With the sheer amount of anime available to be watched, it’shard to commit to a huge serieslikeOne Piece, Naruto,or even something likeDragon Ball.While those three series have a ton of strengths and plenty of reasons to watch them, they also come with hundreds of episodes and several movies to watch. Some anime series are able to tell their entire stories in just a single season, allowing the casual viewer to enjoy the whole story without committing huge chunks of their time.
A single anime season can vary in length, but they’re never more than around 30 episodes. Somesingle-season animes can tell their talesin as little as 10 episodes, while some need closer to 25.No matter how many episodes there are in a season, it’s never more than one chunk of a series, which makes them easier to watch and binge than some of their long-running counterparts. Thelongest-running anime in historyare all great, but sometimes, it’s easier to watch something with a much more manageable run-time.
Dororo
Cast
Dororo (2019) is a Japanese anime series based on Osamu Tezuka’s classic manga. Set in the Sengoku period, it follows the journey of Hyakkimaru, a young samurai whose body parts were sacrificed to demons by his father in exchange for power, and Dororo, a young thief. Together, they seek to recover Hyakkimaru’s stolen body parts by defeating the demons that possess them.
Dororo’ssource material is genuinely a classic. It was created by Osamu Tezuka, often referred to as “The Father of Manga”, thanks to his contributions to the art form before it became as popular as it is today. While there is an older anime adaptation of the series, the 2019 series,one of MAPPA’s best anime, is a phenomenal 24-episode series. It stars a young man named Dororo as he follows a ninja named Hyakkimaru around on his quest to reclaim his body from the demons who stole it from him.
Dororois an incredibly unique series in several key ways.The story is incredibly bittersweet, as each time Hyakkimaru reclaims a part of his body, disaster strikes the country. His father sacrificed his body to the demons in order for his land to prosper, and as Hyakkimaru reclaims it, the demons take their blessings back from the land. It’s a great series with a total run time of just a few hours, allowing anyone to consume the series from start to finish in just a week or two.
Devilman Crybaby
Devilman Crybaby is an anime series directed by Masaaki Yuasa, based on the manga Devilman by Go Nagai. It follows Akira Fudo, who gains demonic powers to combat evil forces threatening humanity. As he transforms into Devilman, Akira faces moral dilemmas and devastating battles, exploring themes of identity and humanity. The series is known for its striking animation style and intense storytelling.
Devilman Crybabyis another unique serieswithin the world of anime. LikeDororo,the source material thatDevilman Crybabyis based on is well over 50 years old, giving this series a rich history to draw upon. The series, adapted from Go Nagai’s seminal manga, surrounds Akira and Ryo as they learn to traverse a world secretly filled with powerful Demons that can inhabit normal human bodies. When the secret is revealed, the world goes into a state of panic and the Demons within it begin to destroy the world piece by piece. It’s one ofthe darkest anime series ever.
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It’s an incredibly interesting story filled with plenty of twists and turns. At only 10 episodes, it’s one of the shortest single-season anime series around. To say thatDevilman Crybabywastes no time in its story is an understatement.Each episode is filled with a ton of great action, and the series does a great job of showing its story unfoldrather than telling the viewer what’s going on through boring exposition dumps.
Parasyte: The Maxim
Parasyte: The Maxim (2014) is an anime series that follows high school student Shinichi Izumi, who becomes partially infected by a parasitic alien. As the parasite takes control of his right hand, the two must coexist and collaborate to survive against other parasites that seek to consume humanity. The series explores themes of identity, morality, and survival within a modern urban setting.
Parasyte: The Maximis one of thebest horror anime series around. It’s a brutal, exciting seriesthat’s only 24 episodes long.The series stars 17-year-old Shinichi Izumi in a world infiltrated by parasitic aliens. While most of the worm-like aliens are able to completely inhabit their host’s body, Shinichi is able to stop his parasite from completely taking over his body. He has to sacrifice his right arm to save the rest of his body, but it’s better than giving up his entire body.
Parasyteis a great series because it shows a unique relationship between the main character, Shinichi, and the parasite that controls his right arm. Instead of working against each other, they work together to ensure their own survival and eventually form something close to a friendship. The fights in the series are exhilarating. The series itself pulls no punches in terms of brutality andeven features one of thebest one-man-army moments in animewhen an infected human takes on an entire group of Yakuza soldiers to test out his abilities.
A Sign of Affection
A Sign of Affection follows college student Yuki Itose, who navigates the challenges of university life. When her senior, Itsuomi Nagi, assists her one day, he opens her eyes to a new world, sparking a blossoming romance between them in this pure love story.
