Years after the streaming wars began,Netflix remains the biggest of the major services. This is thanks in large part tothe volume of high-quality shows available for subscribers. Old favorites are a given, but Netflix has also invested a lot in original titles, releasing a long list of exclusive shows and films, some of which even get theatrical runs.
A good chunk of original content from Netflix isanimated, which has helped give it a unique identity. Many of its shows for both adults and families have been well-received by critics and audiences alike thanks totheir strong writing, diverse animation styles, and memorable characters. Due to the subjective nature of art, it's hard to call anything objectively perfect, but a fair few shows come pretty close.
1 'Green Eggs and Ham' (2019–2022)
After his most recent invention blows up during an interview, Guy-Am-I (Michael Douglas) decides to give up on his dream and move to the city of Meepville to accept a job watching paint dry. Before he leaves, he bumps into an eccentric individual named Sam-I-Am (Adam DeVine), who has recently stolen a rare Chickeraffe (Dee Bradley Baker) from a zoo with the intention of releasing it into the wild. Despite his efforts to avoid it,Guy gets roped into a road trip with Sam and the Chickeraffe, which is complicated by mysterious pursuers called the B.A.D.G.U.Y.S. and Hervnick Z. Snerz (Eddie Izzard), a powerful CEO who wants the Chickeraffe as a trophy.
It is amazing howGreen Eggs and Hammatches the tone and charm of Dr. Seuss' books betterthan any theatrical adaptation. This is thanks to its tongue-in-cheek tone that keeps the story casual and fun and the art style, which perfectly matches Seuss' iconic look. The writing is a great mix of hilarious jokes, including plenty of 4th wall breaks with the narrator played byKeegan-Michael Key, and some solid character work that makes all the characters likable and relatable to varying degrees, regardless of your age.
2 'Hilda' (2018–2023)
Hilda (Bella Ramsey) isa young girl who loves to explore the world around her and interact with all manner of fantastical creatures. Things change when her mother, Johanna (Daisy Haggard), decides to move them from the wilderness to the walled city of Trolberg, hoping that Hildawill make human friends. It ends up working out, as not only does Hilda befriend Frida (Ameerah Falzon-Ojo) and David (Oliver Nelson), but the city is full of its own diverse array of creatures, and the hills outside are crawling with trolls who turn to stone during the day.
Hilda's greatest strength is how it perfectly captures the sense of wonder that children experience when exploring the unknown. One thing that adds to this is thatmany of the creatures harken back to their mythological selves rather than modern interpretations, making them feel new and mysterious by comparison. The show's art style also perfectly mirrors Luke Pearson's graphic novel of the same name, which adds to the more casual, explorative nature, while not shying away from a few dark moments here and there, especially when trolls are involved.
3 'Long Story Short' (2025–)
The Schwoopers are a middle-class Jewish family consisting of mother Naomi Schwartz (Lisa Edelstein), father Elliot Cooper (Paul Reiser), and their children Avi (Ben Feldman), Shira (Abbi Jacobson), and Yoshi (Max Greenfield). As predicted, their lives go through many ups and downs, especially when the children grow up, have families of their own, and come to their own decisions regarding their heritage. Rather than seeing events play out chronologically,the audience gets to see their story told from various points in time, allowing for a better confirmation of the proverb that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Long Story Short is one of those shows that holds a mirror up to reflect the key moments of our lives right back at us. Thus,the comedy comes from how real everything feels:characters talk over one another, small events balloon into big ones, and little things that seem inconsequential to you can have long-lasting effects on another person. This also makesthe characters feel very believable and relatable, especially when they struggle to make things work with their conflicting personalities.
4 'Inside Job' (2021–2022)
While humanity goes about their lives,shadow organizations work together to make their existences sound like insane conspiracy theories while they pull strings to steer the world towards their ideal design. One group, Cognito, Inc., has a team led by Dr. Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan), a brilliant scientist who is socially awkward but committed to her job. With help from her new partner, Brett Hand (Clark Duke), Reagan manages her dysfunctional team and her controlling father, Randall (Christian Slater), who co-founded Cognito, Inc. until he was kicked out.
Inside Job is, sadly, another casualty of Netflix's baffling decision toend great shows in their prime,but what little we have is glorious.It mixes the familiar absurdity of office comedies with the broad and wildly creative world of every crackpot theory being true, resulting in a wide array of stories that leave you guessing just what kind of hilarious insanity is to come. It also helps thatthe animation is fast and expressive enough to keep up with the comedic timing, and the characters feel fully realized with witty dialogue and complementary personalities, such as Reagan's cynicism against Brett's optimism.
5 'Castlevania' (2017–2021)
Dracula (Graham McTavish) is a powerful vampire who falls in love with a brilliant woman named Lisa (Emily Swallow). Sadly, she is declared a witch by the local Bishop and killed, soDracula gathers an army of demons and other terrors of the night to declare war on all of humanity. Their only hope is an unlikely trio: Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), the last member of a monster-hunting family; Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso), a wandering mage; and Adrian (James Callis), Dracula's dhampir son, also known as Alucard.
Castlevania stands tall as one of thebest shows based on video games, and it doesn't take long to see why. The animation is some of the best Netflix has produced, resulting in lavish, fast-paced action sequences that don't hold back on the brutality,and a rich world dripping with the immersive iconography of gothic horror. The story is rich in compelling melodrama and solid character work, with Dracula standing out thanks to how morally complex and tragic his story becomes.
6 'Love, Death & Robots' (2019–)
Anthology shows are a curious thing. Rather than tell a single continuous story,every episode is a self-contained tale, which has the benefit of allowing for more creative freedom at the cost of no overarching character and storyline. Netflix decided to try their luck with one in the form ofLove, Death & Robots,which uses experimental CGIto tell diverse stories that are in some way tied to the three items in the title.
