7 Best Anime Series Coming to Crunchyroll and Netflix in October 2026

Image via Netflix Published Oct 2, 2026, 4:05 PM EDT Laura is a born-and-raised Dominican creative with a deep passion for animation and an unhealthy obsession with Studio Ghibli. She has worked as Collider’s Social Media Coordinator since January 2021, where she oversees everything from day-to-day audience engagement to long-term growth strategies across all major social platforms. Working closely within the entertainment industry has allowed Laura to develop a more critical and informed perspective on the media she consumes, which led to her training as a Features Writer in 2023. Since then, she has been avidly writing whatever she is allowed to put her hands on. One of the highlights of Laura’s career has been the opportunity to interview several notable creatives behind the shows and films she loves. These include Dandadan Season 1 producer Hiroshi Kamei, voice actors Abby Trott, AJ Beckles, and Aleks Le, as well as Arcane showrunner Christian Linke, co-director Barthélemy Maunoury, and co-executive producer Amanda Overton. Sign in to your Collider account The final stretch of the year is officially here, and with fall settling in, there’s no better time to get comfortable on the couch and dive into a new anime obsession. As the weather cools down and the days get shorter, Netflix and Crunchyroll are making sure anime fans have plenty of reasons to stay in, with a lineup packed with highly anticipated returning favorites and exciting new series. October is bringing back some of the biggest anime series of the year, including the long-awaited return of The Apothecary Diaries and Black Clover. Whether you’re in the mood for fantasy, romance, action, sports, or a little bit of everything, there’s plenty to keep your watchlist busy as the year winds down. Below, we’ve rounded up the seven best anime series coming to Netflix and Crunchyroll this October, so you know exactly what to watch as the fall season gets underway. ‘The Ramparts of Ice’ Season 2 Release Date: October 1 | Studio: Studio KAI | Streamer: Netflix Cast: Anna Nagase, Shouya Chiba, Satoshi Inomata, Fuuka Izumi. Koyuki Hikawa has never exactly had an easy time fitting in at school. To most of her classmates, she comes across as intimidating and difficult to approach, but the truth is that after some uncomfortable experiences in middle school, Koyuki has become insecure and spends far too much time second-guessing herself. Things change when she meets Minato Amamiya and Youta Hino, who aren’t intimidated and have no problem treating her like anyone else. Along with her friend Miki Azumi, they slowly pull Koyuki out of her shell, giving her a chance to experience the kind of high school life she never thought she’d have. As the four become closer, each of them is dealing with insecurities and personal problems. Season 2 picks up with those relationships becoming even more complicated. Koyuki finds herself wrestling with her feelings as Minato begins to pull away, while Miki and Youta also face problems of their own. With emotions getting harder to ignore, the four friends will have to figure out what they really want from each other and whether they can keep their friendships intact. ‘The Apothecary Diaries’ Season 3 Image via OLM Release Date: October 2 | Studio: TOHO Studio | Streamer: Crunchyroll Cast: Aoi Yuuki, Takeo Otsuka, Katsuyuki Konishi After spending much of her time inside the rear palace, Maomao is finally getting a chance to explore a little more of the world in The Apothecary Diaries Season 3. Of course, this is Maomao we’re talking about, so a change of scenery doesn’t exactly mean she’ll be getting a break from mysteries, strange rumors, and trouble. Following the end of the rebellion, Maomao returns to her work as a pharmacist in the pleasure district. Things seem relatively quiet at first, but when an unusual rumor catches her attention, her curiosity gets the better of her, pulling her into another mystery that soon turns out to be much bigger than it initially appears. Jinshi, meanwhile, is taking on a very different role as he steps into his responsibilities as the Imperial Brother. But even as his position changes, he can’t seem to escape a troubling warning. Rumors are beginning to spread about an immortal maiden appearing at a time when Li is facing the threat of a devastating famine, and what initially sounds like nothing more than an old tale could have much more serious consequences. With Maomao investigating another strange mystery and Jinshi facing new responsibilities, Season 3 looks ready to take the story far beyond the palace. ‘Ranma 1/2’ Season 3 Image via MAPPA/Shogakukan Shueisha Productions/Nippon Television Network Release Date: October 3 | Studio: MAPPA | Streamer: Netflix Cast: Kappei Yamaguchi, Noriko Hidaka. If you’re looking for something colorful, chaotic, and genuinely fun to watch, Ranma 1/2 is an absolute delight. This modern remake of the classic anime keeps the ridiculous martial arts, over-the-top characters, and romantic chaos of the original but with a fresh, vibrant look. And with Season 3 on the way, Ranma and Akane are getting ready for even more trouble. Since moving into the Tendou household, Ranma Saotome has had very little time to enjoy a normal life. He still transforms into a girl whenever he’s splashed with cold water, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing his martial arts training. His relationship with Akane has also slowly changed, despite the two constantly arguing and refusing to admit how much they care about each