40 Anime Shows On CrunchyRoll That You Should Be Watching Right Now

With Crunchyroll being free to download, there's no excuse to be on the outside looking in when it comes to some great animes. I listed what I felt were some of the best anime to start off with and I hope this list can guide you to watching even more in the future. I'll be crossing my fingers that I can get any newcomer on the anime train.

In a world of superheroes, "Quirks" is what gives you the power to be extraordinary, in MHA we follow Izuku Midoriya and his journey from quirkless wimp to standout hero. It's a show with some great fight scenes as well as some heartfelt moments that had me teary-eyed a few times. The class of 1-A that the show really focuses on, gives you a great selection of characters to cheer for as you see all of them take another step closer to becoming Pro Heros. 

For any pyro fan out there, this show is for you. It revolves around Shinra Kusakabe and his fellow Fire Force comrades from Company 8 who take on not only fire-bursting demons called "Infernals" but also a doomsday cult by the name of "The White Clad." It's yet another addictive show with amazing animation and rich storytelling that has you cheering for not only Shinra but all of the Company 8 members, in particular Arthur, whose dumb persona makes him sometimes the most genius fighter. 

I never thought I'd find a sports anime to my liking, I figured there wouldn't be any real stakes to watching a show about sports in anime form. Boy was I wrong, as I finally took the leap on Haikyu!! and realized how invested I was in seeing the rise of Shoyo Hinata. You get to see the short-statured kid fall in love with the game of volleyball and deliver some crushing spikes on his opponents. Don't sleep on this anime as I did for so long.

Following the events from Naruto Shippuden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations focuses on Boruto and the children from some of our favorite Naruto characters. We get to see the kind of parent that Naruto has become and also how similar Boruto is in his aspirations and maturity. 

With the original series airing in 2003, FMA: Brotherhood is a more accurate depiction of the manga than the previous adaptation. The story follows two brothers Edward and Alphonse, who in a desperate attempt to bring back their deceased mother try a form of alchemy that leads to Edward losing an arm and leg while Alphonse loses his body but has his soul housed in a suit of armor. This is just the beginning of this duo's journey as they travel on a quest to discover more about the powerful Philosopher's Stone, and the potential of restoring their bodies. 

After a life of being a ruthless assassin, Himura Kenshin travels the countryside of Japan offering his aid to anybody in need as his penance for the murders he's committed. He wields a reverse katana so that even in combat he won't take another life, though this proves to be difficult as old and new foes test the limit of his peaceful ways. 

Vash the Stampede is wanted for sixty billion dollars and even though he is a pacifist who is more lover than fighter, he just can't stop bringing destruction to any town he visits. It was a slow burn in the beginning for me, but Vash's kind-hearted and comedic way of dealing with sticky situations always carried an episode even if it felt like a filler. Another great show that you can get through relatively quickly without investing too much time. 

When Gon Freecss finds out that his father is not only alive but a famous hunter, he goes out on his quest to find him. To do so he must become a licensed hunter himself and with a select group of friends they must overcome some impossible odds to get to their goal. 

Tanjiro Kamado comes home after a day in the village to discover his family slaughtered by a demon, and his only surviving sibling Nezuko, who has transformed into a demon herself, shows signs that her humanity is still somewhere in her. After running into a Demon Slayer and proving his bravery and willingness to protect his now demon sister, he is given a chance to become a Demon Slayer himself and be on the search for a possible cure for Nezuko. 

One of the longest-running anime and manga to still exist, One Piece is not for the faint of hearts. If you decide to start watching this show commitment is key. The pirating adventures of Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates are countless at this point but offer a deep rich story that you can only get with a show that has been running since 1999. Luffy and his crewmates are fantastic characters to cheer for as they search for the coveted treasure "One Piece" that will make Luffy the next Pirate King.

With the ability to see ghosts, Ichigo Kurosaki never thought much of his gift until he meets Rukia, a Soul Reaper whose sole purpose is to rid evil spirits known as Hollows. After his younger sister is taken by a Hollow, he recklessly jumps into action which leads Rukia to be severely injured and left with no options but to siphon some of her power to Ichigo. This is the genesis of his Soul Reaping and introduction into the spiritual world he knew nothing about. 

