If you’re looking for a list of the best short anime, we got you covered! Below is a curated collection of the top 50 best short anime. We’ve included some information about each show to help give context and an idea of what to expect from it. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the read!
50. The Comic Artist And His Assistants
The story follows a manga artist who is enormously popular, to the point where he doesn’t have time to draw his manga. When he realizes that for him to be able to focus on his work, he needs assistants to help him out with mundane tasks, so he seeks out potential candidates.
After interviewing and rejecting numerous girls for not being right for the job, one candidate finally seems just right. However, things don’t go as planned when the girl brings along additional baggage that might just ruin everything!
49. Tantei Team KZ Jiken Note
One day, a fresh-faced middle schooler and social outcast Aya Tachibana comes across extortionist and suspect Masayoshi Mashiro. When she takes matters into her own hands to protect her classmate, she gets caught by Mashiro, who extorts her for the names of students with secrets.
Once done, he lets Aya go…but tells her if she doesn’t cooperate with his demands in the future, he’ll reveal everyone’s secret! With no other choice, Aya thus begins an unusual collaboration with Mashiro on solving cases together.
48. Kabukibu!
Kurogo Kurusu is a freshman entering high school, but he’s afraid of getting his new start ruined by rumors. He wants to make a good impression on the clubs at his school so that they’ll let him join. However, when he goes out to do some recruiting for the kabuki club he discovers that it has been disbanded—and its president was murdered!
Determined not to let the news get out and tarnish his high school entrance, Kurogo takes things into his own hands and pretends to be the kabukiman himself!
47. Uchouten Kazoku
The ancestors of the Koukas’ family are all tanuki in this nature-themed anime. As such, part of their power allows them to transform into other animals.
They must avoid the titular “Ten Noble Houses” (humans), who are their enemies with differing purposes. As one might expect, most of the show is focused on family drama, often taking place over meals with abundant alcohol.
46. Gugure! Kokkuri-san: Best Short Anime To Watch
Kohina Ichimatsu, a nine-year-old girl whose parents have passed away, moves into her grandfather’s house in rural Japan to start a new life with him after some time at an orphanage.
Her seemingly normal new home hides another secret: the presence of Kohina’s two very particular neighbors named Shigaraki and Kukuri—a tanuki and akomata (a type of spirit). The three form a unique relationship.
One day, Kohina discovers that her grandfather died the previous night while she had been out. With the help of Shigaraki and Kukuri, she tries to uncover the mysterious circumstances surrounding her grandfather’s death.
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45. Tonkatsu DJ Agetaro
This slice-of-life anime follows an enthusiastic young boy named Agetarou who dreams of becoming a “deejay.” He gets his chance when he starts working at his uncle’s tonkatsu restaurant—by day!
But can he really take on two jobs? That’s not even all—he has to play some good tunes while doing so. Could this actually be Agetarou’s dream job?
44. Hinako Note
Hinako Sakuragi is shy and wary of making friends, but her life changes when she meets Kuina Natsugawa, who loves anime and manga just as much as she does!
The two end up forming a club for local residents interested in making their own doujinshi (self-published comics). Join the cast of cute girls in this adorable slice-of-life story that will also teach you all about anime and manga culture!
43. Tsuredure Children
High school romance isn’t easy, especially young love! In this short, several students from various schools deal with crushes ranging from reciprocated to unrequited. It’s a whirlwind of emotions, but hopefully it’ll end with them finding their true loves!
42. Miss Monochrome: The Animation
The show focuses on Yui Horie as the title character, an android that is obsessed with becoming popular in the world of entertainment. However, she often has bad luck and ends up performing terribly at auditions. With her friends doing all they can to cheer her up, will Miss Monochrome ever make it big?
41. One Punch Man: Best Short Anime On Netflix
This great short anime is written by ONE. Saitama is just an average guy who isn’t particularly strong, but after he’s trained at the gym for a bit, his physical strength skyrockets. Now that he has been making his way as a superhero, Saitama has become bored with how easy everything is and searches for a stronger opponent to fight.
In another note, most of his opponents are extremely weak compared to him! However, there are some exceptions…
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40. The iDOLM@STER: Cinderella Girls
Haruka gives her all to becoming a top idol in this spin-off of the main series! A brand new idol unit comprised of girls from different backgrounds with their own stories to tell will be formed—that’s the Cinderella Project! With the help of some fairy-tale magic, it’s time for some cute girls to shine on stage.
