10 Best Web Series' on YouTube

YouTube is a massive platform with thousands of creators uploading videos or doing live broadcasts every week. There are tons of different channels to choose from—each with their own special flavors of entertainment. From reviews to tutorials to shows, there's definitely something for everyone to enjoy.

I was never really aware of the different web series' on YouTube. There were two or three that I knew of but I didn't really think it was a big thing... turns out there are more than a few web series' on the platform. With that in mind, I figured I'd look into it and ended up tumbling down the proverbial rabbit hole.

I found several really good series on YouTube but sadly I had to limit myself to a list of 5 of the best web series' on YouTube.

Let's get started.

1: Anime Abandon

So, this was one of the first YouTube-based series' that I found and I've been a fan for... about 3 or 4 years now. This is also one of the channels that got me doing YouTube videos myself as a hobby.

Anime Abandon is an anime review series hosted by Bennett 'the Sage' White. The series is basically a dude chilling in a lazy boy chair talking about anime. The show covers anime titles that have somewhat dropped off of the proverbial radar—so to speak.

The formulaic nature of 'a dude in a lazy boy chair talking about anime' is mitigated by the subject matter for each episode. Since it's a new title every episode there's very little chance of a viewer getting bored.

If you're an anime fan and you haven't seen this one then I highly recommend it. Bennett has a new segment as well which he started, I believe, in the middle of last year some time where he looks at more modern titles.

Check it out if you get the chance because it's genuinely good fun.

2: Fact Fiend with Karl Smallwood

If you like videos of random facts then you'll probably like this one. If you like to watch British comedies then you'll really like this one!

Fact Fiend is a series hosted by Karl Smallwood where he basically gives random facts about whatever subject. Of course, he delivers some funny jokes all throughout the videos which his English accent just makes funnier.

Some of my favorite episodes include: Everyone is Scared of Deadpool and Hugh Jackman kept accidentally Spiking his nuts as Wolverine.

3: Knife Banter

Knife Banter... where do I start with this one?

The series is hosted by Blade HQ and it's basically two guys sit in front of a camera and talk knives. Now, that might not sound too interesting but I recently got really into knives and have been thinking about putting a small collection together. What's that got to do with anything? Well these guys go into great detail when discussing knives.

They discuss blade steels, handle materials, locking mechanisms, edge retention (how long a blade will stay sharp), and other topics on the subject of knives. It's particularly entertaining when the hosts talk with other knife makers or about their own knife collections.

If that seems like something you'd be interested in, then check them out.

4: Slug Street Scrappers

There are some movies out there that are so bad they're good. If you like those types of movies then Slug Street Scrappers might be for you.

This 9 episode series was directed by Micah Brock (known on YouTube as kwonkicker) and follows a group of martial artists—called scrappers—as they compete for the rank of 'toughest in town'.

The fight choreography is remarkably well done and the humor and sincerity of the characters shines through in their performances. Speaking of the performances, the acting here is actually really good and you can tell everyone involved with the project had an absolute blast.

With that said, the series is super corny and just a little over the top—in a good way and if that's your thing then you can check it out and see what you think.

5: Lawsplaining the Interwebs

A lawyer talking about the legal process in various cases.

I first found this channel earlier this year when the host—Nick Rekieta—did a video on the lawsuit between Jeremy Hambly and Matt Loter. Now, for context, Hambly does a lot of video game news on his channel (the Quartering—another great channel to watch) and in a video voiced an opinion with which Loter disagreed. Why's that important? Well, Loter disagreed so much with Jeremy's opinion that he assaulted him outside of a bar just before GenCon 2018.

Nick's breakdown of the US legal system is fascinating and while it might not be for everyone his show is well-worth watching!

6: Lost in Adaptation

Here's one that doesn't really need an explanation. Lost in Adaptation compares films to the books they're adapted from and examines some of the changes that were made in the adaptation process.

This is one of the many book review series I follow on YouTube and much like Anime Abandon, it was one of the channels that got me doing videos on the platform.

Unfortunately, I can't really say much about this series but I can tell you that it's great fun to watch. The crossovers that happen are gold and the occasional freakouts by the host are hysterical. The perfect example is actually my favorite series of episodes: the Harry Potterathon.

There's seriously nothing better than this series of episodes when you need a good laugh.

7: EDC Weekly

More knife-related stuff, although this time it's more connected to everyday life.

EDC stands for Every Day Carry and Taylor Martin's weekly show looks at submissions from subscribers to see what they're carrying on a daily basis.

No, it's not a contest; if anything it's a chance for viewers to show off their gear. There are giveaways and affiliate sales links and such but the submissions themselves aren't really part of any sort of contest. The series is oriented around helping people find gear that they like and can use.

With that in mind, some submissions are a little crazier than others; featuring super expensive knives, wallets, watches or something else altogether. On the other hand, there's a lot of custom-made and DIY gear as well so it balances out fairly well.

8: The Book was Better

The Book Was Better, the show that's fixing today's movies one book at a time. That's how the host, Kyle Martin, describes the show in his introduction to each video and it's not really a bad tagline. Much like Lost in Adaptation, the show looks at books and the films that are adapted from them; breaking it all down and highlighting key differences between the two mediums.

Also much like Lost in Adaptation, this series features some really entertaining rants. There's even a sort of overarching story at one point which was pretty funny to watch...

To give you an idea of the series check out the review of Excalibur—it's a little over an hour in length but it's worth watching.

9: The Blockbuster Buster

Movie reviews are seldom more entertaining. Eric Rodriguez is the Blockbuster Buster and the premise of the show is that the character that he plays (ERod) watches and 'busts' bad movies. Essentially he'll review a film and that film's fate depends on how bad it is.

Sometimes he'll put a sticky note with a grade on the cover but other times... most times...he literally busts a bad movie. Smacking the case across the room with his trusty hammer Lucille or throwing it across the room or just finding ways to torture the things. Now, admittedly we only see the cases get messed up—I like to think he takes the films out of the boxes before he wrecks them.

Rodriguez has some serious charisma and can keep you entertained quite easily. The best part of a Blockbuster Buster episode is when he interacts with his other characters. In addition to the title character of the Blockbuster Buster, there are 3 other characters:

1. Nerdlinger, the stereotypical nerd - wears glasses, is socially awkward...
2. Fedora Freddie, smooth, fast-talking guy with an accent from a 1930s crime drama film who sports a Fedora and waistcoat.
3. El Lover, the... erm... ladies man of the group—I guess.

All 4 characters on the show—with the exception of the occasional appearance of She-Rod (another character on the show)—are played by Rodriguez. The best part? Each one is a unique character with personalities and styles of their own and Eric manages to keep it that way. You know that it's him but it doesn't feel like it's him.

Some episodes that I would recommend would be the Monster Housereview, the Dracula Untold review and the Van Helsing review.

10: Messed Up Origins

The last series on this list is Messed Up Origins and it's a series that basically covers the dark backstories of all of our childhood fairy tales. I have mentioned the series before in a previous article but now I'm actually focusing on it—not mentioning it in passing.

Some of the fairy tales featured in the series include, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Princess and the Pea and, my personal favorite, the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Jon (the host) doesn't just go into some interesting facts about the stories he covers. He goes through a few different versions and gives a bit of history for each one. If that sounds like something that would interest you then definitely give it a look.

Final Thoughts

That was a lot of fun! Every series listed is entertaining and while not every series will appeal to everyone I would encourage you all to check them out—possibly subscribe to some of these channels if you like what you find.