Let me just start off by saying that the two most popular anime of 2019 can both be watched in one weekend with commitment. Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia both have about 60 episodes. With each episode being an average of 22 minutes, you could watch them in two days if you didn’t do anything else. However, we want to be realistic. The following anime can be watched on almost any given weekend, regardless of prior commitments.
Cowboy Bebop – 26 Episodes
1998-2001
This will be most people’s choice simply because it is an original anime. Airing in the late ‘90s, Cowboy Bebop set the bar for futuristic anime. With lovable characters and a mature atmosphere, this anime will make you feel like a legend. “You know the first rule in combat? shoot them before they shoot you.”
Available on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon
One Punch Man – 23 Episodes + 7 OVA
2015
One Punch Man was one of the quickest rising anime of all time. The manga itself received 7.9 million hits when it was released in 2012, causing producers to quickly start anime production. Fans have a hard time deciding whether the show was meant to be a gag or to create someone more powerful than Goku. Either way it is more than enjoyable, and also makes you want to live a healthy lifestyle. One hundred pushups a day!
Available on Hulu, VIZ
No Game No Life – 12 Episodes
2014
No Game No Life is every gamer’s dream. With only 12 episodes, you’ll be lucky to make this anime last more than a day. So, you may also want to add No Game No Life: Zero, the anime original movie to your watchlist as well. It may be short, but it packs a powerful punch that you won’t soon forget.
Available on: Hulu, Crunchyroll
Erased – 12 Episodes
2016
This anime is short, sweet, and everything you need to feel this weekend. There are dozens of movies about life-changing time travel. From Déjà Vu to The Butterfly Effect. But this anime competes with them all! In 2016, there was even a live-action film made called Boku Dake ga Inai Machi. The movie received decent ratings for a movie of its kind.
Available on Crunchyroll
Violet Evergarden – 13 Episodes + OVA
2018
Violet Evergarden is a sweet coming-of-age anime surrounding a man’s blind wife and her ghostwriters. The series is about finding yourself, your meaning, and recovering from war as a soldier. Definitely one that everyone needs to watch this summer.
Available on Netflix
Elfen Lied – 13 Episodes
2005
Elfen Lied is known for being graphic in every way imaginable. Though I don’t recommend watching it around children, it is one to watch before you die. Lucy (the main character) quickly became one of the most notorious anime characters of all time. To find out why, you just have to watch it!
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
Angel Beats – 13 Episodes
2010
What happens after we die? Many movies, anime, and tv shows have tried to answer this question. Not many of them come up with a plot as amazing as Angel Beats. In this anime, when the main character dies (not a spoiler) he is sent to a high school in limbo made up of regular teenagers…or so it would seem.
Watch on Crunchyroll
Kids on the Slope – 12 Episodes
2012
This beautiful anime many bring tears to your eyes and it many give you a new appreciate for Jazz. A rather hidden gem, Kids on the Slope is a coming-of-age anime that takes place in the ‘60s, giving it a down-to-earth feel. Say goodbye to high school clichés, these kids will steal your heart within the first two episodes.
Watch on Crunchyroll
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World – 25 Episodes
2016 – Present
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World is the only entry in our list that is 100% ongoing. With 25 episodes to date, it will only take you a weekend to catch up before the next season arrives! The series follows a boy who wakes up in what seems to be a virtual world. Is it a video game? A dream? Heaven or hell? That’s the question that is asked from episode 1.
Watch on Crunchyroll
Fate Series – 24 and 25 Episodes
2006 – 2012
The first Fate series is called Fate/stay night and it is 24 episodes long. The second series is called Fate/Zero and it is 25 episodes long. This is the perfect anime to watch on the weekend for a couple of reasons. The first one is: it is spectacular. The second: you can choose whether you watch one series or both! While Fate/Zero was made after the other, it takes places before. Much like the Star Wars or Hobbit movies. So what are you waiting for? Don’t waste another weekend! Choose one or two of these anime and get started!
Watch on Netflix, Hulu
