<p>With a spirit of returning to roots and cherishing nostalgic values, the selected works are all original television versions or first adaptations, not remakes, and are currently available to watch on Netflix.</p>

<p data-start="70" data-end="435">For anyone keen to explore anime for the first time, it can be hard to know where to begin. With a nod to roots and a fondness for nostalgia, the series below are all original television versions or first adaptations rather than remakes, and they&rsquo;re currently available on Netflix. They offer a solid introduction to the medium without assuming any prior knowledge.</p>
<p data-start="437" data-end="1039">The term &ldquo;anime&rdquo; comes from Japan and originally referred exclusively to Japanese animation. In the decades following the Second World War, Japanese artists began blending local storytelling traditions with cinematic techniques borrowed from the West. This fusion laid the groundwork for manga, or Japanese comics, and later for anime as we know it today. It wasn&rsquo;t until the 1960s and 1970s that animated manga adaptations began to reach a global audience. Works such as Osamu Tezuka&rsquo;s <em data-start="924" data-end="935">Astro Boy</em>, Go Nagai&rsquo;s <em data-start="948" data-end="960">Mazinger Z</em>, and <em data-start="966" data-end="979">Candy Candy</em> by Kyoko Mizuki and Yumiko Igarashi defined this early era.</p>
<p data-start="1041" data-end="1336">By the 1980s and 1990s, anime had found a devoted following among film lovers worldwide. Landmark titles including <em data-start="1156" data-end="1163">Akira</em>, <em data-start="1165" data-end="1178">Angel&rsquo;s Egg</em>, and <em data-start="1184" data-end="1205">My Neighbour Totoro</em> helped establish anime as a serious artistic medium and cemented the reputations of studios like Studio Ghibli and Toei Animation. If you&rsquo;re new to this vast universe, the five series below offer a well-rounded and accessible starting point.</p>

<p data-start="2826" data-end="2867"><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Neon Genesis Evangelion</span></span></p>

《新世紀福音戰士》- Netflix [HD]

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<p data-start="1707" data-end="2082">Often described as a defining work of 1990s psychological science fiction, <em data-start="1782" data-end="1807">Neon Genesis Evangelion</em> uses the familiar image of giant robots to question humanity&rsquo;s obsession with salvation. Beneath its surface, the series draws heavily on existential philosophy, slowly pulling viewers into a deeply uncomfortable space where the lines between hero, victim, and escapee blur.</p>
<p data-start="2084" data-end="2832">This is not a comforting show. If you&rsquo;re looking for easy answers or emotional reassurance, <em data-start="2176" data-end="2188">Evangelion</em> will likely disappoint. But if you&rsquo;re curious about how far animation can go in exposing fear, loneliness, and emotional paralysis, it&rsquo;s essential viewing. The original 1995&ndash;1996 television series remains the rawest and most honest version of the story. While later films are more polished and structurally refined, none quite capture the suffocating sense of deadlock left by the original run. On paper, it&rsquo;s a familiar tale of teenagers piloting weapons to defend humanity from alien &ldquo;Angels&rdquo;. In practice, it&rsquo;s a brutal reflection on adults placing the weight of survival on children, then acting shocked when they break under the pressure.</p>
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<p data-start="3723" data-end="3764"><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Cowboy Bebop</span></span></p>

Cowboy Bebop (Original Series) - Official Funimation Trailer

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<p data-start="2852" data-end="3178">Released in the late 1990s, <em data-start="2880" data-end="2894">Cowboy Bebop</em> is a stylish blend of science fiction and neo-noir. Its jazz-infused soundtrack perfectly captures the loose, restless spirit suggested by its title, while the tone remains cool, dark, and resolutely adult. Action scenes are tightly choreographed, but never feel empty or decorative.</p>
<p data-start="3180" data-end="3618">The series follows a group of bounty hunters drifting through the Solar System aboard the spaceship Bebop, scraping together a living by chasing criminals. Each character is skilled, charismatic, and visibly damaged, carrying past regrets they have no interest in resolving. <em data-start="3455" data-end="3469">Cowboy Bebop</em> has little faith in redemption. Instead, it quietly suggests that no amount of style, swagger, or musical flair can truly fix what&rsquo;s already broken.</p>
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<p data-start="0" data-end="41"><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Dragon Ball Z</span></span></p>

Dragon Ball Z - Chala Head Chala - Original 1989 Japanese Theme Song (1080p)

<p data-start="3639" data-end="3965">Based on Akira Toriyama&rsquo;s original manga, <em data-start="3681" data-end="3696">Dragon Ball Z</em> is a cornerstone of shōnen anime and a gateway series for countless fans around the world. It centres on explosive martial arts battles that push beyond human limits, while blending fantasy and science fiction in a way that&rsquo;s easy to follow and endlessly entertaining.</p>
<p data-start="3967" data-end="4315">The anime adapts chapters 195 to 519 of the manga, picking up after Son Goku wins the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai. As a Saiyan raised on Earth, Goku faces ever more powerful enemies, including Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. Each arc raises the stakes, expanding the story&rsquo;s scale while reinforcing its core themes of perseverance, growth, and camaraderie.</p>

<p data-start="1014" data-end="1055"><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Death Note</span></span></p>

Death Note | Official Trailer

<p data-start="4333" data-end="4635">With its fast pace, constant twists, and gripping central conflict, <em data-start="4401" data-end="4413">Death Note</em> is one of the most accessible anime for newcomers. Created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata, it plays out as a psychological thriller built around questions of justice, power, and moral responsibility.</p>
<p data-start="4637" data-end="5112">The story follows Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student who comes into possession of the Death Note, a notebook that allows its owner to kill anyone simply by knowing their name and face. What follows is a tense battle of wits between Light and those trying to stop him. By blending the supernatural with a grounded sense of realism, <em data-start="4979" data-end="4991">Death Note</em> taps into a familiar temptation: the fantasy of acting as judge, jury, and executioner, even if only in our imagination.</p>

<p data-start="1913" data-end="1954"><span class="hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline"><span class="whitespace-normal">Yu Yu Hakusho</span></span></p>

幽遊白書 OP 「微笑みの爆弾 」version 1 (TV Size) HD

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<p data-start="5133" data-end="5483">If you&rsquo;re drawn to stories about friendship, teamwork, and supernatural combat, <em data-start="5213" data-end="5228">Yu Yu Hakusho</em> is well worth your time. The series follows Yusuke Urameshi, a troublesome teenager who dies while saving a child in a sudden accident. Given a second chance at life, he becomes a Spirit World detective, tasked with investigating paranormal disturbances.</p>
<p data-start="5485" data-end="5892" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">Alongside his allies, Yusuke moves between the human world and the Spirit World, facing increasingly dangerous enemies. Often remembered as a defining work of the 1990s, the series played a major role in establishing Yoshihiro Togashi&rsquo;s reputation. Beyond the nostalgia, <em data-start="5756" data-end="5771">Yu Yu Hakusho</em> carries a surprisingly sharp idea at its core: that true growth sometimes only begins after you&rsquo;ve lost everything once.</p>
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Five Beginner-Friendly Japanese Anime Series to Watch on Netflix

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