The 15 Best Netflix Original Animated Series

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• The 15 Best Netflix Original Animated Series

“Animation is not a genre. Animation is an art form and can do any genre. " As the director of The Incredibles and the Iron Giant, Brad Bird should know what he's talking about, and looking at how the medium has evolved over the last 30 years, it's impossible to disagree. As early as the early 1990s, the Cartoons were still widely seen as something for kids Since then, however, The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park have paved the way for more adult-oriented animation on television, while pioneers like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Laika have pushed the boundaries of what hosts can accomplish on screen.Today's entertainment is a huge church that ranges from preschool comedy to sophisticated examinations of the human soul.As with its live programming, Netflix's animated content explores a wide range of styles, genres, and themes, and many of its shows are absolutely essential to watch.In this list, TechRadar has rounded up 15 of the best Netflix original animated series you can watch right now, whether you're in Grainy sci-fi, family comedy or sword-wielding warrior princesses, there's something for you here.

She-Ra and the princesses of power

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) The original She-Ra was a spin-off of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, an '80s cartoon that was much better at spanking toys than tell stories. Few seriously believed a return was necessary, until this hit Netflix show proves otherwise. Series creator Noelle Stevenson has been focused on reinvention, creating a fun, smart, and sophisticated saga that couldn't be further from the in-your-face source material. With He-Man nowhere to be found, twin sister Adora takes center stage, wielding the magical sword that turns her into She-Ra and displaying refreshing XNUMXst century attitudes towards representation. The kind of Saturday morning cartoon that encourages her children to watch.

Love, death + robots

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) With Black Mirror, a rebooted Twilight Zone, and Inside No 9, the anthology series has experienced something of a renaissance in recent years. However, the genius at the heart of Love, Death + Robots is that by telling its unique stories through the medium of animation, the show ensured that its only limits are the imaginations of its writers. Fortunately, he has an ingenious plan to overcome this particular hurdle, adapting short stories from some of the best genre authors on the planet, Peter F Hamilton, Alastair Reynolds, and John Scalzi. Among the best science fiction movies currently on television.

Disenchantment

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) After creating The Simpsons, Matt Groening would have been forgiven for throwing away his pencil and walking away from animation forever. Thank goodness he didn't, because then we wouldn't have been treated to the incomparable 31st-century adventures of Futurama, or Disenchantment, a deliciously twisted interpretation of epic fantasy. With plenty of Groening-brand overcompressions, numerous pop culture references, and sharp spikes from the modern world, there's no doubting the new show hails from the same stable as its predecessors. But it's also home to more adult themes and offers a more serialized arc design, perfect for the age of binge TV.

BoJack Horseman

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) The talking horse cartoon who was once the star of his own hit sitcom? BoJack Horseman looked, on paper at least, like it was going to be the height of stupidity when it galloped onto Netflix in 2014. Raphael Bob-Waksberg's undefinable spectacle has defied expectations ever since, evolving from a hilarious and scathing satire on Hollywood. , albeit one where animals and humans live side by side, into something much more ambitious. By turns funny, sad, and oddly uncomfortable (and sometimes even comforting), few TV shows have seen the human (and equine) condition. One of the gems in Netflix's impressive crown.

Castlevania

(Image Credit: Netflix) (Image Credit: Netflix) The vampire-infested console actuator that has scared gamers since the 1980s is being reinvented into a TV series, putting most TV shows to shame. other video game adaptations. The Hobbit's Richard Armitage voices monster-hunting hero Trevor Belmont, teaming up with Dracula's half-human son Alucard (Battlestar Galactica's James Callis) against the nefarious Earl. With plenty of gore, each episode penned by comic book legend Warren Ellis and anime-inspired visuals is clearly aimed at old-school fans of the franchise; in fact, it is likely that you did not want your children to hear.

Voltron: Legendary Defender

(Image Credit: Netflix) (Image Credit: Netflix) A republished and republished reimagining of the Japanese anime Beast King GoLion, Voltron has retained plenty of appeal since its inception in the '80s. This latest incarnation tells the story of five pilots. teenagers whose robot lions unite to form a giant mecha fighting machine called Voltron: Earth's last defense against the evil Galra Empire. Thankfully, the showrunners and Avatar: Last Airbender veterans Lauren Montgomery and Joaquim dos Santos realize that cool iconography isn't enough to carry the show, and they load up the series with epic space action and fun beats - so like surprisingly dark themes about PTSD and grief.

Dragons: Race to the Edge

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) Spinoff movies don't have to be cheap collections. Just as the Star Wars universe was undeniably enhanced by the existence of The Clone Wars and Rebels, this long-running series is an essential addition to the growing Viking adventures of How to Train Your Dragon. Granted, the Cressida Cowell stories don't pack as much dramatic punch as the George Lucas saga, but nonetheless, Hiccup and Toothless's adventures between the first two movies are appropriately epic. The CG animation is much better than you'd normally expect on TV, and with most of the film's actors taking over their roles, Dragons looks like a successful sequel in episodic form.