A Sign of Affectionis one of the best,most realistic romance animesout there. While a lot of “romance” anime feature a boring main character who somehow has several different girls vying for his attention at once,A Sign of Affectionisdevoid of any overused anime tropesthat would bring the series down. The series stars Yuki, a 19-year-old college student who suffers from congenital hearing loss. She can only communicate through sign language, lip-reading, and writing things down.
When she meets 22-year-old Itsuomi, her life changes for the better. The two have one of the best, most authentic relationships in the genre as they learn more about each other, grow closer, and eventually fall in love with one another. The entire story is toldin 12 succinct episodes, and if there was a downside toA Sign of Affection,it’s that the story isn’t longer.
Gurren Lagann
Gurren Lagann is an anime series set in a future where humans live in underground villages. The story follows Simon and Kamina, who break free to the surface and pilot the titular mecha to fight against oppressive forces.
Gurren Lagannis a rare anime that isn’t based on a manga. While there are plenty of anime-original series out there,few have created the cult following thatGurren Laganndid, and the series did it in only 27 episodes.Gurren Lagannwastes exactly zero episodes. Each one is filled with action and excitement, and the first episodes feature one of the best friendships in anime between Simon and Kamina.
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Gurren Lagannis one of thebest mech-animesof all time as well. It has everything mech-animes need to stand out: giant mechs,amazing transformations, and a main character who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’. Simon starts the series as a timid young boy who doesn’t know anything about the outside world before turning into a powerful character who takes on creation itself.
Horimiya
Horimiya follows high school students Kyoko Hori and Izumi Miyamura, who lead contrasting lives both in and out of school. As they uncover each other’s hidden sides, their relationship grows deeper, revealing the complexity and warmth behind their facades.
Horimiyais another one of thebest romance animesaround. It stars Miyamura and Hori, two students who keep their private lives to themselves. While they each do a good job of keeping their public and private lives separate, it all changes when Miyamura helps Hori’s younger brother Souta and the two get to see each other for who they really are. They start dating, and the series only gets better from there. They each grow as individuals and grow together, for one of the most wholesome relationships in the art form.
Horimiyais a great watch at only 13 episodes long. While there is technically a second season calledHorimiya: The Missing Pieces,it isn’t a traditional second season in that it’s actually just the manga chapters the first season didn’t adapt that became its own thing.Horimiya: The Missing Pieceshas only 13 episodes as well, making both parts of the series less than 30 episodesand easy enough for anyone to watch in a month or less.
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again is a 2024 television series that follows an elderly couple who, through mysterious circumstances, find themselves transformed back into their youthful selves. As they navigate their newfound youth, they must reconcile their past experiences with their newfound vitality and adjust to the challenges and opportunities that come with being young again.
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Againis one of themost wholesome animeto have been released in the past decade. The premise is simple and makes for a great watch the entire time. Grandpa and Grandma run an apple orchard and find a golden apple one day. They decide to eat it and become their younger selves all over again. It’s a great series because it focuses on the couple reclaiming their youth and falling in love with each other all over again.
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Againis only 11 episodes long, and it tells an entire story perfectly. Grandpa gets to take Grandma to all the places he never could while they were in their actual youths. With the help of the golden apple they find in their orchard, they’re able to do everything they’ve always wanted to together. They explore Japan, help out their kids and grandchildren, and more in one of the best single seasons in anime.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
David Martinez (Kenichiro Ohashi) is a streetwise kid living in the slums of Night City in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. To survive, David becomes an edgerunner, also known as cyberpunk, taking on mercenary jobs outside the system. Together with a group of new and veteran edgerunners, David will shoot for the moon to escape the underbelly of the increasingly cyber-obsessed city. Unfortunately, the law isn’t the only group that the edgerunners will have to contend with, as other heavily cyber-augmented humans will pose an even more significant threat.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunnersis easily one of thebest anime series of all time. It’s heart-pounding, jaw-dropping, and tear-jerkingall at the same time.There’s an incredible romance, amazing action, and a thrilling conclusion that occurs all in 10 unbelievable episodes. The story takes place in the Cyberpunk universe created by Mike Pondsmith. It specifically takes place in Night City, a huge city where corporations run the show and crime runs rampant. David Rodriguez is a young man who just wants to make a name for himself, and he’s willing to go to extreme lengths to make it happen.
It’s hard to believe how greatEdgerunnersis in just 10 episodes. It accomplishes what other series want to do in multiple seasons in one,leaving nothing on the tableonce the series is over. There are no wasted episodes, no filler whatsoever, and some of the best animation that Studio Trigger has ever created.
