If you are a workaholic like me, then you would hardly get time to watch a thousand-episode Anime like One Piece or Naruto with so many seasons and arcs. Many people would prefer short and compact stories over hundreds of episodes, where the plot keeps changing with many twists and thrills.
OTT platforms now offer a collection of old and new Anime shows which are now receiving a lot of praise from the audience simply for their story, genres, action, and suspense.
Here I have prepared a list of all the Anime shows that you can finish in a day or a night without any fillers and to-the-point story so keep reading!
Death Note
| No. of Episodes | 37 |
| Genre | Mystery, Crime, Psychological Thriller, Thriller |
| Created By | Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata |
You might be familiar with this name since every otaku knows about it and they keep reminding their non-otaku friends to give it a watch. Mainly because of the genius antagonist Light Yagami and the mysterious yet highly esteemed detective Lawliet.
Plot
The plot follows the story of a genius high school student Light Yagami, who stumbled upon a notebook that holds great power.
The notebook is titled Death Note, and anyone whose name is written on the book dies at the exact time and circumstances written under their name.
Yagami wields this powerful tool and starts to purify the world or eliminate criminals and unworthy people to make the world a better place.
Review
While watching this series you will begin to question your morality because of the alluring ways of the antagonist.
A lot of deaths happen in it but only a handful of them make you emotional. If you like a police drama or a suspense thriller then it is the best binge-worthy series for you.
Death Parade
| No. of Episodes | 12 |
| Genre | Psychological thriller |
| Created By | Yuzuru Tachikawa |
Based on another Madhouse production, Death Billiards, for the animator training project Anime Mirai 2013, Death Parade stands out as a very unique concept that frequently recycles ideas.
Plot
Most people will either go to Heaven or Hell after they die. Death, on the other hand, brings a select few to Quindecim, a bar where only pairs of people who die at the same time can enter. Decim is the bartender who also serves as the arbiter.
He judges those who end up at Quindecim by challenging them to a life-or-death game. These games determine whether or not the patron’s soul will be reincarnated into a new life or be sent into the void, never to be seen again.
From darts and bowling to fighting games, each patron’s true nature slowly emerges as they wager their souls. However, the unexpected appearance of a black-haired amnesiac forces Decim to reconsider his own decisions.
Review
Death Parade is very special and the synopsis is very catchy and intriguing.
This show does not disappoint the viewer. Each episode is well-written and unique in its own way. Most episodes have their storyline, which gives you a sense of completion when you finish them.
Psycho-Pass
| No. of Episodes | 22 (Season 1) |
| Genre | Action, Crime, Cyberpunk |
| Created By | Production I.G. |
An AI system that monitors your every activity, is pretty dystopian and suffocating right? Psycho-Pass gives you an idea of, what will the world look like if it is governed by AI and serves justice based on probability.
Plot
Akame Tsunemori is a new member of the Public Security and her job is to apprehend criminals and solve crimes that can’t be solved by normal means.
The story takes place in a futuristic country where everyone’s psychic is monitored using a computer system known as Sybil using a Psycho-Pass.
Psycho-Pass is an actual pass that contains the user’s mental stability that is measured using an Electroencephalogram of the brain. If your Psycho-Pass number is outside the normal limit, you are classified as having a criminal mind and are arrested by Enforcers, who are special police officers.
Review
The gruesome way in which this show disposes of its characters is frightening.
Psycho-Pass will make you run away from technology, the bizarre-cyberpunk plot is spiced up with gory fight scenes and sequels that make you question human sanity.
Season 1 was far better than the other two seasons, it also has some movies with significant story arts and a subtle romance.
Your Lie In April
| No. of Episodes | 22 |
| Genre | Music Drama |
| Created By | Naoshi Arakawa |
Your Lie in April is one of the best Anime series to watch right now, as it has received critical acclaim for its beautiful animation and emotional story of loss, grief, and love.
Plot
Kousei Arima, a young boy who lost his mother when he was young, is the protagonist of the story.
He avoided playing the piano ever since until he was approached by a violin prodigy named Kaori Miyazono, who offered to help him find peace through music.
Review
By listening to and drawing out one simple melody, he can find the fresh spring air in April.
This is a binge-worthy Anime that tells the story of Kousei’s recovery as he discovers that music is more than just playing each note perfectly.
Tonari No Seki-Kun: The Master Of Killing Time
| No. of Episodes | 21 |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created By | Takuma Morishige |
This short Anime has a very quirky yet simple plot, it will make you laugh and sometimes you relate to it as well.
