10 best anime you can binge in one weekend

Anime is more popular than ever, with countless new series released each year. For newcomers and veterans alike, finding a quality anime that can be binged over a weekend can be difficult. There are plenty of factors to consider—number of episodes, genre, release year, reviews, and more.

To help make the search easier, we’ve compiled this list of 10 best anime you can binge on in one weekend. From psychological thrillers to devastating dramas and exciting action series, this list offers top-tier anime with concise episode counts.

They cover a range of genres and themes, ensuring there’s something for all tastes. Their concise nature also makes them easy to finish quickly. So block off your calendar, get comfortable, and prepare for an epic, emotional, and unforgettable anime weekend with these spectacular series.

10 must-watch anime you can binge on a weekend

1) Erased

This is a popular anime that fans can binge on one weekend, and it has an intriguing premise that immediately hooks viewers. It follows Satoru Fujinuma, who has a strange ability that transports him a few minutes back in time when life-threatening incidents are about to occur.

When his mother is murdered by an unknown assailant and he’s framed for the crime, Satoru’s special power sends him 18 years into the past. He then has a chance to solve the mystery surrounding a tragic kidnapping case that haunted his childhood.

With its suspenseful storyline unfolding over 12 fast-moving episodes, Erased is a complete and satisfying psychological drama. Satoru’s race against time to identify the true culprit and prevent any more sinister events from occurring makes for an utterly gripping viewing experience.

2) Violet Evergarden

Violet Evergarden (Image via Kyoto Animation)

This 2018 slice-of-life fantasy title centers around the titular character Violet, a young girl raised to be a deadly soldier who returns from war emotionally stunted, struggling to reintegrate into society. She receives work as an Auto Memory Doll, ghostwriting heartfelt letters for clients.

Through this, Violet begins understanding her own buried emotions and the deeper meaning of human connection. Across its 13 poignant episodes (plus an OVA and two movies for those who want more), Violet Evergarden delivers a subtle yet deeply affecting exploration of grief, loss, and self-discovery.

The animation and scenery visualization are breathtakingly gorgeous. Violet’s personal growth arc never fails to move viewers to tears. For an anime that tackles heavy themes with nuance, heart, and hope, this one should not be missed.

3) Death Parade

Where do people go after they die? This is the ominous question that sets up 2015’s captivating supernatural series Death Parade. The 12-episode show follows the enigmatic bartender Decim, who runs Quindecim bar—a gateway between the living world and the afterlife.

Decim judges souls through Death Games, exposing their true nature before deciding their fate—reincarnation or the void. As intriguing new guests arrive and explosive secrets are exposed, the reasons behind Decim’s judging become increasingly complex and morally ambiguous.

The stylish art, psychological gamesmanship, and exploration of existential themes make this an anime that viewers can binge watch in one weekend, utterly enthralling viewers throughout one tense and thought-provoking experience.

4) A Place Further Than The Universe

A Place Further Than The Universe (Image via Madhouse)

This inspiring coming-of-age adventure masterfully packs sentimentality, humor, and riveting drama into just 13 episodes. It centers on four high school girls—Mari, Shirase, Hinata, and Yuzuki—who each long to break out of their mundane routines and undertake something bold and monumental.

When they learn about a civilian expedition to Antarctica, they excitedly set off on the journey of a lifetime, overcoming obstacles through courage and friendship. From start to finish, A Place Further Than The Universe delivers thrilling escapism combined with raw emotional power.

It’s utterly heartwarming to see the central group supporting each other, finding freedom, and creating once-in-a-lifetime memories. The gorgeous Antarctic vistas provide a visually stunning backdrop to this unforgettable tale celebrating youth, adventure, and human bonds.

5) Odd Taxi

One of 2021’s best anime fans can binge on in one weekend, this neo-noir mystery follows humble walrus taxi driver Odokawa. His passengers always have bizarre problems they need solving, which leads Odokawa and his quirky acquaintances down a twisting conspiracy related to a missing girl.

Told through an unconventional mix of mostly 2D animation with some CGI elements, set against a moody jazz soundtrack, the 13 fast-moving episodes of Odd Taxi encompass edge-of-your-seat thrills and unpredictable twists.

Odokawa is an appealingly eccentric protagonist, with the odd but close-knit cast allowing for plenty of effective comedy between dramatic plot developments. For one of the most unique anime viewing experiences in recent memory, this peculiar series is just the ticket.

6) Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (Image via Shaft)

What initially seems to be a conventional magical girl anime swiftly evolves into something more twisted and profound in this subversive 2011 shocker series. It centers on a group of young girls who make contracts with supernatural entity Kyubey to gain magical abilities and battle evil witches.

However, in exchange, they are damned to a horrific fate as the laws of entropy require “equivalent exchange” for magic bestowed. Across its 12 episodes, Puella Magi Madoka Magica takes its cute initial premise into increasingly dark, poignant territory as the terrible cost of the girls’ magic becomes apparent.

Exploring heavy themes like hope, sacrifice, and utilitarian ethics through gorgeously surreal visuals and gripping narrative twists, this show represents a game-changing deconstruction of the magical girl genre. Its ambitious storytelling will leave viewers enthralled for one highly satisfying weekend.

7) Devilman Crybaby

Devilman Crybaby (Image via Science SARU)

Visionary director Masaaki Yuasa puts his distinct avant-garde stamp on this violent reimagining of the classic Devilman manga franchise. Across 10 blistering episodes, crybaby teenager Akira becomes fused with an ancient demon.

As Devilman, he battles rival demons who are growing ever more powerful while struggling to retain his humanity amidst his infernal abilities. A shocking, visceral sensory assault bursting with dynamic action, provocative themes, and stunningly fluid animation, Devilman Crybaby is an anime that pulls no punches.

Yuasa’s signature abstract visual flourishes lend disorienting psychedelic horror to the already intense proceedings. Backed by an ominous synth score, this brutal allegorical tale serves up an electrifying, unforgettable binge-watch experience.

8) Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day

Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Image via A-1 Pictures)

This moving 2011 supernatural drama demonstrates anime’s unique power for tackling grief and loss with equal parts devastation and cathartic release. Its story focuses on teenager Jinta Yadomi, a recluse haunted by guilt over his childhood friend Menma’s death.

But when her ghost appears, desiring to fulfill her final wish so she can pass on, Jinta reunites with his estranged group of friends to grant Menma’s request. Across 11 emotional episodes, Anohana navigates painful trauma and bittersweet nostalgia with immense empathy and grace.

Gorgeous animation, poetic story beats, and a sweeping soundtrack underpin the phenomenal character writing that brings tremendous heart to the series. For viewers seeking a weekend anime watch that earns abiding catharsis through tears, this show delivers powerful resonant chills.

9) Parasyte: The Maxim

Parasyte: The Maxim (Image via Madhouse)

Across 24 episodes, Parasyte’s premise sees alien organisms called Parasytes invading Earth and taking over human hosts by merging with their brains. The protagonist, unassuming teenager Shinichi Izumi, wakes up one night to discover a Parasyte attempting to enter his body.

While it succeeds in burrowing into his arm, Shinichi manages to stop the creature from traveling to his brain. As a result, he gains immense strength while struggling for control against the alien in his limb. Shinichi and his symbiotic partner, Migi, face deadly Parasytes, expose corruption, and fight to stay human.

With its Cronenberg-esque body horror visuals, dynamic battles, and thought-provoking commentary on human nature versus bestial survival instincts, Parasyte may have 24 episodes, but its gripping pace and high-stakes action will keep fans glued to their seats for an intense binge session.

10) Terror in Resonance

From director Shinichiro Watanabe, this sleek 11-episode thriller explores political extremism and terrorism's morality. It opens with two young terrorists—who go by the codenames Nine and Twelve—detonating a bomb in Tokyo and then releasing a YouTube video announcing that more attacks will ensue unless a mystery is solved.

What follows is a tense game of cat-and-mouse between the young bombers and police, with a government conspiracy buried in the boys’ mysterious pasts. Melding noir-inspired intrigue, social commentary on institutional corruption, and bombastic action set-pieces, the series grips like a vice from its ominous first scene.

Its nuanced character writing examines how even those with righteous aims can lose their way when trauma and anger consume them. Backed by Yoko Kanno's jazz-inflected score, this cerebral and exhilarating thriller coheres beautifully over a brisk binge-watch.

Conclusion

Whether an anime veteran or a first-time viewer, this list of the best 10 anime viewers can binge on in one weekend offers intricate, moving, and unforgettable Japanese animation experiences. These are all structured to perfectly fit a single weekend binge session.

From exhilarating action to psychological intrigue, devastating drama, and inspirational coming-of-age tales, these 10 anime that audiences can binge on in one weekend represent the best anime has to offer.

So gather some snacks, get comfortable on the couch, and prepare for a whirlwind anime weekend fans won't soon forget with these spectacular, binge-worthy series.