10 best anthology anime you should watch

Anthology anime offers a unique viewing experience, with each series consisting of multiple short films or episodes showcasing different styles, stories, and creative visions. For audiences, they provide a gateway to discovering new directorial visions and unique narratives in bite-sized form.

For anime fans looking to expand their horizons, anthology shows provide an excellent opportunity to sample different directors, writers, genres, and animation techniques. These high-rated and influential anthology anime series are must-watches for any anime fan.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are solely of the author.

10 anthology anime series fans can't miss

1. Memories

Memories (Image via Studio 4°C, and Madhouse)

Released in 1995, Memories is an anthology anime of 3 short films of completely different styles and stories, brought together by acclaimed director Katsuhiro Otomo. It demonstrates the creative breadth of anime as an artistic medium.

The first film, Magnetic Rose, is a sci-fi tale directed by Koji Morimoto, known for its haunting atmosphere and stunning visuals. The second film, Stink Bomb, is an offbeat comedy by Tensai Okamura about a regular man turned into a biochemical weapon.

The final film, Cannon Fodder, is a poignant anti-war story with a stark hand-drawn art style, directed by Otomo himself. With its thematic and tonal diversity, along with sheer visual invention across the 3 shorts, Memories showcases the animators at the height of their creative powers.

2. Short Peace

Short Peace consists of 4 short films directed by acclaimed anime creators. The standout is Possessions, a ghost story directed by Shuhei Morita (Kakurenbo) that features a unique blend of traditional animation and 3D computer-generated imagery.

There is also the post-apocalyptic Gambo, directed by Hiroaki Ando (Five Numbers!), the magical historical tale A Farewell to Arms, and the family-friendly Combustible, featuring a fire disaster in Edo-period Japan.

With both cutting-edge animation and emotional storytelling, Short Peace shows how anthology anime can push the boundaries of the medium. It nabbed Oscar and Annie Award nominations, bringing further global recognition to anthology anime's artistic pedigree.

3. Robot Carnival

This classic 1987 anthology anime consists of 9 short films by different writers and directors, with the common theme being robots. With short stories ranging from comedic to dramatic to dystopian, it explores various ideas around artificial intelligence and human-robot relationships across multiple animation styles.

Some of the most popular segments include the opener Franken's Gears, a steampunk adventure directed by Koji Morimoto. Presence, a mystical tale by Hiroyuki Kitazume (Moldiver), and the innovative animated "Cloud" by Manabu Ōhashi were groundbreaking for its time.

As an early effort to showcase anime creators' storytelling chops through the common theme of robotics, Robot Carnival holds an important place in anime history. The anthology anime stands out both visually and thematically.

4. The Animatrix

The Animatrix (Image via Madhouse, Studio 4°C, Square Pictures)

A series of 9 short animated films set in the cinematic Matrix universe, The Animatrix was produced during the peak of early 2000s interest in the Wachowskis' hit movies. This anthology anime explores different parts and perspectives of the Matrix fictional world across multiple animation formats.

Highlights include the simulated reality-based Program by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, set in a world inspired by feudal Japan. The photoreal CGI battle in Final Flight of the Osiris, and The Second Renaissance parts 1 and 2, depict the machine takeover with a newsreel-style voiceover and striking visuals.

As an anime expansion of an internationally popular film franchise, The Animatrix's high production values and diverse shorts gave it mainstream appeal. It remains essential viewing for fans of The Matrix universe.

5. Black Jack OVAs

Black Jack OVAs (Image via Tezuka Productions)

Based on Osamu Tezuka's classic manga series, these Black Jack OVAs from the 1990s adapt various stories about the mysterious, unlicensed surgeon Black Jack.

Across 12 self-contained episodes with a consistent visual style, it focuses on Black Jack using his exceptional medical skills to diagnose and treat strange afflictions while unearthing secrets from the pasts of his patients and himself.

Highly rated for bringing Tezuka's humanistic, morally complex source material to the screen, the Black Jack OVAs tell emotionally resonant tales of loss, redemption, retribution, and healing.

They capture the essence of Tezuka's signature melodramatic storytelling focused on ethical questions around medicine. This anthology anime is a must-watch for fans of morally ambiguous antihero doctor protagonists.

6. Genius Party

Produced to showcase the talents of Studio 4°C's key animators and directors, 2007's Genius Party anthology of 7 animated shorts demonstrates stunningly varied artistic styles and storytelling genres.

