The sheer length of some of the most famous anime series can be something of a turnoff for newcomers, leading some fans to wonder what the best short anime are. Friends may enthusiastically recommend Naruto, One Piece, or The Legend of Galactic Heroes, but those shows, classics that they are, have hundreds of episodes, making them something of a time commitment, to say the very least.
Maybe a viewer is new to anime and isn’t sure that they want to sink that much time into a single piece of media, or maybe they’re a longtime fan who simply doesn’t have the time or patience to sit through another 70 episodes until they finally reach the story arc their friends keep raving about. Luckily for those pressed for time, anime has a lot of excellent shorter shows that aren’t held back by their length, coming in at 13 episodes or less. The best short anime series don’t waste time getting to the good stuff.
7:54
Related
35 Most Underrated Anime Series
Some animes garner a lot of popularity but others tend to slip between the cracks. These are some underrated animes worth checking out.
40 High School of the Dead (2010)
12 Episodes + 1 OVA
The type of anime one describes as “to watch for the plot,” High School of the Dead checks boxes for mature themes, violence, and fanservice and the result is one of the best zombie anime. The series is perhaps infamous for each of these elements, the latter of which is practically a font of memes, but it’s also notably short, with twelve episodes and an OVA to its name. In more recent years, High School of the Dead has come under fire for its sexual content, which often goes beyond the typical fanservice fare.
Still, beyond these experiences, one can find a surprisingly thrilling action-horror series. The premise is simple enough: a zombie outbreak causes a collapse of society, with many humans losing their moral compass in the process. This results in wanton violence on top of a fight for survival against mindless hordes of the undead, with the principal survivors starting at their high school. Multiple moments will compel viewers to leap out of their seats in excitement or provoke a good laugh for its more gratuitous scenes.
39 No Game No Life (2014)
12 Episodes
No Game No Life features The Blank, a duo of elite gamers named Sora and Shiro who spend much of their time online due to their status as social outcasts. After defeating the god Tet in a game of chess, they are transported to a new realm known as Disboard and must conquer the land’s various kingdoms to once again face Tet.
While it may sound like relatively standard isekai fare, No Game No Life is bolstered by its flashy neon visuals and impeccable art direction, and the series is still held in high regard almost a decade after its initial premiere. Isekai anime can often be intimidating, especially the genre’s vanguard which can feature daunting episode counts and a good amount of lore. In contrast, No Game No Life keeps things short and to the point, making it one of the best isekai anime for fans of something like That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime who want a shorter series to dig into.
38 Baccano! (2007)
13 Episodes
Baccano! is a series that takes place across three different places and times: a 1930 story involving a mafioso and the fabled alchemical elixir of life, a 1931 story set aboard a transcontinental train where a killer is on the loose, and a 1932 story focusing on a young woman searching for her missing brother. These three disparate plot lines come together in unexpected ways, and have characters who span across the various stories.
Needless to say, Baccano! is a very unique anime, and there’s really not much else quite like it. Based on a series of light novels, which are a bit more straightforward in their presentation, Baccano! is a celebrated series full of action, mystery, and the occasional laugh. Its setting of 1930s America is definitely an unusual choice for an anime, but it all comes together well.
37 MegaloBox (2018)
13 Episodes
MegaloBox is a series created to celebrate the anniversary of one of Japan’s most popular anime/manga series of all time, Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe), which tells the story of an underdog boxer and his rise to the top. MegaloBox puts a sci-fi spin on the premise by having its boxers fight with special equipment called simply “Gear,” which amplifies the power of punches, making fights more exciting than ordinary boxing.
As an underdog story, it follows the broke and nameless hero, known only as “Junk Dog,” on his rise from a nobody who’s fighting to earn money to the upper echelons of the sport. It has a gritty, cyberpunk style to it which really enhances the show’s vibe, even if the Gear itself is ultimately superfluous. MegaloBox did have something of a spinoff/continuation in the series Nomad, but it’s not necessary to watch Nomad to enjoy the series.
