Despite being one of the largest modern-day media companies, HBO is still best known as the progenitor of subscription television services. Because of its long-standing presence, HBO has been forced to adapt its business model to more contemporary standards on multiple occasions — including its most significant foray into streaming, HBO Max.
Launched in 2020, HBO Max houses a variety of different series, many of which air on the company’s related television channels. As with any modern streaming service, it has made a concerted effort to flesh out the fastest-growing genre in television: anime. While the anime section of HBO Max’s library isn’t its deepest, there are still plenty of binge-worthy series on the platform capable of being knocked out in a single day.
Updated on March 25, 2023 by Kennedy King: As HBO Max’s role in the streaming landscape solidifies, so too does its relationship to the anime medium. Although the platform doesn’t offer many titles related to Japanese animation, the few that are included in its library are very high quality. Only time will tell if HBO Max changes its approach in regard to expanding its anime library, but for now, it still offers several binge-worthy series.
6 Tokyo Revengers
Total Episodes: 34
Given shonen anime’s heavy reliance on combat, high-stakes situations, and incessant power-scaling, Tokyo Revengers feels like a breath of fresh air. Since graduating from high school, main character, Takemichi Hanagaki’s life has been on a downhill slope. However, after a mysterious stranger pushes him in front of a train, Takemichi is transported back in time to the year 2005, giving him a second chance to live the life he always wanted.
Produced by Liden Films (the same studio behind Hanebado! and the upcoming Rurouni Kenshin reboot), Tokyo Revengers is currently just short enough to consume in a single sitting. Thanks to its stellar voice-acting cast and quick narrative pacing, these episodes fly by, leaving watchers on the edge of their seats as Takemichi encounters challenges — and enemies — the likes of which he never dreamed.
5 Dr. Stone
Total Episodes: 35
Although HBO Max doesn’t have an extensive library of shonen anime, titles like Dr. Stone signal the platform’s commitment to challenging the conventions of the genre. Whereas most shonen series lean into supernatural and otherworldly powers, Dr. Stone’s creator, Riichiro Inagaki, uses more realistic plot devices to advance his series. The show’s main character, Senku Ishigami, is a scientific genius. Rather than fighting his way out of trouble, he prefers to use his wits and quick thinking to solve his problems.
Unfortunately for Dr. Stone’s protagonist, the challenge in front of him is no easy task. In Dr. Stone’s first episode, all the humans on Earth are petrified, halting humanity’s progress for over 3,700 years. However, for some unknown reason, Senku Ishigami and a few others are eventually revived from their petrification. By utilizing science, teamwork, and a little bit of brawn, the group starts the painstaking process of rebuilding the planet.
4 Housing Complex C
Total Episodes: 4
Since the early-2000s, Production I.G has consistently released some of the biggest, most successful titles in anime. Unfortunately, one of their most recent products, 2022’s Housing Complex C, was a bit of a letdown compared to their normal standard of quality. Critics universally panned the horror miniseries, many finding the show’s pacing and excessive exposition to be off-putting.
Set in a fictionalized version of modern-day Tokyo, Housing Complex C follows the story of two young girls — Kimi and Yuri — as they navigate increasingly ominous events around their housing complex. These events eventually spiral out of control, revealing a sinister narrative that threatens the safety of both girls and their families.
3 Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy
Total Episodes: 12
The isekai genre has earned its status as one of the most popular in anime, so it only follows that HBO Max would cash in on this trend with beloved titles like Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy. Based on the light novel of the same name, this action-adventure transports its protagonist, Makoto Misumi, to a mysterious world where he is supposed to be the realm’s greatest hero. However, after the Goddess that presides over this world deems him too “ugly” to be her hero, he is banished to the Wasteland and forced to fend for himself.
Although a second season of Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy has been announced, the series currently sits at 12 total episodes, making it the perfect low-investment choice for anime watchers in search of something new. The show does a fantastic job of subverting the conventions of an oversaturated genre, and even by modern industry standards, its animation quality is consistently above-average.
2 Noblesse
Total Episodes: 13
Noblesse began as a Webtoon (digital comics that are typically created in South Korea), and along with Tower of God and The God of High School, it formed a trio of series that signaled Crunchyroll’s growing interest in the manhwa market. Although Noblesse hasn’t experienced the same level of commercial success as its two peers, it’s still one of the most beloved South Korean products in recent memory.
Technically, Noblesse is a direct continuation of the 2016 OVA, Noblesse: Awakening. However, while this prequel provides meaningful context to the events of Noblesse, it is by no means a prerequisite for fans interested in the series. Rai, the show’s protagonist, is an ultra-powerful being over 800 years old, but after awakening in the modern world, he must adapt to his new life as a high school student.
1 To Your Eternity
Total Episodes: 40
To Your Eternity burst onto the scene in 2021, quickly earning a reputation as one of the most well-produced anime titles in recent memory. The series primarily explores the life of It — a mysterious, immortal orb capable of replicating any objects or lifeform that it comes in contact with. After transforming into a variety of mundane objects, It transforms into a wolf, allowing him to gain sentience and befriend Fushi, the canine’s original owner.
Together, It and Fushi take off to explore the world. Along the way, they experience a variety of different circumstances, each of which teaches It a little bit more about what makes humanity so unique. Thanks to top-tier animation, quality voice acting, and an exceptionally nuanced narrative, this supernatural adventure pushes the boundaries of the medium to its absolute limit. Given the success of To Your Eternity’s second season, this series should be a hit among fans for many years to come.