Troll Hunter

(Image Credit: Netflix) (Image Credit: Netflix) From Hellboy to Pan's Labyrinth, from the devil's backbone to the shape of water, Guillermo del Toro has a long history of infusing tales of the supernatural. with memorable characters and a lot of heart. So it's not surprising that the animated series he created follows a similar pattern. There's a definite Buffy vibe to the show, as ordinary boy Jim discovers he's the one chosen to protect his town from the subterranean beasts, taking the coat of the first human Trollhunter. It's part of a larger universe, too: The second series in del Toro's Tales of Arcadia trilogy, the sci-fi 3Below, debuted in 2018, while the final episode of Wizards is slated for August 2020.

The midnight gospel

(Image Credit: Netflix) (Image Credit: Netflix) Pendleton Ward, creator of the hit animated series Adventure Time, teams up with comedian Duncan Trussell to create another slice of exciting surrealism. Where Adventure Time focuses on the fantasy world of Ooo, The Midnight Gospel defines its coordinates for space, that is, a strange dimension known as the color ribbon. From there, an astronaut named Clancy (actually a podcaster with interstellar scope) uses his illegal multiverse simulator to interrogate beings from other planets. Although there are only eight episodes available to date, The Midnight Gospel has already proven to be endlessly inventive, visually elegant and emotionally powerful - and utterly unlike anything else on television. He crosses his fingers, he gets the green light for the second season.

Tuca and Bertie

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) With a pair of anthropomorphized birds as its main characters, Tuca & Bertie sounds a lot like a BoJack Horseman spin-off. Though it was created by BoJack production designer Lisa Hanawalt, this one-season wonder is truly its own beast. In the background are two avian best friends, the high-mouthed toucan Tuca and his Grive's roommate, Bertie. Packed with clever puns and sight gags (Facebeak anyone?), the show offers a unique perspective on life and love in the XNUMXst century. Still, its asset is the cast of top comedians Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong in the lead roles - it's a double act we'd like to see more of.

Big Mouth

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) Don't be put off by the unsophisticated animation style. Like Netflix's Stablemate Sex Education, Big Mouth is impressively candid when it comes to bodily functions and other growth-related issues, even though its characters are regularly visited by surreal products of their imaginations, like a Wizard of Shame and a hormone monster named Maurice. Co-creators Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg drew on their own teenage experiences to tell the story of best friends Andrew and Nick, but it's hard to believe their real lives were funny enough, as with The Inbetweeners, Big Mouth shows that teens can get away with yours with the raw jaws that no one else can.

F is for family

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) If you thought The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Family Guy were all the upbeat suburban family comedies you'd need, think again because F is for Family is a worthy addition to the subgenre. In fact, co-creator/star Bill Burr's show instantly stands out from these other shows with its 1970s decor, an era that puts a very different perspective on the world. Family Patriarch Frank Murphy is an angry guy, increasingly disillusioned with his lot in life and struggling to cope with a society that is evolving faster than he would like. With plenty of pathos to go with humor, it's an impressive three-dimensional thing.

Carmen Sandiego

(Image Credit: Netflix) (Image Credit: Netflix) If awards are to be given for Netflix's Most Stylish Animated Series, Carmen Sandiego's stylish production design should give it a run for its money. Based on a 1980s video game (which also spawned two game shows and a cartoon series in the 1990s), this Netflix incarnation tells the story of the eponymous super-thief, as told by Jane's Gina Rodriguez. . the Virgin. Of course, since this is a children's show, Carmen is not really a criminal, despite what the authorities claim. Instead, she uses her spin abilities to steal what has been taken by the despicable agents of V.I.L.E., aka Villains International League of Evil, in a series filled with hilarious adventures and plenty of stories. Stranger Things and IT Wolf Finn co-stars as a playmate.

Hilda

(Image credit: Netflix) (Image credit: Netflix) This cartoon series may sound like something from the 1980s, but it actually started in 2018. Based on an award-winning series of indie graphic novels from the British designer Luke Pearson, the show combines Scandinavian décor evocative of the Moomins with a visual flair reminiscent of Studio Ghibli legend Hayao Miyazaki. Follow the exploits of Hilda, the titular blue-haired pre-teen (played by Bella Ramsey, the heroic Lyanna Mormont on Game of Thrones) as she travels from her magical town to the big city, and discovers that everything is happening. so much supernatural going on behind the scenes... The series clearly has a younger audience in its sights, but there's also a surprising amount of emotional depth hidden beneath the surface.

The hollow

(Image Credit: Netflix) (Image Credit: Netflix) A trio of foreign teens wake up to find themselves in an underground bunker. With their memories erased, they must band together to survive the strange, dangerous, and puzzle-filled world they find themselves in, while investigating why the hell they came together in the first place. If The Hollow's Maze Runner's clever premise isn't enough to draw you in, rest assured there's a lot more to love in this super-clever kids' show. It's fast-paced, the main characters are memorable, and there are plenty of genre jumps in a captivating serial story arc.