Several months ago, Disney+ decided to dive into the world of anime, and every month since, we’ve seen them announce a new license for their catalog. Admittedly, at this stage, the volume of works available to them isn’t particularly high, but it’s nonetheless true that they’ve managed to get their hands on some truly outstanding IPs. That’s why today I’m offering you a small selection of the most unmissable ones you’ll find on Disney+.
Bleach TYBW
I can’t think of any other way to start the Disney+ catalog than with “Bleach”, quite frankly. It’s one of the members of the “Big-Three” of anime along with “Naruto” and “One Piece” and for good reason. “Bleach” plays the battle-and-transformation card that’s so appealing in shonen to perfection, but it also does so with some of the best world-building to be found in the industry. Although there’s a lot of filler, this is an anime that won’t disappoint if you like power battles.
- Synopsis: Ichigo Kurosaki is no ordinary fifteen year old… he can see spirits and has an innate contact with the afterlife, which he will take advantage of after meeting a shinigami (angel of death) who provides him with a sword to match his abilities.
- Watch on Disney+.
- Duration: 366+13 episodes (Bleach TYBW will have 4 parts).
- Studio: Pierrot.
Heavenly Delusion
“Heavenly Delusion” is shaping up to be what I consider one of the big surprises of 2023, because while it’s true that his manga was already relatively well known, it obviously didn’t have the same notoriety as others. The post-apocalyptic vision of this world dominated by strange creatures will probably remind many of The Last of Us, although the stories of its protagonists have little in common with those of Ellie and Joel. All in all, an anime with fine production values and an intriguing story that gradually unfolds.
- Synopsis: An institution surrounded by high walls and full of vegetation where some children live. During a written control, Tokio receives a message that reads: “Would you like to go outside? And that prompts him to imagine what the world beyond those walls he has never crossed might be like. In the outside world, Maru and Kiruko try to survive as they travel through a devastated and ruined Japan in search of Eden.
- Watch on Disney+.
- Running time: 13 episodes.
- Studio: Production I.G.
Tokyo Revengers
Yes, Disney+ has removed “Tokyo Revengers”, one of the most-watched anime of 2021, to get its second season. If you like the theme of time travel, this is an anime you’ll love, because although they usually take place at the beginning and end of each season, they allow you to clearly see the consequences of every change Takemichi makes. Make no mistake, the story revolves mainly around Japanese teenagers fighting in the street, but it’s important to keep the sci-fi factor in mind.
- Synopsis: Takemichi Hanagaki is a working man who has hit rock bottom in life. Then he discovers that the only girlfriend he ever had, in his high school years, the young Hinata Tachibana, has died at the hands of the Tokyo Manji gang. The day he discovers the news of her death, he is at the train station when someone pushes him onto the tracks. He closes his eyes thinking he is about to die, but when he opens them, without knowing how, he has gone back 12 years in time. Now he will be able to relive those days that he considered the best days of his life and Takemichi will try to get revenge on his life.
- Watch on Disney+.
- Duration: 13 episodes (that’s how many episodes Season 2 has).
- Studio: LIDENFILMS.
Summer Time Render
And if you want a story that relies even more on the supernatural and is loaded with suspense, “Summer Time Render” is certainly an alternative that you should seriously consider. We are talking about one of the most successful anime of all those released during the past 2022, and not for nothing. While the story of the anime may start as something ‘light’, as it progresses this story takes on a much darker and yes, also cruel tone. Get ready for one of those stories that will make you hold on to your seat as if nothing else existed around you.
- Synopsis: As a child, Shinpei’s parents died and he was taken in by the Kofune family, who raised him as their son. Years later, while living in Tokyo, Shinpei is forced to return to the island where he grew up to attend the funeral of Ushio, who drowned at sea trying to save a little girl.
- Watch on Disney+.
- Duration: 25 episodes.
- Studio: OLM.
Tatami: Time Machine Blues
“Tatami: Time Machine Blues” is an anime that you will enjoy most having previously watched “The Tatami Galaxy”, but even if you haven’t you can watch this anime without any problems. This story is best understood as a sort of spin-off within the “The Tatami Galaxy” universe, and deals with the time travel theme in a truly comical way. Get ready for what starts out as a simple premise and ends up developing into a tale of such magnitude that its protagonists certainly could not have foreseen.
- Synopsis: It is August 12. When the remote control of the only air conditioner in the house breaks when a soft drink falls on it, “I” devises a plan to go back to the previous day in a time machine and retrieve it before it breaks. However, his funny friend Ozu can’t resist altering the past, even if it means bringing the universe to the brink of destruction. It’s up to “I” to travel through time at full speed to avoid disaster.
- Watch on Disney+.
- Duration: 6 episodes.
- Studio: Science SARU.
Star Wars: Visions
Although in this case I can only recommend the first season since the second one does not take into account the concept of the anime, “Star Wars: Visions” is an original project of Disney itself that is really worthwhile. What you will find here is basically an anthology of completely independent stories set in the “Star Wars” universe, all created by renowned anime studios. A very original experience, especially if you are a fan of George Lucas’ universe and want to see comics like you would never have imagined.
- Synopsis: Anthology of animated shorts that pays tribute to the Star Wars myths as seen through the eyes of different cultures around the world.
- Watch on Disney+.
- Duration: 9 episodes (about 15 minutes each).
- Studio: Trigger, Production I.G., Science Saru, Studio Colorido and more.
