A lot of us probably have more free time at home than we know what to do these days. If you’re an anime fan looking for some new shows to check out, look no further. Here are some of the best short anime that you should binge ASAP.
The Promised Neverland
(24 Episodes)
I’d love to give a proper synopsis of this show, but the less you know about it, the better. Trust me. The Promised Neverland is one of the best new short anime out right now.
The story focuses on the lives of a number of children in an orphanage in the year 2045. The orphanage is managed by a single woman who acts as a mother to the kids there.
The setting feels and looks as serene as can be, but the children soon make a discovery that sets them down a path of no return. Season 2 of the anime is already confirmed, so binge this soon to be ready for when it arrives.
Erased
(12 Episodes)
Erased is a mystery thriller with time travel thrown into the mix. It follows a 29-year-old man named Satoru Fujinuma. The time travel aspect comes in the form of Satoru’s “revival” ability that involuntarily sends him back in time to prevent potential tragic events from happening.
There are a few major life-threatening incidents that drive this plot forward, and Satoru is suddenly sent 18 years into the past to find out how he can prevent them from ever taking place while in the body of his 11-year-old self.
Future Diary
(26 Episodes)
Future Diary is another anime that deals with time, but in a much different way than Erased. The show’s protagonist, Yukiteru Amano, spends most of his time keeping a diary in his phone.
What starts out as an ordinary school life suddenly becomes a violent and dangerous situation when Yukiteru is given a “Random Diary” by the aptly named god of space and time, Deus Ex Machina.
The diary provides detailed descriptions of future events, and with that power, he’s forced into a deadly game against 11 other diary owners to see who can become the next god of this anime’s world.
Michiko and Hatchin
(22 Episodes)
Michiko and Hatchin is all about the adventure. It’s another anime from Shinichiro Watanabe, the creator of Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo. Michiko Malandro is an escaped convict that rescues her former lover’s daughter, Hatchin, from an abusive situation.
The two have almost nothing in common, save for that man. The anime follows the pair as they find out a lot about each other as well as themselves while they journey together in the fictional South American country of Diamandra. It’s a tale of betrayal, hardships, self-realization, and more.
This show can be a welcome breath of fresh air, especially if you’ve watched a bunch of anime with more “traditional” settings and character types.
Death Parade
(12 Episodes)
Death Parade is a psychological drama in which the dead participate in Death Games with their souls on the line. The recently deceased don’t go to either heaven or hell in this world. They go to the bar. Yes, you read that correctly. The Quindecim bar is the stage, and the dead are the players.
The bartender, Decim, challenges his dead patrons to games that can result in either reincarnation or eternal damnation for the players. The games reveal the intriguing memories and true natures of these lost souls as they are judged by Decim.
Demon Slayer
(44 Episodes)
Demon Slayer is probably the most popular anime on this list right now, as the anime has both hardcore and casual audiences alike amazed so far. The story follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who is thrust into action after a tragedy befalls his family and causes his sister Nezuko to become a bloodthirsty demon.
It’s a pretty standard shonen genre story, but the quality of the visuals, music, and action set it apart as Tanjiro becomes a demon slayer while searching for a way to revert his sister’s transformation. So far, there’s two season on Netflix, and a third one is coming soon.
Steins;Gate
(24 Episodes)
Steins;Gate is another one of the more well-known anime on here, but its plot isn’t exactly on the simple side. It’s also another show involving some odd time travel, to say the least. It even has recent games of its own.
“Mad scientist” Rintarou Okabe enjoys creating gadgets with other lab members in a room that he’s rented out in an old building. None of his gadgets are more interesting than the Phone Microwave, which doesn’t seem to do anything particularly useful at first.
Without revealing too much, the lab members soon find out that they can use the microwave to send emails back in time, thus changing the present and future. That sounds strange because it is. With that said, the anime will keep you engaged and maybe a bit confused from beginning to end.
AnoHana
(11 Episodes)
After all that action and science fiction, it’s time for a little feels trip. Simply put, AnoHana is a short anime about loss.
Jinta Yadomi and his friend group are the main characters of this story. However, they’ve all grown apart, and he’s become somewhat of a hermit after the death of one of the group members.
Anime can be pretty over the top at times, but this show can hit home in its depiction of grief and the conquering of that grief by finding ways to accept and move past it.
Your Lie in April
(22 Episodes)
The second and final stop on the feels trip is Your Lie in April. It’s a slice-of-life drama that focuses on a pianist prodigy named Kousei Arima.
Kousei is known by many for his musical talent, but his life as a musician ends after the death of his mother. He no longer feels that passion he once felt until he meets the upbeat and cheerful violinist Kaori Miyazono.
It’s another story about loss that’s told in a completely different yet equally beautiful way. Prepare yourself because the story of these young musicians might just tug at your heartstrings.
Carol & Tuesday
(24 Episodes)
Speaking of great Netflix musical shows, Carol & Tuesday is the perfect pallet cleanser for anyone that wants the same slice-of-life fun as Your Lie in April, and all without the heartbreak. In this futuristic anime, viewers are transported to Mars, with has been colonized and made into a sci-fi utopia, filled with plenty of amazing inventions.
Music is still as prominent as ever, and our leads, Carol and Tuesday, have each made it their goal to make it big so that others can enjoy the music they create. Making it big ain’t easy, though, as the two must work their way through the brutal music industry, competing in events and attempting to win over fans in order to make their dreams come true.
It’s a beautiful series filled with a lot of great themes, visuals, and songs, all of which will either make you want to jump to your feet or cry your eyes out.
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