Top 10 Must Watch Short Anime Series With Best Story For Beginners

Anime was very underrated because of the ridiculous belief that animated forms of entertainment are meant for kids. (Crazy, right?) And what I have to say is never to judge a book by its cover.

So, if you have finally decided to watch anime, I am sure you will not be disappointed. But, don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Here is the list of the top 10 must-watch short anime series with the best story for beginners that will make you fall in love with anime.

10. Your Lie in April

Probably one of the most emotionally touching anime out there; I bet nobody could sit through this series without feeling anything (unless you are a rock). Your Lie in April is a 2014 musical, drama, romance anime series adapted from a manga series by Naoshi Arakawa and directed by Kyohei Ishiguro.

Upon his mother’s death, traumatized piano prodigy Kousei Arima lost his attachment with music and led a sad life until he met a passionate violinist, Kaori Miyazono, who had secrets of her own and changed his life forever.

Within 22 episodes, this heartbreaking series takes you into the themes of depression, loss, and the importance of moving on with our lives. The character development, plot, animation style, and the presence of classical music carved an incredible masterpiece that continues to touch the viewers’ hearts.

9. Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden is a fantasy anime drama based on a light novel series written by Kana Akatsuki and directed by Taichi Ishidate and Haruka Fujita. With its 13 episode run, this series tells the story of an emotionally detached, ex-soldier Violet and her journey to find meaning in human emotions and life.

Through her job as a ghostwriter who writes letters for uneducated people to convey their thoughts and emotions, she crosses paths with various people, which helps her explore herself and multiple feelings.

With its beautiful animation, soundtracks, and tear-jerking episodes, Violet Evergarden beautifully portrays the themes of grief, loss, personal growth, and life. So grab your tissues when you watch this one because this will be an emotional roller coaster that you will love.

8. Monster

If you are a die-hard fan of thrillers and incredibly detailed plots, Monster is just what you need. Adapted from the manga series by Naoki Urasawa and series directed by Masayuki Kojima, this 2004 anime series is considered as one of the best psychological anime with its multi-layered plot, suspense, and well-written realistic characters that display the seriousness of the story throughout the series.

It is set in post-Cold War Germany; Monster focuses on Kenzo Tenma, a brilliant upcoming neurosurgeon who is often used as a puppet by the hospital director Mr. Heinemann, whose life takes a serious turn when he decides to save a young boy’s life over the Mayor’s life.

Through the detailed pacing of the story, which spans over 74 episodes, Monster is based on the aftereffect of that happenstance displays the realities of life and how different people value life.

This series is truly a classic that makes the audience ponder what justice is, the use of ethics when deciding what’s right or wrong, and portrays that a true monster is not a work of fiction but within humankind.

7. Steins;Gate

If you are a fan of sci-fi thrillers, you will surely love Steins;Gate. Released in 2011, Steins;Gate is a time travel narrative that focuses on Rintaro Okabe, who regards himself as the mad scientist and his friends who accidentally created a time travel device that can send e-mails to the past, which can completely change the present.

The birth of the time travel device was a huge breakthrough, but the journey that awaited Okabe was a dreadful one where heartbreaking sacrifices were to be made.

Within just 24 episodes, Steins;Gate rose to the rank of one of the best time travel series with its complex time travel theories, exciting characters, and the emotional depth that the series dived into.

6. Cowboy Bebop

This 1998 neo-noir action series is directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, set in 2071, where humankind lives in colonies across the Solar System because the Earth has turned inhabitable.

Due to increased crime, bounty hunters are formed to capture the criminals, and Spike Spiegel and Jet Black are two such bounty hunters who work together.

This 26 episode journey focuses on Spike and the adventures he embarks on with Jet Black, Faye Valentine, Edward, and a dog named Ein while revealing each character’s struggle to fight their past.

With its excellent portrayal of loneliness and existential dilemma, well-written plot, characters, animation, and soundtracks, Cowboy Bebop became a massive success in the Japanese and Western areas and is regarded as one of the best anime of all time.

