Netflix Is Losing Dandadan Studio’s Most Acclaimed Anime in April

2026 is yet another exciting year for anime fans with several incredible anime debuts and sequels. The Winter 2026 anime season is almost over, and it included some of the best sequels ever, including Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 and Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2. Additionally, Netflix has its own list of series being added to the platform each month. The platform has already debuted acclaimed anime such as Love Through a Prism, Cosmic Princess Kaguya, and more incredible shows and films streaming exclusively on Netflix. In recent years, the streaming giant has been delving deeper into the world of anime with new projects as the industry continues to grow at an exponential rate.

As one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world, Netflix already has several incredible series available for streaming and continues to expand almost every month. Unfortunately, while Netflix often adds new anime to the platform, it also has to remove a few of them for any number of reasons. On April 1st, 2026, the platform will remove the acclaimed film Inu-Oh, a dark fantasy film by Dandadan‘s studio Science SARU.

What Is Inu-Oh About?

This underrated series is directed by the renowned director affiliated with Science SARU, Masaaki Yuasa, and doesn’t fail to surprise viewers with yet another unique animation style. The story takes place 300 years after the fall of the legendary Heike Clan from The Tale of the Heike, a crucial record of Japanese history. The film centers on the story of Inu-Oh, a talented but disfigured dancer believed to be born with a curse, and Tomona, a blind biwa musician.

Tomona lost his sight and his father after diving for an ancient sword in the waters where the battle of Dan-no-ura was fought. Since both of them were ostracized for being different from others, they quickly form a bond and create a duo that becomes known for their creative performances, which uncover the truth behind the forgotten stories of the Heike Clan.

Why Is Inu-Oh Being Removed?

While there’s almost never an official announcement regarding a series or a film being removed, the main reason is often because of the expiration of the licensing deals. Oftentimes, the platform just wants to cut costs and remove less-popular titles to manage costs, which also helps them maintain the library size. While there’s always a chance that the license can be renewed, there’s no way of knowing if and when an anime will return.

This year, Netflix is removing over a hundred series and films, including anime such as Mob Psycho and even the original series, Sirius the Jaeger. Anime like Inu-Oh is underwhelmingly underrated, which is why its future looks bleak despite having an exceptional story and animation. This includes other anime being removed this year, but there’s always a chance that at least some of the titles can return after a few months or even longer.

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