other. Of course, their engagement has attracted plenty of unwanted attention. Shampoo is determined to marry Ranma, while several guys who have fallen for Akane keep challenging him in increasingly ridiculous ways. Season 3 brings even more rivals and misadventures, with Cologne taking Ryoga under her wing, a cookie war spiraling completely out of control, and Shampoo coming up with yet another scheme to win Ranma over. ‘Black Clover’ Season 2 Image via Crunchyroll Release Date: October 3 | Studio: Studio Pierrot | Streamer: Crunchyroll Cast: Gakuto Kajiwara, Kana Yuuki, Nobunaga Shimazaki. Asta and Yuno were abandoned at the same church as babies and grew up together, eventually making a promise that they would both chase the title of Wizard King, the highest position a mage can achieve in the Clover Kingdom. While Yuno quickly proved himself to be a gifted mage, Asta couldn’t use magic at all. Instead of letting that stop him, Asta threw himself into physical training, determined to find another way to achieve his dream. At 15, Yuno received a rare four-leaf clover Grimoire, while Asta was left without one. But after Yuno is nearly killed during an attack, Asta awakens a mysterious power and receives a five-leaf Grimoire known as the Black Clover. Now for season 2, the two friends are once again being pushed to their limits. As the Clover Kingdom faces growing danger, Asta and the Magic Knights launch a risky mission into the Spade Kingdom to rescue their squad captains from the Dark Triad. Unfortunately, the enemies waiting for them are more powerful than anything they’ve faced before. For this part of his journey, Asta will have to push his abilities even further if he wants to protect the people he cares about and keep the promise he made to Yuno all those years ago. ‘Aoashi’ Season 2 Image via Production I.G Release Date: October 4 | Studio: Production I.G | Streamer: Crunchyroll Cast: Kouki Oosuzu, Chikahiro Kobayashi. In Aoashi Season 2, Aoi Ashito has finally earned his place on the A team, but making it this far is only the beginning. Now, instead of being the standout player trying to prove himself, Ashito is surrounded by some of the most talented young soccer players in Japan. As he enters the U-18 Premier League, Ashito quickly discovers that talent alone won’t be enough to keep up. The players around him have spent years sharpening their skills, and every training session becomes another opportunity to expose his weaknesses. One mistake can make all the difference, and earning a spot on the team doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get to keep it. For Ashito, this next stage of his journey is all about proving that he has what it takes to compete at the highest level. He’ll have to adapt, learn from the players around him, and find a way to stand out among a group of athletes who are all chasing the same dream. ‘The Vermillion Mask’ Image via Crunchyroll Release Date: October 10 | Studio: 100studio | Streamer: Crunchyroll Cast: Taihi Kimura, Yuuki Yamamoto, Kazuki Ura Peru is still learning the craft of mask making when he discovers just how dangerous his master’s creations can be. After becoming possessed by the Mask of the Warrior God, Peru loses control and accidentally kills both his friends and his master, the legendary mask maker Gaston Roux. Haunted, Peru promises he’ll find and destroy every mask his master ever created before they can cause another tragedy. What starts as a personal mission soon takes him far beyond his home, sending him around the world as he searches for the remaining masks. Along the way, Peru meets new friends, dangerous enemies, and plenty of reminders of the destruction he caused. As he continues his journey, he’s forced to confront his guilt and figure out what to do with the past he can’t change. With a mysterious collection of powerful masks, a globe-spanning adventure, and a protagonist trying to make amends for a terrible mistake, The Vermillion Mask looks like an intriguing addition to October’s anime lineup. ‘Blue Box’ Season 2 Image via TMS Entertainment Release Date: October 4 | Studio: Telecom Animation Film | Streamer: Netflix Cast: Shouya Chiba, Reina Ueda, Akari Kitou, Kengo Haryuu If you’re into anime that can balance sports with a sweet romance, Blue Box has a little bit of everything. The series follows Taiki Inomata, a badminton player who has spent plenty of time training at his school’s gym, and plenty of time admiring Chinatsu Kano, a talented basketball player who seems completely out of his league. Taiki has always assumed his crush is one-sided. Chinatsu is older, more popular, and already making a name for herself on the basketball team, while Taiki is still working to prove himself on the court. When he unexpectedly discovers that Chinatsu is moving into his home, his quiet crush suddenly becomes a lot harder to ignore. In Season 2, Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship continues to evolve, but their path to reaching their respective goals isn’t going to be easy. A fractured friendship from the past and some seriously tough competition threaten to complicate both their personal lives and their dreams on the court. Blue Box Release Date October 3, 2024 Cast Shoya Chiba, Reina Ueda, Akari Kito, Chiaki Kobayashi, Yuma Uchida, Shogo Sakata, Ryoka Yuzuki, Asaki Yuikawa, Hiromu Mineta, Kana Ichinose, Haruka Shiraishi, Yuki Ono, Kensho Ono, Yuki Kaji, Kengo Kawanishi, Anna Nagase, Gen Sato, Kaori Nazuka, Kenta Sasa, Naoko Komatsu, Satoshi Inomata, Makoto Sahara, Sakura Kawaguchi, Maya Enoyoshi, Yuuko Iida Creator Kouji Miura Seasons 2