21 Best Short Anime on Netflix | One Night Binge Watch (2025)

Last updated on March 12th, 2025 at 09:58 am

After a tiring day’s work, we all sat down intending to begin a new anime series, only to give up after looking at the number of episodes. Coming across short anime series and movies that keep you entertained till the final moment is a tough find.

Well, no need to look further today; we’ll be discussing the Top 21 Best short anime on Netflix America that you can finish overnight and will keep you hooked till the end.

21 Best Short Anime on Netflix (US)

21. Children Of The Whales

Children of the Whales is one of the best science-fantasy anime that you can watch in one night. It is set in a world where people are divided into two parts according to their abilities. One side is known as Marked and can move objects through their mind powers in exchange for their life spans.

While the other side is known as “Unmarked,” who can’t use this ability but have longer lives than the marked group.

20. The World’s Finest Assassin Gets Reincarnated in Another World as an Aristocrat  

If you are looking for an excellent isekai anime for one night watch, then this series is the best pick for you. In this series, an old man lived his entire life as an assassin, and now, after dying, he is reincarnated into a fantasy world.

In this world, he meets plenty of the sexiest anime girls and feels blessed by his reincarnation. Furthermore, he also used his deadliest assassin’s skills to save this world from evil enemies.

19. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai 

This series is the best pick for you because it made you laugh out loud. It has a light-hearted storyline and a beautiful female character by the name of Bunny Girl Senpai, who is very popular among fans.

Furthermore, it also excellently shows us the several faces of teenagers and how they dealt with their issues. So, what are you waiting for? Just watch this beautiful series and enjoy its hilarious incidents.

18. Tatami Galaxy  

There is no doubt why this series is considered one of the best short anime on Netflix. It shows the story of a teenage guy who expects a lot from college life and is very excited to start high school.

Despite choosing the club as per his interest, he chose it according to the club’s popularity. Now, it is very interesting to see if he enjoyed his college life or feels regret for choosing the wrong club.

17. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

You can estimate how incredible this series is by the fact that it won the best anime of the year at the Crunchyroll Awards 2023. It is set in a technological city where people live in six different parts of the city.

The series mainly follows the story of David, who lives in a black market filled with highly advanced technologies. So just watch this excellent series and explore its amazing world filled with technologies and machines.

16. Yasuke

Do not be taken in by the rating (being relatively new, the ratings keep fluctuating), but Yasuke is by far one of the best series released in early 2021, based loosely on the real-life story of a black samurai.

It is an action-packed mini-series that traces the journey of a black samurai carrying a mysterious young girl to visit a doctor, which goes horribly wrong and leads to jaw-dropping action sequences. Give it a try, and you won’t be disappointed.

15. Deadman Wonderland

Deadman Wonderland is set in a future dystopia where 3/4 of Japan is underwater due to an earthquake.

It follows the story of Ganta Igarashi, who is blamed for the massacre of his entire class and sentenced to a prison that doubles up as an amusement park where he has to perform various activities for people’s entertainment to ensure his survival.

The plot takes a unique twist when Ganta learns to manipulate his blood, making him a unique deadman. Follow as Ganta flies through his obstacles to gain freedom.

14. B: The Beginning

This series is based on an archipelago called Cremona and follows the story of a PI named Keith Flick who is commissioned to hunt down a serial killer called Killer B.

However things start taking a turn when the PI discovers that the case is actually related to a cryptic Government experiment which includes artificially enhanced humans. At the same time Koku, a youngster with special abilities goes on his own quest for vengeance. With time all conspiracy theory unravels, bringing forth a battle between fairness, destiny and supernatural forces.

13. Arpeggio Of Blue Steel

Ever thought of starting One Piece but giving up after a few arcs? Arpeggio of Blue Steel also explores the seas, just not as a pirate.

It set in a future world where seas cover most of the planet due to global warming, a fleet of military ships called the “Fleet of Fog” rises and defeats the navies around the world, seizing control of the seas governed by the Admiralty Code.

Fast forward to 17 years later, a National Marine Academy alumnus, Gunzou Chihaya, stumbles upon I-401, who, for some reason, supports humanity. With hopes reignited, Funzou and his friends set sail in search of world peace.

12. Devilman Crybaby

What happens when a pure soul merges with a devil? Does he become the devil incarnate, or is he able to win and destroy the evil within? These are the questions raised in Devilman Crybaby.

Akira Fudou is one such soul who merges with the devil Amon to ensure the survival of his friend Ryou Asuka. Together, they take on all the evil in the world to ensure the survival of mankind against demons.

11. Yuri! On Ice

Imagine your idol turns up at your doorstep one fine day and offers his tutelage. This forms the plot of “Yuri! On Ice,” where a video of the protagonist, Yuuri Katsuki, goes viral on the internet and shows him performing a routine by a previously five-time world champion.

What follows is an intense training regime by coach Victor Nikiforov to make Yuri the world champion. However, the competition is not going to get any easier with Victor’s former student, Yuri Plisetsky, trying to win back his coach.

