Anime, however entertaining, does require a commitment to get through. At most, a show can span several decades with episode lists that breach the thousands. If you’re looking for a good series you can get through quickly, here’s a list of short, bite-sized anime adventures that require little to no commitment.
- Working Buddies
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Working Buddies follows the daily adventures of two college classmates — bright-eyed Tapio and the unenthused Kuehiko — as they occupy part-time jobs in nearly every industry you can think of. The series will charm you with its funny character dynamics, horrible bosses, and valuable life lessons about employment and camaraderie, providing viewers with wholesome fun and high-quality entertainment in just 3 minutes.
- Death Parade
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
In Death Parade, the souls of the dead are sent to Quindecim: a purgatory-esque realm where judgment is passed on the recently deceased. Using a system that combines the results of sadistic games, memories, and an assessment of character and morale, the judges (called arbiters) determine if each soul should be banished to a void of eternal darkness or worthy of reincarnation. Even with only 12 episodes, the series is addicting, with twists and stories that’ll keep viewers on the edge of their seats as they anxiously await the fate of each couple.
- Horimiya
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
If you’re a sucker for teen romance and want to get your kicks in a day or less, you might want to check out Horimiya. Although at first glance Hori and Miyamura seem like an unlikely couple, outside of school the two find common ground in their secret aliases and confide in one another (Hori is a popular girl by day, stern caretaker by night while Miyamura uses his nerdy aesthetic as a ruse to mask his edgy, emo persona). As you get sucked into Horimiya’s wholesome teen drama and mesmerized by CloverWorks’s crisp art style, brace yourself: the first season wraps in 13 episodes.
- Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
Where to watch: Crunchyroll
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is worth every minute of your time; its imaginative story about a group of teen girls who work together to create an animated project reaches creative depths some anime only hope to achieve with several seasons. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! has everything: a loveable, yet, relatable cast, an addictive plot, and a cinematic art style that earned this series high praise and countless accolades throughout the otaku community. With Eizouken, not only do you get an adventurous story that’ll hook you right from the infectious OP (good luck not bopping along to “Easy Breezy”), but you’ll get a realistic depiction of what it’s really like to work on an animated project, a theme artists may find inspiring.
- Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time follows the pesky Seki-kun, a rebellious teen who finds countless ways to distract himself during school. As he disrespectfully wastes time performing random tasks at his desk, his nosy neighbor — the studious Yokoi-san — finds herself getting swept up in his shenanigans. The level of commitment Seki-kun dedicates to his distractions is both absurd and impressive. With each episode being less than 8 minutes long, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with the many ways Seki-kun does anything but learn in school while his poor neighbor looks on in fear and fascination.
- Tomo-chan Is a Girl!
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
This hilarious mini-series follows the adventures of Tomo, a high school girl who struggles to be seen for the girl she really is, no thanks to her abrasive, violent demeanor. While Tomo fights to be one of the girls, she also hopes to get the attention of Jun, her childhood crush, who’s completely oblivious to Tomo’s feminine charm and advances, forever banishing her to the dreaded friend zone. With the help of her peers, can Tomo find a way to soften and outgrow her tomboy reputation, or will she embrace her tough exterior and be loved for the girl she truly is? With only 13 episodes in this rom-com, it won’t take you long to find out!
- Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Skull-Face Bookseller Honda-san follows Honda-san, a bare-bones man whose goal is to be the best employee at his bookshop. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of the day in the life of a bookseller and the eccentric clients they encounter. In addition to hilarious five-minute bits, the show gives us real-life insight into the inner workings of the publishing industry including sales, terminology, and references to real-life manga and book titles, something avid reading otakus can appreciate.
- Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku
Where to Watch: Prime Video
Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku is anime rom-com done right, providing us with the perfect balance of comedy, romance, and drama that makes this genre so popular among fans. Everything about Wotakoi screams #couplegoals as we watch two adult work couples find romance through their shared love of otaku culture. As their relationships blossom, Hirotaka, Narumi, Hanako, and Kabakura learn to embrace their nerdy selves, teaching us valuable life lessons about communication, growth, and acceptance. If only it were longer.
- Erased
Where to Watch: Netflix
Erased, however short, packs a powerful punch and is undeniably one of the most cinematic anime released in recent history. After a close relative is mysteriously killed, Satoru Fujinuma travels back in time in hopes of preventing the death of his loved one and a former classmate. Erased reaches emotional depths on a live-action scale, punching you in the gut every step of the way, with a shocking twist that no one will see coming. Fans may want to get a jump on this title before it leaves Netflix on September 1st.
- Golden Boy
Where to Watch: Crunchyroll
Thanks to Golden Boy’s, uh, mature themes, this series is not for the faint of heart. Its raunchy, sexual imagery may be uncomfortable for some and is recommended for adults only. It follows the hilarious quests of Kintaro Oe as he finds himself in varying predicaments that teach him invaluable lessons about life. In addition to being full of hilarious slapstick comedy, Golden Boy doesn’t require much of a commitment: the episodes are unrelated and can be watched in any order, plus there are only six of them, making this one of the most casual viewing anime on this list.
If you don’t want to dedicate all your free time to lengthy episodic sagas, we don’t blame you. You can catch short, sweet, binge-able shows like Tomo-chan Is a Girl! now on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. What’s your favorite anime mini-series? Let us know on X, Threads, IG or Facebook @blackgirlnerds.
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