10 Best Anime on Hulu Right Now

There are few greater pleasures in life than snuggling up on the couch and binging an entire anime. Of course, this isn't always possible with some of the longer anime like One Piece or Pokémon, but even just sitting down and watching an entire season one night is oddly satisfying. But there's a lot, and I mean a lot, of anime on Hulu. Old and new, it can be overwhelming to scroll through the entire "anime" genre on Hulu to find something to binge. I've made a list here that spans across different sub-genres and time periods to give you the best of everything. Whether you want to laugh, cry, or get nostalgic, there's an anime on Hulu for you.

Now is the perfect time to catch up on My Hero Academia. This action-adventure comedy first premiered in April of 2016 and has two seasons so far. The third season is set to premiere in April of 2018 with an animated film also releasing this year. If you haven't already heard about it, My Hero Academia takes place in a world were superpowers (called "quirks" in this show) are commonplace.

Our protagonist, Izuku, is born without any quirks, but is determined to become a Hero anyway. Izuku does manage to get a quirk bestowed upon him from the world's greatest Hero, so he gets to enroll in a high school that trains the next generation of Heroes. Hulu has both the sub and the dub available, so you can pick whichever format suits your tastes.

Did you used to watch Naruto when you were a kid? I sure did, but sort of fell out of love with it once I got to high school. Now in my adult life I've discovered there was a continuation in the form of Naruto Shippuden. It's adapted from Part II of the Naruto manga series and sees Naruto returning to his home village. I have to warn you, though, there are 500 episodes of this anime on Hulu! You read that right, 500! This is one series you'll definitely have to space out over several months in order to complete. But in all honesty, there's nothing better than zoning out on the couch and watching a hyperactive ninja kick some ass.

Have you ever heard of a "Mary Sue" or "Gary Stu?" They are typically a character who is completely overpowered and beats everyone without any struggle. That's what One Punch Man here explores: a character that just defeats everything with, well, one punch. He spent years training to be a hero only to find out that he actually is objectively the best, and as you can imagine, that quickly gets boring.

Saitama, as he is named, spends the episodes trying to find something that challenges him as he grows ever more frustrated with his lack of a worthy opponent. This series has seriously great world-building and surprisingly good comedy elements for a show that's action-oriented. It's only one season with 15 episodes (though a second season is on the way), so it's definitely something you can binge in one day. Be aware that Hulu only has the sub, so if you're looking for the dub, you might have to look elsewhere.

Ah, an oldie but goody: Cowboy Bebop. If you still haven't seen this epic sci-fi anime, now is the time. This series is set in the year 2071 and follows a group of bounty hunters. Wikipedia classifies it has a "neo-noir" and I think that's the best description I've ever seen of this show. Everything about this show is just pure awesome: the story, characters, voice acting, and animation all come together to make a super dark but super good anime that tackles themes of loneliness and existentialism. Don't worry, though, it's not all doom and dread; there are plenty of laugh out loud moments in this popular anime on Hulu.

Don't be turned away by the cute cat-like mascot and the frilly name; Fairy Tail is an epic fantasy anime that will keep you glued to your seat. We follow Natsu, a teenage wizard, as he joins up with the popular wizards' guild named Fairy Tail. He is on the hunt for the dragon Igneel, and makes strong and important friendships along the way. This is one of those anime that gets better as you go along, as the animation in the early seasons can be a bit inconsistent; but you can really tell when the animators get a hang of their work, and it transforms into a beautiful series to watch. This is another lengthy series with the sub at 277 episodes, but it's definitely one of those anime that's easy to just put on and get lost in the magic of the world.

I had to include at least once romance anime on this list because it's secretly my favorite genre and I never get tired of watching people fall in love. I'm a romantic at heart, okay? In all seriousness, Toradora! is an adorable anime that I can rewatch over and over again. We have two protagonists this time around, with Ryuji Takasu having a gentle personality but a face that makes him look super tough and intimidating. Then we have Taiga Aisaka, who looks super duper cute and adorable but has the personality of a ferocious tiger! Initially, these two despise each other and only spend time together because of mutual friends, but their walls slowly come down and their relationship blossoms. This series is one of the funniest romance anime on Hulu, and is easy to binge with a mere 25 episodes. The strongest point is definitely the characters, with even the side characters always providing plenty of laughs and even some tear-jerking moments.

Described by anime fans everywhere as "food porn," Food Wars! is a hilarious and visually pleasing anime that focuses on Sōma Yukihira as he tries to navigate one of the toughest culinary academies in the world to achieve his dream of being a professional chef. I could watch this anime on mute, with no subtitles, and still enjoy it because it's just so... beautiful. The food is animated in such a pleasing way that you can't help but be drawn in. It's a bit on the ridiculous side at times, but haven't you come to expect that from a lot of comedy anime and tv shows now? The Food Wars that take place in the show can be just as exciting as a battle on Naruto, but you know, they look tastier.

And now for something completely different! Okay, maybe not completely, because it's still one of the best anime on Hulu, but if you're looking for something much darker, Attack on Titan should be your pick. In this post-apocalyptic world, massive creatures called Titans eat humans for what seems like no reason, so what's left of humanity has bordered themselves within massive walls to survive. They live in uneasy peace until one day, a giant Titan breaks through their first wall and all of the Titans begin to attack. This forces many people to retreat to within the innermost wall, and with the high population, turmoil and famine run rampant. This is not an anime for the lighthearted. This anime is violent, scary, and awesome, so I definitely suggest watching this anime on Hulu if you're into that sort of thing.

It can't be a "best of" anime list without Sailor Moon. That's just like, a crime against humanity. This is the OG magical girl anime that stole our hearts and made us all want to transform into Sailor Soldiers. It's nostalgic, wonderful, and great for a night sitting on the couch and eating something as equally as magic: ice cream. Usagi and all of the other Sailor Soldiers are pop culture icons at this point, and if you haven't watched Sailor Moon yet, you need to get on this magical girl train so you can see what all the fuss is about. If you have, time travel back into your childhood and rewatch this classic.

I've saved one of my favorite anime on Hulu for last, and that is the epic series that is known as Sword Art Online. In this show, a new virtual reality video game has been released. The catch is, though, once they enter the world, they cannot leave until they beat the final boss. And, if you die in the game, you die in real life too. It's a high stakes anime full of action, romance, and tears as we follow main character Kirito through this fantastic and sometimes horrifying virtual world. This show has given us a deep look into what could be the next steps in virtual gaming, all wrapped up in an intense plot with compelling characters. You almost want to go live in the world of Sword Art Online yourself after watching just a few episodes of this series; just so long as you don't die. I highly recommend this show on all fronts. Except for Sword Art Online II. We don't talk about Sword Art Online II.