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There are epic sagas spreading 100 of episodes in the wide world of anime, immersing viewers in intricate plots and captivating characters. However, there is also an allure to condensed anime series that deliver exceptional storytelling and unforgettable experiences.
This article explores the realm of anime series with fewer than 50 episodes, focusing on the best of the best. These shows may be shorter in length, but they pack a powerful narrative punch that leaves a lasting impression despite their brevity.
These anime demonstrate that greatness can be achieved in a small package, from intense action and gripping drama to heartwarming tales and mind-bending mysteries.
Prepare for a thrilling journey through the best anime series with fewer than 50 episodes, in which every second counts, and the storytelling prowess is unparalleled.
So, without further ado, here are the best anime series with 50 episodes or fewer.
1. Super Dimension Fortress Macross (36 Episodes)
- Total Number of Seasons: 1
- Year: 1982-1983
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Harmony Gold compiled several mecha series, including Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada, to create Robotech, which introduced Super Dimension Fortress Macross to the American public. Robotech altered the plots of all three shows to connect them in some way.
Macross is the source material from which the first season of Robotech was adopted. The human race discovers an ancient spacecraft and recreates its technology.
In addition, they retrofitted the ships, which they named “Macross.” During the launch ceremony, however, an alien foe known as the Zentradi attacks Earth. Thus begins one of the most epic anime space operas ever told.
It also features the iconic VF-1 Valkyrie craft, which can switch between jet, mecha, and in-between modes. Macross is also a showcase for one of our all-time favorite character designers, Haruhiko Mikimoto.
2. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (36 Episodes & Counting)
- Total Number of Seasons: 2 (And Counting)
- Year: 2018-Present
- Watch On: Crunchyroll, Netflix, Anime-Planet & Funimation
Another isekai with a great twist: the protagonist is reincarnated as a powerful slime in a fantasy world after being killed in a random stabbing. This is the tale of how Rimuru Tempest found himself in a strange new body and rapidly rose to prominence in the history of that world.
This show resembles the anti-overlord in that Rimuru uses his formidable abilities to create a monster nation and negotiate peace with humans. Both shows are brilliant but in radically different ways.
3. Death Note (37 Episodes)
- Total Number of Seasons: 1
- Year: 2006-2007
- Watch On: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video & AnimeLab
Light Yagami is a brilliant young man with a strong sense of justice who excels in school. On the surface, he appears to be an upstanding individual, but one day a notebook falls from the sky. Death gods use this “Death Note” to record the names of those who will die at the appointed time and in the specified manner.
In the hands of Light, it becomes the instrument of perverted justice. He “punishes” criminals and strategically sows fear throughout the criminal underworld, but he is also wanted for murder.
Soon, Light faces off against another genius named “L,” and one of the greatest games of cat and mouse ensues. This dark and twisted tale should be on the shortlist of every anime fan.
4. Revolutionary Girl Utena (39 Episodes)
- Total Number of Seasons: 1
- Year: 1997
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video & Funimation
Surreal, artistic, and highly gender-bending. This is how we would describe Revolutionary Girl Utena, an anime classic. As a child, Utena was inspired to become a prince by her encounter with a traveling prince.
She trains and eventually enrolls in an academy, where a duel results in her engagement to Anthy Himemiya. Utena and Anthy become close, prompting Utena to defend Anthy against new duel opponents. We’re not going to lie, this show is odd, but it’s still original and fresh after all these years.
5. Overlord (39 Episodes & Counting)
- Total Number of Seasons: 3
- Year: 2015-2018
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Crunchyroll & Anime Planet
Overlord is arguably our favorite isekai anime and one of our favorite shows overall. The protagonist is a Japanese gamer who is an ardent fan of the MMORPG YGGDRASIL. The game will be shut down after many years, but our protagonist will remain logged in until the very end.
At twelve o’clock, everything becomes real. He is no longer in a virtual reality game; he has actually become the undead overlord that was previously only an avatar.
The overlord sets out to explore and conquer this new world armed with a vast hidden base and an army of powerful creatures that serve him with unwavering devotion.
We adore a protagonist who is an anti-hero or a villain, and Overlord is brilliant from beginning to end. COVID has delayed the production of the upcoming season. Therefore, now is the ideal time to catch up. The light novels are also quite good!
