Watching anime is an investment of both time and emotions. But most of the popular series out there would require months of non-stop watching in order to either get to the climax or actually finish it. However, if you are looking for a “quick” watch without having to spend half of your lives on a show, here is our list of 5 “short”, but great anime to watch during this time of isolation and social distancing.
Samurai Champloo
If you are looking for sword action, levity and bad language, this is your show. Samurai Champloo takes place in old Japan, towards the end of the Tokugawa Era. It revolves around Fuu, a tea-shop girl with a strong will and a wish; Mugen, a loud, ill-mannered and unorthodox, yet deadly samurai; and Jin, a calm, composed, educated, yet also deadly samurai. Right from the first episode, their destinies collide and the three go on a quest to find “the Samurai that smells of sunflowers”.
While Mugen and Jin are almost always on the verge of killing one another, it is Fuu who brings them together. Thus, creating a great dynamic between the three protagonists. Samurai Champloo delivers a great balance between bloody sword action, dialogue-centric comedy, and a decent story to follow.
Samurai Champloo is only 26 episodes; it makes it an entertaining watch that doesn’t drag on. Meanwhile keeping the viewers well focused and asking questions from many angles.
One can find Samurai Champloo on Hulu, or it can be bought on Amazon Video.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
First thing is first, be warned as Neon Genesis Evangelion is for mature audiences, and even then, it is a dense show. I still don’t know how my mother let me watch this when I was a kid. Nevertheless, Evangelion still remains as an all-time classic.
Evangelion revolves around the survival of humanity after “The Second Impact”, a global cataclysmic event that nearly destroyed the world. Since then, humans have been struggling to fight off giant monsters called “Angels”.
Fifteen years after said event, a young boy, Shinji, is recruited by his father to protect the world. Shinji is sent to pilot “Eva 1”, a giant humanoid machine with the destructive force to kill the Angels and protect humanity.
While in the Eva, the pilot feels the damage inflicted to the machine. Making the combat scenes much more dramatic and hard to watch. In the other hand, the Angels are not your average monster as they literally come in all shapes and sizes. However, the main plot is not about defeating the Angels, but about the dark secrets that are uncovered throughout the show . This anime is not for the faint of heart as it contains brutal action scenes that match its disturbing storyline. Evangelion is also known for its illustration of what depression looks like and how it affects those who suffer from it. In summation, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a show that will make you want to look away but won’t let you.
P.S. Once you are done with the episodes, jump right over to The End of Evangelion where the original scripted ending takes place.
You can watch Neon Genesis Evangelion and The End of Evangelion on Netflix.
Castlevania
The story of Count Dracula has always been fascinating and now Netflix has the perfect excuse for you to explore it. Castlevania provides insight on Count Dracula’s hate towards humanity and his vengeful plans. The show then introduces Trevor Belmont Sypha Belnades, characters that then take on the task to stopping Dracula’s plan. And, later on they receive some much needed assistance.
The show moves quickly, has excellent character development, and a great storyline. Plus the animation and effects take the show to another level. More importantly, with the world at the edge of destruction, one can feel intensity building in every episode.
Over the course of 3 seasons, 22 episodes have aired on Netflix. But with the show’s success, surely there are more seasons to come. Which makes this the perfect time to catch up.
This is our top 4 list of “short” anime to watch without having to spend half of your life on it. What anime would you add to the list? Let us know is the comment section below. You can also find more Anime editorials here! And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @thecognetwork.
