Episodic anime suggestions

Jongriffin · Post by **Jongriffin** » 09 Jun 2021, 01:53

I love a good serial as much as the next person. However, sometimes trying to keep up with Dragonball, Attack on Titan, and One Piece, just to name a few, can be so tiring. Sometimes it's nice to find an anime that you can just jump right into and not worry about following hours and hours, or years, of a plot. What are some good episodic anime that you enjoy? Here are some of mine.

Ranma 1/2: With my avatar, it's no surprise I would recommend this series. The first season is the most serial of the season. Later seasons have some episodes that are two to three to four parters, but for the most part, the series is standalone. The first episode I ever saw of Ranma 1/2 was the one in which Ukyo was introduced. The narrator giving a brief synopsis of Ranma's predicament, making it was so easy to jump into the episode and to understand what was going on. Also, the characters remain fairly consistent throughout the series, with very little development. The strength of Ranma 1/2 is its humor and awkward situations, from a boy that transforms into a girl, to a deadbeat dad who turns into a panda, and characters that turn into other animals, it's full of ludicrous scenarios. For someone who just wants to jump into a series and have a good laugh, Ranma 1/2 is a great option, as it's hilarious; especially the first four seasons and the OAV series.

Space Dandy: Speaking of comedy, Space Dandy is a blast. I almost see it like the Futurama of anime, though that's not the most accurate description as the series is very much its own thing. Aside from the last two episodes which connect, the rest of the series can be watched in any order, jumping in whenever the viewer wants. Dandy and the crew may even die in one episode, only to return another episode, something the last episode explains as to how and why. It's a great series that parodies science fiction, makes fun of musicals, mocks fan service, and skewers pop culture. It's just a joy. And it's beautifully animated.

Lupin III: One of the longest-running anime series, it's about a thief (a descendent of the literary French Lupin by Mauric Leblanc) and his comrades and the heists they pull in their pursuit of treasures. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the series. But some of the movies and OAVs such as The Castle Of Cagliostro, The Fuma Conspiracy, Dead or Alive, and Tokyo Crises are a lot of fun, constituting the perfect popcorn flicks.

Patlabor TV series: I haven't seen the OAV series, but the original TV series, at least the episodes I watched, were stand alones, from what I remember. It's been a long time since I've watched them, so if I'm wrong on this, please correct me. Unlike the others I've listed, which are comedies, Patlabor is more of a subdued slice of life science fiction series about law enforcement using mechas in a futuristic Tokyo.

What are some stand-alone anime series that you like?

Vivix · Post by **Vivix** » 09 Jun 2021, 08:34

Cowboy Bebop
Samurai Champloo

Keilonrich22 · Post by **Keilonrich22** » 09 Jun 2021, 08:52

Ninja scroll
Afro samurai

Momogari · Post by **Momogari** » 09 Jun 2021, 10:55

I like episodic less than serial.

But Mushishi is great.

Post by **Expendable** » 09 Jun 2021, 12:20

I agree with Vivix on Cowboy Bebop - definitely episodic.

Others I've enjoyed:

Ouran High School Host Club
Victoria Evergarden
Hell Girl
Gunslinger Girl
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Haibane Renmei
Xxxholic
Angel Beats
Ghost in the Shell
The Devil is a Part-Timer
That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime

melanch0lic · Post by **melanch0lic** » 09 Jun 2021, 15:26

The Slayers (NEXT in particular),
Angel Beats,
Gurren Lagaan &
Kill La Kill,

i will update this list when i have the free time! :3

Nishizono Shinji · Post by **Nishizono Shinji** » 09 Jun 2021, 18:38

Ancient Magus Bride is a good one

Momogari · Post by **Momogari** » 09 Jun 2021, 23:38

That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime
Gurren Lagaan
Neon Genesis Evangelion

I have a hard time seeing these as episodic. Tensura I rewatched recently too, so I definitely disagree. I think slime diaries is the episodic side story counterpart to it but I haven't seen it. The others, I guess it's been a while and I just remember them as almost completely serial stories. Is that wrong?

Ranma 1/2 is a great episodic series though for sure. That's my #1 seconding here.

Nishizono Shinji · Post by **Nishizono Shinji** » 10 Jun 2021, 09:43

Japan Sinks is also a really good watch.

Jongriffin · Post by **Jongriffin** » 10 Jun 2021, 19:40

Nishizono Shinji wrote: ↑
10 Jun 2021, 09:43
Japan Sinks is also a really good watch.

I've been meaning to check out Japan Sinks. Nonetheless, I don't think that series is episodic. It looks more like a serial in which you have to watch all the episodes to know what's going on and that there is one long overarching continuation. Am I mistaken?

Nishizono Shinji · Post by **Nishizono Shinji** » 10 Jun 2021, 22:03

Jongriffin wrote: ↑
10 Jun 2021, 19:40

Nishizono Shinji wrote: ↑
10 Jun 2021, 09:43
Japan Sinks is also a really good watch.

I've been meaning to check out Japan Sinks. Nonetheless, I don't think that series is episodic. It looks more like a serial in which you have to watch all the episodes to know what's going on and that there is one long overarching continuation. Am I mistaken?

Yea you're right.

Cells at Work is definitely episodic though!

Post by **Expendable** » 12 Jun 2021, 02:23

Japan Sinks progresses day by day - there are small gaps, it still keeps tight to a timeline. It's serial.

NGE also has a timeline, but the gaps are massive. Most of the show's major arcs are centered around the Angel attacks, and there are large gaps in between those arcs, with very little attention on what happens in between.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime has a loose timeline but too has massive gaps between the story arcs. The goblin village basically uses those gaps to grow ever larger, but we're not watching as each building is built.

Keilonrich22 · Post by **Keilonrich22** » 13 Jun 2021, 13:42

Jormangand think it's how it spelled

Momogari · Post by **Momogari** » 13 Jun 2021, 15:33

Keilonrich22 wrote: ↑
13 Jun 2021, 13:42
Jormangand think it's how it spelled

That's episodic? Hm, I'm less interested in it now.

Aimee2109 · Post by **Aimee2109** » 18 Jun 2021, 01:59

I'm not sure if it properly counts since later on it has a lot of plot driven arcs but Gintama is a good anime to watch steadily since it's a comedy and the many episodes in between arcs are episodic but still really fun.
it's got a balanced split of episodic episodes and serious arcs, if you want both