So far, August will be defined by the return of weekly anime, as fans can look forward to watching even more episodes of One Piece, Chainsmoker Cat, Daemons of the Shadow Realm, and Thunder 3. What’s also super exciting will be the release of The Ribben Hero, a reimagining of the beloved manga The Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka
We also have an ongoing preview of anime you can look forward to watching on Netflix in 2026
New Netflix Original Anime Coming to Netflix in August 2026
The Ribbon Hero (2026) N
Director: Yuuki IgarashiGenre: Action, Fantasy, Romance | Runtime: 109 Minutes
Cast: Saya, Myaumi Shintani, Kouki Uchiyama, Seiran KobayashiNetflix Release Date: August 8, 2026
The story follows Sapphire, a princess grieving the loss of her homeland, Silverland, which was completely destroyed by a terrifying calamity known as Nergal. After wandering in deep despair, Sapphire finds temporary peace and hope among the kind people of Goldland. However, the respite is short-lived when the malevolent Nergal resurfaces to threaten her new home. Refusing to let anyone else suffer, Sapphire wipes away her tears, ties her signature red ribbon, and courageously takes up her sword to defy her tragic fate.
Returning Weekly Anime Coming to Netflix in August 2026
Akane-Banashi
Season: 1 | Episodes: 12Genre: Drama | Runtime: 24 minutesCast: Anna Nagase, Chiaki Kobayashi, Takuya Eguchi, Masaki Terasome, Jun FukuyamaNetflix Finale Date: August 2, 2026 (end of cour 1)
“Growing up, Akane admired her father and his rakugo, a traditional Japanese form of storytelling where a lone performer, called a rakugoka, depicts a long, complicated, and usually funny story involving multiple characters, who are distinguished by changes in pitch, tone, slight turns of the head, and hand movements, all while sitting in place. But when she was in elementary school, her father and all the other applicants were expelled from the Arakawa School during the promotional test to obtain rakugo’s third and highest rank of shin’uchi. Six years later, Akane, who had been secretly receiving lessons from her father’s former master, sets out to become a shin’uchi of the Arakawa School to avenge her father and prove rakugo is a legitimate profession.”
Chainsmoker Cat (Season 1)
Episodes: WeeklyGenre: Comedy | Runtime: 23 minutesCast: Yuuko Natsuyoshi, Misato Matsuoka, Tetsu Inada, Yurie Funato, Riko AkechiNew Episodes: Fridays
“Welcome to Yani’s apartment. Please don’t mind the smell. Yani is a catgirl with a seriously bad smoking habit. Every time she tries to quit, she becomes weak to the cravings and gives in almost instantly. Behind on her rent and unable to hold down a job, her friends and sister rally around to help her out. But when she’s using her pee to put out cigarette fires, they may just have their work cut out for them.”
Daemons of the Shadow Realm (Season 1)
Episodes: 24Genre: Action, Adventure | Runtime: 23 MinutesCast: Kensho Ono, Yume Miyamoto, Takako Honda, Misaki Kuno, Rikiya KoyamaNew Episodes: Saturdays
“Yuru and Asa, twins from an isolated village, were separated by night and day. Older brother Yuru is an animal hunter, while his younger sister Asa has been locked away and ordered to perform a special duty. But when an attack on their village meant to capture Yuru leaves all the adults dead, Yuru and Asa attempt to flee, but in the chaos, Yuru is confronted by a woman claiming to be his true twin sister. Yura is saved by the village outsider Ryuu “Dera” Tadera, and before the pair are captured, Dera makes Yura give a gift to the deity of the village, which results in a pair of daemons summoned to the world, whose existence has been bound to reveal the truth behind the attack on the village.”
One Piece: Elbaf Arc (Part 1)
Episodes: 13Genre: Shōnen | Runtime: 24 MinutesCast: Mayumi Tanaka, Akemi Okamura, Kazuya Nakai, Horoaki Hirata, Kappei YamaguchiNew Episodes: July 4, 2026*
After surviving the assault from the Marines and the Gorosei on Egghead Island, the Straw Hats were rescued by the larger-than-life Giant Pirates! Now on their way to the island of Elbaf, the home of the giants, where new friends and threats emerge as Luffy’s goal of finding the One Piece continues
Thunder 3 (Season 1)
Episodes: TBAGenre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Supernatural | Runtime: 23 minutesCast: Honoka Mitsubachi, Eri Akiyama, Natsumi Kawaida, Sayumi SuzushiroNew Episodes: Sundays
“Thunder 3 is a story centered on the unbreakable bond between three childhood friends as they embark on a desperate search for a missing girl. The series follows Pyontaro, an ordinary middle schooler, and his two best friends, Tsubame and Hiroshi—a trio known as the Small 3. Their lives are upended when Pyontaro’s cheerful younger sister, Futaba, suddenly vanishes. Joining forces to find her, their search quickly escalates into a profound adventure that takes them far beyond their wildest imagination.”
What anime are you looking forward to watching on Netflix in August 2026? Let us know in the comments below!
