10 Best Anime to Watch on Netflix in January 2026

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With 2026 underway, anime fans are looking forward to the winter season’s new shows. Each season brings fresh series and continuing stories from popular favorites. While weekly episodes are common, anime films often take longer to reach U.S. cinemas. Fortunately, there’s plenty of great anime already available to stream whenever you want. As anime’s popularity continues to grow, Netflix and other streaming services are constantly adding more classic and well-known titles.

Rather than releasing a large batch of anime each season, Netflix is highlighting a select few new shows and movies, including some unique original anime that you won’t find anywhere else. Here’s our list of ten must-watch anime series and films for this month!

10) Drifting Home

This movie tells the story of Kosuke and Natsume, two eleven-year-old boys who were close as brothers but lost touch after a family loss. During summer vacation, Kosuke and his classmates explore an abandoned apartment building set for demolition, and are surprised to find Natsume there. A fight between the two boys leads to a bizarre turn of events: the entire building lifts off and floats away on a vast ocean. Now stranded, the kids must overcome their conflict and work together to find a way back home.

9) Carole & Tuesday

Despite being released almost seven years ago, Carole & Tuesday is still a hidden gem among the works of Shinichirō Watanabe. The story takes place fifty years in the future, after humans have colonized Mars and AI controls almost everything, including music. Tuesday, the daughter of a prominent politician, runs away from home to chase her dream of becoming a musician. Lost and without a plan, she meets Carole, an orphaned refugee from Earth, who shares her love of music. The two quickly connect and begin collaborating, hoping to achieve success in the competitive music industry.

8) Lost in Starlight

Lost in Starlight is a groundbreaking film – the first Korean animated movie to be released worldwide. Set in 2050, it combines old and new styles as it follows Nan-young, an astronaut hoping to lead a mission to Mars. After failing a psychological evaluation, she’s temporarily sidelined and returns home, where she meets Jay. Jay gave up on his music career years ago and now works in a vintage record store. Together, they inspire each other to chase their dreams, all while navigating budding romantic feelings and the possibility of being separated in the future.

7) Big Fish & Begonia

This beautiful film is a hidden gem of Chinese animation. It tells the story of Chun, a young girl living in a magical world beneath ours, as she prepares for an important coming-of-age ceremony. She’s meant to transform into a red dolphin and swim the human seas for seven days, but things go wrong when she gets caught in a fishing net. A human boy saves her, but tragically drowns in the process. Filled with guilt and a desire to repay him, Chun returns to her world and vows to bring his soul back, no matter the cost.

6) Kotaro Lives Alone

Though the anime has a slightly sad feel, it’s also heartwarming and funny. It centers around Kotaro Sato, a four-year-old boy living on his own in an apartment. He’s had to grow up quickly, taking care of everything himself like cooking and cleaning. His neighbors, especially a manga artist named Shin, become concerned and eventually start looking after him. As the story unfolds, they discover Kotaro’s past and realize how much he misses having a family.

5) Forest of Piano

Netflix is taking this anime off its platform on September 28th, so now’s the perfect time to watch it! The show is based on a popular, award-winning manga and tells the story of Kai Ichinose, a boy from a tough neighborhood who discovers a passion for piano. When his natural talent is noticed by Sosuke Ajino, a famous former pianist, Kai gets the mentorship he needs to develop his skills and reach his full potential.

4) The Way of the Househusband

This charming anime follows Tatsu, a former yakuza member who’s traded a life of crime for the joys and challenges of being a stay-at-home husband. He supports his career-driven wife, Miku, by managing the household, but his tough, yakuza habits make even everyday tasks comically over-the-top. Despite his intimidating background, Tatsu is surprisingly skilled at cooking, cleaning, finding bargains, and managing the family budget.

3) Jujutsu Kaisen

I’m so hyped for the third season of Jujutsu Kaisen dropping this month! If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet, now’s the perfect time to start – the first two seasons are already available on Netflix. The story follows Yuji Itadori, a normal guy whose life gets completely flipped when he swallows a cursed object and becomes the host to Ryomen Sukuna, an unbelievably powerful sorcerer. He’s the first person in over a thousand years to contain this legendary being, so he’s got a huge responsibility to keep Sukuna under control and track down the rest of his fingers. Luckily, he gets some help from the amazing Satoru Gojo and Megumi Fushiguro, and he ends up enrolling at Jujutsu High in Tokyo to learn everything he can about the world of Jujutsu sorcery.

2) Mob Psycho 100

Mob Psycho 100 is a fantastic anime leaving Crunchyroll this year, but fortunately, you can still watch it on other streaming platforms. Based on the popular manga by the creator of One-Punch Man, the story follows Mob, an unassuming eighth-grader with incredibly powerful psychic abilities. He tries to live a normal life and keep his powers a secret, but that proves difficult. He starts working for Arataka Reigen, who wants to exploit Mob’s abilities, and together they battle evil spirits, facing constant challenges along the way.

1) Parasyte: The Maxim

Considered a masterpiece of mature storytelling, Parasyte: The Maxim deeply examines what it means to be human. The story centers on Shinichi Izumi, a 17-year-old whose body is invaded by an alien parasite as part of a global infestation. Unlike most, the parasite only takes over Shinichi’s hand because he was wearing headphones. The two are forced to live together, and while Shinichi’s parasite isn’t interested in causing chaos, others are. This leaves Shinichi with the daunting task of fighting the alien threat and protecting humanity.

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2026-01-07 06:41