Short anime series are often the unsung heroes of seasonal anime. They are often based on yonkoma (4-koma) manga which feature four cells of the same size, to be read from top to bottom. Since each 4-koma is a quick story or joke, the series based on them rarely exceed ten minutes, making them perfect to watch during a quick break or just before bed.

The trick to enjoying these series is not to overestimate them. With the limited time, there will rarely be great character development or emotional twists and turns. But what you can count on is episodes jam-packed with great gags, memorable characters, and hints at an overarching story. Today, I wanted to share my top five short anime series that never fail to make me laugh. Better yet? You can watch them in under an hour!

I Can’t Understand What my Husband is Saying

Fall 2014
13 episodes

Opposites really do attract in this series! Kaoru is an ambitious office-worker who is married to Otaku-NEET Hajime. The series follows their married life together, as they face ups and downs, but ultimately try their best to ensure their partner’s happiness. The series is heart-warming to watch, but what makes it a favorite is the humor in the couple’s everyday life, from Kaoru being introduced to Boy’s Love by Hajime’s brother to Hajime embarrassing himself in front of Kaoru’s friends. The series really encapsulates the idea of a simple but happy life.

Another fun part of the series is trying to pick out all the references in it. Fans can recognize figurines and decorations around the couple’s house like Luffy’s hat in the dining room. These small details really show how much love the series was given during development, making it a joy to watch. The series has two seasons, each with thirteen, three-minute episodes. You can finish watching each season in about forty minutes.

Senyu.

Winter 2013
13 episodes

1000 years ago, the Great Demon King was sealed away by a legendary hero. Now, the new demon king has opened the gate between the human and demon world. To save the world, the (human) King has gathered all seventy-five descendants of the legendary hero and sent them on a quest to destroy the new demon king. The series follows hero number forty-five – Alba, and his partner, royal soldier Ross. The storyline is pretty loosely followed in the episodes. Instead, we get to see the crazy antics that Alba and Ross get up to. Well, mostly Alba getting involved with the crazy situations with Ross laughing at him from the sidelines.

When I first started watching the series, I was a little put off by the art style. It seemed a bit simplistic, but by the third episode, I was no longer bothered. Almost every episode gets me laughing non-stop, which is quite impressive for four-minute episodes. Just like the previous anime, there’s a bunch of random references, especially to games, so challenge yourself to pick them all out. This series also has two seasons, each season should take about fifty minutes to watch.

本日、6月配信分のWebラジオの収録を、コラボ企画実施中のカラオケの鉄人新宿大ガード店で行いました！ＭＣの下野さんと、6/28配信回のゲスト上田 燿司さんからサインをいただきましたー！ぜひぜひサインも見に来てくださいっ(^o^)／ pic.twitter.com/IBbu2erL8A

— TVｱﾆﾒ戦勇。公式ｱｶｳﾝﾄ (@TVanime_senyu) May 24, 2013

Uncle and Marshmallow

Winter 2016
12 episodes

Officer worker Iori Wakabayashi has a crush on her boss, chubby middle-aged man Habahiro Hige. But Habahiro loves…marshmallows? The series follows Iori as she tries her best to get Habahiro’s attention, but her efforts are often interrupted by a meddling younger brother and a rival love interest. Can she make Habahiro notice her and not just his marshmallows? The series is perhaps not as laugh-out-loud funny as the previous ones, but it is very good-natured and will definitely make you smile. It’s quite refreshing to see a female lead actively pursue her male love interest, rather than just awkwardly blushing all the time! Another special component of this series is the after-credits marshmallow cooking show, teaching viewers how to make special sweet recipes.

This show was actually one of the first ‘shorts’ I ever watched and got me hooked on the genre. It’s a quick romance, with some silly moments, which is great to watch after a hard day. There are twelve episodes plus one very strange extra, each about three-minutes long. I don’t recommend watching this series when you’re hungry; it’ll make you want to down an entire packet of sweets!

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— おじマシュBD.DVD全1巻大好評発売中 (@anime_ojms) April 18, 2016

Mangirl!

Winter 2013
13 Episodes

Perhaps not the best abbreviation, Mangirl! is short for Manga Girls!, a series about a group of women trying to break into the manga industry. Specifically, they want to create a manga magazine, similar to Shonen Jump, but starting out is a lot tougher than they all expected. I was pretty excited to find this series as I had tried to get into Comic Girls, but wasn’t a big fan of it. But I still wanted a series about manga and with a focus on girls supporting girls in their everyday and professional lives.

One really fun aspect of the show that I enjoyed was the ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at all the planning that goes into a manga magazine. For example, one episode details the importance of fonts in the speech bubbles, how some are specific to certain genres and how the fonts can change the connotation of what is being said by characters. Like Ojisan and Marshmallow, this series isn’t a big non-stop laughing one, but it’s guaranteed to get a few chuckles out of you. With thirteen three-minute episodes, you can finish this series in less than forty minutes!

© 2018 まんがーる

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san

Spring 2014
12 episodes

Out of all the shows listed, this one probably has the prettiest art! A girl who has the word ‘dog’ in her name but loves cats meets her perfect match in a girl who has the word ‘cat’ in her name but loves dogs. The girls’ personalities take on their namesake and the series follows their romance together, essentially the super affectionate ‘dog’ girl to the slightly cold and awkward ‘cat’ girl. I really liked how the character designs emulated their names, for example the ‘dog’ had a ponytail which would swish side to side as she talked, and the cat girl’s hair almost looked like cat ears. It was the tiny details that showed how thoughtful the series was.

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san was one of the first shoujo-ai anime that I watched, and I really loved it. The romance between the characters was sweet, and just like I can’t understand what my husband is saying, it showed the fun in everyday life. Another three-minutes-per-episode series; you can finish ‘Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san’ in less than 40 minutes. If, after you finish watching this, you’d love to see more of their relationship, the manga has six volumes released!

So, get watching!

For those of you who are wondering why Pop Team Epic didn’t make the list, I wanted to include series that you are so short that you can actually binge the whole thing in under an hour! I also wanted to give the spotlight to some lesser known series that need a bit of love. I hope you enjoyed this list and have found some hidden gems to add to your ‘watch list’. Let us know down in the comments what your favorite short anime series is!