36 Deadman Wonderland (2011)
12 Episodes
Deadman Wonderland tells the story of Ganta Igarashi, a young boy who’s framed for the murder of his classmates and sent to a private prison facility which doubles as an amusement park, where inmates fight to the death. There, Ganta discovers he has special powers to control blood, and meets with a strange albino girl by the name of Shiro who seems to have knowledge of his past that Ganta can’t quite remember…
The series is packed with brutal battles as Ganta must learn to stand up for himself and defend against the other inmates, many of whom are legitimately insane. While based on a manga, the 12-episode anime doesn’t cover the entire series, instead only focusing on the first chapters. That does mean that Deadman Wonderland doesn’t have a very conclusive ending, but it’s enjoyable regardless.
35 Eden of the East (2009)
11 Episodes
Eden of the East is a series which opens with its protagonist, Saki, encountering a naked man with a gun and a cell phone standing in front of the White House. Offering him her coat out of modesty, Saki watches as the young man, apparently named Akira, proceeds to escape—with her passport in the coat’s pocket. Saki then has to track down Akira, and becomes wrapped up in the mystery that he’s found himself in.
Eden of the East is a compelling mystery which leaves fans scratching their heads at every turn. Somehow, the fate of Japan has come to rest on the shoulders of these two unlikely companions, who are now stuck together. The series is an anime original, and has two follow-up films if viewers find themselves dying for more.
34 .hack//Legend of the Twilight Bracelet (2003)
13 Episodes
.hack// is a larger franchise, but Legend of the Twilight Bracelet is a shorter, stand-alone series within that franchise that actually makes for a great entry point for beginners. It tells the story of Shugo and Rena, two twins separated by divorce who are able to spend time together once again in an online game after winning a pair of special avatars.
The series has a fair balance of action and comedy, often taking an unusual slice-of-life look at what it’s like to play an MMORPG. While the series does get more dramatic towards the end, it never completely loses its sense of humor. Based on a manga, Legend of the Twilight Bracelet is one of those series that diverges from its source material, so even those familiar with the manga can get something new out of it.
33 Katanagatari (2010)
12 Episodes
Adapted from a light novel by Nisio Isin (of Bakemonogatari fame), Katanagatari tells the story of an ambitious woman and her somewhat dull-headed warrior guardian on a quest through Japan to collect 12 legendary blades. Despite being Deviant Blades though, not all of the weapons even resemble swords in the first place, with some resembling things like armor, a mechanical doll, and a pair of handguns.
Featuring striking anime character designs, outstanding animation, and engaging dialogue, Katanagatari is not to be missed. One caveat is that while there are only a dozen episodes, each has a forty-five-minute runtime, meaning that Katanagatari will be a bit of a time-sink relative to other single-season anime series. Still though, fans willing to put up with the extra-length episodes will find a great series in Katanagatari.
32 Bloom Into You (2018)
13 Episodes
The short anime series Bloom Into You follows teenager Yuu Koito as she goes through a period of self-discovery. She loves romance stories, but when a boy confesses his feelings for her, she doesn’t get the excitement she expects from it, and has to determine why. As she eventually discovers after asking another female student for help, that might be because she isn’t interested in boys at all.
It’s rare for romance anime to center on same-gender relationships, but Bloom Into You does just that in a great coming-of-age story that is both sweet and fun. With fans of LGBTQ anime to watch clamoring for more series, it’s worth revisiting Bloom Into You as it is a standout series. At just 13 episodes, it’s not rushed, and it doesn’t feel unfinished either, which can also be rare in romance anime.
31 Odd Taxi (2021)
13 Episodes
Both a slice of life and a crime anime, Odd Taxi is pretty fascinating. It’s got anthropomorphic animals as its main characters, and the main character is a walrus who happens to drive taxis. His story cycles through a lot of eccentric passengers, but ultimately, it centers on him being connected to a missing person’s case. Hiroshi Odokawa might be blunt and a little eccentric himself, but his life is completely turned on its head when both the police force and members of the yakuza are set on him.
