11 of the Absolute Best Anime You Should Stream in January 2024 - CNET
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Updated Jan. 13, 2024 4:00 a.m. PT
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Kourtnee Jackson
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Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment news and reviews at CNET. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities, and streaming platforms.
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This year will be filled with new and returning anime that sweep audiences into stories about demons, magic, blossoming romances, superhero adventures and classroom politics. Though fans will have to wait for Suicide Squad Isekai, Junji Ito's Uzumaki, Oshi no Ko season 2 and more Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, we can kick off 2024 with some winter releases like Solo Leveling.
Whether you like comedy, fantasy or monster battles, January has something to offer. Check out this list for a look at some of the latest anime you can stream during the month on Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix and other streaming services.
Sung Jinwoo is an underdog with meager talent as a hunter -- until he mysteriously acquires new supernatural powers. In a world where monsters lurk, waiting to tear humans and magical hunters to bits, Jinwoo is seeking answers, leveling up his power and protecting humanity. Meet all the hunters, healers and monsters by streaming the series on Crunchyroll each Saturday at 9:30 a.m. PT.</p>" edition="us" filtershortcodetypes="" imagecredit="Solo Leveling Animation Partners" imagegroup="{"uuid":"0dcb0e81-aea4-4e45-830d-b3f5254dca00","alt":"animated scene from solo leveling","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Solo Leveling Animation Partners","imageData":{"id":"0dcb0e81-aea4-4e45-830d-b3f5254dca00","filename":"solo-leveling-crunchyroll.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/5c543c3d8ccfb6b91b9f720bb58cb38cd11087d4/hub/2024/01/04/0dcb0e81-aea4-4e45-830d-b3f5254dca00/solo-leveling-crunchyroll.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-01-04 22:35:20.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/5c543c3d8ccfb6b91b9f720bb58cb38cd11087d4/hub/2024/01/04/0dcb0e81-aea4-4e45-830d-b3f5254dca00/solo-leveling-crunchyroll.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Solo Leveling Animation Partners","imageAltText":"animated scene from solo leveling","imageFilename":"solo-leveling-crunchyroll.jpg","imageWidth":3265,"imageHeight":1869,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-01-04","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="1" isbestlistredesign="true" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"36qftmi7a97a4fi","type":"listicle"}" offer="" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Solo Leveling Animation Partners" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" showdetails="true" superlative="" tagslugs="hulu,netflix,animation" techobjectinfo="" tocheadlineitem="[object Object]" totalfilteritems="0" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
Sung Jinwoo is an underdog with meager talent as a hunter -- until he mysteriously acquires new supernatural powers. In a world where monsters lurk, waiting to tear humans and magical hunters to bits, Jinwoo is seeking answers, leveling up his power and protecting humanity. Meet all the hunters, healers and monsters by streaming the series on Crunchyroll each Saturday at 9:30 a.m. PT.
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Do you love stories about androids and humans? The cyberpunk-themed Metallic Rouge is a new anime from Studio Bones that follows a Nean -- aka android -- called Rouge and her partner, Naomi. The pair is tasked with a mission to Mars to quell an anti-government group of androids called the Immortal Nine. Watch it each Wednesday at 10:25 a.m. PT (1:25 p.m. ET) on Crunchyroll.
It'll be a busy time for Blue Exorcist, which began airing its newest season on Jan. 6, after a long hiatus. This installment covers the Shimane Illuminati Saga, where Rin and other True Cross Academy students get swamped with consultations due to a rise in strange activity. Watch the exorcists-in-training chase down mysteries as Lucifer declares war on them while he hatches another nefarious plan. Stream Saturdays at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on Crunchyroll.
The stakes are high after Kiyotaka and his classmates make it to Class C, where a co-ed test will determine who's getting expelled. Students have to work together -- even with adversaries -- to pass the test. Catch up with Kiyotaka, Suzune, Honami and the others at Tokyo Koudo Ikusei Senior High School each Wednesday at 10 a.m. ET on Crunchyroll.
New to Hulu, Ishura is adapted from Keiso's light novel of the same name. With the Demon King gone, a bunch of demigods battle each other for the ultimate power in the world. Watch new episodes of the series each Wednesday on Hulu. </p>" edition="us" filtershortcodetypes="" imagecredit="Ken Wakui/Kodansha/Tokyo Revengers Anime Production Committee" imagegroup="{"uuid":"3ef95133-bb74-417d-831e-83dad6efd560","alt":"young man bears his teeth","caption":null,"credits":"Keiso, Kureta, Kadokawa/Ishura Production Committee","imageData":{"id":"3ef95133-bb74-417d-831e-83dad6efd560","filename":"ishura-hulu.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/8842c40a7652e09e663df2819c1f220083150a23/hub/2024/01/11/3ef95133-bb74-417d-831e-83dad6efd560/ishura-hulu.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-01-11 17:06:19.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/8842c40a7652e09e663df2819c1f220083150a23/hub/2024/01/11/3ef95133-bb74-417d-831e-83dad6efd560/ishura-hulu.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":null,"imageCredit":"Keiso, Kureta, Kadokawa/Ishura Production Committee","imageAltText":"young man bears his teeth","imageFilename":"ishura-hulu.jpg","imageWidth":1498,"imageHeight":798,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-01-11","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="2" isbestlistredesign="true" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"57rrm3cleki6tn1","type":"listicle"}" offer="" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Ken Wakui/Kodansha/Tokyo Revengers Anime Production Committee" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" showdetails="true" superlative="" tagslugs="hulu,netflix,animation" techobjectinfo="" tocheadlineitem="[object Object]" totalfilteritems="0" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
New to Hulu, Ishura is adapted from Keiso's light novel of the same name. With the Demon King gone, a bunch of demigods battle each other for the ultimate power in the world. Watch new episodes of the series each Wednesday on Hulu.
