My Hero Academia, based on the manga of the same name, is one of the most popular anime titles currently streaming on Netflix. With four seasons so far, the anime’s narrative revolves around Izuku Midoriya, a boy who’s passionate about superheroes and wishes to be one himself. Even though he himself doesn’t have any superpowers as such, he still gets enrolled in a distinguished high-school that provides the required training for superheroes.
The franchise has even spawned two films and continues to garner a cult following to date. Owing to its popularity, it encapsulates several beloved anime tropes like high-school drama, a fascination for superpowered beings, and an underdog hero.
One-Punch Man
Of course, an easy anime pick in the superhero genre would be One-Punch Man. A bizarrely hilarious satire of the genre as a whole, One-Punch Man chronicles the adventures of Saitama, a hero capable of defeating most of his adversaries with just a single punch. Unable to find a worthy opponent, he tries to distance himself from the other flashy superheroes who dominate Japan.
His android ally and protege Genos often assists him in his missions, most of which accidentally are brought upon Saitama. As the titular One-Punch Man, Saitama exemplifies the exhaustion that he faces as an extremely powerful yet under-appreciated hero.
Haikyu
A highly-trending sports drama, Haikyu‘s protagonist also shares the underdog aspirations of My Hero Academia‘s lead. Haikyu is mostly centered on a volleyball team and the trials and tribulations of Shōyō Hinata, a boy determined to emerge as a volleyball champion despite his short height.
With four seasons so far, Haikyu often appears in the top new-age anime picks of critics from all over, and even professional volleyball players themselves have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the series. As South Korean volleyball player Kim Yeon-kyuong states, the show’s creators seem to have “high level of volleyball knowledge.”
Food Wars
Food Wars follows a similar routine as other high-school animes, with the setting moved to an elite culinary school instead. The lead not only desires to outrank his classmates, but also to surpass his own father who serves as a high-profile chef. Instead of any heavy-duty battles and fighting tournaments, the show makes use of several overdramatic cooking championships.
Definitely an anime intended for mature audiences—chiefly due to its highly sexual overtones—Food Wars is an increasingly surreal take on its source material and is arguably one of the funniest anime in recent memory. Then, of course, the visual elements of the dishes are a treat for the eyes.
Assassination Classroom
Boasting of one of the most original premises, Assassination Classroom relies on hyperviolence and deadpan humor to weave a tight-knit show that makes for perfect binge-material. An extraterrestrial being forms the center of the story as he plans to destroy all of humanity, offering an ultimatum of one year.
In this one year, the creature is ready to teach a set of high-school students all the ways in which they can assassinate him. Even though it makes use of some familiar over-the-top cliches, Assassination Classroom still relies on depth in terms of its story and it ends with a highly satisfying series finale.
The Irregular At Magic High School
As evident from the title, this anime heavily relies on magic as a driving factor. However, The Irregular At Magic High School is set in an era where magic is seen as an actual technological force rather than the stuff of folklore and imagination.
Society in this era trains its magicians in the titular magic school that often categorizes students as Blooms and Weeds. The former category includes magic-aspirants with the highest grades, while the ones with poor academic performance are seen as the Weeds. As a brother-sister duo joins this school in different capabilities, intense interpersonal drama ensues.
Classroom Of The Elite
A ruthless merit-based school serves as the background for the titular classroom of the elite in this anime that bears traces of romance and comedy. Focusing on a student named Kiyotaka, the show also acts as a coming-of-age drama as he faces peer pressure to perform at his academic best in an already-rigorous state-sponsored education system.
Classroom Of The Elite belongs to the pantheon of those animes that rely on real-life drama rather than fantasy. Eventually, Kiyatoka’s inferiority complex propels him to improve the academic performance of his classmates so that his class could be at a level above the other sections.
Naruto
Naruto‘s influence in the world of anime is so paramount that one doesn’t need to be an anime aficionado to recognize its iconic character. In its original run (2002-2007), Naruto dealt with the struggles of teenage ninja Naruto Uzumaki as he strove to become the Hokage, a title granted to his village’s strongest ninja.
While Naruto and Naruto Shippuden have had a committed global fanbase, Naruto also serves as a perfect first watch for those viewers who are just getting the hang of anime. At over 220 episodes, the first variant of the series yields a vast mythology, and it tends to get addictive as the episodes progress.
Little Witch Academia
A Netflix original, Little Witch Academia is very similar to My Hero Academia not just in terms of its title, but also its general storyline. The show is set in a magical school where young girls undergo a course to hone their magic skills and emerge as certified witches.
The central character, Akko, ardently wishes to join the school even though she doesn’t have any powers of her own. When she finds a magic relic from the past, her fate changes forever. Little Witch Academia can be contrasted with other magic-themed animes as the general public in it is shown to have a redundant attitude towards magic. It’s only characters like Akko who wish to look at magic as more than an outdated art.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100‘s Shigeo is reminiscent of One Punch Man‘s Saitama. Although unlike Saitama’s brawn, Shigeo relies on his brain. He’s a mid-schooler trying to lead a normal life despite his ever-growing psychic powers. Then, a self-proclaimed psychic with no actual powers ends up serving as Shigeo’s mentor, offering him more clarity in life.
The anime also tends to focus on human elements, as the protagonist is seen to be a common adolescent who just wishes to talk to the girl he fancies, rather than using his powers to save the world. Its grounded approach coupled with a heartwarming coming-of-age story makes Mob Psycho 100 a light-hearted anime to binge watch.
Hunter X Hunter
Like most of the anime series on this list, the lead character in Hunter x Hunter wishes to be the best in his field of interest. Gon Freecss is a boy whose passion lies in searching for treasures and exotic living creatures. When he finds out that his estranged father is one such renowned Treasure Hunter, he sets out to become the best Hunter in the World.
On Netflix, the current and most popular version of Hunter x Hunter is available for streaming. This series that aired from 2011 to 2014 is actually a remake of the 1999 series of the same name. Fans of the original have often praised the remake, even praising the improved character development.
