In the anime world, it is quite common for a series to have a season of 10 to 15 episodes, although it is not an obstacle, some the best anime is 15 episodes or less. These short series are often, though not always, complete by the end of the run. Since the risk of investing in a 12-episode series is so much lower than in a 22- to 26-episode series, these shorter anime can often be a little more quirky, venturing into territory that other anime Longer may be afraid to grasp. These series also tend to be based on lesser known manga series, or alternatively original anime series with no source material at all.
Some of the best anime series have genres that are 15 episodes or less, and some have less than 15 episodes so it’s a bit difficult to compare them with each other. However, these series must be good enough to stand out in a crowded market. Being able to binge-watch a series of movies in one weekend is a powerful selling point, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. Fewer episodes mean that the text and pacing of any short anime has to be as tight as a drum. However, when it works, 15 episodes or less is more than enough time for an anime series to make a name for itself.
10 African Samurai
A rare anime series with a black protagonist, Afro Samurai is a five-episode series, followed by a movie, making it one of the shortest on this list. Afro Samurai follows the protagonist as he begins his search for the “Number One Headband,” which marks a person as the strongest in the land and is said to provide additional strength. The owner of Number One Headbands can only be challenged by the owner of Number Two, which Afro Samurai has, however, Number Two can be challenged by anyone, making him a target for anyone. anyone with ambition or aversion. The current owner of Number One Headband is the man who killed Afro Samurai’s father, so revenge also plays an important role in the series. Afro Samurai is full of gory action, perfect for those looking for something fun.
9 Oriental Paradise
At the other end of the spectrum, Eden of the East is an extremely Japanese series, even though it started in America. Eden of the East follows Saki, a Japanese university student who tours Washington, DC when a naked, amnesiac man wakes up in front of the White House with a gun, a cell phone, and a gun in his hand. some other things. The man, known as Akira, seems to be in the middle of some absurd grand conspiracy, and Saki, who helped him escape, is caught in a frenzy. The series lasted 11 episodes and had two sequels, roughly equal to 15 episodes.
8 noises!
Baccano! is a complex series of plots that take place over several time periods: 1930, 1931 and 1932. The story is told in an unusual style, with scenes shown to the viewer out of order, all all switch between their three storylines and their three storylines. separate time periods. It sounds messy, but Baccano! handles it extremely well, keeping the viewer’s attention on all three plots as characters can move from one person to another. The series is 13 episodes long, which is all one really needs, but there are 3 additional OVA episodes that wrap things up more convincingly.
7 paranoid agents
As the only television series from legendary anime director Satoshi Kon, Paranoia Agent primarily follows two detectives as they try to unravel the mystery of Li’l Slugger. Li’l Slugger has the appearance of a kid in roller skates with a bent baseball bat, hitting people on the street, but the cases seem to be random and always happen when the victim already feels betrayed. cornered against the wall. Primarily a horror series, Paranoid Agent also features satire and cultural criticism among its 13 episodes, with a focus on the Japanese “cut,” as portrayed by the character. Hello Kitty-esque by Maromi. Does Maromi have any connection to Li’l Slugger? There is only one way to find out.
6 deleted
Erased is a time-traveling murder mystery that will keep viewers on edge throughout. Its protagonist, Satoru, is an adult man who barely works as a mangaka, and is also cursed with the power to rewind time repeatedly until he can find and stop it. prevent any horrendous misconduct that is about to happen. In one such incident, Satoru’s power, known as “Revival”, after discovering his mother had been murdered and he was blamed for it. This time, however, Satoru is transported back to his childhood, with little idea of ​​what needs fixing and no agency to do it. Saving a murdered classmate may be the key to saving his mother, but how can a child with the memories of an ordinary man do it? While some fans have issues with the series’ ending, Erased’s 12 episodes are sure to keep fans engaged.
5 FLCL
The original FLCL anime tells the story of young man Naota coming to adulthood, as he must navigate his feelings about his brother leaving the country for America and the girl he left behind. Of course, it’s not that simple; Haruko, a strange woman from space, rides him on a Vespa motorcycle, and things are never the same. FLCL is Studio Gainax’s first work after Neon Genesis Evangelion, and it’s easy to see this wacky series as a way to let off steam after such a dark work. FLCL deftly tackles a lot of the issues surrounding growing up and how confusing it is, and its six short episodes feature some of the best soundtracks of any anime soundtrack ever. .
4 Lain serial experiments
Serial Experiments Lain is a dark psychological mystery series that deals with everything from conspiracy theories to aliens to internet AI, all told through the lens of young, machine-naive Lain count. The series opens with Lain’s classmate committing suicide by jumping off a building, but soon everyone in the school receives an email from the dead student, claiming that she is still alive on Wired – session their internet version. Lain delves into the ’90s cyberpunky world to uncover this mystery, and quickly uncovers a few crazy revelations about himself. Lain’s serial experiments have been told in just over thirteen episodes, but each episode has the potential to leave fans reeling with some strange turn of events.
3 Electronic Racers
Cyberpunk Edgerunners is an animated spin-off of the Cyberpunk 2077 video game and has only 10 episodes. This series is filled with extremely stylish flair, making it an interesting watch even for those who don’t play the net very often. The story follows David Martinez, a student at an elite private school whose mother dies suddenly, leaving him with nothing. Nothing, except a piece of cyborg technology that can turn him into a killing machine. David falls in love with Lucy, a con man with ties to the criminal underworld, and entices him with her dream of living on the Moon. The series is full of action and it doesn’t stand in the way of anything when it comes to gore.
2 Magical Girls Madoka
The dark twisted Madoka Magica, sometimes referred to as it, turned the entire Magical Girl genre upside down when it was released back in 2011. It’s really hard to talk about Madoka without giving too many revelations. , but suffice it to say that life as a Magical Girl isn’t quite like Cardcaptor Sakura or Sailor Moon. The enemies the girls fight, known as the Witch, are whimsical and colorful creatures that sometimes give the film a surreal feel. With only 12 episodes, the story is structured so that every three episodes forms a little arc of its own, making it well-suited to watching several episodes at once.
1 SSSS.Gridman
Adapted from the live-action tokusatsu series Ultraman, SSSS.Gridman is a series of the same genre, but this time an anime. One day, Yuta Hibiki wakes up with no memories, and as he tries to carry on with his life as normally as possible, he soon finds a giant Kaiju lurking outside the city’s borders. street – but no one else can. Yuta discovers that he can activate a “Super Agent” called Gridman using a special computer that will absorb him and make him big enough to fight the Kaiju . However, the story is not really about Yuta but about his arch-enemy and her complicated place in this world.
Like Madoka, it’s hard to say too much without revealing the plot, but this 12-episode series is sure to be intriguing. Fans who want more can check out the sequel, SSSS.Dynazeon, but it has few duplicate characters and really feels like another work set in the same universe. Gridman and Dynazenon also have a crossover movie that was just released in 2023.
While long-running anime epics like One Piece or Dragon Ball may be the best known medium, shorter anime can be just as powerful. By cutting out all the frills, a series can be a lot more direct with its theme and story without losing as much momentum as the content fills it up. At last, Best anime under 15 episodes Both are great reminders of the importance of effective storytelling.
