In the last article we went through some of the Netflix live action series that you have to watch as they are just too good to be ignored. If live action series are not your cup of tea, fortunately, Netflix has a lot of other great series such as their animated series.
Cartoons and anime are considered to be the norm these days and can be considered as a serious contender for what is a good watch and what is not. Today we will be going through Netflix’s must watch animated series. Thus, here are some of the best animated series (not in any particular order) you have to watch to not be left out.
Castlevania
One of the best platformers ever developed by Konami is the Castlevania series and throughout the years, the series have been regarded as one of the most critically acclaimed franchise. The game brings about a gothic horror aesthetic and revolves around exploring the castle to find your way to Count Dracula and kill him.
Castlevania: the Animated Series by Netflix follows the storyline of Castlevania III from the game franchise and while it holds a similar plot, tells a more grandeur story. The series takes place in old Europe where Count Dracula has sworn to ravage across Europe and bring about an end to all living beings. Trevor Belmont, Sylpha Benaldes and Alucard must band together to stop Count Dracula from succeeding or humanity will be eradicated from Europe.
Netflix succeeded in bringing the grim and solemn tone from the games while exploring more than the compounds of the game. So far, the series has only introduced the characters and their motivations without them clashing with Dracula or his minions yet. Hopefully, the series will continue to be more than expositions and history lessons. Although the show can be slow paced and dramatic at times, the series does show potential to be a great animated series. The action sequence is quick, sharp and beautifully executed with their animations being extremely detailed.
Castlevania is a great animated Series to follow but you can wait until more seasons are released to binge watch them as the current few are slow paced and might bore you. Nevertheless, Castlevania has great aesthetics and story that you are sure to enjoy while watching.
The Dragon Prince
The creators of Avatar, Aaron Ehasz and the writer of Uncharted 3, Justin Richmond decided to team up and create their own Netflix Animated Series called the Dragon Prince. The Dragon Prince tells a tale of two worlds divided by the Breach, a border between the Human world and the Elves, but when the defender of the border, the Dragon King was slain and his Egg killed, war between the worlds seemed imminent. Fortunately, to the surprise of the young prince Ezran, the Dragon Egg survived and could be the thing that stops the imminent war. Ezran with a few companion travels to the other end of his world to the border in order to save the life of the Dragon Egg.
The storytelling style and lore of the creator of Avatar really shows in this new series as the watcher can feel the same nostalgic feeling of adventure while watching the Dragon Prince. The animation, though being 3D animated and cell shaded, is still stunningly rendered and each scenic view is a beauty to behold. The music and design also tell the story of a fantasy not so far away from our screen where we can reach out and feel the air of the Dragon Prince world.
Although the Dragon Prince world seems to have a simple plot at first hand, there’s more to it than meets the eye, thus worthy of watching and following. Season 1 and 2 of the Animated series is now available and hopefully, the story will continue to grow.
Voltron: Legendary Defender
Voltron was a beloved 1980s animated cartoon that tells the story of five human defenders riding five robotic lions that can merge into one robot to kick ass. It was a simple cartoon that goes from one episode to the next, sometimes with an overarching story arc. In 2016, Netflix took the helm to reboot the beloved Voltron cartoon series with the same premise but with all new plot and characters. The story follows the struggle of five new defenders riding the Voltron robots against the conquering regime of the Galta Empire.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is a nostalgic return to the 1980s with the cliché lines and striking hero uniforms donned by the characters in the series. Although the animation is crispier and resemble closer to Japanese anime, the same nostalgic feeling of the sounds and music can still be heard in the animation. The plot overall is new and worth investing as the heroic theme of the Voltron Defenders is prevalent in the stories.
Voltron: Legendary Defender is the reboot of the old cartoon that it deserves and everything about it is worth the watch.
Ultraman
Ultraman is the beloved franchise of Japanese since the 1960s and have continued to garner fans all over the world since then. Over the years, Ultraman has grown from a Japanese live action show to a worldwide pop-culture. Ultraman is the latest Netflix Animated Series and is an adaptation of the Manga with the same name released in 2011. It is a sequel to the original Ultraman series in 1966 and tells the story of Shinjiro who is Shin Hayata’s (the original Ultraman host) son being the new Ultraman and stopping the invading forces of evil aliens.
Ultraman’s general plot line follows similarly to the manga’s and rarely deviates from it. The animation is somewhat similar to the Dragon Prince’s (3D animated) whereby it can feel jarring and sluggish at times. Even so, the battle scenes are well done, and the music and sounds accompanying the series are beautifully composed. Although this time around, Ultraman is human sized unlike the normal Ultra series, the show does tell a compelling story that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Ultraman is another great nostalgic show but instead of a reboot, it is the untold sequel to a very old show. Still, the watcher does not need to know of the old show or anything about Ultraman to understand and enjoy the Animated Series. A great watch at any time.
Devilman Crybaby
The last recommendation is a mature Animated Series by Netflix called Devilman Crybaby which was released on 5th January 2018. Devilman Crybaby follows the original manga series released in 1972 with the same plotline and characters. The story however has been condensed into a 10-episode series with some parts of the story being left out in order to tell a coherent story that stays true to the original.
Devilman Crybaby is one of the few first Netflix Originals thus Netflix had experimented a lot with the series, namely the animation style. The animation of Devilman Crybaby can be said to be at times loose and not-so-detailed as the series takes a more artistic approach. The music and sounds are upbeat and befitting the modern art and story of the animated series.
As mentioned, Devilman Crybaby is a mature-rated animation series with a lot of mature scenes, ranging from sexual content to graphic violence. If you are easily offended or under the age of 18 years old, viewer discretion is advised.
These are some of the Netflix Original Animated Series that we recommend you watch to fulfil your hunger for good animations. Some of them can be an artistic viewing while others can bring tears, and whichever it is, it will be a great watch. Until next time!
