There’s an understated beauty to immersing yourself in a sprawling anime series. A thousand-episode-plus saga like One Piece might feel daunting, but investing in such an epic character journey is extremely rewarding — especially when the creators of a beloved franchise reinvent their narrative in progress midway, as JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure does with the Netflix adaptation of Steel Ball Run.

That said, committing to a lengthy anime series over multiple seasons demands a significant amount of time, and it can be overwhelming to choose between all the excellent options. Sometimes you just need a one-season anime series, a dozen episodes that can be binged over a weekend, without the need to invest beyond the immediate premise.

One-season titles that tell a complete, self-contained story include classic choices like Cowboy Bebop or Death Note, but there are many under-the-radar stories worth checking out as well. So if you’re in the mood for a one-and-done narrative experience, these 20 one-season anime can help scratch that itch.

20

Nana

Number of episodes: 47

Where to watch: Hulu

Ai Yazawa’s slice-of-life manga Nana has a staggering aesthetic influence. It references everything from game-changing British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood to Harajuku subcultures like Gyaru and Mori to tell a layered, devastating story about Japanese girlhood. These visual fairs come alive in Madhouse’s Nana anime, whose 47-episode run feels much shorter due to the fluid nature of the story. Our protagonists, Nana Komatsu and Nana Osaki (“Hachi”), form a tender friendship once they meet in Tokyo, where they each harbor distinct dreams. While Nana wants to establish a music career with her band, Hachi wants to secure romantic stability while doing some soul-searching.

Their vastly different personalities (expressed through Nana’s edgy alternative clothing and Hachi’s warm pastel costumes) find a way to co-exist in a world that challenges these girls on an intimate level. Yazawa’s manga is currently on indefinite hiatus, but this one-season anime adaptation is the perfect conduit to immerse yourself in Nana and Hachi’s vibrant worlds. This is a story grounded in heartbreaking realism, but it also makes space for the vulnerability that comes with the softer moments in life. —Debopriyaa Dutta

19

Paranoia Agent

Number of episodes: 13

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress) is known for his radical approach to animation, for using surreal imagery to challenge established conventions. Kon’s one-season anime Paranoia Agent is no exception. The premise hooks the audience in immediately: Character designer Tsukiko Sagi is suddenly attacked by a roller-skating schoolboy (dubbed Lil’ Slugger) at night, which begins a long string of assault cases revolving around this unlikely perpetrator. In a baffling turn of events, none of the victims can remember the boy’s face, which complicates matters from a legal standpoint.

Kon and Madhouse combine these eccentric elements to cook up a narrative drenched in abject horror, where Lil’ Slugger’s actions unravel dark truths about every character involved. A thematic preoccupation with repressed trauma and its shocking manifestations is at work here, as characters like Tsukiko are tugged toward their darkest impulses without true awareness of their actions. Getting to the root of trauma can be intense and uncomfortable, and Paranoia Agent reminds us that fear can hold greater power in our lives than we think. Kon uses a mix of his signature abstract symbolism and crude animation to highlight the despair that encircles these characters’ lives. —DD

18

Deca-Dence

Number of episodes: 12

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Talking about why an anime fan should watch Deca-Dence without spoiling the series’ most ingenious twist is difficult, though not impossible. Directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa (Death Parade, Mob Psycho 100) and written by Hiroshi Seko (Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga), the series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the remnants of humanity have taken refuge inside a gigantic fortress city known as Deca-dence and engage in a never-ending battle against alien lifeforms known as the Gadoll.

Natsume, a young girl who lost both her father and her right arm to a Gadoll attack, aspires to become a warrior to avenge her family. To achieve this, Natsume enlists the mentorship of Kaburagi, a veteran armor repairer and former warrior, to train her. Reluctantly agreeing to help her, Kaburagi is driven by his motives and interests, as well as a profound secret that, if revealed, could jeopardize humanity’s survival.

What begins as a standard post-apocalyptic mash-up of Attack on Titan by way of Immortal Engines quickly (and boy, do I mean quickly) morphs into a cerebral post-human sci-fi story about environmentalism, consciousness, and artificial intelligence. If for no other reason, you should at least give the first two episodes of Deca-Dence alone a shot. You’ll know the twist when you see it. —Toussaint Egan

17

Do It Yourself!

Number of episodes: 12

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

If you’re looking for a breezy slice-of-life anime with a unique premise, Do It Yourself! is an easy recommendation. The series follows Serufu Yua and Miku Suride, two next-door neighbors and childhood friends whose estrangement is further exacerbated when the latter is accepted to an elite magnet high school for technology studies and the former… well, isn’t. While on her way to her first day of classes, Serufu accidentally wrecks her bike and is aided by Rei, a third-year student at her new school and the head of DIY Club.

After spending the day with Rei, Serufu finds her calling: teaching herself how to repair the bench that she and Miku used to sit on as children… and repair their friendship along the way. From there, the anime evolves into a lighthearted ensemble comedy about a group of eccentric, inquisitive girls teaching themselves how to use power tools, find materials, and undertake various do-it-yourself projects around campus.

