There was a time when Crunchyroll was on a quest to outmatch Netflix at making exclusive in-house productions. As part of this strategy, the company founded Crunchyroll Studios, which existed all the way until Crunchyroll got acquired by Sony. Though this programming initiative proved to be a bumpy road, it ran long enough to give birth to a lineup of unique anime and animated series known as Crunchyroll Originals.
The Best Anime Movies on Crunchyroll: The 2026 Definitive Guide
Forget TV shows, Crunchyroll has an underappreciated library of anime movies. We are talking all-time great flicks and underrated gems.
This sizable roster of animation works across multiple genres is still available on the streaming platform starting from the Fan Tier subscription. With the growing number of anime delights on Crunchyroll these days, the platform’s spotlight naturally gravitates toward more recent shows. Crunchyroll Originals, however, remain a refreshing choice for some viewers.
Featuring some of the most unorthodox settings and styles in the modern history of animation, Crunchyroll Originals offer an offbeat way to spend time for viewers who don’t enjoy chaining their experience to tradition. Meant to stay ahead of their time, Crunchyroll Originals are less about sophisticated exploration of the mainstream and more about occasionally daring to go against expectations – for better or for worse.
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High Guardian Spice
1.7/10 on IMDb, 1.6/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Fantasy academy, magical girl, coming-of-age
- Good for: Morbid curiosity satisfaction
- Bad for: Time reserved for watching actual anime
Not qualifying as an anime series from a traditional standpoint, High Guardian Spice is widely acknowledged as one of the worst Crunchyroll Originals on the roster. In technical terms, this series is rather a Western animated cartoon, and it greets the audience with a major identity crisis in plain view.
On the one hand, its unsightly animation and superficial character arcs give High Guardian Spice a frivolous feel to say the least. On the other hand, the series doesn’t shy away from giving the viewer an occasional tonal whiplash the moment lighthearted slice-of-life scenes take sudden turns toward profanity and violence.
Even though it belongs among the anime with the lowest ratings out there, High Guardian Spice is bound to enjoy its inadvertent popularity with cringe-watching enthusiasts. The series may also find its viewers among those who like any and all shows that feature the aesthetic of Western magical girl animation works.
15
EX-ARM
1.8/10 on IMDb, 1.7/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Sci-fi action, cyberpunk, mecha
- Good for: Cringe-watching fun
- Bad for: The eyes
Notorious for being the worst Crunchyroll Original anime series in existence, EX–ARM doesn’t hold much of a rating to begin with. While the series attempts to follow the sci-fi genre with typical cyberpunk tropes, its non-existent animation quality does an excellent job at subverting whatever elusive trace of an immersive atmosphere that the anime could ever have.
Peppered with jarring instances of awful 3D CGI use and cringeworthy moments, EX–ARM has that glitchy feel of something straight from the couch co-op era. Granted, that’s exactly where the reason for watching this series might be hiding, as the anime makes for a great addition to the top “so bad, it’s good” anime series. As a collection of eye-searing and mind-bending moments, the anime is a certain cringe-watching delight in disguise.
14
Gibiate
4.2/10 on IMDb, 2.4/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Samurai action, dark fantasy, post-apocalyptic
- Good for: Hate-watching get-togethers
- Bad for: Fans who want substance and depth
Despite its ambitious narrative premise of ancient samurai warriors traveling through time to the horrors of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, Gibiate makes for an unsuccessful attempt to blend the historical, action, and dark fantasy anime genres. While the series stems from the cool character designs by Yoshitaka Amano, the Final Fantasy franchise art legend, the animation work never lets their artistic wonder bloom.
As we can tell from its ratings, Gibiate comes with an abundance of things that rub most anime fans wrong. From the multitude of animation errors to the writing plagued by ridiculous dialogues and characters with no emotional depth, Gibiate feels tailor-made for the collection of “so bad, it’s good” anime. The only aspect that lets this anime save face to some extent is the tasteful instrumental opening theme by the soundtrack legend Yuzo Koshiro and the Yoshida Brothers.
13
Meiji Gekken: 1874
6.1/10 on IMDb, 4.3/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Samurai action, historical fiction, political thriller
- Good for: History lovers
- Bad for: Fans who want worldbuilding harmony
Though not nearly as terrible as its previous counterparts, Meiji Gekken: 1874 proves to be a strong contender for the club of some of the worst-paced anime series in history. After all, the anime attempts to cover the entire slice of political sophistication that ran through the early days of Japan’s Meiji era within its humble runtime of just 10 episodes.
Besides its fragmented worldbuilding that chaotically weaves real history and fiction, Meiji Gekken: 1874 never keeps the overall atmosphere of the historical drama consistent. Its banal character tropes combined with occasional cartoon-like scenes feel inconsistent with the sophistication of the era in which the series is set.
Still and all, fans of the genre and history in general will likely find this series enjoyable enough to watch. The presence of real historical references and figures as well as the lack of any filler episodes may be appealing to certain viewers.
12
Blade Runner: Black Lotus
6.3/10 on IMDb, 4.1/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Sci-fi action, cyberpunk, neo-noir
- Good for: Dystopia aficionados
- Bad for: Fans who want top-of-the-range animation quality
Moving on to the more polarizing Crunchyroll Originals in our ranking, Blade Runner: Black Lotus is one of those love-hate anime series. Though we aren’t likely to see it among the top series in the cyberpunk anime genre in most rankings, many viewers may find a special place in their hearts for certain things that this anime does fairly well.
With its immersive worldbuilding and thought-out visual atmosphere, Blade Runner: Black Lotus does a great job at maintaining the dystopian vibe that so many fans of the cyberpunk genre hold dear. The series also does an excellent job at weaving smooth action sequences with kinetic fight scenes throughout the anime, owing to the directing geniuses from the Ghost in the Shell franchise — Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki.
