September 2026 looks like an excellent month to catch up with the anime catalog. As new season series continue airing, streaming platforms offer a solid selection of established works and recent premieres worth your attention. Based on story quality, animation level, and current availability, we’ve compiled the ten titles standing out for the coming weeks.

10. Banana Fish

The acclaimed MAPPA series finally received its English dub this August 2026, after various AI-related issues delayed official efforts on other platforms. The story follows Ash Lynx, a young gang leader in New York, and Japanese photographer Eiji Okumura. Both become involved with a powerful crime syndicate while investigating the meaning of “Banana Fish,” delivering a dark plot where Eiji’s kindness is the only light of hope.

9. The Ribbon Hero

This original movie, released last year, takes strong inspiration from Osamu Tezuka’s 1960s classic, Princess Knight (La Princesa Caballero). Set in a medieval world, it follows Princess Sapphire, who must pose as a prince to inherit the throne. In this darker version, Sapphire seeks revenge and fights to defend Goldland, her new home, from the same calamity that destroyed her homeland.

8. Assassination Classroom (Ansatsu Kyoushitsu)

A modern classic whose two seasons were just added to major catalogs. The misfit students of Class 3-E are tasked with assassinating their new teacher, Koro Sensei, a tentacled creature threatening to destroy the world. The irony is that this monster turns out to be the best teacher they’ve ever had.

7. Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-

This 13-episode original series by WIT Studio in 2021 was added to catalogs earlier this year. The plot spans a century and follows Vivy, an AI singer at an amusement park who embarks on a solo mission to prevent artificial intelligences from annihilating humanity in the future. A deep exploration of what it means to sing with the heart.

6. Dorohedoro

MAPPA’s dark and bizarre fantasy finally saw its second season in 2026 after a long wait since its 2020 debut. With a third installment already in production, it’s the perfect time to follow Caiman, a man with a reptile head and no memories, who seeks answers in the dangerous district known as The Hole alongside his partner Nikaido.

5. Spy x Family

With all three seasons fully available, the adaptation of Tatsuya Endo’s manga remains one of the strongest options. Master spy Loid Forger forms a fake family with a hired assassin and a telepathic girl to maintain peace between two nations. A perfect mix of domestic comedy, lovable family dynamics, and darker themes about war.

4. Mob Psycho 100

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, Studio Bones’ three seasons offer one of the most complete and well-animated stories in the medium. It follows the emotional growth of Shigeo Kageyama, a high school student with overwhelming psychic powers who prefers hiding his abilities while exorcising spirits under the guidance of con artist Arataka Reigen.

3. Lost in Starlight

This original Korean movie from 2025 is the first South Korean anime feature with a global release of this scale. Set in 2050, it blends retro and futuristic aesthetics to tell the story of Nan-young, an astronaut dreaming of reaching Mars, and Jay, a musician who repairs vintage audio equipment. A melancholic journey about dreams and burgeoning feelings.

2. Forest of Piano (Piano no Mori)

Be mindful of this series, as it will leave its original platform on September 28, 2026, and won’t be available elsewhere. Based on Makoto Isshiki’s award-winning manga, it tells the story of Kai Ichinose, a boy who plays beautiful melodies on an abandoned piano in the forest, and his entry into the competitive world of classical music.

1. Blue Giant

Leading the recommendations is the 2023 movie based on Shinichi Ishizuka’s manga, winner of Best Music at the Japan Academy Film Prizes. The story of Dai Miyamoto and his relentless obsession to become the world’s best jazz saxophonist is brutally intense. The film adapts the story to its conclusion without planned sequels, delivering a spectacular finale.

Which of these anime or movies do you plan to add to your watchlist for this September?