Do It Yourself! is simply a joy to watch, with cute character designs complemented by a bubbly sense of humor and lovingly detailed animation. The series also fits in a surprisingly thoughtful take on the merits of artisanship over automation, in addition to its themes of friendship and self-reliance — one more reason to give it a watch. If you count yourself as a fan of anime like Bocchi the Rock! and Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, Do It Yourself! is a perfect must-see series. —TE

16

Odd Taxi

Number of episodes: 13

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Odd Taxi tells the story of a 41-year-old walrus taxi driver named Odokawa living in a world of talking anthropomorphic animals. When Odokawa inadvertently becomes the suspect in a young girl’s disappearance, he’s preyed upon by conniving yakuza and crooked cops eager to track the young woman down for their own nefarious ends. On top of that, he has to deal with his begrudging affection for a young alpaca nurse named Miho, as well as elude a vicious masked stalker with a murderous vendetta against him.

Directed by Baku Kinoshita (who also served as the series’ character designer), written by Kazuya Konomoto, and co-produced by creative company P.I.C.S and anime studio OLM, Odd Taxi is a fascinating, well-paced crime thriller that easily earned its place on our best anime of 2021 list. Plus, it’s got a gorgeous opening title sequence. —TE

15

Samurai Champloo

Number of episodes: 26

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Shinichirō Watanabe’s directorial follow-up to Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, is a contemporary, hip-hop-infused story set against a historical backdrop. The series follows waitress Fuu and her two hired bodyguards, samurai Mugen and ronin Jin, as they set out to find a mysterious samurai in an alternate Edo-era Japan. Samurai Champloo is a largely episodic series, but it has a charming momentum that makes it perfect for a quick binge. Fans of Cowboy Bebop’s referential storytelling, contemplative themes, and inclusive world-building will also find a lot to love in the series. —Sadie Gennis

14

Steins;Gate

Number of episodes: 24

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

[Ed. note: While this is a terrific series overall, there is one instance of poor localization in the English dub that comes across as racially insensitive at best. We recommend the sub for this reason.]

The idea of hooking a cell phone up to a microwave in order to send texts to the past is very silly, but Steins; Gate is definitely not a silly show. A tightly plotted sci-fi drama, Steins; Gate follows Rintaro Okabe, an egotistical “mad scientist” who, along with his two friends and colleagues, unexpectedly discovers a way to send messages — and eventually memories — into the past. It’s an exceptional time travel story with a compelling cast of characters, thrilling mysteries, and edge-of-your-seat action. —SG

13

Terror In Resonance

Number of episodes: 11

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Shinichirō Watanabe’s series Terror in Resonance isn’t as lengthy as his Cowboy Bebop or Samurai Champloo, but it is a hard-hitting psychological thriller that deserves more popularity than it currently enjoys. This 11-episode anime presents an alternative version of the present, where teenagers Nine and Twelve steal a prototype atomic bomb while orchestrating a terrorist attack. Their goals come off as cryptic, as they upload a video threatening to destroy Tokyo unless someone comes forward to solve a complicated riddle.

Watanabe makes excellent use of the short serialized format to create taut tension, allowing Terror in Resonance’s conspiracy aspects to shine bright. The prospect of uncovering Nine and Twelve’s true identities and motives is just one aspect of the mystery, as the anime compels us to ponder the helpless, one-sided relationship we have with corrupt systems. These kids aren’t acting on a whim, after all — they’re raging against a world rigged against them while challenging what we know about our governments. That said, Watanabe doesn’t nosedive into bleakness — he paints fleeting moments of human connection as precious and worth fighting for. —DD

12

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Number of episodes: 8

Where to watch: Netflix

Science Saru’s anime adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s hit graphic novel series is full of surprises. The biggest is the true meaning behind the series’ name. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off isn’t a one-to-one adaptation so much as a pseudo-reboot-sequel that exists in conversation with the events of the original comic and Edgar Wright’s 2010 movie, similar to what Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno did with the tetralogy of Rebuild films.

In choosing to treat the comics as more of a launchpad than a verbatim script, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off affords its characters the space to grow and evolve beyond what audiences and fans might have otherwise come to expect. This isn’t a Scott Pilgrim story made for the early aughts, but for the 2020s — a story told from an older, wiser perspective that’s able to parse the elements that made the comic such an enduring phenomenon from the parts that haven’t quite aged as well.

Ramona Flowers, for example, takes on a more central role as the protagonist of the story, and the so-called “League of Evil Exes” is afforded more dimension and backstory. Make no mistake, however: This is the story of Scott Pilgrim, but a version whose ambitions and scope far exceed what its first episode might otherwise suggest. The ending of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off suggests the possibility of more adventures with these characters, but with Netflix opting out of a second season, the series functions as a terrific one-off. —TE

11

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song

Number of episodes: 13

Where to watch: Crunchyroll

Created and written by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara (Re: Zero-Starting Life in Another World-), directed by Shinpei Ezaki (Banana Fish), and produced by Wit Studio (Ranking of Kings, Spy x Family), the 13-episode original anime Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song centers on the story of a young android songstress named Diva. She is recruited by Matsumoto, an AI from a hundred years in the future, to intervene in major historical events and prevent a future where androids annihilate humanity.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a stellar anime with great music and breathtakingly beautiful fight sequences. It’s a sci-fi drama with an emphasis on the cruel passage of time and the purpose of music and art in a world of artifice, while also being a poignant story about personal growth and defying fate.

The series as a whole is worth watching, but episode 9 is the standout entry, featuring a pulse-pounding sequence between Vivy and Matsumoto in a modular cube-like body fighting against a vengeful android assailant with a powerful arm cannon. Trust me — if you haven’t watched Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song, you’ve missed out on one of 2021’s most spectacularly animated fight scenes. —TE