30 Best Short Anime Series Everybody Must See

Anime has never been short on long-running commitments. Some series ask viewers to invest hundreds of episodes, multiple seasons, movies, and enough spare time to make a weekend binge feel like a minor vacation. That is part of the fun, but sometimes the better choice is a story that knows exactly where it is going and gets there before the magic wears off. Fortunately, anime has produced plenty of excellent short series that deliver complete, memorable experiences without demanding a months-long commitment. That makes these shorter shows especially appealing for anyone tired of starting another enormous franchise. Some are stylish cult favorites, some are emotional gut punches, and others are wonderfully strange experiments that never received the attention they deserved. There are also a few genuine deep cuts here that even experienced anime fans may have missed. Whether you're looking for something you can finish in an evening, a weekend, or over a handful of lunch breaks, these are 30 short anime worth making room for. 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. Gunbuster (1988) 6 Episodes Long before modern anime turned giant robots into an increasingly complicated web of timelines and spin-offs, Gunbuster proved just how much story could fit into six episodes. The OVA follows Noriko Takaya, a young woman training to become a space pilot while humanity fights a terrifying extraterrestrial threat. What begins as a more familiar coming-of-age setup gradually becomes something much bigger. What makes Gunbuster such an enduring recommendation is how confidently it escalates. The series mixes comedy, training sequences, enormous battles, friendship, sacrifice, and surprisingly serious science fiction ideas without needing dozens of episodes to establish its world. Its age is obvious in places, but that vintage aesthetic is part of the appeal. For viewers curious about the roots of many beloved mecha conventions, this is a fascinating little time capsule that still packs an emotional punch. 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. 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. Girls' Last Tour (2017) 12 Episodes On paper, Girls' Last Tour sounds almost cheerful: two young girls travel through the ruins of civilization on a tiny tracked vehicle while searching for food, shelter, and signs of life. In practice, it is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on loneliness, friendship, memory, and what remains after the world has essentially ended. Chito and Yuuri approach their ruined surroundings with wildly different personalities, which gives the series much of its charm. Their everyday conversations might revolve around something as simple as finding a meal, yet the enormous abandoned cities around them constantly remind viewers of everything that has been lost. Girls' Last Tour moves at its own pace, making it a particularly rewarding choice for anyone who prefers atmosphere and character moments over nonstop action. Given (2019 11 Episodes Few musical anime are as achingly romantic yet tastefully tragic like Given's adaptation, one of the finest josei BL ever adapted. The series tells its journey primarily through its central band, the Seasons, as their lead guitarist, Ritsuke Uenoyama, took in a despondent Mafuyu Sato, whom he met on the steps at school, cradling a red Gibson ES-330 with broken strings. As the two bond alongside the other bandmates, bassist Haruki Nakayama and drummer Akihiko Kaji. As it turns out, Mafuyu has the voice of an angel, but must overcome a major emotional block ahead of their debut performance. Given, as it turns out, is meant to refer to Mafuyu's guitar, left behind by his childhood friend and former partner, Yuki Yoshida, with Mafuyu's journey in processing the grief following Yuki's passing culminating in finding his voice both literally and figuratively. But that's not all; Mafuyu's performance deeply moves his bandmates, with his openness eventually sparking a romantic relationship with Ritsuka, all while Akihiko and Haruki have their own drama to work out. The result is a perfect blend of emotionally resonant BL tension and wonderfully-performed, bespoke diegetic music, and its subsequent three movies are absolute must-watch follow-up viewing. 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. The Eccentric Family (2013) 13 Episodes If The Eccentric Family had been released under a more conventional title, it might have been easier for international audiences to recognize what a strange little treasure it is. Set in Kyoto, the series follows the Shimogamo family, a group of tanuki living alongside humans and supernatural creatures. At the center is Yasaburo, a mischievous young tanuki trying to understand his family while navigating a world filled with eccentric personalities. There is comedy, mystery, fantasy, family drama, and just enough melancholy to keep the series from becoming a simple supernatural romp. Beneath its unusual premise is a surprisingly thoughtful story about grief, tradition, ambition, and the ways families try to carry on after tragedy. The Eccentric Family is exactly the kind of under-the-radar anime that makes a list like this worthwhile: it is distinctive enough to feel like a discovery rather than another obvious recommendation. Now and Then, Here and There (1999) 13 Episodes Do not let the deceptively simple premise fool you. Now and Then, Here and There begins when an ordinary boy named Shu follows a mysterious girl into another world, only to discover that he has stumbled into a brutal society shaped by war, scarcity, and authoritarian rule. The contrast between Shu's optimism and the harsh world around him becomes the heart of the series. This is one of the heavier recommendations on the list, particularly because of the way it handles violence, suffering, and the consequences of war. It is not an easy watch, but its short runtime makes its message feel remarkably concentrated. Rather than relying on endless twists or elaborate mythology, the anime builds its impact through the choices its characters make under horrific circumstances. For viewers looking for an older sci-fi series with real dramatic weight, this one deserves far more attention than it usually receives. Mononoke (2007) 12 Episodes Mononoke is the kind of anime that makes the phrase “you’ve never seen anything like this” feel completely justified. This surreal horror series follows the Medicine Seller, a mysterious wanderer who encounters supernatural entities known as mononoke. To defeat them, he must uncover three things about each spirit: its form, its truth, and the reason behind its existence. The visual style is easily the first thing viewers notice, but the unusual presentation is much more than decoration. Mononoke uses traditional Japanese artistic influences, bold colors, and constantly shifting compositions to create an atmosphere that feels more like a moving painting than a conventional television anime. Each arc works almost like its own ghost story, making the series ideal for viewers who want something eerie, intelligent, and completely outside the usual mainstream recommendations.