There is so much great anime out there, so where to start? Anime has already garnered a lot of attention in the last decade. As such, the anime fan community just keeps on growing. More anime are getting the recognition they deserve for their versatile storytelling and characters.
A lot of anime have multiple seasons, which can be overwhelming for some newbies. To ease in, it would be good to recommend a series with only 1 season. Investing in prolonged anime stories may be taxing for some.
In this article, we will be listing the best anime that are beginner-friendly with only 1 season! This also applies to any anime fans who just want to experience a short story.
1. Death Note
Genre: Action, Psychological
No. of episodes: 37
Synopsis: 17-year-old Light Yagami is a genius high school student who is bored with his life. When he encountered a “Death Note” by chance, he is astonished by its abilities: when you write someone’s name with their face on your mind on the Death Note, the person will die.
Light, who believed that his world is rotten because of violent and petty crimes committed everyday, decided to use this Death Note to cleanse the world from evil. He started killing off criminals, and eventually those people who dared go against him. He began to think he will become a god in the new world with the moniker, “Kira”.
A world-famous yet mysterious detective, L, takes on the case of catching Kira. He then engages in a psychological cat-and-mouse chase with Light. Who will win?
Death Note is a classic and very popular anime that will give you a thrilling ride! The suspense can literally make you feel like you’re at the edge of your seat. If you’re into psychological and crime anime, then this is for you.
2. Erased
Genre: Mystery, Supernatural
No. of episodes: 12
Synopsis: Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling 29-year-old manga artist who has the ability to send himself back several minutes earlier to prevent an accident. This is called “Revival”, and he uses this in order to save many people.
However, a tragic incident happened to someone close to him, and he is sent back in 1988. This meant that this incident has been rooted when he was still a child. He discovers that this is connected to the series of killings that happened in his school. He makes a plan to prevent these killings to avoid the tragic outcome in the present.
Erased is just the anime for you if you wanted something short yet can still make you hold your breath! It has a lot of twists and suspense, and each episode is engaging. If you’re into solving murder mysteries, then Erased takes the cake.
3. Yuri!!! On Ice
Genre: Sports
No. of episodes: 12
Synopsis: Yuri Katsuki is once a promising figure skater in Japan up until his defeat at the Grand Prix Finale. He then assessed his options on what to do, his figure skater dreams seemingly going down the drain.
That is until a video of him performing a routine that was executed previously by Victor Nikiforov, a five-time world champion, went viral. Victor noticed this video and made an effort to reach Yuri by appearing on the latter’s doorstep. Yuri was starstruck as Victor happened to be his idol. Victor then offered to become his mentor, which Yuri immediately accepted.
Can Yuri succeed in the intense world competition? Especially when a rising star from Russia is very intent on defeating him to win back Victor’s tutelage?
If you’re into sports, then Yuri!!! On Ice is a good anime to start. It portrays how much you are willing to fulfill your dream, and the bumps that came along with it. It can be inspirational and a slice-of-life that can also help you in real life!
4. Angel Beats!
Genre: Supernatural, Drama
No. of episodes: 13
Synopsis: What happens to one’s soul if they die? This mysterious question has plagued humanity since the dawn of time. 17-year-old Yuzuru Otonashi got his answer when he woke up in the dimension between life and death.
He discovered that there is a strange high school where souls with unwanted deaths stay. These souls are embittered of God because they had unfulfilled lives. So, they decided to create a rebellion group – Afterlife Battlefront against the godlike student council president, Kanade “Angel” Tachibana.
Otonashi gets recruited by the head, Yuri Nakamura, in the rebellion, but he is questioning their actions.
Wanting to get your heart broken and wipe tears? Then Angel Beats will do that for you! Their themes of life and death can make you think deeply. Good drama is packed within their 1 season, so it does not prolong your pain too much.
5. Your Lie in April
Genre: Romance, Drama
No. of episodes: 22
Synopsis: Kousei Arima is a child prodigy when it comes to playing the piano. His marvelous skills has led to him winning every competition. He is highly respected and admired by his peers and the audiences. This was made possible because of his intense training and his strict mother.
However, his mother suddenly died, which left him shocked with grief to the point he can never play onstage again. That is until he met an eccentric violinist, Kaori Miyazono, and she offered him to accompany her onstage.
Want to watch anime that can make you swoon? Your Lie in April offers a wholesome romance between two characters who share the same passion. The two inspire each other on what they do best, and it makes you feel warm inside.