As a boxing fan, Hajime No Ippo really does their homework on not only the history of boxing but the techniques that made some of history's best boxers the greats that they were. Ippo is a shy kid who never stands up for himself until one day a pro boxer saves him from some bullying and shows him the benefits of being able to box. This lights an immense fire in Ippo as he is naturally strong from all the manual labor he does working for his mom. Ippo's development into the boxer he becomes is inspiring to see but also comedic when combined with the brotherly relationship he develops with Pro Boxer Takamura. Although the animation may look dated, the boxing matches and overall technique shown is top-notch. 

There are a lot of overpowered protagonists on this list but none more than Saitama who can literally defeat most villains in a single punch. This leads to Saitama being bored from never being challenged by the countless monsters that terrorize the city. This premise really makes for an interesting take on the superhero genre and lends to some great laughs when you see Saitama's unenthusiastic face when facing enemies, unless he of course is shopping which seems to be his only joy in life. 

When Kagome is taken down her family's well by a demon, she is transported to another time where she meets Inuyasha, a half-demon, half-human who is searching for a jewel of immense power. After the jewel is shattered into many pieces, the duo travels all over Japan on an adventure to collect the shards to covert Inuyasha into a full demon. Their adventures lead to meeting some great allies but also some formidable foes as many demons and humans alike are also in search of the shattered jewel. 

Unlike most animes, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure doesn't focus on one main protagonist. It follows the story of the Joestar family over generations and the history that the last name comes with.  The most frequent powers used are called "Stands" which is like an extension of the user and comes in different forms some good and some strange. It's a refreshing take on storytelling focusing on how this family became the warriors they are and how they have faced off against evil time and time again. 

When a mysterious black notebook called the "Death Note" falls into the hands of Light Yagami, he discovers that he can kill anyone as long as he writes their name in the book and knows their face. He further learns the history of this notebook from a "Shinigami" named Ryuk and why he brought this powerful book to the human world. This compels Light to rid the world of criminals which makes him the greatest killer but also the most wanted criminal of them all. 

An anime that starts off rather slow but works its way to an awesome adventure. In this world of magic with a protagonist like Asta who never gives up even when the chips are stacked against him, you get to see some great battles and get introduced to some amazing characters along his journey. If wizardry and magic are your thing, then this is the anime for you. 

This show has a hell of a way to get your attention. A down on his luck adult Takemichi learns that his childhood ex-girlfriend and her younger brother have both been murdered by a notorious group called the Tokyo Manji Gang. Shortly after this, he is then pushed in front of a train which suddenly transports him back in time to middle school which gives him another lease on life to which he decides to the only way to save his childhood love and her brother is to join the gang and climb the ranks and save his friends from untimely ends.

Now if you’ve heard anything about this show you’ve heard how sexualized they have made the food, where literally dishes are known to give people orgasms or blow their clothes clean off from how good they are. So it's safe to say this isn't a family show to watch. With that being said, the recipes on this show are pretty damn amazing and the premise of a humble chef trying to save his restaurant and going against the elites who look down on mom and pop shops is a good story with some great laugh out loud moments if you can get past the sexualization aspects of the show. It’s popular for good reason and I’d like to think it’s more than the moans and groans of characters eating delicious meals. 

In search of his adoptive father, Natsu goes on an epic journey exploring the Kingdom of Fiore and befriending many that join him on his mission. They fight many criminals, go against rival guilds and find the truth about Natsu’s origin and the real reason he was born.

I think anybody who’s anybody watched Dragon Ball Z growing up. Dragon Ball Super was kind of a do over on Dragon Ball GT which you could say didn’t get the most love from fans. This refreshing take on Goku’s saga after the Majin Buu era has taken fans by storm and revitalized a franchise that fans had been wanting to come back for a while again. The updated animation style and storytelling really gave fans old and new what they always wanted which was more Dragon Ball.

For anybody in the mood for some nostalgia, Yu-Gi-Oh! is the story of young Yugi who after solving the millennium puzzle is possessed by the Pharoah spirit of Yami Yugi who helps the youngest at times of peril. It is through a beloved card game in which battles take place that hold higher stakes than you would normally think. If Pokemon was your anime growing up, and you never watched this one, you should definitely give this a chance. 

A sequel to the 1997 series and the Golden Age Arc, Berserk continues Guts journey following the tragedy he experienced at the hands of his former comrade Griffith which leads the mercenary back to his old ways with one mission in mind, vengeance.

