The 5 best anime to watch this winter on Netflix and Crunchyroll

The current winter anime season has brought a great slate of new shows for fans of all genres to enjoy. With all those options, you may be wondering, “What should I do? Real watching this season?”

The anime fans at Polygon have put together a short list of the anime we watched and enjoyed this winter season. From ongoing new releases to old favorites that simply fit the season, we have some recommendations that will suit any curious anime fan looking for a new (or new) show to watch.

Here are some of the best anime you should watch this winter season.

Solo leveling

Where to stream: Crispy roll

Solo leveling was one of the most anticipated shows of this season, and for good reason: the Korean web novel it’s based on is a huge cultural phenomenon, and it’s damn entertaining too. Although the show starts slowly, it’s nice to see a shonen spend time showing our main character at his lowest, all with the knowledge that he will become a god over the course of the series.

Furthermore, the series does an excellent job of careful construction Solo leveling‘s complex world, which should make the whole thing even more exciting when Jin-woo finally discovers his powers and the fact that he’s the only one in the world with the ability to level up. In the meantime, A-1 Pictures’ excellent animation is more than enough to keep the series entertaining as it builds its way towards something truly special. —Austen Goslin

Wonderful in the dungeon

Image: Studiotrigger/Netflix

Where to stream: Netflix

You’ve undoubtedly heard of it by now Wonderful in the dungeon. If you somehow haven’t, I couldn’t be more excited to tell you why you should make time to watch one of this season’s best new anime. The series follows a group of adventurers who, after being defeated by a terrifying red dragon, journey into the depths of a vast dungeon to save one of their own. One problem: they have no money to buy provisions, so they’ll have to gather whatever food they can by cooking the variety of creatures they encounter on their quest.

As my colleague Joshua Rivera so eloquently put it, it is essentially Baldur’s Gate 3 in a manner of Chef’s table, with each episode featuring a variety of dishes that look stranger and more delicious than the last. It’s a fun fantasy adventure with fairly low stakes, with colorful characters and surprises around every corner. —Toussaint Egan

The pharmacist’s diaries

Image: Toho Animation Studio, OLM/Crunchyroll

Where to stream: Crispy roll

In addition to keeping up with weekly episodes of this season’s newest releases, I’ve gone back to watch a few series that managed to elude my attention in 2023. One such anime that I watched – and which I’m metaphorically kidding myself for initially missing – is The pharmacist’s diaries.

Directed by Norihiro Naganuma (The bride of the old magician) and based on the light novel series by Natsu Hyūga, the anime is best described as a historical mystery drama with romantic elements. The story follows a young pharmacist named Maomao who is kidnapped and sold to become a servant in a palace built to house the concubines of a powerful emperor. After solving a mystery and saving the life of one of the Emperor’s heirs, Maomao is promoted to poison tester and unofficial pathologist, solving other accidents and advising on fraught mysteries in and around the palace.

It’s quickly become one of my favorite watches in recent memory, and with the series’ second run this season currently streaming on Crunchyroll, I’m confident there’s a good chance it’ll be on our upcoming list of the best of the year so far will end up. -AT

Kino’s journey

Image: ACGT, Genco/Sentai Filmworks

Where to stream: HIDE

I know this isn’t on Netflix or Crunchyroll, but trust me, I promise it’s still worth looking for!

When it gets colder outside, some people travel out of town to visit warmer climates until the season turns. Whenever I think about traveling, my thoughts inevitably turn to one of my favorite anime: the 2003 adaptation of Kino’s journey. Directed by the late, great Ryūtarō Nakamura (Serial experiments Lain), the anime follows Kino, an itinerant traveler and trained marksman who travels the world exploring exotic locations aboard her talking sentient motorcycle, Hermes.

It is an anime where the journey really is the destination, with each episode existing as a self-contained adventure in which Kino encounters a new quirk or obstacle that prompts reflection on individual and cultural influences behind each country’s idiosyncratic customs. It’s a fantastic philosophical adventure series that also features its fair share of action and intrigue. -AT

Cleared

Image: A-1 Images/Aniplex

Where to stream: Crunchyroll, Hulu

If you’re looking for a suitably cool mystery drama to watch, Cleared is the perfect anime for the season. Directed by Tomohiko Ito (Sword art online), the series follows the story of a struggling 29-year-old named Satoru who is involuntarily transported back in time after witnessing the death of his mother. To prevent her death and clear his own name, Satoru must solve the disappearance of his childhood classmate Kayo. Equivalent to Avengers from Tokyo, Cleared is a story about the smallest actions that have devastating consequences, as Satoru races against time itself to prevent a tragedy that – if left unchecked – will return and inevitably cause even more tragedy. It’s a thrilling sci-fi drama and a great mystery with plenty of twists, and an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a shorter anime to watch this season. -AT