Hello everyone! In this post, I’m going to recommend you guys some of the best (yet somewhat underrated) short anime series for you to binge on!
Binge-watching a short anime series with 12-13 episodes in an evening hits the spot! Especially when the anime is interesting and entertaining enough to maintain the hype till the very end. But unfortunately not all anime are fit for binge-watching. For example, you can only watch so much slice-of-life anime in a day before getting bored of it.
However, there are also these anime that keep us on the edge of our seats and entertain us thoroughly for hours. Here’s a list of 10 such binge-worthy short anime series!
10. Akudama Drive
One of the most recent anime on this list is Akudama Drive. It aired last season and definitely left a lasting impression on those who watched it.
The main characters in this short anime are the bad guys, unlike your average anime. They are people who commit illegal acts for fun (+ monetary gain). They do everything from murder to delivering shady goods.
There’s a good reason for their acts though. It’s because they can’t go back and live a normal life even if they wanted to. Why? Because they are despised by society and the advanced police systems will identify them wherever they go. They can’t even buy things from shops without the alarm going off. This is because all transactions are digital and their identity is verified to complete any purchase. As a result, they risk their lives doing the jobs they are hired for, not even fearing death. They have nothing to lose and nowhere to go. From the beginning, the main male character in this anime was one of these so-called “Akudama” (bad guys).
However, the main female MC, on the other hand, got caught up in an incident involving the “Akudama” and ends up becoming one of them. As a matter of fact, she becomes the most notorious Akudama ever (at least in the eyes of the people and cops).
In short, this is the story of how the life of a nice, kind-hearted girl gets dark and twisted.
9. Cautious Hero
Now, if the above anime felt too dark for you, try Cautious Hero—one of the funniest isekai anime there is.
Cautious Hero is an isekai anime in which the main hero is transported to another world in order to save it from demons. This is a fairly common setup in anime of this type, but what sets this anime apart from the rest is the MC’s personality.
The main character of this show is overly cautious despite being overpowered. He has several backup plans and only fights battles when he is certain he will win.
He even goes so far as to obliterate the enemy’s dead bodies, leaving only their ashes behind. Just in case.
This is a very funny anime with a pretty decent plot.
8. Akashic Records of a Bastard Magic Instructor
The Alzano Imperial Magic Academy is one of the world’s most prestigious magic schools. It is ambition of several young people who aspire to be competent magicians to join this school.
Their hopes are shattered, however, when Glenn Radars, a lazy and unmotivated guy, becomes their teacher. After only a few days, he has easily become the most despised teacher in the school.
However, after revealing his true magical abilities, he gained the students’ trust and grew close to their hearts.
Furthermore, Glen and his students, Sistine and Rumia, become entangled in the evil plot of the nefarious forces hidden within the empire’s wall.
7. The Misfit of Demon King Academy
The Demon King died 2000 years ago, and he reincarnated at the prophesied time.
This anime is about Anos Voldigaod, the reincarnated Demon King, who discovers that his existence has been erased from history and that someone else has assumed his identity as the Demon King.
He wants to figure out what happened in the previous 2000 years and correct history, all while studying at the Demon King Academy.
The main character in this anime is the epitome of overpowering. Anos literally flicked his fingers to kill a guy and then brought him back to life, only to kill him again and again until he conceded defeat. His demeanor, his smug expression, and the way he carries himself are completely badass!
Related: 6 Anime Similar To The Misfit of Demon King Academy
6. Terror in Resonance
This anime’s main characters are a group of terrorists. The MC duo is desperate to get the attention of the cops and the media. To accomplish this, they go on a bombing spree while ensuring that no one is killed.
The plot of this anime is intriguing. It’s really moving when the main characters reveal their backstories and explain why they do what they do. I’m not going to go into detail about this show in this post to avoid spoilers.
5. Highschool of the Dead
This short anime is a weird blend of horror and ecchi themes which actually makes it pretty interesting.
Highschool of the Dead is about a group of teenagers who find themselves in a sudden zombie apocalypse. To survive, they must remove every impediment in their path and overcome the overwhelming scenario. While it might sound unusual, in this kind of situation, the human desire to “satisfy one’s needs before they die” shines the brightest. What does that mean? Well, for starters, more fanservice for us!
If you enjoy gore anime, this is the one for you because you will see slashing and shooting a slew of defiant zombies.
4. Classroom of the Elite
Kiyotaka Ayanokouji is a regular guy who doesn’t stand out in any way. But it’s only because he wants it that way. He is actually extremely intelligent and flexes his intellectual prowess from the shadows. While he isn’t exactly lazy, he always appears bored, which may give others the impression that he is pretty laid-back and lazy.
Being in a school where students are judged based on their exam scores, he purposefully gets the bare minimum mark to pass. He controls his performance and remains in class D, where the school’s worst students are dumped. But why would he do such a thing? What exactly is the identity of Ayanokouji? If you watch the anime, you’ll get your answers!
3. No Game No Life
God challenges the shut-in siblings Sora and Shiro, infamously known as “Blank”—the team that has never lost in any online game—to a game of chess, and thus their adventure begins!
They are transported to the realm of Tet, the God of Games. The chessboard represents that world, and the pieces represent the people. Can they defeat the God of Games and become the new Gods of the world ruled by games?
This isekai anime is filled with intriguing plots and a diverse cast of characters that will have you binge-watching the entire series in one evening!
2. Angel Beats
Otonashi awakens in an unusual location, where he meets a rifle-wielding girl named Yuri, who informs him that he is dead and that he is in the afterlife. Other than his name, he has no recollection of himself.
Yuri then invites him to join the Afterlife Battlefront, which aims to defeat the “angel” who is apparently evil. Otonashi joins the Battlefront, but instead of fighting the angel, he tries to understand her and falls in love with her.
1. Erased
Satoru Fujiwa is a 29-year-old man whose dream of becoming a mangaka was crushed. As a result, he became a delivery man in a pizzeria.
As cliche as it may appear, he has the ability to travel back in time, which he refers to as the “Revival.” This is activated on a sporadic basis when something bad is about to happen, giving him the opportunity to avert such a disaster.
During one of these revivals, his ability transports him 18 years into the past; now he must get to work to prevent the horrible crimes that occurred in his childhood and to repair his future.
Guest post by Silver from AnimeEverything.Online, a website dedicated to all things anime, covering a wide range of topics such as recommendations, reviews, top 10 lists, quotes and much more!
Of the anime that I’ve seen on this list, I’d definitely agree that they’re all binge-worthy and have awesome engaging stories/characters. That alone makes me excited about the stuff I haven’t seen on here haha. This is an awesome list, thanks for sharing it!
Yaay, I am happy you like it ❤️❤️❤️
I’d probably add Konosuba, Himouto! Umaru-Chan, and Madoka Magica to the list too. They’re short series and will likely keep you entertained through the whole bit.
All of these are great choices!