Your favorite short anime?

[danzibr]

I was thinking about my favorite anime, and most of them are quite long. At least 26 episodes, some much longer.

I'm specifically looking for good series which are at most 13 episodes, each 22ish minutes long. Suggestions?

[thorgrim29]

I think Baccano! is about in that range. Black Lagoon isn't too long either.

[Kymme]

FLCL is a short one (6 episodes IIRC), but it's got a lot of weirdness packed into it. If you haven't seen it before, it's a fun little romp.

[Illieas]

madoka magika is one of the best 13 episodes. a also really good one is Rurouni Kenshin: Tsuiokuhen though that is 4 epsiodes

[Feytalist]

FLCL is 6 episodes of pure insanity.


I really enjoyed the Saikano anime back in the day. Such a powerfully emotional story for such a short time frame. Great stuff.

[VariSami]

Ones which stand out and have yet to be mentioned (I have also seen Madoka Magica, FLCL, Black Lagoon, and Baccano! and each was great):

1. No Game No Life
2. Hataraku Maou-sama!
3. Katanagari
4. Mononoke
5. Serial Experiments Lain

Particularly the last two are quite... experimental, however, and they might be something of an acquired taste. However, each has received a full 10 from me on MyAnimeList and each has 13 or less episodes. However, the two top contenders leave one craving for more because they leave room for a second season (and both are adaptations of on-going light novel series).

[Feytalist]

5. Serial Experiments Lain

And Paranoia Agent, of course. Satoshi Kon at his best.

[JoshL]

Seconding Baccano! and Paranoia Agent. Two of my favorites at any length. I'd also throw out the original Record of Lodoss War OVA (far from perfect, but as a fantasy geek, it's one of my favorite things ever)

[mallorean_thug]

Well, it so happens that several of my favorite shows fit your criteria and have not been mentioned yet. I would highly recommend to anybody:
Haibane Renmei
The Tatami Galaxy
Ping Pong the Animation
Detroit Metal City
Kino's Journey

And though they could be hit or miss depending on the viewer, also look into:
Kaiba
Kemonozume
Flag
Wandering son
Trapeze
Eccentric Family
Tsuritama

I left out anything that has additional content that would bring it over 13 episodes, be it a second season, or plot relevant OVA episodes.

[Winthur]

Gunbuster is a good bet if you're a fan of the mecha genre, being Hideaki Anno's debut. Also, for fun points, it is so extremely 80s it hurts. Features gratuitous nipples. and Dante from the Devil May Cry series.
Patlabor is in the same vein - 7 OVAs from the same time period. Less typical mecha fare because it's not all about battles. Those are both considered classics of the genre.
The Gundam OVA series (the 08th MS Team, Stardust Memories) are pretty good fun though they require some supplemental watching to truly appreciate, though they should work as standalones in a pinch.

Sengoku Basara is another wacky barrel of fun I can recommend that's quite a bit more modern and not mecha related (finally).

If you have a soft spot for trashy slice of life like I do, Chuunibyou was kinda sweet, but the 2nd season is garbage. I consider first season to be the only story that was needed to be told and had meaning, season 2 is just Zany Adventures of the Same Characters.

[Brewdude]

Axis Powers: Hetalia.

Sure there is more than 50 episodes, but they're all 5 mins each!

[cobaltstarfire]

I really enjoyed Gingitsune, it was a very relaxing slice of life/super natural anime with a nice slow pace.

It's only 12 episodes as of now, although I heard it might get a second season.

There was some really odd anime I watched about a boy who could see Microbes that was pretty short. Can't remember the name of it though. Maybe someone here knows it (I don't think I'd even remember the name if I saw/heard it)

[Poison_Fish]

There was some really odd anime I watched about a boy who could see Microbes that was pretty short. Can't remember the name of it though. Maybe someone here knows it (I don't think I'd even remember the name if I saw/heard it)

That would be Moyashimon: Tales of Agriculture.

Also, as it just finished, I'd make a plug for Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun. Not only have I shamelessly stolen an image from it for my current avatar, but it's a fun watch.

[Terraoblivion]

Purely stating a preferred length is awfully vague in terms of inviting recommendations. Twelve or thirteen episodes is the standard length for shows that aren't surefire moneymakers and has been for years and before that ovas that were just a few episodes long were the standard. So there are a lot of shorter shows and they're probably more diverse than the longer running ones, so if everybody just tosses the names of shorter shows they like out you'll be drowned by a barrage of shows where you probably don't care about at least half.

[mallorean_thug]

Purely stating a preferred length is awfully vague in terms of inviting recommendations. Twelve or thirteen episodes is the standard length for shows that aren't surefire moneymakers and has been for years and before that ovas that were just a few episodes long were the standard. So there are a lot of shorter shows and they're probably more diverse than the longer running ones, so if everybody just tosses the names of shorter shows they like out you'll be drowned by a barrage of shows where you probably don't care about at least half.

