The animated ones Global popularity has never been higher, with 2025 marking a historic and record-breaking year as anime dominated the box office and cemented its status as a growing force in the entertainment industry. Yet despite its growing popularity, some titles quietly disappear from streaming libraries without warning.
As platforms alternate licenses and prioritize new releases, many past hits have been overlooked, making it virtually impossible to watch legally without a physical or digital copy. Many of these titles had significant audiences and devoted fan bases, making their departure from official streaming platforms both worrying and frustrating for viewers.
Hotarubi no Mori
Hotarubi no Morialso known as In the forest of light of firefliesis a 45-minute film that follows Hotaru, a young girl who gets lost in a mountain and meets Gin, a mysterious masked spirit. Gin is bound by one rule: never have physical contact with a human, because any contact could make him disappear.
Hotaru and Gin’s relationship takes place over several summers, creating a memorable and heartfelt story about first love and restraint. The film is known for its beautiful storytelling and gentle pacing, making it one of the best animated short filmsand it’s devastating that it’s not easily accessible on any streaming platform.
91 days
91 days follows Angelo Lagusa, a young man who survived a Prohibition-era mafia massacre that killed his parents. When he returns to his hometown under a new name, he begins to systematically eliminate the family responsible for his family’s death by befriending the Vanettis’ son, Nero.
91 days is a dark and realistic anime that explores revenge, the cycle of hatred, and morality. The series is grounded and filled with psychological tension. Although it explores revenge, it never romanticizes it, making it atmospheric and heavy in a way that few anime can match, and its limited availability feels like a real loss for anime fans.
Noragami
Noragami follows Yato, a minor and forgotten god who gets by with odd jobs as he attempts to make a name for himself as a delivery god. After a schoolgirl named Hiyori Iki saves him from a car accident, she finds herself trapped between the human and spirit worlds, leading to an unlikely partnership.
Many fans congratulated Noragami for its mix of humor, action and mythology. The characters have complex backstories, allowing for exciting storylines that viewers couldn’t get enough of. It had rewarding arcs, compelling mysteries, and excelled in both tone and pacing. Lose access to Noragami has caused concern among anime fans due to its high popularity.
The big O
The big O takes place in Paradigm City, where citizens lost all their memories forty years earlier and rebuilt society around this absence. Following Roger Smith, a negotiator who pilots a massive robot called Big O to fight monsters and confront threats, the series is a psychological thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world.
The series is best known for its strong noir atmosphere and mecha elements.. With its action and its gothic aesthetic, The big O has a unique visual identity that enhances the visual experience, and many fans consider It’s an unmissable classic. Unfortunately, the series is not available on streaming platforms, making it almost impossible to enjoy it.
Claymore
Claymore takes place in a medieval world plagued by Yoma, shapeshifting demons who feed on humans. The story follows a young woman named Clare, a half-human, half-Yoma Claymore woman, who hunts down these creatures as she seeks revenge on her mentor Teresa.
Claymore is a dark fantasy series that does not hesitate to explore a dark universe. Coupled with its all-female cast of superhuman warriors, the series is unlike many others, making it not only unique, but also influential and memorable. His lack of availability is devastatingwith many fans calling it a lost classic.
Rurouni Kenshin (1996)
Rurouni Kenshin follows Himura Kenshin, a former assassin known as Hitokiri Battōsai, who has sworn to never kill again. As he wanders through Meiji-era Japan, he forms new bonds and confronts the remnants of his violent past while saving others to atone for his violent past.
The lack of availability of the original series is a loss of the series’ retro style and filler content that expanded the characters and universe.
While the remake of the series is easily accessible on streaming platforms, the original 1996 version of the series is almost impossible to watch. As a timeless classic from the 1990s, the lack of availability of the original series is a loss of the series’ retro style and filler content that expanded the characters and universe.
Death Parade
Death Parade takes place in a mysterious bar where Decim, a bartender from the afterlife, must judge the souls of those who have recently passed away. These souls arrive at his bar, Quindecim, where they must engage in high-stakes games designed to reveal their true nature.
Each story highlights new stories, revealing who the characters were in life, turning many episodes into an exciting character study. It explores morality and the nature of humanity in a way that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish. With the series is no longer available for streaminganime fans have lost access to a great series.
Fullmetal Alchemist focuses on brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, whose attempt at human transmutation to resurrect their mother ends in devastation. Edward loses an arm and a leg, while his brother loses his entire body, leaving only his soul bound in armor. As they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore themselves, they uncover a deeper conspiracy.
22 years later, the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime is a must-see even if you forgot about it
Fullmetal Alchemist is best remembered for its failure to adapt the manga’s ending, but we think it’s still a series worth watching in 2025.
While the remake series Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is widely available, the original from 2003 Fullmetal Alchemist is almost impossible to watch because it is not available on streaming platforms. While the series may not be as popular as its successor, it delivered an exciting and daring story that wasn’t afraid to lean into darker themes.
Darker than black
Darker than black focuses on Hei, a mysterious entrepreneur with superhuman abilities as he navigates a world shaped by the sudden appearance of Heaven’s Gate and Hell’s Gate, where people can gain powers at the cost of their humanity.
The series excels thanks to its atmospheric, noir-inspired backdrop and thought-provoking ethical dilemmas. Combined with its intense action and unique power systems, Darker than black stands out as an exciting series to which many anime watchers unfortunately no longer have access.
Noise!
Noise! is set during the Prohibition era in the United States and features a non-linear storyline that explores the lives of immortals, gangsters and crooks through seemingly disconnected events. It is known for its intense action and intertwining storylines, with many fans considering it an anime masterpiece.
Made by the same creator as Durarara!!, Noise! has dynamic storytelling and powerful energy. Its licensing rights have expired, making it one of the most difficult anime to stream or purchase legally, as physical formats are limited and have been discontinued.
