The spring 2026 anime season is genuinely one of the best in recent memory. Whether you are a long-time fan or someone who just wants to know what is worth your time on Crunchyroll and Netflix this month, we have ranked and reviewed everything worth watching — with snack pairings included because this is NerdSnack and we take that seriously.
Essential Watches This Month
ADVENTURECRUNCHYROLLESSENTIAL
One Piece — The Elbaf Arc
Toei Animation / Crunchyroll
After over a thousand episodes, One Piece is somehow delivering some of its best material ever. The Elbaf Arc — set in the land of giants — has been a fan wish for 20 years and the execution has exceeded every expectation. The animation quality jump is visible episode by episode, and the emotional payoffs for long-time fans are hitting hard.
If you have never watched One Piece, this is not your entry point. But if you have been on this journey since East Blue or Alabasta, Elbaf feels like a reward for your patience. The giant mythology ties back to some of the earliest chapters in ways that are genuinely surprising.
9.6
Score
Best snack pairing: Something epic. Full charcuterie board, big bag of chips, the works. This arc deserves ceremony.
ACTIONCRUNCHYROLLMUST WATCH
Kagurabachi — Season 2
MAPPA / Crunchyroll
Season 1 was a breakout hit that caught a lot of people off guard — a revenge-driven swordsman story that turned out to have serious emotional depth beneath the action spectacle. Season 2 picks up the momentum and runs with it, adding new antagonists who are actually well-written rather than just obstacles.
The choreography in the fight sequences has been upgraded significantly. MAPPA clearly gave this project more resources and it shows in every frame of the major confrontations. This is the show that weekly anime viewers are talking about most right now.
8.9
Score
Best snack pairing: Spicy chips or sour candy. The show has a bite to it and your snacks should match.
SCI-FINETFLIX
Lazarus
MAPPA / Netflix — Original Series
MAPPA’s original Netflix commission is a near-future thriller about a drug called Hapna that grants enhanced abilities but comes with a death sentence. The premise sounds familiar but the execution is anything but. The world-building is layered and the lead character has a moral ambiguity that the show actually commits to rather than softening over time.
The soundtrack alone is worth the watch — an electronic score that feels genuinely cinematic. This is the kind of anime that will get recommended to non-anime fans because it plays more like a prestige TV thriller with exceptional animation.
8.1
Score
Best snack pairing: Black coffee and dark chocolate. This show has a serious mood and you should respect it.
Big Returns Worth Your Attention
ACTION / SHONENCRUNCHYROLL
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War — Final Arc
Pierrot / Crunchyroll
The end of the Bleach anime is here and it is being treated with the respect the series deserves. The TYBW adaptation has been one of the best anime productions of the decade — the upgrade from the original anime’s budget to what Pierrot has delivered here is almost incomprehensible when you watch them side by side.
The final arc brings back practically every character in the series for a massive confrontation and the fights are landing exactly as hard as fans hoped. Even people who stopped watching Bleach years ago are coming back for this.
8.8
Score
Best snack pairing: Classic movie snacks — popcorn, candy, something you’ve had since childhood. Bleach is nostalgia fuel.
ROMANCE / SUPERNATURALNETFLIX
Dan Da Dan — Season 2
Science SARU / Netflix
Season 1 was one of the most visually inventive anime of 2025 and Season 2 picks up without losing any of the chaotic energy that made it so fun. Momo and Okarun’s relationship is developing at a pace that feels earned rather than dragged out, which is rare for anime romance.
Science SARU continues to experiment with visual styles mid-episode in ways that feel fresh every time. The supernatural designs get increasingly wild and the show is clearly having a great time with its own mythology.
8.0
Score
Best snack pairing: Melon pan or fruit-flavored gummies. Something sweet and a little weird.
More Shows Worth Your Time
ACTIONCRUNCHYROLL
Solo Leveling: ReAwakening
A-1 Pictures / Crunchyroll
Sung Jinwoo returns in this continuation arc diving deeper into the Monarchs conflict. The animation quality has been a talking point since Season 1 and this arc does not disappoint — shadow army battles have never looked this good in anime form.
If you dropped off after the Jeju Island arc, now is the time to come back. The pacing tightens considerably and the power scaling starts making strategic sense rather than just being bigger numbers.
8.4
Score
Best snack pairing: Takis or anything aggressively crunchy. You need the energy of a man who can one-shot S-rank gates.
DRAMA / SPORTSNETFLIXESSENTIAL
Medalist
Pine Jam / Netflix
The surprise sleeper of 2026. Medalist follows a young figure skater who starts the sport later than her peers and the coach who believes in her. Do not let the sports premise fool you — this is one of the most emotionally devastating shows airing right now.
The skating sequences are beautiful and the character writing is patient in a way most modern anime refuses to be. Multiple episodes have landed on community highlight reels for their storytelling alone. A genuine must-watch.
9.1
Score
Best snack pairing: Something warm and comforting — hot cocoa, soft pretzels. Match the cozy emotional gut-punch energy.
Quick Picks
COMEDY / FANTASY
Dungeon Meshi Season 2
TRIGGER / Netflix
Laios and crew continue their dungeon food adventure. The new party members are immediately lovable and the food sequences are even more creative this season.
8.7 / 10
MECHA
Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Sunrise / Netflix
The latest Gundam entry is polarizing in the best way. Experimental storytelling and mecha designs that feel genuinely fresh. Entry-level friendly despite the ridiculous name.
8.2 / 10
Full Rankings At a Glance
Show
Platform
Score
Verdict
One Piece (Elbaf Arc)
Crunchyroll
9.6
ESSENTIAL
Medalist
Netflix
9.1
ESSENTIAL
Kagurabachi Season 2
Crunchyroll
8.9
MUST WATCH
Bleach: TYBW Final Arc
Crunchyroll
8.8
MUST WATCH
Dungeon Meshi S2
Netflix
8.7
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Solo Leveling: ReAwakening
Crunchyroll
8.4
GOOD WATCH
Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Netflix
8.2
GOOD WATCH
Lazarus
Netflix
8.1
GOOD WATCH
Dan Da Dan Season 2
Netflix
8.0
GOOD WATCH
NerdSnack Verdict
3
Essential Shows
4
Highly Recommended
9
Shows Reviewed
100%
Snack Approved
May 2026 is stacked. The Elbaf Arc alone would make this a memorable stretch for anime fans, but the combination of Medalist, Kagurabachi Season 2, and the Bleach finale all happening simultaneously is almost too much to keep up with.
If you can only pick one: watch Medalist. It is the kind of show that reminds you why anime as a medium can do things no other format can. If you want action: One Piece Elbaf is currently one of the best arcs in the show’s 25-year history.
Stock your snack drawer, clear your queue, and cancel whatever plans you had for the next few weekends. Your watchlist just became a part-time job.
