Whenever it comes to famous anime, they are often too long, with many seasons or a long-running format that aren’t always suitable for beginners. For someone looking to explore the world of anime, it’s often better to start with something that has fewer than 50 episodes, so watching a new series doesn’t become daunting. Not to mention that even anime fans sometimes need a break from the trending shows and explore more series that aren’t bound by the limitations of a typical battle Shonen. A while back, Comic Book published a list of 10 short anime series perfect for beginners, followed by another list of recommendations that are just as good as the previous list.
However, the anime industry has a lot more to offer, so we have curated another list of short series that deserve to be on everyone’s watch list, not just beginners.
10) Run With the Wind
Image Courtesy of Production I.G.
This forgotten, hidden gem adapts the story in just 23 episodes, following a group of youngsters and their passion for running. The story is realistic in many ways, focusing on motivation and hard work instead of flashy elements or animation, making it all the more relatable.
The story follows the journey of Kakreu Urahara, a former ace runner who is now a first-year sociology student at a university. His passion for running is reignited after he meets Haiji Kiyose, a fellow student from the same university.
9) Violet Evergarden
Image Courtesy of Kyoto Animation
Beneath the breathtaking visuals and beautiful setting, the story is about healing and understanding those around you. As a former child soldier, Violet spent most of her life on the battlefield, living merely to follow orders. Now that the war is over, she must find a new purpose in life, but blending into society isn’t easy for someone unable to express her emotions.
She loses contact with her commanding officer after the war and is struggling to settle into a peaceful life. The emotional series follows her journey as she begins working as an Auto Memory Doll and travels all over to capture people’s emotions through words.
8) Dororo
Image Courtesy of MAPPA
The anime is a reboot of the 1969 series based on one of Osamu Tezuka’s most underrated works. The story is intense, filled with unimaginable struggles faced by the protagonist, Hyakkimaru, yet he continues to fight each day just to earn the right to exist in this world.
Sacrificed to the demons by his own father, Hyakkimaru returns years later in order to get back everything he lost. Dororo isn’t simply a story about survival, but also a powerful exploration of human nature as it examines how greed, fear, and desperation can strip away compassion.
7) Death Parade
Image Courtesy of Madhouse
As an original series, Death Parade often goes unnoticed despite having gorgeous visuals and layers of mystery. The series, which didn’t return with a sequel season, explores the complexities of human nature as they reveal their true selves in the face of danger.
There is no hell or heaven after death, but what awaits the deceased is a bar where they will be tested to see if they deserve to be reincarnated or sent into the void. The story follows several such cases as the bartender tests each pair of souls through dangerous games as they keep revealing the darkest parts of their hearts.
6) Banana Fish
Image Courtesy of MAPPA
It’s almost surprising that a story this dark and intense is actually a Shojo. Banana Fish is still considered one of the best MAPPA shows, taking viewers on an emotional and thrilling ride that lingers long even after the final episode. The story follows Ash Lynx, a 17-year-old gang leader in New York City, and Eiji Okumura, a Japanese photographer’s assistant.
Despite being from completely different worlds, they meet by a stroke of luck and form an unlikely bond. As Eiji’s kindness becomes a source of comfort and hope for Ash, the story takes a dark twist, full of betrayal and hopeless moments, where the characters are unable to escape their circumstances
5) Love Through a Prism
Image Courtesy of WIT Studio
Written by Yoko Kamio, the creator of the Boys Over Flowers manga, Love Through a Prism is an original anime and one of the latest additions to the Netflix library. Animated by WIT Studio, the stellar animation is more than enough reason to watch the series.
However, it’s not just the visuals and OSTs that make the series special, but also the story and the depth of almost every character. Set in the 1990s, this coming-of-age story follows Lili Ichijouin as she moves to London from Japan to attend a prestigious art academy. She meets several new characters, each compelling enough to capture viewers’ attention, including the male lead, Kit Church.
4) Nodame Cantabile
Image Courtesy of J.C. Staff
Most of the famous music anime series, such as Given and Your Lie in April, are often laced with melancholy and tragedy, which is why Nodame Cantabile stands out as a refreshing, lighthearted alternative. The story centers around piano majors Megumi Noda (Nodame) and Shinichi Chiaki, who study Western art music performance at the same Japanese music conservatory.
While Shinichi is a discplined muscian with dreams of becoming a conductor, Nodame simply loves playing piano and wants to become a kindergarten teacher. The two of them are opposite in every way, but somehow get entangled after a series of events and end up helping each other in their musical journey. The story is compelling and hilarious while also exploring moments of following the difficulties of pursuing one’s dreams.
3) Sonny Boy
Image Courtesy of Madhouse
This award-winning original anime by Madhouse studio features mind-bending narratives, surreal visuals, and shows that challenge the boundaries of reality. The story begins with 36 middle school students, including Nagara, Nozomi, and Mizuho, who are transported to a dimension known as “This World.”
This mysterious world not only forces the children to abide by its own set of rules but also grants them unique supernatural abilities. As the story continues, the students confront various challenges and conflicts while figuring out a way to return home as soon as possible.
2) Ghost Hunt
Image Courtesy of J.C. Staff
Ghost Hunt isn’t your typical melancholic horror show, as it is lighthearted and sprinkled with humor while keeping the suspense engaging despite focusing on intense themes. Despite having everything one would enjoy in a series, the anime is criminally underrated, even after almost two decades since it was released.
The anime follows eight different cases of paranormal investigations, which aren’t simply related to ghost sightings but also involve psychic powers that are often misused for evil. Mai Tanayama, a 16-year-old high school student, gets entangled with the 17-year-old owner of the Shibuya Psychic Research and begins working for him, following every case while learning about the world of the supernatural.
1) Mob Psycho 100
Image courtesy of Studio Bones
Mob Psycho 100 runs for three seasons, but the story is over before you know it, as it’s so easy to get engrossed in the action-packed journey of the protagonist. Based on ONE’s award-winning manga, the same author as One-Punch Man, the story follows Shigeo Kageyama, also known as Mob, an eighth-grade student with destructive psychic abilities.
He decides to keep his powers hidden and live an ordinary life, but that’s more difficult than he realized. In order to keep his powers in check, he works part-time for Arataka Reigen, who wants to make use of Mob’s unique abilities and has his own fair share of secrets.
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