There is something truly unique about anime that makes it a medium of entertainment that almost feels limitless with what it’s able to accomplish. Animation can be all about breaking the rules of reality, but different genres of anime cater towards very niche interests and it feels like there’s an anime series for every person. One barrier that can hold people back from getting into certain series is that some anime are hundreds of episodes long and seem daunting to get into.
However, this lengthy run isn’t emblematic of every anime series and there are some very satisfying series that lean into the opposite extreme. There are some remarkable anime series that are only a handful of episodes long and they’re perfect for those that crave a shorter experience.
10 Erased Tells A Gripping Murder Mystery Across A Dozen Episodes
The mystery genre is one of the harder varieties of stories to properly execute. There’s so much pressure that the answers at the end can be more satisfying than what the audience has imagined. Erased mashes together many ideas and it sends a 29-year-old back in time to when he’s a child in order to stop the crimes of a serial killer who kidnaps children. Erased is gripping and constantly keeps the viewer on their toes. Many murder mystery series can tell an unnecessarily long story, yet Erased condenses this dilemma into a concise 12 episodes.
9 Death Parade Is A Stunning Anthology Character Study That Doesn’t Overstay Its Welcome
Death Parade is quite the unusual anime series that functions with both the energy of an art house film as well as a suspenseful action series. Death Parade is set in a purgatory of sorts where deceased individuals must engage in competition in benign games like billiards, darts, or air hockey in order to determine whose soul won’t be condemned. Each episode offers a unique and haunting look into an honest piece of humanity while Decim plays arbiter to these souls. 12 episodes are enough for Death Parade to get its point across without beginning to feel repetitive.
8 Terror In Resonance Is A Tense Story Of Terrorism That’s Distilled To 11 Episodes
Shinichiro Watanabe is a prolific name in the anime industry that’s responsible for some foundational series like Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy. Terror in Resonance is an interesting change of pace that’s a considerably more nihilistic program.
A series of terrorist bombings lock the public in fear and the anime becomes a thrilling cat and mouse game to apprehend those responsible for these crimes. At less than a dozen episodes, Terror in Resonance has no filler and it doesn’t allow the characters or audience a chance to catch their breath.
7 Devilman Crybaby Reinvents An Anime Classic In 10 Tight Episodes
Go Nagai is another anime auteur that’s responsible for some of the biggest franchises out of the 1970s and ‘80s. Nagai’s Devilman is one of his series with the greatest longevity and Devilman Crybaby is the latest iteration of Nagai’s transformative horror tale. Devilman Crybaby follows Akira Fudo, who suddenly must take up the title of Devilman. Akira uses these new powers to fight off more dangerous demons, but he’s also at war with himself and the dark influences that surround him. A 10-episode run is the perfect length to watch Akira attempt to stave off corruption and tame his new powers.
6 Kaiba Is A Haunting Fairy Tale About Humanity Told Across A Dozen Episodes
Kaiba is a tiny anime series from 2008 that often gets overlooked, but it crafts an elegant narrative across 12 episodes and it marks some of the best work to come out of acclaimed anime talent, Masaaki Yuasa. Kaiba becomes a surprisingly layered story about memory, identity, and the concept of a legacy. It explores all of this through a restrained, yet unique, science fiction angle that pairs bleak ideas with bright visuals. The character designs and animation make Kaiba a gorgeous delight, but by the end, its ideas will also strongly resonate.
5 FLCL Is A Deranged & Unique Coming Of Age Story Smashed Into 6 Installments
Coming of age and slice-of-life narratives are plentiful in anime, but FLCL ambitiously throws these tropes into a blender when it pairs a bored and disaffected 12-year-old boy with the hyper and eccentric Haruko Haruhara.
The wild journey that Haruko puts this boy, Naota Nandaba, on becomes a stunning metaphor for adolescence. In only six episodes, FLCL is short and confident with the story that it tells. Granted, there are two sequel stories that have since come out, FLCL: Progressive and FLCL: Alternative, but they're both also six episodes and tell independent stories with new protagonists.
4 Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto Is A Gag Series That Distills The Silliness To 12 Episodes
Haven’t You Heard? I’m Sakamoto leans into the trope of the overachieving prodigy who is often in classes at school. Sakamoto is an extremely hyperbolized version of this trope who is not only perfect in every regard, but he’s adored by everyone and the answer to anyone’s problems. Sakamoto’s abilities to always come out on top and fail upward are extremely hilarious and the thin concept doesn’t get a chance to become boring since there are only 12 episodes. It even manages to fit in a surprising conclusion that ties the silly series together in an unnecessary, yet satisfying, way.
3 Ping Pong The Animation Tells A Suspense Sports Saga Across 11 Episodes
Anime seriously has a program for every variety of sport. Anime hits the more popular pastimes, but it also indulges in more niche interests, such as ping pong. Ping Pong The Animation is a visual masterpiece with a jaw-dropping style that’s in a league of its own. The anime chronicles the development of a determined ping pong player and delivers continuous exciting battles. An intimidating aspect of many sports anime is that they can last for dozens if not hundreds of episodes, but Ping Pong The Animation is a lean 11, which makes it hard to ignore.
2 Inuyashiki Tells A Vicious Story About Heroes & Villains In A Grueling 11 Episodes
Superhero stories have become not just the trend, but the norm now in pop culture. Inuyashiki is a welcome change of pace that creates an unconventional origin story for a hero and a villain through a shared event. An elderly man and an angry teenager gain unbelievable powers as cyborgs and they naturally slide into the roles of protector and antagonist. Inuyashiki presents familiar ideas, but it applies an unflinching approach to abuses of power and unexpected calls to action. Inuyashiki has a lot to say, but it fits it all into an impressive 11 episodes.
1 Paranoia Agent Crafts A Stunning Examination Of Society In Only 13 Episodes
Satoshi Kon produced some of the most challenging anime productions of his generation, including Perfect Blue, Paprika, and Millennium Actress. Paranoia Agent is Kon's entry into the world of television and he tells just as powerful and layered of a story across 13 episodes as he does in his films. A community is lost in fear over serial attacks from a baseball-toting assailant known as Lil' Slugger. Paranoia Agent attacks the topic from multiple different perspectives and an unconventional chronology that brilliantly examines how social phenomena and conspiracies begin.
0 Comments