Are you tired of waiting for season finales and hiatuses that come along every now and then? Do you prefer a series that you can watch without having to worry about time? Then this is the list for you! Many shows have thousands of episodes for a viewer to stay committed to. Well, a lot of viewers generally lose interest in a long-running series and end up dropping it midway. Due to this, they aren’t even able to know the conclusion of the story. So, sometimes, all fans need is a short-term watch to enjoy on their weekends. Hence, here’s a list of some of the Best Short Anime that you can watch and get a conclusion first-hand.
Death Note
If you go around and ask any otaku which anime to watch first, they would suggest Death Note. The sheer reason behind this is that DN is short! The anime only has thirty-seven episodes with two arcs. Therefore, one can easily finish the anime in a week or two. Moreover, the story is a straightforward plot with concise acts. Yagami Light is a high school student who comes across a death note that can kill whoever’s name you write in it. This causes a series of murders of criminals in Japan. What follows is a back and forth between the authorities and Kira, as both of them have different perspectives of justice.
Demon Slayer
The next show that you must watch after you finish Death Note is Demon Slayer. With only twenty-four episodes and a single season, the anime is a short-term watch. Follow the story of Tanjiro Kamado, who wants to join the guild of professional demon’s layers in order to avenge the death of his family and stop the conversion of innocents into demons. At no point in this show will you feel bored or distracted. Each scene and character are crafted beautifully just for your enjoyable watching experience. A second season of Demon Slayer has been officially renewed.
Death Parade
Death Parade is surely one of the best short anime series you’d come across, and it stands in the same league as Death Note. This 2015 mini-series only has twelve episodes, so you don’t have to worry about spending a month watching this one. The story follows a cunning bartender that works at the edge of hell and heaven. His job is to play mind-games with the souls. Based on their decisions, the souls are given slots in hell or heaven. The concept and visualization are both brilliant. You will definitely feel that the episodes are not enough by the end.
Angel Beats!
Let’s shift from the dark side to a lighter note with Angel Beats. This musical also has thirteen episodes. Much like Death Parade, this one also deals with the concept of heaven and the world of the afterlife. Otonashi is a new arrival in heaven, and she must join the Academy in order to learn the ways this world works. Hence, she stumbles upon a ruling student council that is sabotaging everyone’s heaven experience. Thus, this is how the classic high school drama begins. Much like Mean Girls, that is a lot to enjoy in this one with a heart-rending message at the end.
Ergo Proxy
The next entry on this list of Best Short Anime is the single-season 2006 series, Ergo Proxy. And this one season was enough to make fans crazy about the thriller. The story follows a world where humans have created androids in order to help them. But the AI world is not satisfied with the perks that they get from humans. Thus, a secret invasion plan is brewing underneath everyone’s noses. Now, protagonist Re-l Mayer is in charge of the mission of investigating the Androids over their plans. Is this the incoming of a war?
Quintessential Quintuplets
A recent show that is climbing up the charts is Quintessential Quintuplets. With only two seasons, this show has become one of the most go-to shows for many fans. The story follows five sisters who are filthy rich, but they struggle with academics. Thus, their father assigns their classmate to tutor them. What follows is disorganized chaos all around. Along with academics, emotions are also entangling here and there. If you wish to enjoy a light-hearted, fun show, then QQ is the perfect choice for you. A film adaptation of this franchise has been renewed and is set to hit the screens in 2022.
Darwin’s Game
Darwin’s Game is one of the most underrated Isekai anime that has come out in recent times. The story follows a virtual world that is planning an attack on the real world to take over humans and make them mindless androids. Now, it is upon Kaname Sudou to use his gaming genius and shut down this virtual world that blurs the lines of reality. The concept and visuals are the best part of Darwin’s Game.
Baccano!
The popular 2007 anime Baccano is surely one of the best short anime around. It introduces us to the American Prohibition period in Chicago, where a train is about to begin a journey without an end. But the catch is that anyone who survives the train accident will acquire the elixir for life. This begins with one of the most insane train journeys that you will ever come across. The insanity and thrill of the plot will leave you asking for more episodes by the end. So, do check out Baccano at least once.
Future Diary
Another thriller that joins this list is Future Diary. Much like many thrillers, this one also deals with time travel and foreseeing the future. Meet Minene Uryu, who is living a happy and content life thus far. But when she finds the future diary in a secluded place, her life turns upside down. She learns that there are multiple future diaries that exist in their world, and people are misusing the book for their advantage. Thus, it is upon her to find out the whereabouts of all these books and destroy them one by one.
Dr. Stone
2019’s Dr. Stone is an ongoing anime series that is making headlines almost every week. With its brilliant story and character developments, fans cannot stop talking about the show. The plot follows a world that has frozen in the stone age due to a curse of a magical being. However, Senku Ishigami uses his wits and alchemy to bring back humans to life almost after 3700 years. But this act makes him many enemies, and the sorcerers want to freeze humans back again. How will Senku fight the villains? Watch Dr. Stone find out yourself!
Tokyo Revengers
Another one of best short anime that you should check out is Tokyo Revengers. The story follows the Toman Gang that secretly works against terrorist organizations that plot to bring criminal resources to Tokyo. The biggest enemy of this group is the Valhalla gang that may execute any obstacle that comes in their way. If you are intrigued by this plot, then do watch Tokyo Revengers on Crunchyroll.
Another
The last name on this list of Best Short Anime is Another. Going back to the horror genre, Another tells the story of Mei, a mysterious high school girl who lurks in every class, but no one can see her except Kouichi Sakakibara. The new exchange student soon realizes is that Mei is not an ordinary girl. What follows is a story full of mystery and dark adventures of Mei and Kouichi. With a single season, you will definitely enjoy the conciseness and straightforwardness of this show.
With this, we can conclude our list of the Best Short Anime. We hope that this list will help you in shortlisting your next binge-watching session. Which show do you plan on watching next? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below. For more such exciting listicles, The Anime Daily is your place.