6. Psycho-Pass (41 Episodes)
- Total Number of Seasons: 3
- Year: 2012-2019
- Watch On: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, Funimation & AnimeLab
Psycho-Pass takes place in a world where technology enables us to determine whether a person has a criminal mind or criminal intent before they commit crimes.
With the help of a centralized computer known as the Sybil System, every Japanese system can be scanned to determine its criminal coefficient. If the threat level is excessive, an Investigator and Enforcer team is dispatched to either apprehend or neutralize the individual.
Enforcers are “latent criminals” with excessively high crime coefficients, but they have value as agents against other latent criminals. In the first series, the main antagonist is a man who is capable of committing acts of extreme violence and destruction but does not have a high crime coefficient, making it impossible to legally neutralize him.
His existence casts doubt on the entire system, but first they must prevent him from causing further damage. A superb psychological thriller that provokes deep thought.
7. Mobile Suit Gundam (43 Episodes)
- Total Number of Seasons: 1
- Year: 1979-1980
- Watch On: Netflix & Crunchyroll
Unlike “super-robot” television shows, the Gundams are not magical. They are portrayed as genuine military equipment that must operate in the real world.
Certainly, there is a great deal of sci-fi jargon, but the point is that these mecha have a much more grounded feel. Amuro Ray’s experimental Gundam is the focus of the original Gundam series.
Due to the destruction of his colony by hostile forces, the surviving colonists are forced to flee on a military ship with a teen-dominated crew. It is also an outstanding drama, even by contemporary standards. Worth viewing for both historical and amusement purposes.
8. Log Horizon (50 Episodes)
- Total Number of Seasons: 2 (And Counting)
- Year: 2011-Present
- Watch On: Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video, Funimation & Anime-Planet.
Log Horizon is a type of anime in which people are pulled into a video game world and get stuck there. This is a theme that has been touched on in a lot of shows, but Log Horizon does it in a unique way.
About 30,000 Japanese online gamers are pulled into an online multiplayer game and end up looking like their avatars. Their main goal is to find a way back home, but in the meantime, they have to figure out how to live and form a society in this strange new place.
Shiroe, the main character, has the knowledge and wisdom to help turn these players into a well-organized nation, but forces from both inside and outside the group don’t always want that to happen.
Log Horizon is a bit more intellectual than, say, Sword Art Online, and will appeal to people who want to think about something. Soon, there will be more than 50 episodes of this anime, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t catch up!
9. Code Geass (50 Episode Anime)
- Total Number of Seasons: 2
- Year: 2008-2009
- Watch On: Netflix, Crunchyroll, Hulu, Funimation & Amazon Prime Video
Code Geass is one of our top 10 anime of all time, so please don’t take us too seriously when we say this. Many people also think it’s one of the best anime ever made, so we don’t feel too bad about it.
Lelouch, the “hero” of the story, is an exiled member of the royal family of Britannia. Living in a Japan that has been taken over, he plans revenge on his family for taking over the world with all of his genius intelligence and questionable morals.
Oh, and there are a lot of robots and people with superpowers on the show, as well as a lot of drama and sadness. It’s really like nothing else. If you want a 50-episode anime with twists that will hit you in the gut, this is the one for you.
10. Re-Zero (50 Episodes & Counting)
Re: Zero is another anime title on this list that we think is great. You could be forgiven for thinking it was just another isekai anime at first glance. But by the end of the first episode, you won’t think that way anymore. Natsuki Subaru doesn’t leave her house, but she is in great shape.
One day, he goes to a convenience store to buy some snacks, and while he’s there, he’s whisked away to a fantasy world. Even though so many anime he’s seen might have led him to believe otherwise, Subaru doesn’t have any special powers here.
At least, that’s what he thinks until he dies and is sent back in time with his memories still intact to a time before he died. Subaru slowly goes through mental breakdown after a mental breakdown as he tries to figure out why he’s there and what the person who brought him wants from him.
His only power is to die painfully and come back to try again. This is another anime with only 50 episodes until the next season comes out, but it’s good enough to be here until then.
Conclusion
In conclusion, anime series under 50 episodes offer great storytelling and unforgettable experiences. These condensed anime series show that greatness can be achieved in a compact package. From “Super Dimension Fortress Macross” to “Death Note” to “Revolutionary Girl Utena,” each show on this list has a unique premise and captivating characters. These anime series provide a complete and satisfying story in a shorter timeframe. These under-50-episode anime series demonstrate the medium’s brilliance and diversity. So dive into these amazing shows and experience new worlds and unforgettable adventures.
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