4/10/2019

NETFLIX

Check out some of these well-known anime shows, some of which have over 800 episodes, available for streaming now.

By MARIO HEATLY
SNN Staff Writer

Anime is a style of animation that originated in Japan with energetic characters and flashy colorful backgrounds. Anime is not like your favorite cartoon show. Instead, it shows death scenes, gore images and fight scenes. Anime can be both subbed (in Japanese but with English subtitles) and dubbed (in English), but I favor subbed because the shows are more exciting to watch in Japanese. Here is a list of the top anime shows available for streaming:

1. Dragon Ball Z is an anime full of martial artists, all fighting with a different purpose. Some fights are caused by seven wish-granting orbs, known as Dragon Balls. They can grant immortality and wealth and bring people back to life. The protagonist is Goku who is always itching for a fight. He is the last of a dying warrior race, called Saiyans. Goku protects the earth from dangerous enemies with the help of his friends, the Z Fighters. The series is a continuation of the previous show Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z is created by Toei Animation and written by Arika Toriyama. The show is 291 episodes long with each episode being around 20 minutes each. The show teaches lessons of teamwork and trustworthiness and is availble for streaming on Hulu. 

2. Naruto is a ninja filled anime with 31 villages that serve as the military for their countries. The protagonist is a ramen-loving kid named Naruto Uzumaki who dreams of becoming Hokage (the leader of his village). He is cast out of the village because of the demon hidden inside of him. Naruto is an anime created by Masashi Kishimoto. The show has 220 episodes in total, and is on both Netflix and Hulu.

3. Bleach starts with protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki who accidently steals the powers of soul reaper Rukia Kuchiki. Ichigo then goes on to become a soul reaper that protects the innocent from evil spirits. Bleach is a created by Tite Kubo. There are 366 episodes in the series and is available on Netflix now.

4. Inuyasha starts with school girl Kagome Higurashi falling down a well in her family’s shrine and being transported to the Sengoku period of Japan and meeting the half-dog half-demon, Inuyasha. Together they go on adventures to find shards of the Shikon jewel, which grants powers to whoever owns it. Inuyasha is a 193-episode Japanese anime written by Rumiko Takahashi in 1996 and is availble on Netflix.

 5. One Piece is a steampunk themed anime full of pirates. The protagonist is Monkey D. “Straw Hat” Luffy that acquires the properties of rubber by eating a devil fruit named Gomu Gomu No Mi. One Piece was originally manga (a graphic novel series) written and illustrated in 1999 by Eiichiro Oda. If you love binge watching, you’re in luck because this show has 870 episodes available on Hulu.