Widely regarded as one of the best sports anime as well as BL anime series, watch out as Yuuri rises to the top of the skating world.

10. Noragami

Have you ever wondered what happens to all those forgotten gods? The ones that were earlier prayed to but are now no longer remembered Well, they fade. And to prevent that, the gods take up odd jobs in order to ensure their survival.

If you find a telephone number inscribed in red somewhere and decide to call it, the person picking up on the other side will introduce himself as “Yato God.” The plot explores the growing bond between Hiyori Iki (a high-school girl who supposedly saves Yato) and Yato.

With her help and holy spirits who turn into deadly weapons called regalia, Yato sets out to change his luck.

9. No Game No Life

How would it feel to be unbeatable at every game you played? Well, Shora and Shiro are exactly that- the brother-sister duo that dominates every game. And one fine day, all of a sudden, they’re transported to a kingdom where wars are replaced by high-stakes games.

Will they be able to maintain their unbeaten streak? This series gives off similar vibes to Sword Art Online and is a definite watch if strategy battles are your forte.

8. Terror in Resonance

“VON,” painted in red, is the only word left behind after a devastating attack on a nuclear facility in Japan. The police have no way of finding out the perpetrators until a mysterious video makes its way onto the internet and two unknown teenage boys calling themselves “sphinx” threaten to cause destruction in Tokyo.

Amidst public unrest, it is the responsibility of Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki to bring them to justice; the only question remaining is: how would he do it?

7. Castle in The Sky

This is the first anime movie to appear on this list. It traces the journey of Sheeta, who is captured by the government for her crystal amulet. Journeying into a world of airplanes, airships, and pirates, she meets a boy, Pazu, who dreams of reaching the flying castle, Laputa.

They join forces to trick the government and the pirates and all those pursuing them, going on an adventure in the steampunk and dieselpunk world of the 1990s.

6. My Neighbor Totoro

Satsuki and Mei, along with their father Tatsuo Kusakabe, relocate to the countryside of 1950 Japan in order for them to be close to their hospitalized, ailing mother.

It is there that Mei comes across a little bunny-like creature, chasing which she meets the giant guardian spirit of the forest, Totoro.

The plot explores the beautiful friendship between humans, nature spirits, and animals as the two kinds embark on all sorts of mysterious adventures in the forest, with Totoro by their side.

5. Erased

There have been plenty of times when we wanted to change something in the past. Well, that becomes possible in Erased, where Satoru Fujinuma is sent back 18 years to resolve a mystery and prevent deaths.

Satoru gets his chance to make things right and an opportunity to prevent the massacre of his classmates. Will Satoru unravel the mystery behind the abduction of Kayo Hinazuki, or will he fail a second time? Watch this nail-biting short series to find out.

4. Howl’s Moving Castle

In this masterpiece, the beauty of architecture meets the innocence of a pure-hearted girl, loosely based on the book of the same name by British author, Diana Wynne Jones. Sophie, the daughter of a common hatmaker, is cursed by the Witch of the Wasteland to grow old.

To break the curse, she must travel in the moving castle of the evil magician Howl. Join Howl and Sophie as they battle dragons, fire demons, and hopping scarecrows in their once-in-a-lifetime magical adventure.

3. Violet Evergarden

Set in a steampunk world in the aftermath of a war, the plot traces the journey of Violet Evergarden, who had lost both her hands and her prosthetics on the battlefield. Battered and bruised, she begins working as an auto-memory doll after having a fallout with her guardian family.

The Auto Memory Dolls are tasked with writing heartfelt letters for clients, and Violet tries to find her peace within them, which takes her on a tragic yet beautiful adventure.

2. Spirited Away

Spirited Away follows the life of 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino, a stubborn, headstrong girl who discovers an abandoned amusement park with her parents.

And just like any other 10-year-old, she is drawn towards it, and before long she has crossed the threshold of the spirit realm, where her parents are abruptly turned into pigs. It traces Chihiro’s journey of exploration in an unfamiliar world and her quest to save her parents.

1. A Silent Voice

This is undoubtedly one of the best romance anime ever produced. Period. As a headstrong elementary school student, Shouya Ishida resorted to bullying his deaf classmate, Shouko Nishimiya.

Years later, now a third-year student, the plot traces Shouya’s transformation and his subsequent journey to track down Shouko and apologize, tracing his honest attempt at a personal catharsis while the shadows of his past loom back on him once again.

Conclusion:

All the series mentioned above are free to stream on Netflix America. For those in other countries, Netflix America is easily available through a VPN. Happy streaming!

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Also Read

• Top 25 Action Anime on Funimation, Crunchyroll, Netflix, HIDIVE & Hulu

• Top 25 Best English Anime on Netflix Ranked

Abhi

Engineering edified me dreams’ propelling. And being an Otaku, a superlative dream of mine engulfs experiencing anime to its deepest quintessence and inditing my perspective towards it. Ultimately, anime blogging carved a path towards my desire and made me stand up to you.