Looking to get your anime fix, but don’t want to sit through 700 episodes of "One Piece?" Do even 265 episodes of "Fairy Tail" sound daunting to you? That’s OK – there are plenty of great anime series out there that are 13 episodes or less. Here’s the shortlist of the best ones.
"Puella Magi Madoka Magica" (2011) – 12 episodes
Marathon it straight through or split it across two days, but make some time to watch it because this show is amazeballs! The series follows 14-year-old Madoka Kaname, who is approached by a cat-ferret-thing named Kyubey who offers to grant her one wish in exchange for becoming a magical girl to fight witches. Madoka follows her magical girl friends around on different witch hunting missions as she tries to decide whether or not to make the contract. Despite the cutesy, lighthearted posters and other promo images, this show turns the magical girl genre completely on its head, and it’s awesome.
"Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt" (2010) – 13 episodes
With each episode consisting of two 11-minute shorts, this series is easy to watch, and holy crap, it’s a funny show. If you were to cross "Invader Zim," "The Powerpuff Girls" and "South Park," and then draw it anime-style, you get "Panty and Stocking." The series follows sisters Panty and Stocking Anarchy, two angels who are kicked out of heaven for bad behavior. They are sent to Daten City, where they must fight ghosts and collect heaven coins in order to earn their way back into heaven. Outrageous as it may be, the series is highly entertaining and worth the watch.
"Angel Beats!" (2010) – 13 episodes
Are you a pessimistic person, or otherwise enjoy a good tragedy? This one’s a doozy for you then – the series begins, and everyone’s already dead! "Angel Beats!" is set in an illusory high school that serves as a limbo for kids who need to let go of regrets from their past lives before moving on to the next one. Yuri Nakamura leads the Afterlife Battlefront (also known as the SSS) as they fight against Angel, the supernaturally-powered but misunderstood student council president. There are some feels to be felt – it’s an emotional ride, especially towards the end, but it’s a great show nonetheless.
"Highschool of the Dead" (2010) – 12 episodes
Do you like zombies? Yes, you do like zombies. Follow a group of high school students (plus a ditzy school nurse) who try to survive a zombie apocalypse known as the “Outbreak.” They navigate through town as they face corrupt students and teachers while dealing with their own personal drama with each other. This show is ridiculously popular (if not considered a classic), and understandably so with an interesting cast of characters. Plus, the opening theme is pretty sick (all those guitar riffs!). So if you’re not afraid of seeing a little gore and violence, definitely check this one out.
"Black★Rock Shooter" (2012) – 8 episodes (9 if you count the 2010 OVA)
This show can easily be finished in one sitting. Both the OVA and the anime follow Mato Kuroi and Yomi Takanashi, two girls who become friends as they enter junior high. They deal with their own personal problems and drama, while in an alternate world Black Rock Shooter is fighting other girls. Yomi becomes jealous of Mato’s friendship with Yuu and eventually disappears, leading to the collision of the two worlds. This show has a great combination of slice of life scenes from the human world and action-packed sequences from Black Rock Shooter’s world, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
"The Devil is a Part-Timer!" (2013) – 13 episodes
Ever imagine Satan working at a fast food place? There’s an anime about that! After a battle with Emilia Justina, Satan and one of his assistants escape from Ente Isla to present-day Tokyo, where he gets a job at McDonald’s rip-off “MgRonald” and tries to survive in the human world without most of his powers. Emilia follows them to Tokyo, also assuming a human form as she sets out to stop them. It’s an interesting concept that adds a layer of humor to the idea of Satan, who is otherwise supposed to be considered terrifying. Would you like fries with that?
The holidays are over and school is done for the semester, so now is a great time to check out some new anime! Cram a few shows in before going back to school.
Do you like watching short anime? What are some of your favorites? Tell us in the comments!
