes gold, but when one of its anime hits the mark, Fate reaches a standard of quality touched by precious few properties. A decade after its debut and Fate/Zero is still arguably the franchise’s best anime, a claim that is not made easily considering Fate/stay night and its movies also exist.

RELATED: Best Servants Who Are Not In Fate/Stay Night Or Fate/Zero

Fate/Zero follows the Holy Grail war where human mages summon servants, aka heroes from history, to duke it out in battles to the death. The winner gets to make any wish they want, and there is absolutely no way that could backfire. Ufotable pulled out all the stops when making Fate/Zero, crafting an adaptation that delivers unbeatable action, a gripping storyline, and iconic characters.

Black Lagoon

Madhouse was on a roll during the mid-2000s, and Black Lagoon is among the studio’s most persevering releases. Set within Roanapur, Thailand, the story follows a Japanese businessman who winds up the hostage of a group of mercenaries; long story short, Rokurou Okahima (Rock) decides to start work with the “criminals” as they show him a life filled with excitement (and danger).

Black Lagoon boasts absolutely splendid action, not only in terms of animation but also variety. Each arc offers something different from the last, be it a trip to an abandoned submarine or an all-out battle royale in the streets of Roanapur. The chaos on screen is complemented by a strong roster of characters, all of which are fully formed and have unique ideologies that set them apart from more cookie-cutter protagonists. Revy and Rock, in particular, are an all-time great anime pair.

Golden Kamuy

One of the few Fall 2022 anime airing on Funimation, Golden Kamuy is currently in its fourth season. The action-adventure series is unpredictable; one scene might involve a gory fight against a bear or a blade slashing across a character’s mouth, while a few minutes later the same figures are indulging in silly banter that would make Gintama proud. Quite a few shows struggle to balance drama and comedy, but Golden Kamuy has figured out the formula.

When it comes to its story, this series is no slouch either. Set after the Russo-Japanese War, Golden Kamuy follows different groups as they pursue the Ainu people’s gold, a quest that requires piecing together a map painted across the bodies of many prisoners. The characters are also fantastic, as is the complex relationship between the battle-worn Saichi Sugimoto and the young Asirpa.

Hellsing Ultimate

Released over the course of six years, Hellsing Ultimate is a grand celebration of excess. The vampire-themed anime envisions a world where demons are rampant and the only thing standing in their way is an organization run by Integra Hellsing and her dog, Alucard. This anime has Nazis, enough gore to fill a dozen swimming pools, and more monologues than an Oscar bait movie; more importantly, Hellsing Ultimate is ridiculously entertaining.

While the anime does not take itself too seriously, that does not mean Madhouse cut any corners when it comes to this OVA series’ animation. Smooth, creative, and unforgettable, the action sequences are among the studio’s greatest achievements, and that is saying something.

Other Recommended Non-Shonen Action Anime On Funimation:

MORE: Best Anime Series On HIDIVE