20 Crunchyroll Anime So Good You Have to Watch Them Twice

Some series pack in so much story craft and world building that one viewing only scratches the surface. These are the shows that layer timelines, clues, and character arcs in ways that reward a second pass from the very first episode.

Each pick here is known for intricate plotting, dense lore, or precise visual storytelling that becomes clearer once you know where everything is headed. Use this as a guide to catch what you missed the first time and to enjoy how carefully these stories are constructed.

‘Attack on Titan’ (2013–2023)

Hajime Isayama’s story adapts the entire manga across multiple seasons produced by two studios. Wit Studio handled the early seasons and MAPPA completed the run with the final chapters. The narrative expands from a single walled city to a global conflict. Key reveals about Marley, Eldia, and the Paths reframe early scenes and dialogue once the full context is known.

Equipment systems, military branches, and Titan abilities follow clear internal rules that tie back to discoveries made later. Character dossiers, propaganda pieces, and flashback structure are placed to set up later payoffs. A rewatch makes it easier to track who knows what at each point in the story and how the timeline aligns with events outside the walls.

‘Steins;Gate’ (2011)

This adaptation of a science adventure visual novel follows a small group that discovers a method for sending messages to the past. World line theory, divergence numbers, and the Reading Steiner ability are defined with consistent terminology. The show includes an OVA and a feature continuation that build on the series ending.

The script seeds phone call timings, email wording, and lab gadget behavior in early episodes. Minor changes accumulate into major shifts that only fully register once the viewer understands the target world line. A rewatch lets you match each turn in the plot to a specific cause and to map the branches that lead to the final route.

‘Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-‘ (2016–)

The series uses a return by death loop to examine how choices alter alliances and outcomes. Arcs cover the capital selection, the Sanctuary trials, and conflicts with archbishops. The two televised seasons present routes with different checkpoints and expanding rules for save points and memory.

Rewatching reveals how the wording of oaths, the nature of Witch factors, and the conditions tied to resets govern every event. Background details in the mansion, the city, and the Sanctuary foreshadow later confrontations. The Director’s Cut of season one adjusts pacing and scene order in ways that make route logic even clearer.

‘Made in Abyss’ (2017–)

The story follows cave raiders who descend through named layers with unique ecosystems and hazards. The curse of the Abyss intensifies by depth and affects ascent in documented ways. The television seasons are bridged by a canon film that advances the central expedition.

Artifacts, whistle ranks, and delver notes create a research trail that tracks the history of previous descents. A second viewing helps align each discovery with an earlier rule or map marker. The show’s medical procedures, field tools, and survival choices hew to information shared in logs and lectures scattered across the journey.

‘Mob Psycho 100’ (2016–2022)

From creator ONE, this series chronicles an esper’s growth across school life, exorcism jobs, and clashes with an organized group of psychics. Studio Bones adapts the manga with set pieces that reflect power ceilings and emotional states. The three seasons track a clear progression in ability and responsibility.

Plot threads about the Body Improvement Club, the workplace of Spirits and Such, and the group known as Claw connect through recurring symbols and chapter titles. Rewatching highlights how case files and throwaway lines establish later conflicts. Visual motifs around broccoli, telekinesis fields, and stress levels foreshadow the final arcs.

‘Death Note’ (2006–2007)

This cat and mouse thriller builds its rules around a notebook with strict conditions for use. The investigation spans two major phases with distinct leadership and tactics. The narrative logs times, locations, and identity safeguards with precision.

Every rule revealed about ownership, memory transfer, and eye deals is used to engineer specific traps. A rewatch makes the timing of televised announcements, task force procedures, and school schedules easier to track. Small gestures and camera angles point to information transfers that are easy to miss on a first pass.

‘Psycho-Pass’ (2012–)

Set in a society managed by the Sibyl System, the series explores public safety through quantified mental states. The franchise includes multiple seasons and films that fill in the organization’s history and jurisdiction. Case files rely on consistent device capabilities and legal protocols.

A second viewing helps align policy debates with hidden structural facts about Sibyl. Weapon modes, latent crime thresholds, and jurisdictional boundaries are applied with legal definitions that appear in dialogue and on screen. Character dossiers, career histories, and migration records provide clues that change the reading of early arrests.

‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion’ (2006–2008)

This two season mecha and political saga follows a strategist who wields a command power with explicit limits. Military operations, school life, and court intrigue intersect through coded identities and shifting fronts. Compilation films and later continuations offer an alternate continuity that reorganizes some events.

Rewatching allows viewers to map chess terms, battle formations, and broadcast tactics to planned outcomes. The Geass contract rules, the structure of the Knights of the Round, and the numbers on Knightmare frames form a trail of hard details. Early throwaway scenes at school foreshadow later alliances and betrayals in the final campaign.

‘ODDTAXI’ (2021)

This mystery tracks the intersecting lives of a taxi driver and his city wide clientele. The story uses appointment times, fare routes, and radio shows as markers in a larger case. A compilation film reorders scenes to emphasize the investigation timeline.

A second pass makes the schedule of calls, idol group activities, and social media posts much easier to piece together. Background signage, apartment layouts, and fare receipts contain information that connects suspects. Dialogue about debts and side jobs places each character in a network that resolves cleanly once the reveal is known.

