Whether you loved The Bear season 3 or thought it was a step down from the second season, you’ve probably already finished watching all 10 episodes. If so, there’s a decent chance you’re looking for the next show to binge on Hulu. The streaming service can only release so many FX masterpieces per year, after all, but there are plenty of other shows worth watching.
For this list, we wanted to dig a little deeper to find the hidden gems that you might have missed over the last month. We ended up finding a tragic, funny British dramedy, a head-spinning anime about a doctor reborn as an idol’s son, and the second season of an animated Marvel show you might not even have known existed.
Queenie
Based on Candice Carty-Williams’ 2019 novel of the same name, Queenie is the story of a 25-year-old British-Jamaican woman who just went through a messy breakup with her long-term boyfriend. It’s a stark and honest look at the life of a modern young woman.
“This isn’t a show built around shocking secrets,” reads Rolling Stone’s positive review. “And, in fact, the only real stumble is the presentation of the one notable plot twist. Instead, Carty-Williams and her collaborators (including directors Joelle Mae David and Makalla McPherson) focus on behavior and emotion. When we find out all that Queenie is dealing with, it doesn’t hurt us because it’s particularly surprising, but because of how palpably it’s hurting her, and because it’s so obviously hard for her to move past it all.”
Oshi no Ko
I’ll admit, at first sight, I didn’t think this show was for me. I’m not all that interested in the goings-on of Japan’s idol industry, but this anime has such a staggering twist at the close of its opening episode that you won’t have time to process the first twist. Even if you don’t decide to continue with the series, I can’t recommend the first episode highly enough.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but here’s Hulu’s synopsis, in case my vague plug isn’t enough to convince you: “Dr. Goro is reborn as the son of the young starlet Ai Hoshino after her delusional stalker murders him. Now, he wants to help his new mother rise to the top, but what can a child do about the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry?”
Hit-Monkey season 2
Virtually every show and movie Marvel makes is a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there are a few exceptions to that rule. One of those exceptions is Hit-Monkey, which follows a suit-wearing, sword-wielding Japanese snow monkey on a quest for revenge. In season 2, Hit-Monkey heads to New York City with his spirit guide, Bryce McHenry (voiced by Jason Sudeikis). The voice cast also includes Olivia Munn, Ally Maki, and Cristin Milioti.
“We always knew we wanted to set Season 2 in New York City,” co-creator Josh Gordon told Marvel.com. “Like Tokyo, it’s a layered, gritty, cinematic place. But it also allowed us to dig into Bryce’s past and drag Monkey deeper into the messiness of the human world. It’s been the setting of so many Marvel stories before, but we wanted to show a more realistic version of the city. Still moody and complex, but more like the city we know.”
All 10 episodes of Hit-Monkey season 2 premiere on July 15, 2024.
