Summary
Netflix has improved its anime library by adding popular titles like My Hero Academia and Haikyu!! in 2024. The streaming service is making strides in fixing its handling of anime, now airing new releases as they air in Japan. While Netflix may not be able to compete with Crunchyroll in terms of content diversity, its focus on exclusive limited series sets it apart in the anime industry.
For many years now, Netflix has always been one of the more divisive names in anime, and with good reason. While Netflix has always been home to a lot of quality anime, especially in terms of original content, they tend to lack a lot of the content that other streaming services have and when combined with the new anime distribution model, They have historically not always been the best places for vehicles.
Netflix has always had a hard time promoting itself as an anime streaming site, but that has started to change in recent years. Not only has Netflix made great strides in improving its distribution model for newer anime, but also Netflix has also significantly increased its anime library in spring 2024 to have some of the most popular pre-set titles around.something they've been complaining about for years.
These changes have all been going on for a long time, and they all do a lot to really sell Netflix as a major player in the anime industry.
Netflix has finally added some of the biggest anime to its library
The biggest anime titles are now on Netflix
Spring 2024 sees Netflix announce plans to begin streaming a variety of new anime, and the new titles are impressive, to say the least. Starting from the end of March, Netflix has added more popular animated movies such as My Hero Academy, Haikyu!!And Black clover to their library, with plans for Spy X Family and Jujutsu Kaisen also to be added later this year. All of these titles are among the most popular anime to watch, and Netflix has finally added them to give them credibility as an anime streamer.
Of course, it's not just popular anime series that Netflix has added to their library, but movies as well. Spring 2024 alone, Netflix added suzume, My Hero Academia: Two HeroesAnd One Piece Movie: Red to their library, with Jujutsu Kaisen 0 also coming to Netflix later this year. All of these movies are among the most popular anime movies to come out in recent years, and when combined with the newly added anime lineup, Netflix's anime library has never looked better.
Netflix has improved its handling of anime
Netflix is better for anime than ever
Overall, Netflix's addition of so many new anime to their library is a great expansion of their previous efforts to improve their handling of anime. Netflix often applies its popular binge-watching model to anime, but since anime typically airs weekly, that means Netflix always waits until anime finishes airing in Japan before releasing it for viewing. As a result, it is virtually impossible for a new anime to attract any hype in the West due to extremely poor timing, thus giving Netflix the reputation of being a death sentence for anime.
Fortunately, Netflix has made great strides in fixing its distribution model in recent years. While the original titles still have all their episodes released at once, when it comes to licensed works, Netflix has finally started simulcasting anime as they air in Japan, which addresses the biggest problem people have with Netflix's handling of anime. That has gone a long way in cementing Netflix's reputation as an anime streaming site, and when combined with all the new anime they've started adding, it's becoming increasingly difficult to consider them as one. Getting major in the anime industry is easier than ever.
One Piece has benefited the most from Netflix's improvements
Netflix is going all-in on One Piece
Of all the anime that have benefited from Netflix's recent changes, the one that has benefited the most is definitely One Piece. Netflix is now not only home to One Piece Film: Red, the biggest and most popular film in the franchise, but also Netflix has begun simulcasting A piece starting from the Egghead Island arc, the first time they aired something without a clear end date. Netflix still doesn't have every episode available to stream at the time of writing, but it's still clear that One Piece has taken full advantage of Netflix's new methods.
Of course, all of that is just a byproduct of the overall effort Netflix has put into One Piece in recent years. Not only did Netflix invest a lot of money into this live-action series, even renewing it for a second season, but Netflix will also be the exclusive home of the upcoming anime reboot, One piece. That level of investment in One Piece, or any other anime, would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, so watching it now is a perfect demonstration of how Netflix is handling anime better than ever. how.
Netflix still can't become the next big anime streamer
Why Netflix probably won't dominate anime anytime soon
Netflix has done a lot recently to make a name for itself in the anime industry, but it's still unlikely to become the next big anime streamer anytime soon. The most recent additions to Netflix's anime library have added a lot to their collection, and the fact that they've finally gotten into the habit of simulcasting anime has also fixed a lot of the problems of the past their. Overall, Netflix has never been better for anime than it is nowand they will definitely get better in the future.
However, even with all that, it's hard for them to truly compete with streaming services like Crunchyroll or HIDIVE. Every season, those streaming services give people loads of new anime every week, but more often than not, Netflix will only stream one or two new anime at a time, so they always lack content compared to their competitors. Netflix doesn't seem to be doing anything to change that, so it's unlikely they'll be able to truly compete with Crunchyroll or HIDIVE any time soon.
That being said, it's not like Netflix needs to be exactly like other streaming services. Although simulcast chapters may be lacking, Netflix often becomes the exclusive home of incredible limited series like The Pluto, Cyberpunk: EdgerunnersAnd Devilman Crying Baby, so airing multiple anime at once is probably not an urgent concern for them. All the anime they added in the spring also shows that volume won't be an issue for long, so even if they aren't the biggest place for anime, Netflix will almost certainly become a major player one way or another.