Most ofLove, Death & Robots' episodes come from lesser-known short stories, resulting in some truly provocative works. Some of the major themesinclude man's relationship with technology, cosmic horror, and how the pursuit of love can paradoxically bring both great happiness and terrible sorrow. As for the CGI, it's amazing to behold, and some of the human models reach uncanny valley levels of realism.
7 'Arcane' (2021–2024)
After the city of Zaun is massacred by the economically and technologically superior city of Piltover, sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Powder (Mia Sinclair Jenness andElla Purnell) are adopted by Vander (JB Blanc), a former freedom-fighter who decides to work towards peace. Unfortunately,a series of tragedies causes the sisters to part ways, and Powder changes her name to Jynx when she falls in with Silco (Jason Spisak), a crime lord who used to be Vander's brother-in-arms. Meanwhile, two young scientists named Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd) discover a way to blend science and magic to create revolutionary new inventions that can bring great progress or ruin.
Arcane broke new groundwith its limited run, blending gorgeous CGI with a powerful story and rich characters.The first season is widely regarded as a masterpiecethanks to how unapologetically it dives into the tragedy of a world ruled by corruption, fear, class struggles, and ambition that can drive apart good friends and turn the closest of siblings into bitter enemies. Every character leavesa powerful impression thanks to their varied personalities and conflicting desires, but the standout is Silco, a ruthless crime boss who dreams of winning Zaun's independence and is willing to kill anyone in his way, but also has genuine love for his adoptive daughter.
8 'BoJack Horseman' (2014–2020)
In the 1990s, BoJack Horseman (Will Arnett) was a household name thanks to his popular sitcom, "Horsin' Around." 20 years later,BoJack has fallen out of the public view and is now a cynical, alcoholic nihilist living with his slacker roommate Todd (Aaron Paul) and maintaining a relationship with his agent/ex-girlfriend Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris). He eventually decides to publish his memoirs to revitalize his career, and works with ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie), who happens to be the girlfriend of his chipper former rival, Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins).
On release,BoJack Horseman was seen as another run-of-the-mill mean-spirited comedy, butquickly overcame a lackluster first season to become one of the greatest animated sitcoms. This is because the show tackles complex issues like addiction, the trappings of fame, the cycle of abuse, and how every action has a consequence, and refuses to have every episode fix the characters' problems,forcing them to look at their flaws and work to change for the better. That's not to say there aren't plenty of laughs to be had alongside the drama, especially when the show takes shots at the Hollywood system.
9 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' (2005–2008)
For 100 years, the Fire Nation has launched a war of conquest against the rest of the world, which has left the Water Tribes divided, the Earth Kingdom on the back foot, and the Air Nomads extinct. That is, until two siblings from the Southern Water Tribe, Katara (Mae Whitman) and Sokka (Jack De Sena), find the last one, Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), frozen in an iceberg. To their surprise, Aang is also the Avatar,the only person in the world capable of bending all four elements, and their only hope of stopping the Fire Nation.
Netflix released a live-action adaptation ofAvatar: The Last Airbender, but there's no reason to watch it when they also carry the original.The show captivated young and old audiences thanks to its great mix of comedy and serious storytelling, blending Eastern and Western philosophies into a story about the horrors of war, the dangers of imperialism, and the importance of balance between man and nature. All of this was enhanced by fluid animation that perfectly mimics the elements the characters are controlling, and rich characters who go through complex arcs, particularly the banished Fire Nation prince, Zuko (Dante Basco).
10 'Batman: The Animated Series' (1992–1995)
For years, the people of Gotham City lived in fear as their city succumbed to encroaching crime and corruption. However, a hero arrives in the form of Batman (Kevin Conroy), Gotham's Dark Knight, whouses impeccable detective skills and impressive gadgets to bring down criminals and save the innocent. Not all of his foes are petty thugs and crime lords, though, as he must also fight against super criminals like the Joker (Mark Hamill), the Penguin (Paul Williams), and Ra's al Ghul (David Warner).
There are very few shows that can boast as impressive a legacy asBatman: The Animated Series, and through Netflix, it can be enjoyed by new and old fans alike.It defined Batman and his villains for an entire generation thanks to its dark aesthetic, powerful voice acting, and terrific writing, while also introducing the world to Harley Quinn (Arleen Sorkin), a new origin for Mr. Freeze (Michael Ansara), and kickstarting a shared universe of DC cartoons. The villains were often the best part of the show because the writers made sure to always emphasize their humanity, even when they were in the wrong, resulting in many episodes thathelped you empathize with them.
Batman: The Animated Series
- Release Date
- 1992 - 1995-00-00
- Network
- FOX, Fox Kids
- Showrunner
- Bruce Timm
- Directors
- Kevin Altieri, Boyd Kirkland, Frank Paur, Dan Riba, Dick Sebast
Cast
Batman (voice)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.Alfred Pennyworth (voice)
- Writers
- Michael Reaves, Brynne Stephens, Randy Rogel, David Wise, Len Wein, Marty Isenberg, Richard Mueller, Sam Graham, Peter Morwood, Dennis O'Neil, Carl Swenson, Beth Bornstein, Steve Hayes, Chris Hubbell, Martin Pasko, Henry Gilroy, Elliot S. Maggin, Eddie Gorodetsky, Diane Duane
- Franchise(s)
- Batman
- Genres
- Animation,Drama, Mystery,Action,Science Fiction
- Main Genre
- Animation
- Seasons
- 4
- Producers
- Alan Burnett, Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski, Jean MacCurdy, Paul Dini
- Creator(s)
- Bruce Timm, Eric Radomski
- Story By
- bruce timm
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