When Naofumi is summoned to a parallel world he is quickly thrust to the role of a hero and out of a group of fellow heroes with different weapons he is the only one with defensive equipment being given just a shield. Things then take a turn for the worst as he is shunned by the kingdom and has to restore his name through quests and heroic actions throughout the land. For anybody who wants to start an anime that is new, this might be the one for you as season 2 is coming out this year. 

If you were a fan of Inuyasha you should definitely be watching this show. Set a few years after the final act of Inuyasha, Sesshomaru’s twin daughters Towa and Setsuna are separated after a forest fire in which Towa, unfortunately, wanders into a tunnel that takes her to present-day Japan. It is then that Kagome’s brother Sota, finds her raises her for a decade until the tunnel reopens again to which Towa is able to finally reunite with her long-lost sister. Though when she finally gets back to her she realizes things are not the same. It’s this premise that makes for a great story set in an amazing world that fans of Inuyasha are familiar with.

When Tatsumi makes his way to the Imperial Captial in hopes to bring back some money to help his village he quickly realizes things are not as they seem in the big city. This becomes even more apparent when he is taken in by the infamous Night Raid, a group of assassins who are trying to support the rebellion against the Empire who has been oppressing their people for too long. 

When an average kid nicknamed “Mob” is found out to be a powerful esper whose emotion can lead to irreparable damage things get really interesting. To learn how to control his emotions he decides to work alongside a conman who pretends to be a psychic all while trying to live out a “normal” life. This is an interesting premise, to say the least, combined with its unique animation from studio Bones it makes for a hell of a show.

This horror/sci-fi anime centers around high schooler Shinichi Izumi who encounters tiny worm-like aliens called “Parasites” who have invaded Japan. Luckily for Shinichi his encounter with one of these aliens allowed to stop him from getting to his brain and isolating him to his right hand, this forces the pair to form an unlikely alliance in this battle between humans and Parasites.

Tsuna is somewhat of an overall failure, but his life turns around when a baby called Reborn comes into his life to groom him to become the boss of the Vongola family. The ties between Tsuna and the Vongola’s first boss is made clear and the reluctant kid becomes more and more aware of his talent and skill to be the next boss of this notorious family. 

A middle-aged Satoru Mikami is happy with his rather monotonous life when he is suddenly stabbed, and is reborn in an alternate world as a slime. With a new name and new body, he sets out to create a world where all races can be accepted.

Set in an alternate time in Japan where aliens invaded and defeated the samurai during the Edo period. The story focuses on Gintoki as he works odd jobs to make ends meet as well as make new friends and still personify all the great things of a samurai even as the alien controlled Government does everything to hold them back. 

In a setting where there are two worlds that can never merge, the Assiah where humans live and Gehenna where Satan rules, demons are the only beings that can cross over by possession. Due to those possessions, Exorcists are vital to making sure demons can be sent back to their world. For Rin Okumura, he is determined to follow in his guardians' footsteps and become an exorcist despite who his demonic father is and he will use all his demonic powers to do so.

If you like revenge stories, this anime might be for you. Ryoku Matoi is a transfer student on the search for her father's killer. She believes to be hot on their trail when she arrives at the Honnouji Academy where students wear Goku Uniforms that give them superhuman abilities and depending on your class depends on how powerful your uniform might be. With the odds not in her favor, Ryoku makes some great allies and learns more about her Goku Uniform so she can take on the forces that took her father's life.

Akuto Sai has high aspirations when it comes to becoming a part of the highest order of magicians. To do so he joins the Constant Magic Academy but very quickly learns after his aptitude test that his path might lead him elsewhere, specifically, to be the “Demon King.” I guess even in anime, aptitude tests can be a big deal. 

After 3 failed Holy Grail wars, prominent families are preparing for the fourth battle royale where they send powerful mages and warriors in their stead to claim the elusive “Holy Grail” which has the power to grant any wish to the winning members. With this kind of power at stake, there's no limit to what these different families will do to be the victor.  

A nuclear war has decimated most of civilization leaving the world in a desert wasteland where most survivors are fighting amongst themselves for resources and preying on the weak. Kenshiro is a man who is skilled in the most dangerous martial art but lives his life in peace, until he is separated from his beloved. It is then that he starts his journey of defending the weak and becoming the hero his post-apocalyptic world needs, using the skills he’s been avoiding having to use. He takes pressure points to a whole another level.