InuYasha, Ranma ½ and One Piece Among 5 Best Cartoon Network Anime Available on Netflix
Toonami’s lasting influence
For many viewers who grew up in the late 1990s and 2000s, Cartoon Network was an early gateway to anime. Toonami launched in March 1997, introducing Western audiences to series that helped turn casual cartoon viewers into anime fans.
Its lineup included Naruto, Bleach and One Piece, followed later by My Hero Academia and Dr. Stone. Toonami eventually moved to Adult Swim’s late-night Saturday block, keeping its connection with anime audiences alive.
InuYasha’s feudal-era adventure
InuYasha arrived on Adult Swim in August 2002 and stayed in Cartoon Network’s lineup until March 2014. Toonami brought it back that November to air the 26-episode conclusion, InuYasha: The Final Act.
The story follows Kagome Higurashi, who travels to Japan’s Sengoku period and accidentally shatters the Shikon Jewel. She and the half-demon Inuyasha search for its scattered shards before Naraku can claim them. Netflix carries both the original series and The Final Act.
Ranma ½ and its remake
Rumiko Takahashi’s Ranma ½ began as a 161-episode Studio Deen adaptation that ran from 1989 to 1992. After reaching North American viewers on VHS, it became part of Cartoon Network’s international Toonami programming, including late-night broadcasts in Latin America from July 2006.
Ranma Saotome changes into a girl when splashed with cold water after falling into a cursed spring; hot water reverses the transformation. The Netflix remake from Studio MAPPA is in its third season, while the original offers a return to the series’ martial-arts comedy and transformations.
Other titles and changing rights
One Piece and Neon Genesis Evangelion are also named among former Cartoon Network favorites still available on Netflix. The article begins its discussion of Gurren Lagann as a memorable Toonami series, but does not establish its Netflix availability.
Streaming catalogs shift as rights change. Cowboy Bebop and Yu Yu Hakusho are no longer in Netflix’s US library, and viewers may find them on Prime Video, Hulu or Crunchyroll.
Key points
- Toonami launched in March 1997 and helped bring anime to Western audiences.
- Both InuYasha and InuYasha: The Final Act are available on Netflix.
- Netflix’s Ranma ½ remake is in its third season.
- Cowboy Bebop and Yu Yu Hakusho have left Netflix’s US library.