There's endless innovation going on in the anime industry and there have never been more options to explore for both hardcore animation fans and complete newcomers. Anime is a medium that frequently deals in extremes, which has led to some critically-heralded series that run for hundreds of episodes where there's still no end in sight, as well as other vehicles that can tell an entire story in a dozen episodes.
A strong ending is paramount for any story, regardless of its length. Some short anime series pride themselves in ending while they're still on top, but there are also plenty of unique anime worlds where audiences would love to return.
10 Space Dandy Only Scratches The Surface Of Its Evergreen Brilliance
Space Dandy consists of two 13-episode seasons that get quite close to perfection. The unpredictable sci-fi series gleefully hops to new planets, many of which function as opportunities to engage in radical genre and stylistic exercises. Space Dandy crafts together a satisfying conclusion, but there's still an infinite amount of possibilities that exist for the series due to its fascination with the multiverse.
Dandy and his crew could return for more adventures and they wouldn't miss a beat. Adult Swim's Toonami anime programming block has just announced fourth and fifth installments for FLCL, but a third season of Space Dandy would be an even more celebrated return.
9 Death Parade Unpacks The Human Condition Through An Eerie Anthology Structure
Death is a universal topic that fascinates everyone on some level. Death Parade is a sophisticated series that juxtaposes fallen souls with typically innocuous recreational games like billiards and darts.
Death Parade slowly unveils a larger story that involves its humble bartender, Decim, but it's the unique examinations of humanity that each of the series' put-upon participants engages in that's Death Parade's greatest strength. The anime series condenses its unconventional challenges and harrowing character studies into a dozen episodes, but there's such infinite potential to its premise that it's easy to picture the anthology-esque series lasting for hundreds of episodes.
8 Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Is A Passionate Love Letter To The Creative Process
Part of what makes anime such a versatile medium is that some series are allowed to tell small-scale and niche stories. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is a 2020 anime series that explores a trio of girls' passion for art and their desire to express themselves through an ambitious anime production.
Eizouken! has a gorgeous aesthetic and it triumphs with its humble look at the creative process and the amount of work that's required. The anime completes its mission in 12 episodes, but it'd be so much fun to return to these characters and see what they decide to tackle next with their talent.
7 Kakegurui Celebrates High Stakes Gambling Through Endless Excess
Anime has a tremendous capacity to depict relatively mundane acts in hyperbolized fashions so that they carry as much weight as a superpowered physical battle. Kakegurui is set at the prestigious Hyakkaou Private Academy, which reveals itself to have a highly regimented caste system that the school's Student Council governs.
Students wager their extravagant wealth and reputation on games of chance and the academy's seemingly oblivious newcomer, Yumeko Jabami, totally upends the status quo. Kakegurui has two 12-episode seasons, but there are so many more games of chance that these characters could engage in through more episodes.
6 Nana Is Delicate Slice Of Life Storytelling That Deserves Closure
Ai Yazawa's Nana should be mandatory viewing for anyone who is in their twenties, but the authentic, flawed characters feel real enough to resonate with any audience. The emotional josei series looks at two different friends named Nana who follow their creative, professional, and romantic dreams while they also navigate the messy nature of early adulthood.
Nana has 47 episodes, which is more than a lot of other series receive, but the property is without an ending. Audiences are eager to see what Nana Osaki and Nana Komatsu are up to, whether it's right after the anime's last episode or a story that's set a decade or more later.
5 Gurren Lagann's Rich Visuals And Creative Powers Haven't Worn Out Their Welcomes
The mecha genre is one of anime's most abundant areas of storytelling. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is a creative riff on mecha anime that turns two teenagers into humanity's greatest hope to emerge from their subterranean fates. The anime's story is emotional, but the animation from Gainax is truly a sight to behold.
Gurren Lagann connects all of its dots, but the anime has a highly contentious finale that some audiences still aren't over. Another season of Gurren Lagann wouldn't have to necessarily undo this conclusion, but it could provide greater context for it or decide to explore a totally different aspect of the rich Gurren Lagann universe.
4 Outlaw Star Is Set In A Thrilling Space World That Hasn't Been Tapped Dry
Gene Starwind and his unconventional team of space pirates make sure that Outlaw Star is always entertaining. The unkempt bounty hunter angle has even become more popular through mainstream properties like The Guardians of the Galaxy.
To some, it might seem sacrilegious to produce more episodes of foundational science fiction anime like Cowboy Bebop or Neon Genesis Evangelion, but Outlaw Star is the perfect compromise. It has a committed audience and a rich universe, but not an austere reputation that puts it beyond improvements. There's a lot more that can be said with these characters.
3 Claymore's Vicious World & Fearless Heroines Deserve A Larger Spotlight
Claymore is an aggressive mix of dark fantasy, action, and horror that pits powerful female warriors against pure nightmare fuel. The 26th and final episode does provide closure to Clare and her warrior allies, but it's a greatly rushed resolution.
A return to the world of Claymore that takes a more methodical approach to its action and doesn't stray as much from the source material, much like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in comparison to Fullmetal Alchemist, would appease old fans and also bring in a new audience. Claymore's monsters and the women that fight them have too much potential to be limited to such a short story.
2 Trigun's Legendary Hero Still Has More Evil To Vanquish
The action anime Trigun has become somewhat more obscure in recent years, but it was a standout title from the 1990s, along with its powerful protagonist, Vash the Stampede. Trigun pits Vash against increasingly heightened mercenaries and there's a dark, reflective tone that consumes Vash's lackadaisical demeanor.
The 26 episodes of Trigun that exist certainly get the job done, but the anime leaves a lot of the manga unexplored and the success of the follow-up movie, Badlands Rumble, proves that there's still a demand for this world. Now is the perfect time to bring back the six-billion double-dollar man.
1 Excel Saga Has A Whole New Decade Of Anime Staples To Lampoon
There are few anime series that deliver such overwhelming madness at the delirious velocity of Excel Saga. The 26-episode gag series from the early 2000s deals with a simple mission of city-wide domination, but every installment dresses itself up as a pitch-perfect genre parody that's filled with comedy.
Excel Saga covers most of the obvious bases and ends its run on the highest note possible. However, anime has grown so much in the decades following Excel Saga's finish that a new season would have a lot of fresh territory to mock.