5. Attack On Titan

This is one of the series that will get you hooked from the first episode, and believe me; it’s entirely worth it. Released its first episode in 2013, Attack on Titan is an ongoing anime series with 75 episodes as of now and is directed by Tetsuro Araki and later by Yuichiro Hayashi. It is adapted from the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama.

This dark-fantasy anime has its background set in an apocalyptic world where humans are devoured by man-eating humanoid creatures, the Titans, and humanity is forced to live within a world inside the walls to stay alive.

This series introduces us to one of the best protagonists ever made, Eren Yeager, who vows to eradicate the Titans when a disastrous titan attack showered tragedy upon him.

You will love this series with its badass characters, nail-biting, violent fights, and most importantly, the number of plot twists and cliffhangers that make it binge-worthy.

How did Titans come to being? Is there humanity beyond the walls? Will Eren achieve his ultimate goal? What dreadful path must he tread to save his beloved friends and society? Watch this anime right now to join this fantastic journey.

4. Jujutsu Kaisen

Jujutsu Kaisen is a 2020 ongoing anime series, adapted from a manga series of the same name written by Gege Akutami and directed by Sunghoo Park.

Set in a world where Curses (evil spirits that are born from negative human emotions) feed on humans, this supernatural action series revolves around Itadori Yuji, a high school student who swallows a cursed finger of Ryoumen Sukuna (the King of Curses) to gain powers to protect his friends who get attacked by a cursed spirit.

He joins an organization of Jujutsu sorcerers who exorcise cursed spirits and is decided to execute him once he swallows all of Sukuna’s fingers.

Yuji’s journey to becoming a fully-fledged Jujutsu sorcerer and his new friends and searching for the cursed fingers while encountering Curses is the basis of this 24 episode anime.

Jujutsu Kaisen instantly became one of the most popular anime and manga series with its intriguing plot, characters, and animation. So get ready to be amazed by one of the most incredible anime out there, and I am sure you will love this one.

3. Dr. Stone

Dr. Stone is an ongoing sci-fi anime series set in a post-apocalyptic world where the human race has been turned to stone for three thousand years, and all of the scientific development we see has eroded in time.

When it seems that the human race is a lost cause, Ishigami Senku, a high school science genius, wakes up from the petrified state into the Stone World and vows to rebuild civilization with the power of science.

Adapted from the manga series of the same name by Riichiro Inagaki and directed by Shinya Lino, this 2019 anime series is famous for being highly involved in science and the scientific accuracy the series contains. So if you are planning to watch it, I guarantee you will love it and learn a thing or two about the science we see around us.

2. Demon Slayer

Tanjiro Kamado lived everyday life with his family until a demon attacked and killed everyone in his family except one of his sisters Nezuko, who turned into a demon. Devastated by this tragedy, Tanjiro vows to avenge his family and turn Nezuko back into a human, and becomes a demon slayer to achieve his goals.

Released in 2019, this ongoing series is based on the ongoing manga series by Koyoharu Gotouge and directed by Haruo Sotozaki. Within just 26 episodes, this dark-fantasy adventure series became instantly popular with its unique character designs, engaging animation, intense fight scenes, and captivating story, which leaves us at the edge of our seats.

So if you are someone who is into dark action sequences with an emotional storyline, Demon Slayer will be your favorite.

1. Death Note

Considered one of the best anime series to start with, Death Note is a 2006 mystery, fantasy, thriller series directed by Tetsuro Araki that is adapted from the manga of the same name written by Tsugumi Oba and Takeshi Obata.

The series revolves around Light Yagami, an intelligent high school student whose life is changed forever when he discovers a so-called death note that enables the user to kill a person by simply writing that person’s name.

Through its 37 episode run, we can see the treacherous path Light takes to achieve his goal of eradicating the world of criminals and becoming the god of the new world. Will he become a god, or will he stumble and fail? Watch it to find out.

Conclusion

So these are some of my recommendations to help you get started with anime. Each anime on this list is regarded as one of the best, which will give you an unforgettable experience and will be an excellent introduction to the world of anime.