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10 Best Anime to Watch on Netflix in January 2026
2026 is finally here, and as the first month of the year, anime fans await the new lineup of exciting series listed in the Winter lineup. Each season offers something new to the anime world while also premiering the sequels to some of the most beloved shows. However, most of these anime series release weekly episodes, while new films can take months before hitting U.S. theaters. Lucky for us, there’s no shortage of incredible anime shows and films already available on streaming services that you can watch anytime. As the anime industry grows at an exponential rate, more and more classic and famous anime are added to the streaming giant Netflix.
Instead of focusing on the entire seasonal lineup, Netflix is exclusive to a limited number of new shows and films, some of them even originals that are completely beyond the realm of mainstream anime. As the year rolls in, we have just the perfect list of ten anime, including series and films, for you to watch this month.
10) Drifting Home
This coming-of-age film follows eleven-year-olds Kosuke Kumagaya and Natsume Tonai, who grew up like siblings but drifted apart after the death of Kosuke’s grandfather. One summer break, Kosuke and his classmates sneak inside his old housing complex that’s been scheduled for demolition, not expecting to see Natsume there. As Kosuke and Natsume get into a heated argument, the kids that the entire apartment complex lifts off and drifts into a vast, mysterious ocean. Stranded and with no way to reach home, the kids must put their differences aside and find a way to return.
9) Carole & Tuesday
Carole & Tuesday remains one of Shinichirō Watanabe’s most underappreciated works, even almost seven years after its premiere. The story is set 50 years after humanity moved to Mars, where AI has dominated every field, even the music industry. Tuesday, the daughter of a powerful politician, runs away from home to pursue her dream of making music. After having her suitcase stolen and having no clue about her future, she comes across Carole, an orphaned refugee from Earth, who shares the same passion as her. The girls hit it off immediately and began working together, aspiring to make it big in the industry.
8) Lost in Starlight
Lost in Starlight is the first globally released Korean animated film. The story is set in the year 2050, blending retro and futuristic elements, all the while following Nan-young, an astronaut who dreams of leading the next Mars Expedition Project. However, she has been put on standby after failing the psych test and returns to Korea for a break. She runs into Jay, who abandoned his dream of making music several years ago and now works at a vintage audio equipment store. The story continues as the two encourage each other to embrace their dreams while also dealing with their growing feelings, even though they may have to part soon.
7) Big Fish & Begonia
This gorgeous film is one of the best and most underrated works in the history of Chinese animation. The story follows a young girl named Chun in a mystical realm beneath the human world. She is about to undergo her coming-of-age ritual, where she has to transform into a red dolphin and roam around the human seas for seven days. Her long-awaited moment becomes a nightmare when she’s caught in a fishing net and rescued by a human boy who drowns while trying to save her. As Chun feels guilty and indebted to him, she returns to her world, determined to restore his soul no matter what price she has to pay for it.
6) Kotaro Lives Alone
Despite having a melancholic undertone, the anime blends warmth and humor in the story as it follows Kotaro Sato, a four-year-old boy who lives alone in a small apartment. His circumstances have forced him to act more mature than his age as he handles the daily tasks, such as cooking and cleaning, all by himself. His behavior worries his neighbors, including Shin, a manga artist who ends up taking care of the boy. As the story continues, Shin and the neighbors learn about his past and how the boy still longs for the warmth of the family he never got.
5) Forest of Piano
Netflix will remove this anime on September 28th this year, which is why it’s more important than ever to watch this exceptional show before that happens. The story is based on the award-winning manga by Makoto Isshiki, following Kai Ichinose, a young boy who grew up in the red-light district. He finds comfort in playing an abandoned piano in the forest, not expecting that his raw talent will catch the eye of his teacher, Sosuke Ajino, a former world-renowned pianist. Hoping to nurture Kai’s talent, Ajino takes the boy under his wing and teaches him to hone his talent.
4) The Way of the Househusband
This wholesome anie series brings a new set of hilarious events in each episode, challenging Tatsu’, a househusband’s ability to manage the house. As a former yakuza, he suddenly disappeared from the underworld and returned as a devoted stay-at-home husband to support his wife, Miku, a hardworking career woman. The story centers around his day-to-day life as his intense yakuza mannerisms and attitude make even the simplest tasks feel like high-stakes operations. Not to mention that he is surprisingly good at household chores, cooking gourmet meals, keeping the house spotlessly clean, hunting for the best supermarket deals, and budgeting to the best of his abilities.
3) Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is returning with its third season this month, so now is a perfect time to catch up with the anime. While Season 3 might take a while to be added to Netflix, the first two seasons are already streaming. The story centers around Yuji Itadori, whose ordinary life turns upside down when he consumes a special-grade cursed object and becomes a vessel to the strongest sorcerer in history, Ryomen Sukuna. As the first person in over a thousand years to contain the legendary being, Yuji must do everything he can to contain the powerful entity and locate the remaining fingers. With the help of Satoru Gojo and Megumi Fushiguro, he soon enrolls at Jujutsu High in Tokyo alongside Megumi to learn everything about the world of Jujutsu.
2) Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho is another incredible anime that will leave the platform this year, but unlike Forest of Piano, you can still stream it on other services. The anime is based on ONE’s award-winning manga, the same author as One-Punch Man, following Shigeo Kageyama, also known as Mob, an eighth-grade student who is far from ordinary. Although he wants to keep his destructive psychic abilities hidden from the world, things don’t always go the way one wants. He begins working under Arataka Reigen, who wants to make use of Mob’s unique abilities. As Arataka wishes, Mob continues to fight evil spirits with his powers, as the troubles surrounding him never cease to exist.
1) Parasyte: The Maxim
As one of the greatest seinen series ever made, Parasyte: The Maxim explores humanity and the meaning of being human with exceptional depth and nuance. The story follows Shinichi Izumi, a 17-year-old high school student who falls victim to the worldwide alien invasion, where worm-like alien parasites take over human bodies and live among them. Because Shinichi was wearing headphones, the alien ended up infecting his right hand instead of his brain, and the two somehow learn to coexist. While Shinichi’s alien doesn’t crave mindless destruction, the same can’t be said about the others. Left with no other choice, Shinichi must confront the threats of the alien invasion and find a way to save humanity.
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