Read More: The 12 Best Slice of Life Anime to Binge-Watch on Netflix Right Now
6. Ouran High School Host Club
Genre: Romance, Comedy
No. of episodes: 26
Synopsis: Haruhi Fujioka is a new student at the prestigious Ouran Academy. She then stumbles upon a seemingly empty music room, which turned out to be the turf of the Host Club. This is where attractive guys entertain girls across the entire school. Haruhi got startled by the Host Club founder, Tamaki Suou, so she accidentally broke an expensive vase.
To repay the damage, Haruhi would have to work to become a Host herself. She has to entertain girls while being mistaken as a boy, then coping with her fellow Hosts’ personalities.
If you’re looking into some light-hearted romance, then you should try watching the classic Ouran High School Host Club. It will surely give you chuckles and flattering feelings when it comes to the romance!
7. Steins;Gate
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama
No. of episodes: 24
Synopsis: Rintarou Okabe never gets tired of exploring science. Accompanied by his friend, Mayuri Shiina; and his roommate, Itaru Hashida, founded the Future Gadget Laboratory. They have the goal of creating a scientific technology gadget that can baffle the human psyche. However, they only ended up creating a microwave that can transform bananas into green goo.
But there is more to the microwave than what meets the eye. Rintarou discovers this when he attended Kurisu Makise’s conference about time travel. Rintarou was able to send text messages in the past via the microwave. However, this miraculous discovery caught the attention of a mysterious organization, SERN.
The trio find themselves in danger as Rintarou is faced with the consequences of altering the past, and his deteriorating sanity.
Are you interested in science fiction? Time travel? Technological innovations? Steins;Gate is the perfect choice for you to start! They also have special episodes aside from their Season 1, but it is not exhausting for you to invest in. Get a good amount of intrigue and thrill in this anime!
8. Death Parade
Genre: Supernatural, Drama
No. of episodes: 12
Synopsis: Humans do not go to Heaven nor Hell after death. There are a few of them who goes to Quindecim, a bar where only pairs of people who died at the same time can enter. Decim is a mysterious bar patron, and is an arbiter of sorts. He challenges the souls into a life-threatening game, after which he passes his judgment. The souls can either reincarnate into a new life or be sent to the void – never to be heard of again.
Each soul’s true nature gets revealed every time they engage in a game with Decim. However, the sudden appearance of a black-haired person makes Decim question his rulings.
Death Parade is here if you are interested in the afterlife, or just the concept of life and death. In just 12 episodes, it might even make you reflect or think deeply about life. Moreover, the games in the anime are suspenseful so it is worth the watch!
9. Plastic Memories
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
No. of episodes: 13
Synopsis: 18-year-old Tsukasa Mizugaki managed to land a job at the Sion Artificial Intelligence Corporation (SAI). SAI Corp is tasked of creating “Giftias”, which are highly advanced androids that can blend in among humans. However, Giftias only have a short lifespan: 9 years and 4 months.
Tsukasa is assigned in Terminal Service One, responsible for collecting Giftias who have already expired. They lost their memories and are hostile.
Tsukasa is partnered with a beautiful Giftias named Isla, who is very skilled in retrieving expired Giftias. Tsukasa developed romantic feelings towards Isla, but time flies by quickly. He had to come to terms with his feelings before Isla expires.
If you love science fiction and romance, then look no further than Plastic Memories. To make it interesting, this is a romance between an android and a human. On top of that, the android has a short lifespan and their romance is seemingly not advisable. Will they be able to succeed? Watch to find out!
10. Toradora!
Genre: Romance, Drama
No. of episodes: 25
Synopsis: Ryuuji Takasu has an intimidating and unapproachable face that makes everyone label him as a delinquent. In truth, he is actually a soft-hearted individual who loves to do housework. Taiga Aisaka experiences the opposite. Her petite and doll-like features make people mistaken her as someone fragile, when she is actually quite feisty.
An embarrassing incident happened which caused Ryuuji and Taiga to meet each other. Ryuuji found out that Taiga has a crush on his friend, the school vice president, Yuusaku Kitamura. Taiga then discovers that Ryuuji is crushing on her friend too, Minori Kushieda.
The two then formed an unlikely alliance to help each other with their respective crushes.
Loving a good romance roundabouts and twists? Toradora! offers you exactly that, alongside entertaining characters with their own quirks! A good amount of lighthearted and serious moments in this anime can make your watch fulfilling.
Read More: 15 Best Romance Anime Of All Time
