Best English Dubbed Anime on Crunchyroll – I wouldn’t blame you if you detest watching anime with English dubs and push yourself to read subtitles instead. Some English dubs can completely derail an anime. One excellent example would be the 4Kids Dub of ‘Digimon.’ However, there are several outstanding anime, such as ‘Fullmetal Alchemist,’ ‘Death Note,’ and even ‘Dragon Ball Z,’ that demonstrate that even the English Dub can provide an equally pleasurable experience.
If you’re one of those “purists” who can’t stand anime with anything other than the original audio, this post might not be for you. But if you’re new to the world of anime and looking for a starting point, we’re here to help. While most series on Crunchyroll do not have English dubs, lucky for us, there are a few that do. The majority of these dubs have a lot to offer and are nearly as outstanding as the originals. Without further ado, here is a list of the finest English dubbed anime on Crunchyroll:
13. Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade (2000)
‘Jin Roh’ is an immensely poignant anime film about a Colonel who is traumatized by witnessing a little girl blow herself up during a suicide bombing. He then goes through a period of reconditioning and training in order to be ready for fight again. But his road to recovery isn’t going to be as easy as he thinks. Despite being nearly two decades old, this film is still as good as some of the most recognized contemporary anime. The art style and quality are clearly vintage, yet everything else, including the English Dub, has a timeless feel to it. You may watch the anime online here.
12. Princess Nine (1998)
You’ve probably never heard of ‘Princess Nine,’ a sports anime. It was published around the same time as ‘Slam Dunk,’ which is probably why it was never very popular. It’s about an all-girl baseball club led by a talented pitcher named Ryo Hayakawa. It depicts all of the trials and struggles that these girls must endure in order to make something of their baseball careers and eventually reach the top. While there is some romance in the show, its unique depiction of a sports-centric plot is really motivating. All episodes are available to watch online here.
11. Blue Exorcist (2011-)
Demons live in a distinct realm called Gehena, making it hard for them to travel to the human realm unless they possess someone there. Satan, the Demon World’s king, is unable to locate someone worthy of his possession, yet he still aspires to control the human world. To do this, he chooses to send his own kid into the human world, hoping that when he grows up, he would be able to take over the world utilizing his superhuman talents.
The story of this demon child, Rin Okumura, who grows up to become Rin Okumura in the actual world, is told in ‘Blue Exorcist.’ For a long time, he thought of himself as nothing more than a regular schoolkid. But when he is besieged by a swarm of demons one day, he realizes he is Satan’s son. Instead of returning home to his father and realizing his father’s aim of conquering the human realm, Rim chooses to stay and learn to become an exorcist. He then employs his own skills to defend the human planet from terrible demonic forces. The anime can be viewed online here.
10. Cardcaptor Sakura (1998-2000)
‘Cardcaptor Sakura’ is a long-running 90s anime that was likely one of the first few series in the Mahou Shoujo genre. While other popular shows at the time followed the standard shounen troupes, ‘Cardcaptor Sakura’ stood out by taking risks and violating common norms. This one has a lot of cutesy fun and lighter moments, but what makes it genuinely entertaining is the depth of its tale, which goes along with the traditional Shoujo themes. ‘Cardcaptor Sakura,’ with its consistently high-quality animation and moderately thought-provoking topics, is one anime that will give you a peek of a more refreshing side of the good old late 1990s era of classics. You may watch the anime online here.
9. Durarara!! (2010-)
Often, anime shows are overhyped, but when you sit down to watch them, they are pretty underwhelming. Though ‘Durarara’ is also extremely touted in the anime community, it actually lives up to the hype. It borrows concepts from historical mythology, slasher films, and even urban tales to tell a story that is both fresh and original.
This mystery anime is filled of plot twists and action scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime. The most intriguing aspect of it is its oddball characters, who may appear to be a touch conventional on the surface. But as the novel progresses and their profound secrets are revealed, everything you thought you knew about them changes. Though the plot can be a little tedious at times, ‘Durarara’ is an English Dubbed anime you don’t want to miss. The anime can be viewed online here.
8. Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (2009-2010)
Even after ten years, ‘Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood’ remains one of the highest-rated anime shows. With its fantastic narrative and unique characters, the show undeniably outshines all others. However, one aspect that has significantly contributed to its global success is its flawless English dub.
Manga adaptations rarely meet the standards set by the source material, but ‘Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood’ demonstrates that an anime can achieve great things if it stays true to its source material. Despite the fact that the public’s opinion is evenly divided between the two versions of the show, ‘Brotherhood’ manages to outperform its predecessor with its English dub and outstanding animation quality. You may watch the show online by going here.