39. Teekyuu
Kanae, Yuri, Nasuno and Miyako are four friends in high school who share an interest in ping pong…in fact, they can often be found practicing at their school’s club room. Sometimes they even get special guests like the principal (or maybe one of his sons?) or an actual professional table tennis player!
This anime takes you through all of their fun times playing ping pong together while also dealing with normal teenage things like crushes and homework.
38. Nyanbo!
If you’re looking for a fun, short anime about cats and buildings, look no further! Nyanbo takes all of your favorite cat games from your childhood and puts them into an anime.
In this show, the world is full of tiny building-shaped spaceships called “Nyanbo,” which are guarded by toy cats. Three outcast cats named Tora, Yurianne and Angela come together to save all of their friends from a group of vicious aliens.
37. Idol Jihen
This short anime follows the political career of a fictional Japanese idol group as they work to get one or more members elected in office so that they will improve conditions for idols across Japan! Political scandal and drama ensue as the girls try to figure out how to balance their job as an idol with their new duties as a politician.
36. Demi-chan wa Kataritai
Students at a school are living in two different worlds—the human world and the other world populated by demi-humans called “demis.” A biology teacher takes it upon himself to learn more about them, so he begins asking his students about their lives…learning many interesting things along the way!
This anime is perfect for anyone who wants to relax while watching cute girls being cute.
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35. Battle Girls – Time Paradox
Weapons that take form from special historical artifacts, animal ears that grant superpowers, what could be scarier? Even though these girls have already had to deal with the mystery behind their new powers, they now have to face a sinister power that was once thought to be just a legend.
34. Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time
Seki-kun shows no mercy as he nonchalantly commits mischief whenever he’s in school. From leaving out all sorts of tricks and traps to building complex Rube Goldberg machines, his antics are amazing! Seki also seems impervious to teachers getting wise to what’s going on…that is until he meets Yokoi. How will she catch him off guard?
33. Wakako-zake: Best Short Anime For Beginners
Each episode focuses on one particular night where the protagonist goes for dinner and drinks at a restaurant or bar. As you might expect, the show takes place mostly in those settings as Wakako visits various places. The food and drink she consumes changes each time, so watch for all of the different things she eats at every episode!
32. Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu
Fudanshi Koukou Seikatsu is about four boys who are obsessed with BL…but they’re not quite yaoi fangirls. Instead of voicing their opinions on shipping, the boys prefer to discuss new anime, anime that they would like to see adapted into yaoi form or just anything relating to male homosexuality in general! There’s something here for everyone who loves anime and manga.
31. Mahou Shoujo? Naria Girls
This anime is about a girl named Mononobe Mitsuki, but everyone calls her Natsume, who was chosen to become the next earth-shattering magical girl! Even though she’s not exactly happy about all of this, she still decides to use her abilities to protect the Earth…and maybe even have fun at the same time. But will she be able to do it alone?
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30. Koneko no Chii: Ponponra Daibouken
In this anime, there’s a restaurant in the middle of nowhere called “Mahoutsukai no Yome” where cute little animal girls serve delicious food to those dining inside.
They also have a problem with a civil war that’s going on outside! To fix this disaster, two kids named Shingo and Himeno go on an adventure all across Japan to collect “credits” from different places.
29. Urawa no Usagi-chan
The story focuses around the daily lives of six girls in junior high school in Saitama prefecture’s Urawanishi city: Two girls who are obsessed with beauty and have somewhat extreme reactions when it comes to using makeup—Misono Sumitani, who is often seen wearing goth-loli clothing, and Megumu Harune, who is known for her trademark pigtails;
An athletic prodigy with an almost inhuman obsession with eating, Sakuragawa Miyuki; a spacey dream girl who always seems to have some sort of bizarre invention on her person, Amane Todoroki; and finally an eccentric girl with delusions of being an alien, Terada Misato. And then there’s the seventh girl…a mysterious apparition that only appears in front of Sumitani…
28. Yumekuri
At first, it may seem like every day is all fun and games for high school girls Aya Komichi and Nao Isami as they catch crayfish at their favorite spot by the river.