Plot
This is the story of Rumi Yokoi who as a diligent student wants to study and focus in her class.
But she gets her seat next to a boy Toshinari Seki. A boy who can go to extreme lengths only to avoid paying attention in class.
A battle for the ages ensues as Seki devotes all of his attention to his experimental acts of time-wasting, while Rumi desperately resists the urge to stare in awe at the chaos unfolding at her neighboring desk.
Review
The main episodes are about 7 minutes long, so the series goes by quickly.
While each skit is essentially the same joke, The show’s runtime and absurdity of Tonari getting away with everything are quite funny because we all wanted to do this at some point in our life.
One Punch Man
| No. of Episodes | 10 |
| Genre | Action Fiction, Superhero, Comedy |
| Created By | ONE and Yusuke Murata |
It is a mainstream Anime but it got the most humble and laid-back superhero ever born.
Plot
He can win any fight against any enemy with only one punch.
One Punch Man follows the story of Saitama who has trained so hard that there is not a single hair is left on his head.
Review
One Punch Man is hands down the most entertaining Anime I’ve ever seen and the main reason is that it has been faithful to its source material, the Manga with the same name.
Plus there are heavy action sequels with a classy animation style and jokes. The jokes made this Anime more entertaining.
Claymore
| No. of Episodes | 26 |
| Genre | Action, Adventure, Demons, Fantasy, Shounen, Super Power, and Supernatural |
| Created By | Norihiro Yagi |
This Anime is quite short but it has a unique art style. Plus it goes all out for the story and source material to stand out.
Plot
Humans aren’t the only creatures roaming the world; there are also Youma, which feed on human flesh and blood. Aside from being flesh-eating monsters, they can blend in with humans by mimicking their appearance.
The Organization created half-human, half-Youma warriors known as the Claymores to destroy these creatures. The series follows Raki, a young boy who lost his family in a Youma attack, and Clare, the Claymore who saved him.
Review
It’s a gory action Anime, but an interesting one that delves into a dark storyline about what these girls or claymores have to go through.
These girls use sheer willpower to keep the monster blood inside them to fight the monsters they may one day become.
Angel Beats
| No. of Episodes | 13 |
| Genre | Drama, Supernatural, Fantasy |
| Created By | Jun Maeda |
Angel Beats is a 2010 Anime with an art style that doesn’t quite stand up to modern style trends, but its writing still outperforms most other series.
What else can I say, P.A. Works manages to write a cast of 15+ characters to their logical conclusions in only 13 episodes and they do it brilliantly.
Plot
The story is set in a strange dimension, shaped like a high school, that is intended to house those who died untimely deaths, feeling betrayed by the heavens during their earthly lives.
The students of the school have formed the Afterlife Battlefront, a rebellious faction determined to oppose their student council president, Kanade “Angel” Tachibana.
Yuri Nakamura, the group’s leader, recruits Otonashi in their fight against Angel to gain control of their own lives. Otonashi, however, questions the morality of their actions and goes behind enemy lines to understand the opposing side of their common fate.
Review
This show is an absolutely addicting tear-jerker from beginning to end.
Each character’s story concludes with more tears, the dialogues between characters are realistic, and that opening song is still one of the best in the Anime medium! Angel Beats is not for people who only like happy or action-type media, but there isn’t much better for those who can cry.
Which anime should you watch?
The Naruto franchise is one of the most popular anime series of all time, with 720 episodes.
This anime is worth seeing because of its complicated, justified backstories and overwhelming combat. It’s also become something of a modern classic.
Naruto is a Japanese comic series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a teen ninja who wants to be recognized by his peers and strives to become the Hokage or village leader. The story is separated into two parts, the first during Naruto’s pre-teen years and the second throughout his adolescence.
Which anime should I start with?
Attack on Titan, classified as action and dark fantasy, is an excellent place to begin.
Since the first season with 25 main episodes was released in 2013, it has been well-received by anime lovers all over the world. The fourth and final season of the anime series premiered at the end of 2020.
It can be tough to resolve what to watch if you have never watched an anime or if you just liked a select family anime as a child, such as Studio Ghibli, Pokemon, Doraemon, and Sailor Moon.
Conclusion
- Most of this Anime is available on Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu.
- If you are a shonen fan then you must check out Claymore.
- Death note, Psycho-Pass, and Death Parade are Psychological thrillers and great ways to sharpen your senses on a lazy afternoon.