Netflix Unveils an Impressive Summer Anime Roster

The summer season is upon us and as fun as it can be to go and catch some rays at the beach, there’s sometimes nothing more satisfying than beating the heat with a new anime and cranking the volume and air conditioning all the way up. More than half of Netflix subscribers are watching anime and the streamer has made sure that fans have their bases covered this summer. 

Netflix’s diverse summer anime slate includes high-stakes sports showdowns, the Straw Hat Pirates’ intensifying chaos on Whole Cake Island, and the conclusion of an extraterrestrial assassination shonen epic. It’s always the right season to binge-watch modern anime hits and retro classics, but here are the new titles that are hitting Netflix this May and June.

Akane-Banashi – May 16

Akane-banashi is a cathartic coming-of-age revenge story that uses the intricate art of rakugo — a Japanese form of storytelling where a singular performer tells a story with multiple roles — as its tool of vengeance. Akane is a rakugo wunderkind who infiltrates a prestigious rakugo school to get honor for her disgraced father. It’s a beautiful blend of comedy and drama that shines a light on a niche craft. Akane-banashi only just started its run in Japan in April and it’s already making waves as one of summer’s most exciting new anime and a title to keep an eye on.

Blue Lock vs.. U-20 Japan – May 25

Blue Lock takes a sports anime and mixes it with the all-or-nothing survival mentality of the death game genre. Blue Lock vs. U-20 Japan is the anime’s 14-episode second season that exposes Yoichi Isagi and the rest of the surviving egoist strikers to even greater training challenges. This season hinges on a thrilling showdown against Japan’s national team that distills Blue Lock’s suspenseful action storytelling to its strongest components. 

My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 – May 25

My Dress-Up Darling is sublime slice of life storytelling that sees an introverted hina doll crafter shift his skills to cosplay after befriending a popular cosplayer. It’s a tender rom-com that features real characters who are hard not to adore. The anime’s second season continues and concludes Wakana and Marin’s endearing adventures and now the entire anime can be enjoyed on Netflix. It’s a modern anime love story for the ages. 

Assassination Classroom Season 2 – June 1

A class of juvenile delinquents is tasked with the extermination of their superpowered tentacle alien homeroom teacher who previously destroyed 70% of the moon. Class 3-E of Kunugigaoka Junior High have a year to pull off this assassination feat, otherwise the alien educator — Koro-sensei — will destroy the Earth. Assassination Classroom is tight, addictive battle shonen storytelling that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Season 2 resolves this gripping narrative, which hits as hard as it does because it’s only a two-season story.

Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 – June 1

There is no shortage of fantasy and isekai anime that feature savvy gamers invading MMORPGs and VR worlds. Shangri-La Frontier is a subversive spin on this type of adventure that keys in on “trash games” — titles that are in the “so bad they’re good” category. Shangri-La Frontier’s hero, Rakuro, is a trash game savant who applies his skills to this glitch-filled and broken fantasy world. The highly-awaited season 2 adds 25 more episodes and, with a third season already confirmed, Netflix subscribers can binge-ahead knowing that answers are on the way.

Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express Movie – June 1

Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express Movie is a theatrical edit of the 12-episode anime that served as the sequel to 2022’s Milky☆Highway. A bio-engineered superhuman and a cyborg are sentenced to community service cleaning the Milky Subway train, which soon turns into a macabre murder mystery. Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express is also a 3DCG anime that rises above the medium’s stereotypes and showcases some stunning visuals that properly celebrate space’s infinite wonder.

ONE PIECE: Whole Cake Island Batch 6 & 7 – June 1

There are close to 1000 episodes of One Piece on Netflix and it’s truly impressive how much the streamer has closed the gap in terms of what’s available from the franchise’s lengthy run. Whole Cake Island Batches 6 & 7 contain One Piece Episodes 850-863 and 864-877. Whole Cake Island is one of One Piece’s longer storylines, but these new episodes nearly bring it to a close as they detail Luffy’s top-tier battle against Charlotte Katakuri in Mirror World.