Sure, most shows are 13 episodes, but very few of those are actually standalone. If you eliminate the recs in this thread that are longer than the OP specified

Baccano! (16 episodes)
Katanagatari (50 minute episodes, equivalent runtime to a 26 episode show)

that have additional animated content, be it a second season, or OVAs, or a movie

Black Lagoon (a second season of 12 episodes and a 5 episode OVA series)
Madoka Magica (a divisive movie)
Saikano (2 30-minute OVAs)
Kino's Journey (two divisive movies)
Patlabor (3 movies, and a 47 episodes tv show)
Gundam (quite a bit)
Sengoku Basara (2 more seasons of 12 episodes each, and a movie)
Chuunibyo (as mentioned, a divisive 12 episode second season)
Axis Powers Hetalia (a second season of 52 more short episodes, a movie, and another season of 20 short episodes)
Moyashimon (a second season of 11 episodes)

or are unfinished adaptions, regardless of whether they'll ever get another season or not.

Baccano! (again)
Black Lagoon (again)
No Game No Life
Hataraku Maou-sama!
Detroid Metal City
Kino's Journey (again)
Wandering Son (it even decided to start in the middle)
Trapeze
Eccentric Family (the next book hasn't even been written yet)
Gingitsune
Moyashimon (again)
Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

You end up with a list of self contained, largely anime original shows mostly from well-known auteur directors. I think its pretty reasonable to try to get recommendations in that vein, but it might be hard to communicate that if you don't know what you're looking for. And I know many people that would rather just hear about the shows you care about the most than hear about shows you think they'd like. You'll get a lot of recs that won't sync up with your tastes, but if you know your tastes, figuring out which ones are for you only takes a couple minutes with Google.

[Manly Man]

Little Witch Academia is a great one, if you can find the damn thing with English subs. It's only one episode, though they're working on a second, which may have actually been made by now.

[Psyren]

Elfen Lied is only 13 episodes. It's pretty good if you don't mind some pretty (read: very) mature content.

[Math_Mage]

Man, pretty much all the series I could recommend are already covered.

Except Angel Beats. There, now I don't feel useless.

[Lurkmoar]

Elfen Lied is only 13 episodes. It's pretty good if you don't mind some pretty (read: very) mature content.

Elfen Lied ended about half way through the manga. The ending was quite a bit different, especially when you think about what the Big Bad guy's plan was. Still, the opening is very memorable.

As for something that I like and is really short... no, I can't out myself as a total perv. Hmm. Hellsing Ultimate?

[Manga Shoggoth]

Gunbuster is a good bet if you're a fan of the mecha genre, being Hideaki Anno's debut. Also, for fun points, it is so extremely 80s it hurts. Features gratuitous nipples. and Dante from the Devil May Cry series.

It also has some remarkably good science mixed up in the fantasy. The sequel (Diebuster) is OK, but not nearly as good.

Moldiver takes up 6 episodes, and you can save a lot of time by cutting out the last two episodes which aren't as good as the first two...

Najica Blitz Tactics - If you can get past the fanservice - is an interesting series.

[HMS Invincible]

The titles is misleading. I thought I was going to see everyone favorite ovas.

[Sith_Happens]

Also, for fun points, it is so extremely 80s it hurts.

...What purpose could possibly be served by doing physical training in a mecha.

If you have a soft spot for trashy slice of life like I do, Chuunibyou was kinda sweet, but the 2nd season is garbage. I consider first season to be the only story that was needed to be told and had meaning, season 2 is just Zany Adventures of the Same Characters.

Did you miss the part where season two was also Actually Watch the Protagonists' Relationship Develop in Organic Fashion Past the Point of Becoming an Official Couple in the First Place? That's sort of the main plot thread.

Little Witch Academia is a great one, if you can find the damn thing with English subs.

Crunchyroll has it.

Man, pretty much all the series I could recommend are already covered.

Except Angel Beats. There, now I don't feel useless.

Go ahead and feel even more slightly useful, seeing as you just stole one of my first suggestions.

My own new contribution to the thread is Girls Und Panzer, which is a sports show cleverly disguised as a so-called "cute girls doing cute things" show. And in case you couldn't tell from the name, the sport is tank warfare.

[cobaltstarfire]

or are unfinished adaptions, regardless of whether they'll ever get another season or not.

Uh, Gingitsune (The Anime) is considered finished.

Yes there is a chance they may decide to do more, but otherwise it's basically finished, and came to a closing with its 12th episode.

[Kitten Champion]

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora is 6 episodes. It's a drama about a teenage girl with a fatal heart condition and her relationships as she faces her mortality. I think the fact that it's 6 episodes greatly helps the narrative, it keeps the impact but feels long enough to explore the concept.

Knights of Sidonia is a relatively recent mecha SF anime about a travelling space colony - Sidonia generations after escaping from Earth that had been attacked by a Lovecraftian alien race. Its 3D animation is probably its most noticeable trait, but it takes the not exactly original concept and does a lot of interesting things with it. It's 12 episodes.

Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai, is a 13 episode anime produced by Gainax which is about two kids from the Abenoshi shopping district in Osaka who get transported to various parallel worlds for comic misadventures. Lots of anime-related parody.

Avenger, a 13 episode anime produced by Bee Train. It's a martial arts anime set on what remains of colonized Mars after some catastrophe. Probably my favourite production by the studio, mostly because the 13 episode length greatly improves the series pacing. It has some of the best fight scenes I've seen in an anime as well.

Figure 17: Tsubasa & Hikaru, a 13 episode anime which has elements of magical girl, slice of life, and science fiction genre. It's about a shy 10-year-old girl living in the country-side who coincidentally comes in contact with a mutable metallic-like alien that bonds with her into a living armour in order to fight alien monsters which it was seeking. After the bonding ends the alien reforms into her identical twin which becomes part of her normal life.

Level E. a 13 episode comedic SF anime based on a manga series by Togashi Yoshihiro. It's several stories set around the concept of aliens secretly living on Earth Men In Black-style and this sadistic alien prince who... well, has an elaborate and sadistic sense of humour. Difficult to express why a comedy works beyond saying that I found it very funny, it spends time to develop the gag and works hard for some hilarious payoffs.

[Winthur]

Elfen Lied is only 13 episodes. It's pretty good if you don't mind some pretty (read: very) mature content.

Erghhhh, it's one of the silliest shows I've ever watched (not even because of the gore) and the premise isn't that great when you think about it. Wouldn't recommend it myself unless I were still in middle school.

You end up with a list of self contained, largely anime original shows mostly from well-known auteur directors. I think its pretty reasonable to try to get recommendations in that vein, but it might be hard to communicate that if you don't know what you're looking for.

Well, a short show can also serve as a standalone series depending on how you see it.
If you go like "Well Winthur has **** for taste, Patlabor OVA series reeks of ass", at least you only watched 7 OVAs and nothing wrong happened.
If you go like "That show wasn't bad, not exactly my cup of tea but it was fun nonetheless", then you only watched 7 OVAs and had enough entertainment just out of that, so time well spent.
And if you go like "Oh man, that was good", then you're free to watch the other stuff while having decent prep to it.
That's why I tried to only post things that you could consider standalones to some extent (the Gundam side-stories are just that, side-stories, and they carry themselves pretty well even if you haven't watched any Gundam, making them, IMHO, pretty decent gateway to the show). I was gonna initially mention Aldnoah Zero but its set itself up for a mighty obvious sequel and as such wasn't worth mentioning as just a short time investment.

OP does mention he watches longer series, so nothing wrong with keeping his options open once he's done with something.

Although, granted, there's a good point in that at this point OP is being swarmed with anime recommendations because the subject is extremely broad.

...What purpose could possibly be served by doing physical training in a mecha.

The anime starts off as a zero-to-hero sports show parody and then slowly turns into Top Gun IN SPACE and getting gradually more serious about that -- over the course of mere 6 episodes, and it does so remarkably well. They did that just to poke fun.

[Joran]

I enjoyed the Legend of Black Heaven. It's 13 episodes and is about a middle-aged salary man who gave up on his dreams of rock and roll stardom. Then he's told by aliens that his band's music are the only way to activate the superweapon to defeat the alien bad guys, so he needs to get his band back together.

[Sith_Happens]

Ooh, here's one I just remembered: Legends of the Dark King. It's a 13 episode Fist of the North Star prequel centered on Raoh and is stuffed end-to-end with all the best kinds of 80's-style silliness. Note that you don't need to have seen Fist of the North Star to watch it, or at least I hadn't and experienced no problems.

[GloatingSwine]

...What purpose could possibly be served by doing physical training in a mecha.

Control system familiarisation? Can you make the robot consistently do this without falling over and squashing the instructor flat*? Yes? Then you can go on to more complicated robot operations.



*Literally the first think Hikaru does when he transforms into battroid mode for the first time is fall over and squash a house. I always liked that as a comparison to Amuro "I am literally sitting reading the manual whilst fighting for my life and still win".

[Grinner]

I enjoyed the Legend of Black Heaven. It's 13 episodes and is about a middle-aged salary man who gave up on his dreams of rock and roll stardom. Then he's told by aliens that his band's music are the only way to activate the superweapon to defeat the alien bad guys, so he needs to get his band back together.

One of the great classics of our age, yes?

Control system familiarisation? Can you make the robot consistently do this without falling over and squashing the instructor flat*? Yes? Then you can go on to more complicated robot operations.

This comes up in Gundam SEED as well.

[Sith_Happens]

Control system familiarisation? Can you make the robot consistently do this without falling over and squashing the instructor flat*? Yes? Then you can go on to more complicated robot operations.

That doesn't explain the weights.