Since its launch in 2020,HBO Maxhas been a leader in providing exciting, new, and accessible content. HBO has always offered an excellent film catalog, but they have also made some of the best original series and films for decades. They know content and what their viewers like. They don’t market exclusively to a set audience. They provide entertainment to everyone. That being said, it makes sense they would have a great catalog of anime as well.
HBO Max is home to many popular anime series fans know and love. However, they do not stop there as they have a great selection of lesser-known shows as well. Here, you may find the best that the streaming service has to offer. So, without further ado, here are the best anime series to watch on HBO Max.
10Rurouni Kenshin
Kenshin Himura is a legendary samurai warrior who has vowed never to kill again. In an attempt to make up for his past deeds, he wanders around Japan to make amends. However, upholding his new ideals proves to be more difficult than he had thought, as trouble always seems to find him and his friends and test his code. Even after more than 25 years,Rurouni Kenshinis still one of the best anime in the samurai genre. With a great blend of romance, action, and history set against a realistic 1870’s Japanese backdrop, this is a tale unlike any other. Unlike your typical hack and slash samurai story, this series deals with themes such as philosophy and morality, two things Kenshin grapples with as he attempts to change his life for the better.
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Erasedis an excellent psychological thriller and one of recent memory’s best time travel stories. With a unique ability to travel through time, Satoru Fujinuma goes back 18 years to stop the death of his mother. However, his priorities alter when he takes up the task of solving a string of kidnappings.Erasedtells a profoundly human story of loss, abuse, and loneliness. It benefits from a well-devised plot, relatable characters, and great music that complements its central themes. But, as a warning to all who watch this series,it’s not an easy show to sit through.Erasedhas earned its reputation as being emotionally manipulative and has its share of tear-jerking scenes, so it may be better if viewed in small doses.
8Your Lie In April
Here is another show that’s been known to tug on heartstrings. Following the death of his mother, a gifted piano player loses his passion for music. The cords no longer make sounds in his ears, and he starts to see the world in shades of gray. He shuts himself away from everything that used to give him joy. Then he meets another musically gifted individual, a girl with a passion for the violin. With her friendship and love of music, he soon starts to find his own passions reawakened as he begins to cope with his loss.Your Lie In Aprilis a fantastic story of the power of music and how it can heal even the most broken of souls. But, just likeErased,perhaps it should also be viewed in small doses as it has no problem with using its relatable characters to hit viewers in their feelings.
7Mob Psycho 100
Shigeo Kageyama is an eighth-grader who goes by “Mob,” and he possesses psychic abilities within him. Just how dangerous these powers are is genuinely unknown. To make that knowledge worse, he doesn’t know how to control them. So, as any naive child would do, he uses his powers to try and impress his school crush. When he seeks out help, he finds it in the form of Arataka Eigen, who is actually a con man. Mob soon finds himself with the unwanted responsibility of exorcising evil spirits while also keeping everyone safe from him and his demonic abilities.Mob Psycho 100is one of many shows on this list that benefits from fantastic animation and a surprisingly hard-hitting story.
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6Berserk (2016)
Anime fans more than likely know of thecritically acclaimedBerserkfranchise. It’s a story so brutal, graphic, and unrelenting that it can giveGame of Thronesa run for its money. In 2020, HBO Max began streaming the 2016 anime adaptation of the violent manga series. IT follows the former mercenary, Guts/ The Black Swordsman, a traveling warrior constantly moving due to a curse mark that attracts enemies to him. He won’t stop until he finds a remedy for his curse and vengeance against the former friend who betrayed him. With bloody, hardcore animation and violence,Berserkis a series that goes all out in all of its over-the-top, carnage-fueled glory as Guts crosses enemy territory and slaughters wave after wave of creatures with his ridiculously huge sword.
5Jujutsu Kaisen
This anime quickly became a favorite since it began streaming on HBO Max late last year. The story follows Yugi Itadori as he finds himself falling head-first into the world of jujutsu sorcery. After eating a cursed object, Yugi becomes the vessel for an extremely dangerous being known as Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses. To rid the world of this being, Yuji joins Jujutsu Tech, the school for sorcerers, and sets about retrieving Sukuna’s remaining cursed objects to exorcise him in his complete form.Jujutsu Kaisen’sstunning animation comes from the MAPPA Studios, the same company behind the fourth season ofAttack On Titan. With its unique animation, likable characters, and a healthy blending of humor and dark fantasy, it’s no wonder this show has become a favorite. The first season finished this year, and the second is expected to air in spring next year.
4To Your Eternity
Another emotional series on this list,To Your Eternity,is a heartfelt tale about growth, friendship, and self-discovery. The series revolves around a mysterious orb that can take the form of any earthly object. For the purposes of this show, it takes the form of a white wolf. As it morphs and changes its shape, it expands its understanding of the world and develops its knowledge and understanding of the world. In addition, it unlocks the capacity to feel different emotions and explore perspectives. This first season followed the orbs bond with a white-haired boy. Considering the series follows the Orb’s “immortal” life, it may jump different periods in future seasons as it continues to learn of the human condition.
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3Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
As young boys, the Elric Brothers tried to commit a forbidden ritual. In attempting to bring their mother back from the dead, the two brothers were physically changed. Edward lost his arm and leg, while Alphonse lost his entire body, only surviving by having his soul transfixed to a suit of armor. Since then, they’ve been on a long journey to return their bodies to the way they were. To do this, they need to find a philosopher’s stone.Fullmetal Alchemist:Brotherhoodis one of the definitive Shonen anime, containing pulse-pounding action, tense situations, memorable characters, and zany humor. HBO Max scored when they added this series.
2Hunter X Hunter
With over 140 episodes, Hunter X Hunter is a huge fan favorite and a more than welcome addition to HBO Max’s impressive anime catalog. Taking place in the world of hunters, these individuels defeat criminals and scoure the world for lost treasures. One of these hunters is a 12-year-old boy named Gon Freecss. Wrather than search for treasure, the boy hunts for his long lost father, who is also a hunter. Gon comes across a lot of unique characters and makes great friends along the way, including Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua. They take the hunter exam together, but there are a lot of enemies along the way, and a lot of lessons to learn.
1Death Note
The Death Note is a book that kills all whose names the user puts in it. They are typically used by shinigami, beings that act as grim reapers. Ryuk is one of them, and when he drops his Death Note into the human realm, it’s found by a high schooler named Light Yagami. With Ryuk watching over his shoulder, Light uses the book to kill criminals. His intentions are good, but with the ultimate weapon in his hands and his genius intellect, he quickly becomes seduced by the power of the book, developing a god complex and going beyond just killing criminals. He kills off anyone who would oppose him. One such figure is the enigmatic detective known only as L, who begins to search for Light after hundreds of criminals start dying suspiciously.Death Note’sintroduction in 2006 earned the series an astounding 100% on Rotton Tomatoes and is considered one of the best introductory anime ever. With elements of mystery and tons of suspense, this animated cat and mouse game bolsters some of the best storytelling in anime. It has created an everlasting legacy amongst shows of its kind.