7. Gintama Season 3 (2006-)
The anime comedy genre may have done well in Japan, but it frequently fails to delight the Western audience. One major reason for this is the cultural contrasts between the East and the West. Another significant factor is the variation in the quality of English dubs. Often, when a joke or a hilarious event gets dubbed, the entire context of the joke or circumstance changes.
While most anime series attempt to replicate a winning formula of a high-school setting with humdrum humor sprinkled in, only a handful, such as ‘Gintama,’ remain true to the genre. ‘Gintama,’ although being a long-running shounen, never fails to go above and beyond what is expected of it, and even after a decade after its release, it remains one of the best comedy anime out there. If you’re weary of watching the same old rom-com shows that rely only on parody, step forward the king of comedy — ‘Gintama.’
6. GTO-The Animation (1999-2000)
‘Great Teacher Onizuka,’ or ‘GTO,’ features a comedy-shounen premise that may appear a little predictable at first. However, when you watch it more, you will notice that it contains a lot of influential commentary on modern youth and the Japanese school system. The Japanese take on the character voice-overs is simply wonderful, and while the English dub of this one falls short, it still manages to come close, which is quite an accomplishment. Although it contains a lot of sexual stuff that may not be acceptable for a younger audience, ‘GTO’ can be a fantastic experience if you’re old enough. It’s a fantastic animation that combines funny, amusing situations with serious subjects to create an intellectually interesting and entertaining experience.
5. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans (2015-)
‘Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans,’ from the masters of the Mecha genre, is one of Studio Sunrise’s best works. The ‘Gundam’ franchise has covered a lot of ground in recent years, but this one is by far the darkest due to all of the raw gory imagery that it shows to examine the nasty side of war. It is the best in the Mecha genre because of its gritty tale and horrific visuals, as well as some outstanding soundtracks. ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ is not a feel-good anime and has few cheerful moments, but it will undoubtedly make you ponder about mankind and conflict.
4. Rurouni Kenshin (1996-)
‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is a lesser-known shounen series from the 1990s. Those who have seen it, however, will realize that it is on par with all of the other popular so-called classics of the time. It depicts the narrative of a wandering samurai who decides to leave his former life behind and promises never to kill again with his sword. During his journey, he meets a girl named Kaoru Kamiya and decides to assist her after learning that her Dojo is under attack by a self-proclaimed dangerous Samurai.
Rurouni chooses to settle down for a bit after dealing with this impostor and begins staying at the Dojo. However, opponents from the present, as well as his own demons from the past, begin to appear. Will he be able to honor his word and not harm anyone? If you appreciate watching action-packed samurai anime with a dash of drama and humor, ‘Rurouni Kenshin’ is a must-see classic.
3. Slam Dunk (1993-1996)
If you’re not into sports anime, you’ll probably be hesitant to watch this one, as will most anime watchers. However, ‘Slam Dunk’ is much more than a sports anime. In fact, there isn’t much of a focus on sports in it. While there is a lot of hooping action, the emphasis is always on the spirit of the game rather than the rules.
Aside from that, the anime contains various side stories that introduce different topics centered on romance and friendship. I’m sure there are many basketball aficionados who have liked ‘Slam Dunk,’ as well as a number of non-basketball fans who appreciate the show. So give it a shot; you might fall in love with it.
2. Sword Art Online (2012)
‘Sword Art Online,’ based on one of the highest-grossing light novels of all time, pioneered the MMORPG Isekai anime genre. It is set in the year 2022 and follows the narrative of a little child named Kirito who is one of the few lucky people who get to experience future gaming. In this new style of gaming, gamers can control their avatars with their thoughts. But his gaming fantasy quickly turns into a nightmare when he finds he’s trapped in the RPG with 10,000 other players, and if he dies in the game, he’ll die in real life as well. Kirito and his buddies are trapped in this horrible gaming universe and must learn to live in order to find a way back home. The Isekai gaming genre as a whole has become far too popular in recent years. But it all started with ‘Sword Art Online,’ so it’s a bit of a classic.
1. Toradora! (2008-2009)
‘Toradora’ is one of the most popular titles in the high-school romance genre, and despite having every standard Shoujo cliché you can think of, it’s still fairly pleasant. Even if you prefer action-packed shounen and loathe rom-coms, ‘Toradora’ is one anime that might just change your mind about the genre. With only 25 episodes, it will only take one episode to pique your curiosity in the series and a few more to hook you on it. This anime’s English dub is also quite decent for a comedy. I would strongly suggest this show to almost anyone.