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A MAPPA production, this anime introduces Arajin Tomoshibi and Matakara Asamine, two old friends who have a nice reunion until they get caught up in a fight with the town brutes. When a genie appears, the story takes another odd turn. Tune in beginning Saturday, Jan. 13, at 8:30 a.m. PT on Crunchyroll.
Humans and monsters do not coexist well in Sengoku Youko, and an evil plot to transform people into katawara means friendly alliances form. Tama the fox spirit loves humans, and is willing to defy his own kind to defend them from monsters. Stream the action fantasy on Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. PT on Crunchyroll.
Fans of oddball rom-coms can stream the return of the The Dangers in My Heart. Kyotaro is filled with dark thoughts, but meeting his classmate Anna begins to transform him. Watch their budding relationship unfold with new episodes each Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on Hidive.</p>" edition="us" filtershortcodetypes="" imagecredit="Daiki Kobayashi/Shimpei Aoki/Square Enix" imagegroup="{"uuid":"78cf36e2-d123-45cb-bfe4-f4e9596a7189","alt":"young girl gazes at the back of a young boy","caption":null,"credits":"Norio Sakurai/AkitaShoten/The Dangers in My Heart Committee","imageData":{"id":"78cf36e2-d123-45cb-bfe4-f4e9596a7189","filename":"dangers-heart-anime-hidive.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/ae56fd78e36403836028089816b2d88d07e84a1c/hub/2024/01/11/78cf36e2-d123-45cb-bfe4-f4e9596a7189/dangers-heart-anime-hidive.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-01-11 17:28:51.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/ae56fd78e36403836028089816b2d88d07e84a1c/hub/2024/01/11/78cf36e2-d123-45cb-bfe4-f4e9596a7189/dangers-heart-anime-hidive.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":null,"imageCredit":"Norio Sakurai/AkitaShoten/The Dangers in My Heart Committee","imageAltText":"young girl gazes at the back of a young boy","imageFilename":"dangers-heart-anime-hidive.jpg","imageWidth":836,"imageHeight":444,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-01-11","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="3" isbestlistredesign="true" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"9wiogrmvch1iwqe","type":"listicle"}" offer="" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Daiki Kobayashi/Shimpei Aoki/Square Enix" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" showdetails="true" superlative="" tagslugs="hulu,netflix,animation" techobjectinfo="" tocheadlineitem="[object Object]" totalfilteritems="0" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
Fans of oddball rom-coms can stream the return of the The Dangers in My Heart. Kyotaro is filled with dark thoughts, but meeting his classmate Anna begins to transform him. Watch their budding relationship unfold with new episodes each Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on Hidive.
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If you're in the mood for comedy with a Harry Potter slant, then check out season 2 of Mashle. Follow Mash Burnedead's latest exploits as he fakes it till he makes it at Easton Magic Academy. This season picks up with the Divine Visionary Candidate Exam arc, where classmates are pitted against each other. Stream each Saturday at 9:30 a.m. PT (12:30 p.m. ET) on Crunchyroll.
The show debuted Sept. 29 and has returned this month with new episodes. Based on the fantasy manga by Kanehito Yamada, the story follows Frieren, an elf magician who's inspired to start a new adventure after returning from a 50-year journey to acquire magic knowledge. Her human friends have aged, and she winds up caring for her friend's adopted child, who comes along on her next adventure. Stream each Friday on Crunchyroll at 11 a.m. ET.
The One Piece spinoff will land on Netflix on Jan. 21, but it's a one-off episode with a runtime that's less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, fans may want to see Ryuma come to life from this manga's vast universe that includes the warrior from the Land of Wano. According to Netflix, he's a "samurai entangled in a world disrupted by an ominous force -- a dragon capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction upon the land."</p>" edition="us" filtershortcodetypes="" imagecredit="Netflix" imagegroup="{"uuid":"2f99295f-8c7c-4b6f-bec9-701f5de97459","alt":"animated woman, dragon and samurai take duel positions","caption":null,"credits":"Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/ONE PIECE production committee","imageData":{"id":"2f99295f-8c7c-4b6f-bec9-701f5de97459","filename":"netflix-monsters-103-mercies-dragon-damnation.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/16cb18bc375aeb270b1fa72f3f4623e5ba0b9d1b/hub/2024/01/11/2f99295f-8c7c-4b6f-bec9-701f5de97459/netflix-monsters-103-mercies-dragon-damnation.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2024-01-11 18:05:26.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/16cb18bc375aeb270b1fa72f3f4623e5ba0b9d1b/hub/2024/01/11/2f99295f-8c7c-4b6f-bec9-701f5de97459/netflix-monsters-103-mercies-dragon-damnation.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":null,"imageCredit":"Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha/ONE PIECE production committee","imageAltText":"animated woman, dragon and samurai take duel positions","imageFilename":"netflix-monsters-103-mercies-dragon-damnation.jpg","imageWidth":540,"imageHeight":365,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2024-01-11","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" index="4" isbestlistredesign="true" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block="{"id":"s3hw30la6h5zvmt","type":"listicle"}" offer="" overridecaption="<p></p>" overridecredit="Netflix" page-position="" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" showdetails="true" superlative="" tagslugs="hulu,netflix,animation" techobjectinfo="" tocheadlineitem="[object Object]" totalfilteritems="0" truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">
The One Piece spinoff will land on Netflix on Jan. 21, but it's a one-off episode with a runtime that's less than 30 minutes. Nevertheless, fans may want to see Ryuma come to life from this manga's vast universe that includes the warrior from the Land of Wano. According to Netflix, he's a "samurai entangled in a world disrupted by an ominous force -- a dragon capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction upon the land."