HBO Max launched as a streaming service in May 2020; in 2023, Warner Bros rebranded the platform as simply Max. Although Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, and Disney Plus have much to offer as competitors, Max has its strengths too, particularly when it comes to HBO’s in-house projects and live-action movies. The latter are especially great, although the service is not lacking in animated goodness either.
However, the same cannot be said for Max’s anime series. Frankly, the selection is so limited that these shows are barely worth noting when someone is considering whether the platform is for them. To be fair, Max’s anime movie selection is great, so it is not like the service has nothing to offer fans; however, the series are just something extra. Still, what are the best anime on Max?
Updated on October 1, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror has debuted on Max, and it is shaping up to be something special (and terrifying).
6 Rick And Morty: The Anime (Episodes 1–7)
No Rick And Morty To Be Found
Starting as an array of shorts in 2020, Rick and Morty: The Anime morphed into a full show in 2024, giving the popular Western animated series a Japanese makeover. Unfortunately, it is not very good. Focusing on alternate realities, alien invasions, and long-lost future love, most of the core concepts make some sense within the Rick and Morty universe; however, their execution leaves a lot to be desired. For one, none of the characters feel like themselves, particularly the eponymous duo. Stripped of any defining traits, Morty is reduced to little more than a wide-eyed protagonist who has yet to do anything remotely funny. Even worse, Rick is played shockingly straight, to the point of just coming across like a slightly quirky scientist who occasionally enjoys a drink. The second secondary characters do not fare much better either, especially Summer.
So, die-hard Rick and Morty fans are unlikely to get much out of this anime, but how about newcomers who are just craving a silly sci-fi action comedy? Honestly, they will probably be confused. The first episode jumps back and forth between timelines, creating an incoherent whole that is just frustrating to watch. The other episodes are a bit better, but they are still messy. Even though the characters have very little in common with their Western versions, the anime also does not really introduce any of them, expecting viewers to be already familiar. The result is a show that is unlikely to satisfy veterans or beginners.
Check Out Rick And Morty: The Anime On Max
5 Housing Complex C
An Intriguing Setting & Mystery That Does Not Amount To Much
Housing Complex C aired during the Fall 2022 anime season, lasting for four episodes. The series attracted attention due to the fact horror anime are exceptionally rare. If one were to rank the genre’s best offerings of 2022, Housing Complex C would crack the top three since its only competitors would be the forgettable Theatre of Darkness: Yamishibai 10 and Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition, the latter of which barely counts as horror. Despite running almost unopposed, Housing Complex C is not even the best horror anime of the year.
Related
Best Horror Anime, Ranked
From psychological masterpieces to gore fests, these horror anime will send chills down the spines of even the most hardcore fans.
Part of this has to do with the show debuting with an English dub that, while not awful, is just lackluster enough to strip most scenes of any tension. In a seaside town, a housing complex is subjected to unexplainable phenomena following the arrival of a group of foreigners who clash with the locals. These events center around a young girl named Kimi, and they also tie into this location’s supernatural-themed history. Housing Complex C‘s premise has potential, but the anime’s rushed pacing causes most of its reveals to fall flat. The show also has way too big of a cast to properly cover in just four episodes, resulting in almost exclusively shallow characters. Although not classified as horror, Summer Time Rendering covers somewhat similar ground as Housing Complex C, and the former is one of 2022’s best anime.
Check Out Housing Complex C On Max
4 FLCL: Grunge & Shoegaze
Grunge Is Fairly Terrible, But Shoegaze Has Its Moments
2000’s FLCL is a cult classic, and despite feeling like a product of its era, the anime holds up well due to its sheer creativity and kinetic energy. Even though its surface story is fairly unhinged and chaotic, the show’s coming-of-age themes are universal and timeless. Since 2018, the series has been receiving sequels that have almost all struggled to justify their existence, and the most recent additions (Grunge and Shoegaze) are no exception.