Little do they realize that this spot also has hidden dangers—including huge swarms of carnivorous land crabs! Will the girls be able to protect themselves from being eaten alive?
27. Midori Days: Best Short Anime IMDB
Seiji is just an ordinary high school kid that loves playing basketball and hanging out with his friends. However, he finds it difficult to work up the courage to talk to Midori, a girl at his school who has become like a big sister to him over the years due to their similar family situations (their parents are divorced).
It doesn’t help matters that Seiji’s good friend Shin always seems interested in getting close to her as well.
26. Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san Z
The anime adaptation for this supernatural fantasy series is back again! Yuuma, the half human and half demon, continues to serve Azazel until his debt to him is repaid. How will he get out of it? Well, that’s just another day at the office for our favorite demon servant and his friends.
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25. Ojisan To Marshmallow
Anko Mitarashi may look like an innocent girl who likes collecting cute things, but in reality she’s secretly a super stalker who goes after one man—Hiroshi Hokaze!
She does whatever she can to obtain marshmallows from him so she can put them in her homemade chocolate milk…all while hoping that she’ll one day become his bride.
24. Koe de Oshigoto!
Having just recently become an apprentice witch known as a neko miko, Aoyagi Kanna is ready to learn magic spells that will help others while also mastering her skills with them too along the way!
That’s right—she’ll be casting helpful spells while also doing cute things like playing with catgirls in this fun adventure that fans of anime like Magikano or Sora no Otoshimono are sure to enjoy.
23. Genshiken 2: Best Short Anime Comedy
The original Genshiken was a slice of life comedy that focused on the lives of a group of college students who were members of a club dedicated to studying otaku culture and traditions.
However, this sequel ventures deeper into what the characters are truly interested in as former Saki’s obsession with yaoi leads her to challenge the old ways by creating a “yuri” manga for a competition at Comic Fest!
Meanwhile, Kenji begins to wonder if he should be making any big changes to his lifestyle…such as finally going out on a date with Ogiue after all these years!
22. Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee
Having been born as a “Letter Bee” who uses his special deliver tools to fight against monsters called Gaichuu that come from a dark land known as the “Outer Space,” Lag Seeing is a boy with a one track mind when it comes to being an adult.
That’s right—all he thinks about is gaining recognition from his father, who is well-known throughout his community, but also has high expectations for him in return!
As if that wasn’t enough, however, there’s also another person who wants to face off against him in a battle of epic proportions: His vengeful brother Zes.
21. Aria The Scarlet Ammo
The Mysteious Dormitory is a school where students go to hone their skills and become proper ladies and gentlemen. However, what they don’t know is that there’s also an assassin group residing within the dorm where they aim to kill others for money!
Unfortunately, one of these students just so happens to be Kanaria Aine—a young girl who will do anything in order to become stronger. She’s ready to join the ranks of her classmates as she faces off against this killer organization once and for all!
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20. Sora no Otoshimono
Taking place in a world out in space where angels are often seen fighting with huge robots known as EVAs, Tomoki Sakurai is your average teenage boy who enjoys spending times with his childhood friend Sohara Mitsuki while also playing some random games that he created himself.
However, he quickly becomes involved in a series of events that change his life forever—the most notable one being an encounter with a girl named Ikaros who falls from the sky after claiming to be an angel!
19. Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase Specials
Sunao is a young man who appears to have it all—a beautiful girlfriend named Youko and a place where he can live by himself without any worries about the past weighing him down.
However, underneath his carefree attitude, Sunao has been keeping a dark secret from everyone around him: His family was killed years ago by his younger brother Kiriya who also loves Youko as well!
Will things get worse as these two rivals fight against each other, especially when they both fall for this young woman?
18. Mitsudomoe
The Yagami Sisters are three girls with a special power: They can transform back and forth between their normal selves and another persona known as Okama Kenpo!
However, these siblings soon discover that they need to use these abilities in order to defend themselves against Ichijou Masami who is an Okama Queen who has the ability to change minds after she consumes something called “Salamander!” It’s up to these three sisters not only fight off this new threat but also learn how the world of okama will play into their lives too in Mitsudomoe.
17. Boku Wa Tomodachi Ga Sukunai
If Kodaka Hasegawa didn’t have any friends, then it’s only because he never talks to anyone! Unfortunately for him, he soon finds himself surrounded by a group of girls who want to be part of his life—including the very popular Yozora Mikazuki and Sena Kashiwazaki who has an obsession with Kodaka’s younger sister Kobato.
