Following its surprise success with the legendary manga/anime adaption One Piece, Netflix is back on track with a live-action remake version.
Indeed, Netflix’s latest adaptation of a renowned cartoon series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, has divided fans and critics alike. At the time of writing, critical reception for the show was mixed, with Netflix’s rendition receiving a 59% rating on popular review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes (RT). However, general audiences have appreciated it significantly more, with Avatar receiving a much higher 75% rating.
Like many critics, we were unimpressed by Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. We described it as a “gutsy but frustrating remake that blows hot and cold” in our review, so we can’t say it’s a must-see. The following similarly positioned shows, however, are all must-sees, so watch one of these five fantasy series on Netflix instead of the streaming service’s most recent big-budget offering.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Seasons: 3
RT score: 100% (critics); 98% (audience)
Avatar: The Last Airbender’s original season, which premiered on Nickelodeon, is a wonderfully animated and emotionally charged roller coaster of a TV show.
Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko’s TV show follows the same plot as Netflix’s remake: Aang, the 12-year-old sole survivor of the Air Nomads and the latest reincarnation of the all-powerful Avatar, must reluctantly accept his fate and prevent the tyrannical Fire Nation from ruling over its fellow nations.
However, even simple tale explanation fails to capture the enormous scale of the Avatar animated series. It’s funny, heartbreaking, action-packed, and full of engaging characters that grow as the series unfolds. It also addresses unpleasant issues (genocide, imperialism, and mortality, to name only a few) Frequently overlooked in children’s programs. It’s a rare kind of anime-style show that’s just as good today as it was in 2005.
Castlevania
Seasons: 4
RT Score: 94% (critics); 89% (audience)
Castlevania, based on Konami’s popular 2D side-scrolling dark fantasy horror games of the same name, is an R-rated animated series that deserves far more attention than it received during its four-season run on the world’s top streaming service.
Trevor Belmont, the last living member of a once-feared and famed monster hunting family, teams up with magician Sypha Belnades and Alucard, Dracula’s son, to defeat the iconic vampire lord and his undead army and liberate Wallachia from Dracula’s totalitarian tyranny.
Netflix’s Castlevania plays a little fast and loose with its source material, especially Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, but it weaves the stories in Konami’s games into a tremendously amusing, gore-laced package that’s devilishly lovely to watch. Castlevania: Nocturne, the spin-off series, is also amazing.
One Piece
One Piece is the only one of Netflix’s three live-action remakes of legendary anime, the other two being Cowboy Bebop and the aforementioned Avatar. It is a fairly faithful adaptation that maintains the endearing essence of its animated and manga namesakes.
It chronicles the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a passionate and generous pirate who aspires to be King of the Pirates. Monkey, together with his eccentric crew (collectively known as the Straw Hats), sets off on a global quest to obtain the titular One Piece, a fabled jewel that would help him achieve his aim.
Netflix’s One Piece ruled the streaming high seas after its first season debuted at number one on the streaming service’s TV charts in August 2023. Given its unparalleled success, Netflix quickly greenlit a second season of One Piece. Our One Piece season 2 guide has all you need to know about it. You know, once you’ve seen the eight-part first installment.
Six seasons of the One Piece anime series are also accessible on Netflix (in the United States and Australia). Other seasons are available on Hulu, Pluto TV (US), and Crunchyroll (US, UK, and Australia).
The Sandman
Seasons: 1
RT score: 88% (critics); 80% (audience)
It took 35 years for Neil Gaiman’s iconic, mind-bending, and ingeniously crafted graphic novel series to finally receive a live-action adaptation that matched its source material. That is exactly what happened in mid-2022, with the release of The Sandman season 1 on Netflix.
Gaiman’s foundational novels follow Morpheus (also known as Dream), one of the seven eternal deities known as the Endless, whose kingdom falls into disarray after he is unexpectedly seized by a cult in 1916. Morpheus finally breaks free over a century later and begins reconstructing his kingdom, but he faces numerous challenges before he can realize his *ahem* dream.
In our review of season one of The Sandman, we dubbed it a “remarkably authentic adaptation that’s oh-so-nearly brilliant”. It’s full of big-brain notions and philosophical quandaries that can be disconcerting and confusing. Overall, The Sandman is a terrific fantasy series that deserves to be on our list of the top Netflix shows. After you’ve finished watching The Sandman season 2, read up on everything we know thus far.
Shadow & Bone
Seasons: 2.
RT score: 84 percent (critics and audience)
Despite its abrupt cancellation after two seasons – an ongoing fan campaign isn’t pure fantasy even four months later – Shadow and Bone is a fun-filled young adult fantasy that’s less sophisticated than The Sandman.
Its first season introduced viewers to Alina Starkov, a seemingly average cartographer who is discovered to be the Grishaverse’s next Sun Summoner, a rare breed of Grisha (this universe’s term for magicians) capable of creating light and combating dark forces all over the world. She’s essentially like Aang from The Last Airbender, a character who grudgingly undertakes the thankless responsibility of saving her world.
In our first season review of Shadow and Bone, we described it as “a faithful fantasy TV adaptation to rival The Witcher”. Unfortunately, Shadow and Bone season 2 failed to live up to the lofty expectations established by its predecessor – we termed it “a magic-fuelled mishmash” – which no doubt led to Netflix canceling the show rather than extending it for a third season. Still, based on its RT scores, it’s worth looking into.