Grunge acts as a prequel to the original OVA series, shining a light on Haruko’s history (along with exploring other characters). While not devoid of charm, the season’s three episodes are prone to retreading plot points that were handled much better in the original anime. Die-hard fans might get a kick out of some of Grunge‘s content, but they should keep their expectations low.
FLCL: Shoegaze is, overall, superior to Grunge, and it takes place roughly a decade after 2018’s Alternative. The season predominantly revolves around two teenagers who are desperately trying to strike a connection with the world, something they find in each other. They also try to blow up a building, which leads to the arrival of Alternative‘s protagonist. Shoegaze would have benefited from a 6-episode run as the show rushes through its content, causing both of its leads to come across as shallow.
3 Ninja Kamui
A Very Strong Start Is Let Down By A Poor Second Half
Launching late into the Winter 2024 season, Ninja Kamui came out of nowhere and instantly left a great impression thanks to a stellar opening episode. Gorgeously animated and featuring gory and visceral fights reminiscent of classics like Ninja Scroll, E&H Production’s show felt like a breath of fresh air, and it managed to stand out in a season that contained plenty of fantastic action shows like Solo Leveling, Shangri-La Frontier, and Kingdom. As the season progressed, Ninja Kamui‘s shine gradually dulled, to the point of the series becoming an afterthought once Winter shifted into Spring. Its Max exclusivity and Warner Bros production likely loosened the restrictions that would have been placed on the fight sequences if the series aired on standard television; however, this same exclusivity also capped Ninja Kamui‘s reach, especially since Max has largely abandoned anime in recent years.
Moving beyond the technical issues, Ninja Kamui‘s memorable action is somewhat undermined by a bland protagonist and a fairly uninspired story. After escaping his shinobi heritage alongside his wife, Higan can do nothing but helplessly watch as his family is massacred. Through an innate ability, he survives and sets out to eradicate his former clan, a mission that paves the way to plenty of intense battles. While touching upon a few interesting ideas like blending modern technology/AI with classic ninja roles, the story generally plays things safe, resulting in a predictable and occasionally dull journey. Higan adds to that perspective by playing things too straight, making him a forgettable lead. That said, the action carries Ninja Kamui‘s early episodes.
Unfortunately, Ninja Kamui loses quite a lot of momentum as it goes along, particularly once the action begins to revolve around mecha armor. At that point, the anime goes from shallow but fun to just forgettable. Still, season 2 is confirmed to be in the works.
2 Suicide Squad Isekai
Safe Entertainment
Honestly, Suicide Squad Isekai being the best anime on Max is an indictment of the service’s poor coverage. That’s not to say that this adventure has no high points or entertainment value, but it is forgettable and just slightly above average. The gulf between Max’s anime movies and series is vast, and the platform just cannot be recommended for the latter. Frankly, these shows barely qualify as a nice bonus since none of them are legitimately must-watch. At best, they are an OK way to spend a couple of hours when there is almost nothing else available.
Moving past that burst of general negativity, Suicide Squad Isekai is perfectly watchable. Wit Studio got to play around with a couple of Warner Bros’ DC toys, and they dropped them into a by-the-numbers fantasy world that mostly serves as an excuse to pit Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Clayface, Peacemaker, and King Shark against a series of minor villains. Considering the show was written by Re:Zero‘s creator, the narrative’s predictability and refusal to try anything risky whatsoever is somewhat disappointing; however, as pure popcorn fun, Suicide Squad Isekai gets the job done.
The main reason to watch this anime is its core characters, all of whom are likable, energetic, and play off each other well. They are relatively true to their source material, although they take inspiration from modern releases like the Harley Quinn TV series. While Harley is essentially the protagonist, Suicide Squad Isekai focuses on the group’s dynamic a lot, permitting each member to shine during the many action sequences. Speaking of the latter, they are generally solid, particularly an encounter with a dragon.
Check Out Suicide Squad Isekai On Max
1 Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror (Episode 1)
Welcome To Junji Ito’s Nightmare
Unless something goes seriously wrong in its remaining episodes, Uzumaki: Spiral Into Horror will be the best Max anime when everything is said and done. Frankly, even after only one Uzumaki episode, the horror show is already better than any other anime on the streaming service, which is both praise for the former and damnation for the latter. More importantly, Fugaku seems to have finally cracked the code and designed an adaptation that successfully captures the (horrifying) magic of a Junji Ito story.