The thing is…Kodaka doesn’t think that he can ever trust these new classmates of his, thus making them prove themselves as true friends if they don’t want to be thrown out into the cold.
16. Sekirei: Pure Engagement
The first time Minato Sahashi met Musubi was when she literally crashed into his life after being chased down by two men with weird powers.
From there, not only does this young man find out that he has a special power known as an “Ashikabi” which allows him to control the actions of the beautiful women around him, but also gets involved in a city-wide battle where people are fighting for their freedom against even crazier enemies!
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15. Dysfunctional Systems: Learning To Manage Chaos
The entire world is divided between three groups: The System Administrators who protect everything from basic functionality to preventing all sorts of disasters; Users who work hard every day knowing that their efforts will be needed one day; and Failures whose actions cannot be tolerated any longer due to their mistakes.
However, not everything is as it seems when an ordinary young man named Keir is caught up in the middle of this battle between three groups after his sister ends up becoming a Failure!
14. Ai Yori Aoshi
Aoi Sakuraba was someone who had it all: Wealth, beauty and an amazing boyfriend named Kaoru Hanabishi. However, they are forced to part ways with one another after Kaoru’s grandfather demands that they get married since he wants Aoi for himself.
After several years pass by with these two never reuniting, Aoi decides to go find him again only to discover that life isn’t exactly what she expected it to be now that Kaoru has given up on living just so he can be with her again.
13. Welcome To The NHK
Sato is a young man who lives in his own apartment, has a job at the local convenience store and seems to have everything going for himself until he starts to notice that there are some weird things going on in his life—such as seeing people’s true natures while they sleep or even hallucinating two holes on his wall which can provide him with unlimited amounts of money!
What could be the reason behind all of this strangeness? Sato soon discovers that there may be more to reality than what meets the eye when he gets involved with a conspiracy involving drugs, card games and even urban legends!
12. Shuffle!
Kaede is someone who has it all: Kind parents, good friends and even a boyfriend named Asaichi. However, things take a turn for the worse when she suddenly gets into an accident that gives her amnesia about everything in her life before the accident happened!
Not only does this cause problems with Kaede’s friends but also with her past self since both of them are able to exist at the same time without knowing anything about each other! Can Kaede get to remember her past or will things become so dire that she might not even be able to live any longer?
11. Onegai Teacher
Kohiruimaki Karen has had a rather difficult life since she was a child: not only did she have a weird name which made her an easy target for bullies, but also it did not help that there were two people in her household who loved to argue with one another more than anything else.
However, after growing up and maturing from these hardships, Karen is determined to make the most out of her high school years by becoming more social and cute like all of the other girls in class…that is until she comes across a young man trying to move his father’s grave only to nearly die when he falls over and lands on top of her!
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10. Baka And Test: Summon The Beasts
Fumizuki Academy—an institution meant for those who are focused on academics to become true scholars of their future careers. However, there’s a problem that plagues the school and it has nothing to do with having a lot of students who have high IQs, but rather because they’re too smart for their own good since they don’t know anything else even though they’ve been in school for several years now!
In order bring balance back to the campus, the teachers decide to use an ancient way of testing by having classes compete against one another so that their skills can be known…not as academic scholars, but as Battle Lovers!
9. Kill La Kill: Best Short Anime Action Series
Ryuko Matoi is a girl who will stop at nothing to hunt down the person responsible for killing her father with help from a sentient sailor uniform named Senketsu. In order to gain Senketsu’s full cooperation, Ryuko must feed him her blood which leads to an interesting turn of events between the two as they try to understand one another and figure out why certain things are happening around them.
8. Gintama
If there was one word that could be used to describe Gintoki Sakata , it would have to be “struggling.” Living in a futuristic Japan where aliens known as Amanto have invaded Earth and taken over feudal Tokyo, life for Gintoki and his friends hasn’t been easy since their job is to act as handymen who help out the residents around them.
However, these Amanto pose a threat to not only humanity’s existence on Earth, but also the safety of those they care about most—which makes it all the more maddening when there seems to be no hope left in defeating them!
