Amazon Prime Video is one of the most underrated destinations for anime streaming, especially since it hits so many targets for different demographics. From various retro anime gems to newer favorites, Prime Video is a great place to build up a must-watch anime backlog. Add in the fact that it’s connected to the biggest online commerce hub, and it’s a one-stop shop for anime fans looking to stream and collect.

Amazon Prime Video Has Some of the Best Retro Anime Classics

Old-School Anime Fans Have a Lot to Choose from on Prime Video

Anime might have gained its current cultural dominance in the past several years, but it’s been around for decades. The 1980s and 1990s in particular were a golden age for the medium, with several incredible anime and anime movies released. These and even older anime can be streamed on Prime Video, making it a haven for those seeking old-school Japanese animation from the decades before the medium really hit big.

Violent, edgy cyberpunk anime OVAs such as Angel Cop and Goku Midnight Eye are on Amazon Prime Video, as is the epic anthology Memories (which was produced by the director of Akira). These science fiction classics might be a bit too edgy for some viewers, but they helped define the general aesthetic and aura of the medium for a generation, especially among those in the West.

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​​​These violent anime were some of the easiest to come by internationally in the 1990s, pushing the idea of adult animation forward when it came to non-Japanese audiences. Going back even further, the classic anime Speed Racer is also on Prime Video, bringing one of the first major anime to modern audiences.

For anime fans nostalgic for the late 1990s and early 2000s, there’s a plethora of anime from this era that can also be streamed on Amazon’s platform. The violently visceral Elfen Lied can be enjoyed in all its gory glory, as can the infamous dub of the 2001 anime Ghost Stores. Adult Swim mainstay Inuyasha introduced several anime lovers to the isekai genre, and it’s still largely better than many modern isekai anime.

Absurdist comedy Cromartie High School and the legendary school-based GTO are both there for those in need of a parody of delinquent anime and manga, and in the case of kids programming, viewers can get a fix similar to Pokémon with the 1999 anime Medabots. This leaves Prime Video wide open for those whose anime tastes don’t go far beyond the year 2005, but in the case of the opposite audience, it still has fans covered.

An Epic Mecha Anime Remake Is On Prime Video

Rebuild of Evangelion Is One of Several Newer Anime On Amazon Prime Video

There are tons of newer anime to be found on Prime Video, from battle shonen romps to other genres. The same goes for anime movies, with the list running from retro to modern in a wide gamut of classics. Obvious OVA hits such as Wicked City and Demon City Shinjuku are right there alongside the original Ghost in the Shell anime movie.

After watching Inuyasha, fans can also watch the 2021 sequel, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon. For something older that’s still not “retro”, it’s hard to go wrong with the beloved anime adaptation of Death Note. While mega-blockbusters such as Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen might be absent, there are still several anime from the 2010s and 2020s that call the streaming platform home.

These include the most recent My Hero Academia anime movie, which is actually on Prime Video before it hits Crunchyroll. Mecha fans in particular have a lot to enjoy, namely a still somewhat-recent mecha anime movie remake series that can be watched in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video.

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Rebuild of Evangelion was a four-part movie series that retold the classic Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, but it wasn’t necessarily a remake in the traditional sense. By the release of 2021’s Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, the series had diverged distinctly from the classic 1990s mecha anime, telling its own version of the story.

The third movie used these original elements to become the most successful film in the franchise, and it’s so far the final entry in the Evangelion franchise as a whole. Released to critical and fan acclaim, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time and its three predecessors are begging to be watched on Prime Video by those who’ve seen the original anime countless times already.

Many older anime fans will note that Evangelion helped make the medium even more mainstream in the 1990s through its more introspective and psychological storytelling. Thus, seeing the latest take on it is a must-see viewing experience for mecha lovers and those familiar with legacy of the original. It’s just one example of how the streaming platform is completely overlooked in terms of anime fair, and it’s actually only one side of the equation with how Amazon is a great place for fans to meet their anime needs.

Rebuild of Evangelion

Release Date

November 1, 2007

Runtime

101 minutes

Director

Masayuki Suo, Kazuya Tsurumaki, Hideaki Anno

Writers

Hideaki Anno

Amazon Is a One-Stop Shop for Anime Fans of All Ages

Streaming and Shopping Has Never Been Easier for Anime Fans

Prime Video is, of course, the streaming arm of the mega-corporation Amazon, and this means more than many anime fans realize. On the streaming side of things, add-ons and additional subscriptions allow Prime Video users to stream anime that aren’t on the platform. There are add-ons for Hi-Dive, Max, Hulu, Crunchyroll and other streaming services, and this offers a way to have a host of anime in one home.

Of course, this requires making accounts for other platforms and paying for them, but it’s easier than transitioning to and from each of these streaming services at a time in order to watch certain anime. Such features are available on services such as Max or Netflix, making Amazon Prime Video a lot more user-friendly and accessible compared to these competitors.

That’s without even commenting on the overall commercial aspects of Amazon as a whole. Given that it’s the biggest online retailer, especially in the West, Amazon is host to several anime collectibles. Thus, fans can watch their favorite anime or entirely new anime before going onto the main Amazon website and finding all manner of merchandise tied to those franchises.

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For instance, after watching the Vinland Saga anime, fans can then order physical versions of the Vinland Saga manga through Amazon or read the digital version on Amazon’s Kindle service in order to compare how the story is told. Likewise, mecha fans have a veritable mix of options at their fingertips, with just about every major mecha anime franchise having collectibles being sold on Amazon.

Gunpla plastic model kits are easy to find on Amazon, and they’re perfect for collecting after enjoying one of the Gundam corresponding anime (likely through a Crunchyroll add-on). The same goes for Evangelion, with the Rebuild of Evangelion movies having copious amounts of toys and statues released in the series’ wake.

That’s without even mentioning Transformers, with some of the anime-based Transformers from the upcoming Transformers: Age of the Primes toys already available to pre-order on Amazon. Thus, Amazon is the best place to enjoy all the facets of the anime industry, from the animation itself to the manga source material and any toys. While fans might usually head to Crunchyroll or Netflix as their first choice for anime, they should definitely give Amazon Prime Video a chance and see just how many great anime they’re missing out on.