In a move that seems obvious in hindsight, Uzumaki opts to retain the manga’s art style, basically coming across like an animated version of the source material. On the one hand, this decision can make the anime seem unnecessary; conversely, it preserves the story’s imagery and intensity, rather than neutering or undermining them as most adaptations tend to do.
Now, Uzumaki is among Junji Ito’s most decorated manga, along with being one of the creator’s few long-form projects that go beyond one-shots. For the uninitiated, the story is set in a town that becomes haunted by a rather strange phenomenon: spirals. They start to appear in the water, the air, and people’s eyes. Cosmic horror usually revolves around massive creatures, but Uzumaki shows that a simple spiral can be the stuff of nightmares when weaponized by a master author.
Western Animation Shows On Max That Anime Fans Might Enjoy
As a subscriber could realistically get through Max’s full anime series catalog in a weekend, they might need a few more recommendations to keep them busy for a couple of months. Thankfully, the platform fares better when it comes to Western animated shows, and there are even a handful of options that take inspiration from anime.
Samurai Jack
A Cartoon Network classic, Samurai Jack is named after its titular hero, a prince born in feudal Japan who is sent to the distant future by his arch-nemesis, Aku. In this era, the villain has taken over the world, prompting Jack to go on an odyssey to defeat Aku, return to his past, and change the future.
Bolstered by Tartakovsky’s stylish and innovative direction, Samurai Jack is consistently incredible, regardless of whether it is focusing on episodic content (seasons 1–4) or serial storytelling (season 5). Stoic and even slightly arrogant, Jack captivates without needing to say much, and he is powerful enough to be a genuine threat to Aku but also vulnerable enough to be regularly endangered by enemies of the week.
Unicorn: Warriors Eternal
and
Primal
are also easy recommendations for anyone remotely interested in animated content.
Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
Scooby-Doo! is a pop culture institution that needs no introduction and its many shows have nothing in common with anime. However, Mystery Incorporated is a unique beast when compared to the rest of the franchise’s output, and it is one of the few projects that can be recommended to non-fans.
While still containing monsters-of-the-week episodes, the series also tells a continuous story that goes to some rather strange places as it progresses. The characters are also not static, and they actively grow throughout the two seasons. The show even has proper romances rather than the winks found in most Scooby-Doo! series. Mystery Incorporated blends comedy and mystery very well, and it has a distinct art style that has aged beautifully.
Teen Titans
Teen Titans wears its anime influence loudly and proudly. Featuring an art style that blends Japanese influence with the DCAU, the Cartoon Network show’s presentation has aged beautifully, and the same can be said for the designs of the characters. Teen Titans‘ hilarious humor is probably its most obvious “anime” quality, but the rest of the show is also top-notch.
As its name suggests, Teen Titans focuses on a group of young heroes: Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. Each season highlights a different character, and the main plot thread’s tone tends to shift to match their personalities. While the arcs are generally great, Teen Titans also knocks its standalone episodes out of the park, which regularly deliver stellar action, comedy, and drama.
Scavengers Reign
Scavengers Reign did not make that much of a splash when it was released toward the end of 2023, which is a shame as there is a lot to appreciate here. The sci-fi genre is fairly well-worn by this point, and only a handful of mainstream stories tend to offer something exciting; Scavengers Reign is one of those select few. The 12-episode series follows three groups of survivors who land on an alien planet. While they are all from the same ship, they don’t know about each other, so they are all going on separate adventures that occasionally interact.
Scavengers Reign is all about Vesta, the world that the humans (and one robot) land on. Each episode highlights new elements of this ecosystem, creating a planet that feels fully developed rather than just a series of challenges for the heroes to overcome. The animation is also fantastic, harboring back to a classical style rather than a modern aesthetic. While not necessarily “anime”, the art style arguably takes some inspiration from Japanese animation too.