On the flip side, the narrative that runs through this 13-episode series falls short of expectations among dedicated fans of the genre and feels unnecessarily stretched out. In addition to being the polar opposite of the top anime series with smooth pacing, Blade Runner: Black Lotus does a mediocre job at 3D CGI animation when it comes to character models, which seem to be straight out of the video games of the decade before the series.
11
FreakAngels
6.5/10 on IMDb, 3.1/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, psychological drama
- Good for: Exploring an unconventional world
- Bad for: Fans who expect a sense of completion from the ending
Adapting the popular same-titled webcomic, which blends the post-apocalyptic and steampunk genres, FreakAngels has divisive reception among viewers because of the attempt to merge its Western origins with traditional animation. Considering its rankings on both IMDb and Crunchyroll, the series makes for yet another “love it or hate it” animation work among Crunchyroll Originals.
Within its limited runtime of just nine episodes, FreakAngels does a decent job at immersive worldbuilding, with the typical atmosphere of the top series in the steampunk anime genre getting a refreshing dystopian twist. The series also boasts diverse character backgrounds and gets creative at depicting the ways in which they wield their powers.
Where FreakAngels disappoints certain viewers is the stilted feel of its animation. The series is peppered with unimpressive visuals and 3D CGI integration issues. In addition, the story pacing feels completely off. As the series ends up leaving the audience with the sense of a clumsy ending that feels rushed, it never gets to bring its main narrative threads to completion.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Guess the anime from the emojis.
Easy (120s)Medium (90s)Hard (60s)
10
In/Spectre
6.5/10 on IMDb, 4.4/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Rom-com, urban fantasy, supernatural mystery
- Good for: Exploring a fresh perspective on the supernatural mystery genre
- Bad for: Fans who want more visual storytelling
Adding to the club of Crunchyroll Originals that evoke conflicting feelings among their viewers, In/Spectre weaves its own unique blend of genres across urban fantasy, romance, and supernatural mystery. While it may not rank high among the top anime in the urban fantasy genre, the anime succeeds at building a very magnetic protagonist, Kotoko Iwanaga, as well as her unorthodox romance with the other protagonist, Kuro Sakuragawa.
The series also offers a fresh take on the supernatural mystery genre, as the underlying theme revolves around containing the truth rather than uncovering it. What some viewers find frustrating about In/Spectre, though, is the anime’s excessively slow pacing coupled with a distinct lack of visual storytelling.
Abounding in scenes where characters remain in the same setting and engage in windy debates, the series ends up making the viewer feel like they are reading rather than watching an episode. The anime also underdelivers in a major way when it comes to action sequences.
9
Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist
6.6/10 on IMDb, 4.5/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Urban fantasy, supernatural medicine, psychological drama
- Good for: Medical anime lovers
- Bad for: Fans who find gruesome scenes repulsive
Dr. Ramune: Mysterious Disease Specialist is a supernatural medical drama that earns its reputation as one of the top medical anime series. Where the series excels is its core premise. Beneath the surface of mysterious diseases of supernatural origin that trouble Dr. Ramune’s patients, the viewer finds the highly relatable theme of suppressed trauma and stress. The anime also delights many viewers with the tendency to conclude each episode on a healing note.
Erring on the safe side, however, the writing throughout the series keeps the level of predictability on the brink of pervasive boredom, making the viewer miss out on any significant suspense. What adds to this overarching lack of excitement is the quality of animation, which prioritizes stationary characters plagued by visual inconsistencies as shots and angles transition. The visual atmosphere of the series remains unimpressive, and the lack of compelling special effects only adds to this disappointment.
8
Onyx Equinox
7.0/10 on IMDb, 4.2/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Historical action, dark fantasy, mythological adventure
- Good for: Diving into unconventional settings
- Bad for: Fans who want smooth pacing
Boasting a daring world built in a very original setting, Onyx Equinox would certainly enrich the list of the best dark fantasy anime gems despite not being an anime from a traditional standpoint. The series goes against convention and draws on the ancient Mesoamerican culture, offering a careful depiction of its beliefs, architectural designs, and lifestyle. What the series also dives into is the grit and gore of exploring the extreme violence and inherent moral conflicts of this ancient civilization.
Where Onyx Equinox downplays its own amazing worldbuilding is the inconsistent animation quality of the series. Some episodes have a more polished feel than others, and the lingering sense of disconnect between the radiant bliss of cartoon-like character styles and the gruesome horror of scenes filled with human savagery is there. Adding to the frustration, the humble runtime of the series comes with volatile pacing, compressing the sophistication of its ambitious worldbuilding into very limited episode segments.
7
Noblesse
7.0/10 on IMDb, 4.6/5 on Crunchyroll
- Core genres: Vampire fiction, supernatural action, slice-of-life
- Good for: Enjoying refined characters and fight scenes
- Bad for: Fans who detest rushed adaptations
What stands out about Noblesse, compared with its counterparts so far, is the top-notch animation work by the world-renowned Japanese animation studio Production I.G. With characters and fight scenes getting the refinement that the audience deserves, the series makes the effort to bring high-quality visual storytelling to the viewer. Along with its tasteful soundtrack and the presence of certain anime side characters who steal the spotlight, the anime is a definite treat for the eyes.
Noblesse isn’t without its quirks, though, with the strange beginning of the series being a highlight among them. As the series kicks off, it’s practically impossible to get the sense of the plot without watching the original video animation titled Noblesse: Awakening, which the storyline builds on right off the bat. At the same time, the anime tries to fit over 150 chapters of the same-titled South Korean webtoon that it seeks to adapt into a 13-episode runtime. This virtually ensures butchered story pacing and the prevalence of banal tropes.