More than living up to its name, Odd Taxi is a delightfully strange series with enough heart to win over any fan of crime dramas who may be put off by the series’ animal designs. Rest assured, Odd Taxi is far from family-friendly. There’s so much to enjoy in Odd Taxi, whether it’s the different passengers in the taxi, or the overall mystery, that fans might want to watch it twice.
30 Yuri!!! On Ice (2012)
12 Episodes
Yuri!!! on Ice focuses on a prominent figure skater who finds himself suffering after a crushing loss, as well as a world champion figure skater who offers to help him out. The two find exactly what they need in one another when they’re not sure where their paths should point them next.
Yuri!! on Ice became a massive hit thanks to its stellar animation and focus on same-sex relationships, and seven years after the original airing of the anime, fans and critics alike are still waiting in anticipation for the release of its sequel film, Yuri!!! on Ice the Movie: Ice Adolescence. Unfortunately, if there’s one flaw with the series, it’s that the series’ central relationship is only strongly implied as opposed to being outright confirmed. Still, far from subtext, the implications are clear to anyone paying even a little bit of attention.
29 The Yakuza’s Guide To Babysitting (2012)
12 Episodes
Some of the best short anime come from the unexpected situations characters are thrown into. This is certainly the case for The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting, which follows a yakuza member whose boss thinks he doesn’t know how to rein in his darker tendencies. The solution is to have him babysit the boss’ young daughter, which seems like a bit of a stretch but makes for both a humorous and dramatic storyline. After all, a yakuza with no restraint tasked with handling the day-to-day responsibilities of his boss’ seven-year-old is bound to become a comedy of errors.
The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting is both humorous and heartwarming in equal measure. The yakuza member, Kirishima, is a great character with a good deal of depth and his charge, Yaeka, is far from the typical annoying child. Their dynamic is the beating heart of the series, as viewers watch the duo learn and grow alongside each other.
28 Violet Evergarden (2018)
13 Episodes
Inspired by a light novel (released in four volumes) originally published in 2015, Violet Evergarden is an exploration of just what love means. It’s poignant and emotional to watch a character who doesn’t understand love slowly come to realize how it affects the world – and her. The titular character works as a transcriptionist following her time as a soldier in a war. When the last words of her mentor are “I love you”, she tries to understand them, and it takes her on a trip to which she tells other people’s stories while searching for answers.
Violet Evergarden is short at 13 episodes, but it spawned two movies in the years that followed its release as well, making it a little longer of a watch than some of the other short anime here if fans want the full picture.
27 Gunbuster & Diebuster (1988 & 2004)
12 Episodes
1988’s Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster is notable for being an early work from the venerable Studio Gainax of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann fame, and just as notably, Gunbuster was the directorial debut of Hideaki Anno, the mastermind behind Neon Genesis Evangelion. The result is one of the best retro anime that more than holds up.
Part campy ’80s training montage and part war story about the horrors of relativistic time during space travel, Gunbuster deserves its reputation as a classic. Gunbuster would eventually receive a sequel in 2004’s Diebuster, and while somewhat controversial, both stories are still parts of a whole and deserve to be viewed both on their own merits and in relation to one another. If for no other reason, fans of anime history should watch Gunbuster, as it’s an incredibly influential mech OVA that helped further the career of an absolute industry legend like Hideaki Anno.
26 Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)
12 Episodes
When recommending Puella Magi Madoka Magica, it’s best not to say much about it other than to stick with it until the fourth episode at the very least. Madoka challenges the magical girl genre in a number of interesting ways; it’s just that they don’t reveal themselves until a viewer has settled into the show a bit. The series initially follows a young girl named Madoka as she becomes involved in the world of magical girls, but the plot is truly much more complicated than that.
