We’ve all got favorite bite-sized series you can watch in a single evening. Let’s say you have an entire weekend (or more!) to fill with whatever entertainment you want. Here is a list of some of the best super series (26+ episodes) that are currently available on Crunchyroll for all your binging needs.
Space Brothers
Why yes, I am finding a new excuse to talk about one of my all-time favorite series. In this 99-episode series that ran from 2012 to 2014, the main character is a down-on-his-luck man named Mutta. As children, he and his younger brother promised each other to go into space together, but only his brother, Hibito, followed through on it. After Mutta loses his job, Hibito and his mother conspire behind his back to change his life by submitting his resume to JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
Filled with both laughs and gut-punching drama, Space Brothers is a consistently overlooked dramedy. In reality, this series is one of the closest “sure bets” you can find in the history of anime. With very little objectionable content, even the “adult” jokes are tame enough to show to younger audiences.
Chihayafuru
I wanted badly to make sure I did not completely dominate this list with shonen series, which is why Chihayafuru is making such an early entrance. Spanning 75 episodes (so far), Chihayafuru will cast a spell on you within the first five episodes when we first meet our three main characters in grade school; Chihaya, Taichi, and Wataru. After we firmly establish why these three love karuta so much, the story is off to the races as they all pursue their individual dreams to become the best in the world at this poetry game.
Chihayafuru is the josei (a genre aimed at adult women) that dares to be different. While you have the calculating excitement and inner monologues, you associate with the best sports anime; you also have the painful love entanglements as each character falls in love with our oblivious heroine.
March Comes In Like a Lion
Going from poetry to chess, this 44-episode heavyweight will take you on a tour de force of emotional trauma. In this deep drama about life, love, and everything in between, we meet teenage professional shogi player Rei. Introverted to almost everyone, Rei lives a quiet life alone. His only real friends are a trio of sisters who he helps take care of and help take care of him. Over the course of the series, the audience will see the maturation of Rei as he learns how to interact with people in both personal and professional contexts.
March Comes In Like a Lion deals with some heavy topics, including bullying, sexual assault, and professional jealousy. None of these are easy topics to deal with and this series does not shy away from any of them. This is a series that will stick with you for months after you watch it.
Monogatari
To call Monogatari just a supernatural harem series with striking visuals is discounting it quite strongly. Starting with Bakemonogatari, this franchise absolutely captivated those in the know when the series was first released in 2009. Despite the series being incomplete at the time of its release, that seemed to only add to the mystique behind it.
The Monogatari series will test your mental limits as it bends reality. Each season of the franchise takes place at a different point around a Golden Week holiday (a string of holidays in Japan leading to a week off in the spring). It begins with Koyomi meeting a girl named Hitagi who has been cursed by a crab and made to be almost weightless. Taking her to the man who cured Koyomi after he got bitten by a vampire, Hitagi is cured of her curse which leads to the pair becoming a couple. From here, Koyomi continues to run into other girls afflicted by various curses including his best friend, all of whom need to be saved.
My Hero Academia
Just as I felt it important to not let this list be dominated by shonen series, it would have been equally unwise to exclude them altogether. What’s the happy medium though? Which long-running shonen series best encapsulates the genre and provides the best bang for its buck? For me, the answer is simple; My Hero Academia.
Currently sitting pretty at 138 episodes spanning six seasons (and if you’re feeling really adventurous, there are a couple of movies you can sprinkle in for variety), My Hero Academia established itself early as a series to watch and has not disappointed fans ever since.
In a world where most people have some kind of genetic mutation or “quirk”, our main character is Izuku Midoriya who, despite being a superhero fanboy, is quirkless. At least until he runs into the mightiest of heroes, All Might, and becomes his successor. Unfortunately, this world is also filled with supervillains who want to sow seeds of distrust and violence within the population.
Sword Art Online
A little over 10 years ago, Sword Art Online took the world by storm and for good reason! With an ever-evolving story, Sword Art Online starts strong with the Aincrad arc in which the main character, Kirito, is trapped inside a “full dive” virtual reality video game where if you die in the game, you die in real life.
What makes Sword Art Online so interesting is how often it changes things up. Within the first 25-episode season, we are treated to two major story arcs while the second season has over three. If that’s not enough, there’s already a third season that spans a full 52 episodes by itself! Sword Art Online isn’t perfect by any stretch and for a while, it was a beacon of controversy. Regardless, if you’ve never indulged in this fantasy adventure, get yourself comfortable.
RailDex
If you really want to challenge yourself by getting into an entirely alternative universe, you should dive into A Certain Magical Index and its sister series, A Certain Scientific Railgun. Collectively known as RailDex, this combined universe is filled with larger-than-life characters and deep, dark conspiracies around every single corner. With both series already boasting multiple seasons, there are literally dozens upon dozens of episodes to dive into!
The brilliant thing about the RailDex collective universe is that every character has their own story and role to play within the city the series takes place. No one is wasted in this city and everyone has something important to do. Sometimes you have to wait a while to find out what exactly their role is, but the payoff is always worth it.
Food Wars
Another shonen series, but a shonen series unlike any other. While the fan service in Food Wars might turn off some, the cooking techniques and straight-up food porn featured within each episode should be enough to bring people back in.
In this series, the main character, Souma, works in a diner with his father. One day, his father tells him he’s going on a tour of the world, but in the meantime, Souma is to improve his skills at a private culinary institute. Once he gets into the school, Souma faces extreme ridicule and scorn for his humble beginnings and brash attitude, but gradually his skills earn him the respect of his peers as he continuously puts his cooking skills to the test in battles known as Shokugeki.
With five seasons to work through, be sure you have some snacks handy while watching this one lest you be caught with an angry stomach.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
The little isekai that just keeps on giving! Starting in 2018, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime is now up to 48 episodes (not including the 12-episode Slime Diaries spinoff) along with a movie. If you haven’t started on this one yet, you should give it a shot before the third season starts in spring 2024.
After being stabbed randomly in the streets one day, an office worker wakes up in another world reincarnated as a simple slime. Blessed with the ability to learn and adapt, however, this slime (who eventually takes on the name Rimuru) eventually becomes the leader of his own city filled with monsters from all walks of life. Unfortunately, once the humans of the world catch wind of a new economic rival, trouble brews within the country.
Polar Bear Cafe
Closing out this list with something completely out of left field is this charming all-ages comedy which ran for more than 50 episodes. In this series, the title says it all. We have a polar bear who runs a cafe and serves both humans and animals who are living their daily lives. Plus, there are puns. Lots and lots of puns and honestly, that’s like catnip to a wordsmith. Polar Bear Cafe is another hidden gem and could easily be considered among the best series on Crunchyroll that no one knows about.