‘March Comes in Like a Lion’ (2016–2018)

This character drama follows a young professional shogi player and the people who shape his life. The show adapts detailed board play with named openings and annotated matches. Two seasons cover school terms, title challenges, and family stories that run alongside the tournaments.

A rewatch helps track rival progress, ranking changes, and the time investment behind each match. Visual cues like piece placement, calendars, and weather match the pacing of training and recovery. Notes about dietary habits, exam prep, and club commitments explain how daily routines affect performance across the season.

‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ (2021–)

Studio Bind was formed with the goal of adapting this series with consistent staff and schedule. The show follows a reincarnated protagonist across regions with different languages, religions, and combat styles. The adaptation structures travel logs, school terms, and family chapters into distinct arcs.

A second viewing clarifies the magic system’s ranks, incantation rules, and training methods. Maps, guild postings, and letters date each journey stage and tie side stories back to the main line. Character skill growth is documented through ranked quests and school evaluations that are easy to align once you know the future destinations.

’86 Eighty-Six’ (2021–2022)

This military drama presents drone warfare that hides human pilots in segregated units. The first cour and the second cour were broadcast with a break that included schedule adjustments. Communications protocols, call signs, and command structures are defined with clarity.

Rewatching brings out how battlefield telemetry, squad markings, and rescue logistics connect across episodes. The show’s reports, casualty lists, and maintenance notes anchor emotional beats to operational data. Geography, supply lines, and weather are tracked on maps that mirror the timing of each major push.

‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ (2023–2024)

This fantasy begins after a hero party defeats a demon lord and follows an elf mage as she retraces the old route. The adaptation from a popular manga ran across the fall and winter seasons with an extended premiere. The story uses travel distances, monster classifications, and magic licensing to structure progress.

A rewatch reveals how memorial visits, spell collections, and exam requirements connect to earlier party history. The series places seasonal markers, town festivals, and apprenticeship milestones to show the passage of time. Quiet scenes often include maps and inscriptions that gain meaning once later chapters fill in the past.

‘Blue Lock’ (2022–)

This sports series builds a closed program designed to produce a national team striker. Trials progress through clear stages with scoring systems and selection rules. Player data sheets list height, position history, and special skills that influence draft choices and team roles.

Watching again helps track how ability charts, spatial plays, and training menus evolve across the rounds. Match footage uses repeatable set pieces that tie to skill development notes in earlier episodes. Character pairings and rivalries form based on complementary stats that are documented during evaluations.

‘Kaguya-sama: Love Is War’ (2019–2022)

This romantic comedy stages mind games between student council leaders who try to make the other confess first. A school calendar frames contests and events that push the plot forward. The anime spans three seasons and a theatrical continuation that covers a winter storyline.

A second viewing highlights how narration tags, scoreboards, and rule summaries govern each battle of wits. Running gags are tracked like data points that mark relationship progress. Club activities, exam weeks, and festival prep create a timetable that lines up precisely with turning points in the main relationship.

‘Bungo Stray Dogs’ (2016–2023)

The series imagines authors as characters with abilities named after their works. Multiple seasons chart gang alliances, agency cases, and international groups with legal and criminal jurisdictions. Studio Bones maintains a consistent look across arcs that shift between past and present.

Rewatching helps keep the web of organizations straight through badges, tattoos, and port entry rules. Ability interactions follow specific constraints that become important in team battles. Flashback episodes place era markers and publication references that align character motives with historical moments in the story’s world.

‘Ranking of Kings’ (2021–2023)

This fantasy follows a prince who trains to become a worthy ruler while a shadow companion supports him. Wit Studio presents a clear power ranking system with trusted and suspect evaluators. A follow up series of side stories fills in gaps from the main run.

A second pass makes the heraldry, sign language, and weapon styles easier to decode. Maps of kingdoms, travel permits, and treasure inventories give structure to journeys and trials. The show uses repeated props and inscriptions to label loyalties and betrayals long before the plot reveals them.

‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’ (2019–)

The story charts a demon slayer corps with ranks, breathing styles, and named forms that map directly to fight choreography. Arcs move from a mountain training period to major battles that include a canon film integrated into television format. The adaptation by ufotable keeps techniques and weapon materials consistent with the source.

Rewatching lets you connect sword styles to family histories and to the properties of specific demons. Corps rankings, mission slips, and recovery schedules are tracked on screen and in dialogue. The series places clues in house layouts, talismans, and uniforms that explain outcomes once you notice them.

‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ (2020–2023)

This series defines a curse energy system with techniques, domains, and binding vows that obey stated limits. The story includes a prequel film and a second season that covers early teacher history and a large scale city incident. MAPPA adapts training, exams, and missions with named locations and dates.

A rewatch clarifies how pact wording and reversed energy applications shape every fight. School rosters, cursed object ledgers, and bounty notices show how organizations operate. Timelines for field trips, tournaments, and holiday events place characters in the right spot for later convergences.

‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ (2009–2010)

This adaptation follows the manga to completion across sixty four episodes. The world uses alchemy with exchange rules that govern combat, medicine, and engineering. Military divisions, research labs, and a nationwide plan intersect through labeled maps and marked dates.

A second viewing helps align every state exam, train route, and encoded message with the final design. Homunculus names and abilities map to specific sins and to roles in the larger scheme. Newspaper clippings, family records, and lab reports provide a paper trail that ties early side stories into the central plot.

Share your favorites in the comments and tell us which ones you ended up rewatching the most.