Although Madoka works well as a self-contained twelve-episode series, there are also a number of sequels and side stories in the form of movies and other adaptations. Madoka is even receiving another sequel movie in the near future. Fans typically consider some of these entries to be essential viewing, so those who find themselves wanting more can continue happily after finishing the original series.
25 FLCL (2000)
6 Episodes
Combining an outlandish visual style with wild set pieces and excellent animation, FLCL is one of the best-regarded OVAs from Studio Gainax. Naota is an ordinary boy living in an ordinary town when a woman from space strikes him with a guitar which leads him to sprout a fighting robot from his forehead. As any fan of early adult swim knows, FLCL only proceeds to get weirder from there.
Although its presentation and concepts might be bizarre at face value, FLCL is actually a surprisingly mature exploration of the transition into adulthood and what exactly adulthood ought to look like once one actually gets there. With fluid animation and some gut-busting humor, FLCL has earned its status as a classic. It’s a classic single-season anime with only six episodes, so there isn’t really a good reason not to watch it.
24 Lycoris Recoil (2022)
13 Episodes
A-1 Pictures’ Lycoris Recoil didn’t receive a lot of attention before its release, but after it premiered, Lycoris Recoil became a major hit thanks to its incredible gun-based action and engaging story and character writing, all of which featured some of the best direction of any anime in 2022. There are few anime as unique as Lycoris Recoil, and there are even fewer that are as worth watching.
23 Dororo (2019)
24 Episodes
Osamu Tezuka’s creations will live forever as prized anime treasures, and among his most recognizable series is Dororo, which has been adapted and reimagined since its 1967 inception. Dororo plays around with the series formula just enough for it to feel fresh for a modern anime audience, with stylish and faithful visuals reminiscent of Tezuka’s designs, exceptional fight choreography, and timeless appeal. The result is an approachable yet future-proof retelling of the Tezuka classic as the titular Dororo joins a strange character named Hyakkimaru as he seeks to restore his body.
Much of Hyakkimaru’s original body was sacrificed at a young age, prompting him to commit questionable, potentially inhumane acts of violence, ironically, to reclaim what he feels was lost. Given the dramatic and wretched depiction of his state as an infant, it’s easy to sympathize with Hyakkimaru, who comes off as the breakout character of the story with a potentially unexpected type of character development for a popular anime. The series is one of MAPPA’s best anime, another stellar example of the studio setting high standards for its quality while taking on beloved projects.
22 Devilman Crybaby (2018)
10 Episodes
Devilman is one of the most influential manga ever created, which is why it’s so incredible that the best version of Devilman might be its reboot Devilman Crybaby. The series follows a young man named Akira Fudo who is one day transformed into the ultra-powerful Devilman. Though his Devilman persona might be powerful, his obtaining those powers kicks off a chain of events that leads to incomprehensible disaster.
This tightly-packed adaptation of the Go Nagai classic fits more action and gore into its 10 episodes than most series do in 50. The series doesn’t hesitate to go all out in its dpeictions of more mature themes, leaving the series downright disturbing at points, earning it a high rank among the goriest anime of all time. Though Devilman Crybaby might be short, it leaves an impact that’s nothing short of massive.
21 Kaiba (2008)
12 Episodes
Despite its simple and pleasing aesthetic, Kaiba is an anime that isn’t afraid to venture into the territory of the thoroughly dark and tragic. The show’s characters inhabit a world where memories can be stored in special chips, allowing eternal life for a select few. The protagonist wakes without memories, his only possession being a locket with a photo of a woman in it, and things escalate from there.
Touching on the role memory plays in the nature of identity and class divisions, Kaiba is as visually inventive as it is thematically engaging. Another anime from visionary director Masaaki Yuasa, Kaiba packs a lot into its short run time. Whether it be a short standalone episode focusing on a poor girl whose body is eventually stolen, or pieces of the larger plot, every second of Kiaba is throwing something interesting and strange at the viewer.
