For people that prefer streaming to other ways of watching television, these days there is no shortage of options. But there’s generally one problem with most of them: they require the viewer to fork over a bit of cash. For those who are reluctant to do so, either because they’re cash-strapped or because they’re subscribed to enough services as it is, there’s an option available.
Tubi is a free streaming service that’s ad-supported, meaning viewers don’t have to pay a dime. Featuring a ton of old-school programming, it’s hands down the first option for any Super Sentai or Kamen Rider fan… but it’s also home to dozens of anime series for viewers looking to get their fix without paying a lot of money.
10 Space Dandy Is An Irreverent Space Comedy
Space Dandy doesn’t get nearly enough respect considering how experimental it is. While most other shows are trying to tell very specific narratives or relying on well-worn tropes, Space Dandy follows an incompetent alien bounty hunter and his assistant QT and their alien, talking cat Meow.
Each episode sees them try to chase down new, undiscovered aliens for reporting, but the series tosses continuity to the side, instead choosing to allow episodes where the characters are all killed, or trapped in time
9 Iria: Zeiram the Animation Is A Unique Sci-Fi Adventure Starring A Newbie Bounty Hunter
Originally based on a live-action movie, Zeiram the Animation was so popular it managed to become more memorable than the storyline it’s a prequel to. Though it’s undeniably a sci-fi setting, the architecture is unlike anything anime has done before or since.
It follows a young bounty hunter named Iria, looking to track down this unstoppable, immortal alien known as Zeiram, while trying to discover the truth behind what happened to her brother, a fellow bounty hunter named Gren.
8 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Became One Of The Most Popular Anime Of The 2010s
JoJo went from a relative unknown to one of the most popular anime on the internet, seemingly based purely on the meme potential. The series is over thirty years old but the over-the-top characters make it easy for both new and old-school anime fans to dive into it.
It starts with young Jonathan Joestar, who has to train to fight his adopted brother after he turns into a vampire. But what makes JoJo so special is that its story continues on, focusing on the Joestar bloodline and their battles against super-powered villains.
7 One-Punch Man Isn’t Just A Single Gag But Has An Entire Universe Of Cool Characters
Sometimes all that’s needed is a simple concept: a guy capable of ending any fight in a single punch. That’s the premise behind One-Punch Man, a show following someone who spent a year training and became the literal strongest being on his planet.
Saitama wants nothing more than to catch grocery sales and to have at least one good fight, but that’s difficult when he’s more powerful than any being he’s ever met. The beautiful animation, at least in season one, combined with a likable protagonist, make this a must-watch for anime fans.
6 Naruto Is Still The High Bar For Ninja Action
It’s a cultural touchstone for anime fans of the late 2000s. Originally one of the “Big Three” anime in the U.S., by now most people are aware of the story. Naruto wants to be the Hokage, the most powerful ninja in his village, but he’s got several problems.
One, he’s got a being inside of him that nearly destroyed the entire village, the nine-tailed fox. Two, he’s… actually not a great ninja. What makes Naruto work is his willingness to put in the hard work to become the best, combined with a massive cast of characters centered around a story of the horrors of war.
5 Hunter x Hunter Follows One Boy’s Attempt To Find His Father
Hunter x Hunter goes against so much of what fans think a shonen anime has to be. Its lead protagonist is never the strongest person in the room, no matter how much or how hard he trains.
He doesn’t have access to easy transformations that he can cut on and off. But Gon has a goal he’s aiming for: to become a Hunter and to meet his dad and learn why he left him. It’s a heart-warming goal that makes viewers want to see him succeed.
4 Attack on Titan Is A Modern Classic In The Making
Attack on Titan is one of the first anime of the 2010s to become a classic and is considered by most anime fans as an absolute must-watch.
Based on one of the best-selling manga ever, the series is set in a time where humanity has been all but wiped out by giant, human-eating monsters known as Titans. Eren Yeager goes out of his way to get revenge on them all after he loses his city and family to them.
3 One Piece Is One Of The Oldest Currently Running Anime, But Still Maintains Its Quality
One Piece is an interesting series, as it was always mega-popular in Japan but its popularity really increased in the early 2010s in the U.S. Its sheer longevity makes it noteworthy, as it began in the late 1990s as a manga, but has managed to survive both Naruto and Bleach, its partners in the U.S. so-called “Big Three” of shonen.
Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have faced the government, other pirates, and so much more as Oda details this massive world in ways most anime never even think to attempt. Both the world-building and the characterization help One Piece continue to maintain its popularity no matter how long it runs.
2 Yu Yu Hakusho Is A Must-Watch For Shonen Anime Fans
Yu Yu Hakusho just might be the perfect shonen series. It’s long without being too long, it has some of the most likable characters in anime history, and it keeps a tight cast that all get their moments to shine.
Yoshihiro Togashi might not have done all the arcs he wanted to do, but the storyline still works —Yusuke and his friends learning to survive and keep the peace between the Human, Spirit, and Demon World is compelling across all of the series’ arcs.
1 Cowboy Bebop Is Available For The Few Who Haven’t Seen It, & The Many Who’d Love To Rewatch It
Is there an anime fan that hasn’t seen this series yet? Even if they have, it’s still worth a re-watch. Shinichiro Watanabe created something special with Cowboy Bebop, fusing science fiction and jazz music to make a series that can effortlessly be somber and poignant or frantic and exciting, sometimes in the same episode.
Though the series isn’t for everyone, it’s something everyone needs to try at least once, to see if they vibe with Spike Spiegel and his fellow bounty hunters trying to maintain a living while avoiding their pasts.
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