13 Best Anime Series and Movies on HBO Max Right Now

The anime industry has come a long way in the first two decades of the 21st century. The perception that it is only for children has been replaced by genuine love and admiration from both the general public and critics. People have come to see that there is a real genre variety in the content produced by anime creators. Moreover, long before Hollywood tried to diversify itself to reach a wider audience, the anime industry started serving its audiences with a simple principle: there should be something for everyone. And it has worked over the years as it is now a multi-billion dollar industry.

Since its launch in May 2020, HBO Max has exponentially expanded its content library to establish itself in a wider market. Unsurprisingly, this includes a significant number of anime series and movies. Here is a list of some of the best among them.

13. The Promised Neverland (2019-2021)

Set in the year 2045, The Promised Neverland revolves around a group of children living in a self-contained orphanage called Grace Field House. They lead a happy, idyllic life and are cared for by a woman they all call Mom. Each of these children seems to possess a genius-level intellect. Although the orphans enjoy a lot of freedom, they are not allowed to go outside the gates of the facility. After one of them is supposedly “adopted,” the rest discover the horror Grace Field is hiding about the world beyond. Despite the controversial way the series ended, the first season is still as flawless as anime can ever be.

12. dr. Stone (2019-)

One of the best shounen anime of the 2010s, the concept behind ‘Dr. Stone’ is intended to spark the public’s curiosity about science while it entertains them. And the series does both with aplomb. In 2019, almost all of humanity has been petrified by a mysterious flash. Three thousand seven hundred years later, scientific prodigy Senkuu Ishigami is revived and discovers the world he knew was long gone. With the help of the other resurrected individuals and descendants of those who have escaped petrification, Senkuu embarks on the arduous process of returning humanity to its former glory.

11. Weathering With You (2019)

In ‘Weathering with You’, as Tokyo experiences an unusual amount of rain, freshman high school student Hodaka Morishima runs away from his home in Kōzu-shima due to family problems. After arriving in the city, Hadaka initially fails to find work. He meets Hina Amano, a McDonald’s employee, who gives him some food after realizing how hungry he is. Hadoka later finds a job at an occult magazine publisher and begins researching the urban legends surrounding the rain. This eventually leads him to the girl who fed him when he needed it.

10. Jujutsu Kaisen (2020-)

Winner of the Anime of the Year award at the 2021 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Jujutsu Kaisen uses classic shounen styles to tell a story that is both familiar and confusingly otherworldly. Part of this is due to the complex magical system that serves as the heart of the series’ story. Yuuji Itadori has always been alarmingly fit. Unknown to him and his fellow occult club members, they have unsealed a powerful curse object, Ryoumen Sukuna’s finger. To protect his friends, Yuuji swallows the finger and becomes Sukuna’s vessel.

9. Bangs (2008)

Directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, ‘Ponyo’ is partly inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’. The story follows Brunhilde, one of the daughters of wizard/scientist Fujimoto. Although Fujimoto was once human, the family now lives underwater. Inherently curious, Brunhilde slips away from her family on one of their field trips and ends up in a small fishing village, where she meets five-year-old Sousuke, who gives her the name Ponyo.

8. Mafia Psycho 100 (2016-)

Eighth-grader Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama desperately wants to live a normal life. The problem is that he is an esper with remarkable psychic abilities. He must constantly keep his powers in check to avoid catastrophe. The other main character of the series is Shigeo’s boss Reigen Arataka, who claims to be a spiritual medium. In reality, he is a scammer. Despite Shigeo’s desire to avoid trouble, they seem to find him constantly, often because of Arataka’s actions.

7. Promise (2019)

‘Promare’ is set in a world where half the human population perished from fires caused by massive spontaneous human combustions during a catastrophic event known as the Great World Blaze. Among the survivors, certain individuals have developed pyrokinetic abilities and become known as the Burnish. Set thirty years after the Great World Blaze, the main story revolves around Galo Thymos, a firefighter affiliated with the Burning Rescue group, and Lio Fotia, the head of the alleged terrorist group Mad Burnish. Although Galo and Li start off as enemies, they soon realize they must work together to take down the town’s evil governor, Kray Foresight.

6. Re:Zero − Starting to live in another world (2016-)

Perhaps the immense popularity of the isekai genre is the main reason it is overrun with mediocre productions. Fortunately, anime like ‘Re:Zero’ exists in the world. It follows Subaru Natsuki, a NEET who ends up in an alternate world. At first he is very happy with the prospect. He has read all isekai manga and seen all isekai anime. Now he can’t wait to manifest his own powers. However, after some traumatic experiences, he realizes that the only power he has is turning back the clock every time he dies. Shortly after arriving in the new world, Subaru meets a half-elf girl named Emilia. Only later does he discover that this humble young woman is one of the candidates to rule the kingdom of Lugunica.

5. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Considered by Miyazaki to be his finest work, Howl’s Moving Castle revolves around a young hatter named Sophie, who is transformed into a ninety-year-old woman by the Witch of the Waste. Hoping to free herself from the curse, Sophie invites herself to the castle of the same name and encounters the fire demon Calcifer, whose powers are the source of the castle’s magic. Calcifer agrees to free Sophie from the curse if she can cut the connection between the demon and Howl. Meanwhile, Sophie’s homeland prepares to go to war with a neighboring country.

4. The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (2017)

Amid the plethora of fantasy and science fiction, “The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl” is for the most part a down-to-earth romantic comedy. The plot follows a young man and a young woman on their night out. The man likes the woman, but has not yet been able to confess his feelings to her. He’s decided that this will be the night he finally tells what’s in his heart, but circumstances continue to interrupt him.

3. Until Your Eternity (2021-)

‘To Your Eternity’ has arguably the best pilot episode of any anime series. It floods you with a torrent of conflicting emotions and leaves you heartbroken when it ends. But that doesn’t mean the anime is inherently pessimistic, far from it. The pilot leaves you with enough hope that you’ll be forced to watch the next episode and the one after. This continues until you finish the first season and want more.

‘To Your Eternity’ begins with a featureless Orb, created by an alien entity known as Kansatsusha or the Beholder, to observe Earth and its inhabitants. However, the orb begins to change once it makes contact. It turns into a rock, then into a dying Arctic wolf, and later into a silver-haired boy. As the boy he comes to be known as Fushi. As he travels through the countries, he discovers his identity and individuality.

2. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Another gem from Miyazaki, ‘Princess Mononoke’ is set during the Muromachi period in Japan. While fighting to protect an Emishi village from a demon, Prince Ashitaka is subjected to a curse. Though the curse gives him incredible abilities, Ashitaka learns that it will eventually kill him. Ashitaka listens to the words of the wise woman of the village and goes in search of a cure in western countries, where the demon, originally a boar god, came from. Upon reaching his destination, the Emishi prince finds himself in the midst of a battle between humans and forest gods. The titular character is a human girl named San, who was raised by the wolves and now hates other people.

1. Spirited Away (2001)

The recipient of best animated film at the 75th Academy Awards, “Spirited Away” is one of the greatest movies ever made, period. The plot follows Chihiro Ogino, a spoiled and naive ten-year-old girl who finds herself in a strange and deserted amusement park while traveling with her parents to her new home. Soon, Chihiro begins to see ghosts everywhere she looks, and her parents turn into pigs, making her realize they are trapped in the spirit world. With the help of a boy named Haku, Chihiro tries to find a way to escape from the spirit world before completely forgetting who she is.

Read more: Best Fantasy Anime