From abstract magical realism and steampunk action to telekinetic alien romance and post-apocalyptic soul-searching, Genius Party lives up to its name in creative vision.

Among the standout segments are Doorbell from acclaimed director Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue), depicting a surreal scenario where a young man encounters alternate versions of himself, and Limit Cycle, a philosophical exploration of consciousness and reality by Hideki Futamura.

With its freewheeling creative spirit untethered to commercial concerns, Genius Party captures anime creators at their innovative best. This anthology anime represents short-form animation as high art.

7. Neo Tokyo

Neo Tokyo (Image via Madhouse, Project Team Argos)

A seminal 1980s anthology representing the cyberpunk anime movement, Neo Tokyo consists of 3 shorts by famed science fiction directors bringing surreal and dystopian stories to life with lurid anime visuals. It explores a futuristic world dealing with genetic engineering, AI, and corporate control.

The shorts in this anthology anime include Yoshiaki Kawajiri's The Running Man, a tale about a champion racer with telekinetic power. Katsuhiro Ōtomo's Construction Cancellation Order, a Kafkaesque story about an unstoppable construction project, and Rintaro's Labyrinth Labyrinthos, which portrays a surreal journey through a nightmarish circus.

As an early anime effort at serious science fiction for adults, the disturbingly surreal visions of Neo Tokyo were hugely influential on later media like Akira and Ghost in the Shell. It stands as a seminal work for directors who later became giants of the industry.

8. Mushishi

Based on Yuki Urushibara's manga series, it presents self-contained fictional stories in each 23-minute episode about Mushi Masters—supernatural experts researching Mushi, ethereal primordial lifeforms that interact oddly with humans based on esoteric rules.

Visually influenced by traditional Japanese art and meticulously detailed in depicting supernatural phenomena, Mushishi episodes focus on protagonist Ginko encountering people plagued by Mushi, learning about each Mushi's distinct traits, and resolving the crisis by understanding nature's mysticism rather than exorcising it.

As an episodic anthology, Mushishi allows director Hiroshi Nagahama to explore various Japanese occult folklore-inspired ideas through standalone stories presented with realistic gravity. The result is a wholly unique anime experience that blends the mystical with the natural.

9. Batman: Gotham Knight

Batman: Gotham Knight (Image via Madhouse, Studio 4°C, Production I.G, Bee Train)

A collaboration between multiple acclaimed anime writers and directors with Warner Bros, 2008's Batman: Gotham Knight anthologizes diverse animated interpretations of Batman, serving as a companion piece to Christopher Nolan's live-action Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

The shorts attempt to depict stylistically contrasting perspectives on the Batman mythos across multiple creative visions. Highlights include Kazuto Nakazawa's inventive Field Test on Batman's evolving tech, Shojiro Nishimi's noir Have I Got a Story for You, and Jong-Sik Nam's mystical Deadshot, centered on Batman's clash with the villain Deadshot.

As an anime reimagining of an iconic American superhero by acclaimed Japanese creators, Batman: Gotham Knight is a fascinating trans-cultural creative exercise bridging two traditions. This anthology anime remains essential viewing for Batman and DC fans.

10. Flavors of Youth

Flavors of Youth (Image via CoMix Wave Films, Haoliners Animation League)

This 2018 Chinese-Japanese anthology anime film, co-produced by Chinese studios and Japanese studios like CoMix Wave, is a rare cross-cultural collaboration, with 3 shorts focusing on nostalgic tales of childhood memories and growing up.

It kicks off with Jiaoshou Yi Xiaoxing's food-centered short The Rice Noodles delicately dramatizing a young man's rural upbringing. Next up is Yoshitaka Takeuchi's A Little Fashion Show, a tale about sisterhood and pursuing dreams.

Finally, there is Li Haoling's Love in Shanghai, an emotional time-spanning first love story playing out beautifully against the changing backgrounds of a city. Flavors of Youth showcases the universal appeal of anime storytelling through its gentle, colorful depiction of youthful experiences and coming-of-age tales.

Conclusion

The anthology anime format provides fertile ground for anime creators to experiment with stories, styles, and ideas in their purest form. The anthologies discussed above contain some of the most groundbreaking, influential, and creative anime shorts that showcase the medium's diversity.

For viewers, anthologies provide a gateway to discovering new artistic visions and talents that continue to inspire and influence the anime industry today. Whether you're an anime veteran or a newcomer, these anthologies are essential viewing.