7. Strike The Blood: Best Short Anime Series
During Japan’s Taisho Era (1912-1926), vampires known as “The Kindred” have existed secretly among society while maintaining their abilities unknown to humans whose ranks are divided into two groups: those who hunt down criminals with demonic powers called Holy Sword Users and fight alongside the Japanese Imperial Demon Army to protect their country from danger, and those who have no power in society and are forced to live harsh lives with barely any rights!
However, when a mysterious transfer student named Kojou Akatsuki is thrust into a position where he must do something to help his classmates avoid being killed by a powerful vampire one night at school, what could possibly happen next?
6. Okami-San And Her Seven Companions
In order for Ryoko Okami to achieve her dream of becoming an accomplished martial artist who can defend women from men who wish them harm, she’s been looking for the only master worthy enough to be her teacher: a man named Miyamoto Musashi!
Although it seems like a difficult goal to achieve, it becomes even more difficult when Ryoko becomes a high school student and has to learn how to balance her daily life with that of living in a dormitory along with several other students whose personalities are as different as they come!
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5. When They Cry
In the midst of being blamed for being a murderer whom everyone from children to adults alike despise as much as one would hate the actual devil itself because she was born as the “Jasmine” Witch, Hanyuu Furude tries desperately not only to prove her innocence by attempting different methods of killing herself since she lives in a realm between heaven and hell where time does not exist, but also trying to help those friends who were being blamed for her death—no matter how many times she has to sacrifice herself to do so!
4. Nichijou
Considering the fact that its main characters are an emotionless robot, a cat, a talking cat’s hairball who was born from the first cat ever on Earth, and two schoolgirls with bizarre personalities, you’d never think that this anime would be as comedy-laden as possible even though each episode surrounds their daily lives which involve robots fighting other robots in order to achieve world domination.
If there’s something strange in your neighborhood…it’s not aliens known as Amanto or supernatural beings living among humans , but rather these four friends who often solve whatever problems they may encounter without much difficulty since they’re always around to save the day both inside and outside of school.
3. Lucky Star
Although it may seem like your typical slice-of-life anime at first glance, what separates this show from any other is its quirky sense of humor which involves jokes about otaku culture and references to popular culture in general since it’s meant to be relatable with those who live similar lifestyles as most of the characters do—in addition to having plenty of adorable moments involving Konata Izumi and her friends such as Kagami Hiiragi, Tsukasa Hiiragi, and Miyuki Takara.
It’s an anime about nothing…but it’s also an anime filled with everything that makes life worthwhile!
2. A Certain Scientific Railgun
While Hotaru’s adventures with Mikoto Misaka in Academy City have been going on since the very beginning of “A Certain Magical Index,” this spin-off ties together everything from her past as a child to even the events prior to when she met Touma Kamijou for the first time, and instead focuses on her life in Tokiwadai Middle School where she is roommates with the two strongest Level 5 espers in all of Academy City: Mikoto herself and Shokuhou Misaki who goes by the nickname “The Queen” due to her attitude and leadership skills.
Although it lacks action like its parent show, each arc is interesting enough that you’ll wish it would continue on forever!
1. Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Best Short Anime
Although those who watch this anime think that it’s nothing more than a typical mahou shoujo series with cute girls battling other cute girls, the truth is that each episode surrounds two magical girls fighting one another in order to collect enough energy to become a witch so they can create their own realm without having to worry about anyone getting in their way…aside from Kyubey who plans on making deals with them so he can save the universe by turning every human into an incubator.
The most surprising thing about it is that even though there are several fights which involve innocent civilians dying during the chaos within each city which gets destroyed—with the worst occurring during the finale where Madoka is overwhelmed by her own feelings of despair and transforms into a witch—the only character who survives in the end is Homura Akemi due to changing history for what she believes to be the hundredth time.
Even though it’s bittersweet, there’s no doubt about it: this anime wouldn’t have been as popular as it was if all those tragic events didn’t happen…but at least we got an amazing OVA out of it!
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You’ve read my opinion on which anime deserve to be called “Top 50 Best Short Anime Of All Time,” but now it’s your turn to tell me whether or not you agree with this list! What anime would you put above these choices? Comment your thoughts below! And if you liked this article, please use the Facebook and Twitter buttons located on the left side of this page to share it with your friends so they can join in on the discussion too! Until next time…
