When you feel like watching your favorite animes, you’ll usually head over to Crunchyroll or Viu, or take the chance to see if there are releases published on YouTube or even see clips leaking on X. You wouldn’t usually find yourself streaming animes on HBO.
But HBO has a plethora of fun animes you can watch, particularly on its subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service, Max. Yes, so when you’re done watching some action movies and want to transition to animes, you can refer to this list of the best anime series on Max.
8. ‘The Tale Of Princess Kaguya’
If you want to break down in terms, then that’s good. “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” is the anime movie for you. Inspired by one of the oldest and most famous folklore stories in Japan about a childless old bamboo cutter and his wife, this anime will take your breath away.
One day, the bamboo cutter stumbles upon a gorgeous girl infant inside a bamboo stalk, along with some gold. The girl, who the couple names Kaguya, grows into a lovely, delicate woman. Soon, all the most eligible bachelors in Japan want to marry her. “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” will bring you back to the old stories and history.
7. ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’
Another anime to stream on Max is “Howl’s Moving Castle.” This 2004 anime movie is based on a book of the same name Diana Wynne Jones wrote.
“Howl’s Moving Castle” transpires in a magical world where wizards, witches, and creatures of all kinds coexist. Call it a menagerie of some sort. The story revolves around Sophie Hatter, a young girl a witch’s spell cursed to be transformed into an older woman. She sets out on an adventure to find a way to break the curse.
Along the way, she meets Howl Jenkins Pendragon, a wizard. The two then begin to add sparkle to the anime’s story filled with love, courage, and self-discovery.
6. ‘Promare’
“Promare,” meanwhile, delves into a futuristic theme. It is set in a world where and time when a race called the Burnish, or flaming humanoids, have destroyed half of the planet with their pyrokinetic superpowers.
But humans on the planet want to fight back. A young lad named Galo Thymos, a member of an elite firefighting team, is determined to use every technology to wash away the Burnish.
After a series of arson attacks, Thymos meets Lio Fotia, a young Burnish, whom he blames for the atrocities at first. The two then realize they’re the same, and somebody else is framing the Burnish people. Now it’s up to you to discover as you stream “Promare.”
5. ‘Princess Mononoke’
“Princess Mononoke” goes all the way back to 1997. Set in a fantasy world where gods, spirits, and beasts live, this movie follows the adventures of Ashitaka, a young prince, as he looks far and wide for a cure for a curse plaguing him. While searching, he meets Princess Mononoke, a young lady raised by wolves. She has become a warrior defending the forest and its people.
“Princess Mononoke” is a masterpiece for every anime lover who wants to see how themes like industrialization, environmentalism, and the balance between man and nature are woven into a story.
4. ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’
“Kiki’s Delivery Service,” despite the title, is considered as “Harry Potter,” anime-style. Well, almost. Here, you’ll encounter talking cats, witches, and, therefore, flying broomsticks.
It is a coming-of-age piece about a young witch who embarks on a journey to launch her delivery service. Sounds funny, but if you want a more comic wizarding story than “Harry Potter,” “Kiki’s Delivery Service” is for you.
This young witch then comes across a tiny coastal town looking for a business-minded individual and capitalist like herself to help deliver its mail. Along the way, she chances upon a boy who has a crush on her. What could the writer have eaten to write the story that way, right?
3. ‘Spirited Away’
Produced by Studio Ghibli, the minds behind other remarkable animes like “The Wind Rises,” “Spirited Away” is a coming-of-age fantasy movie that has captured millions of hearts across the globe. Its story revolves around a young girl, Chihiro Ogino, who gets lost in the world of spirits. That said, she must do everything to free her parents, who have been transformed into pigs. Now if that story doesn’t encourage you to stream “Spirited Away.”
2. ‘To Your Eternity’
In second place is “To Your Eternity.” Watched all over the world, it is famous for the unique plot that centers around “It,” an orb that does shapeshift as it navigates the challenges it faces.
As you watch “To Your Eternity,” you’ll see It transforming into a boy living in a village with a wolf as his pet. Light and airy, the show is filled with emotions without going over the top and twists that will push you to keep watching.
1. ‘Your Name’
Drum roll, please. The verdict on which anime is the most perfect to stream on Max is “Your Name.” This beautiful and tear-jerking anime is actually a movie – not a series – exploring themes of love, destiny, and self-discovery. It follows Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, two teenagers who swap bodies and live together. This incident takes them on an adventure to understand each other and unravel the mysteries behind this strange connection.
“Your Name” is also widely recognized as one of the best anime films of all time, and as you turn on your Max to watch this show, you’ll understand why.
Max, formerly called HBO Max, is the streaming service of the worldwide pay television network – the home of the phenomenal “Game of Thrones.” So, this is the place to be that has your favorites, from Warner Bros. and the DC Universe shows, to the most iconic animes. Stream those animes you learned about above now on Max.
