There is a certain allure to anime that tells its tale in a single season, even in a medium where lengthy series frequently take center stage. Despite their brief running times, these programs are able to hold viewers’ attention with gripping stories, endearing characters, and powerful concepts. Whatever the cause of the brief existence, several of these anime only lasted one season but were nevertheless well-liked by viewers. Today, let’s examine five of those.

5 anime with just one season

Cowboy Bebop – Crunchyroll

Sunrise produced and animated it under the direction of a production team known as Hajime Yatate, which consists of director Shinichirō Watanabe, scriptwriter Keiko Nobumoto, character designer Toshihiro Kawamoto, mechanical designer Kimitoshi Yamane, and composer Yoko Kanno. The 26-episode series, which is set in 2071, centers on the life of a roaming bounty-hunting crew on board the Bebop starship.

Death Parade – Crunchyroll

Death Parade is a psychological thriller anime series produced by Madhouse and written, directed, and produced by Yuzuru Tachikawa in Japan. In Death Parade, Decim, an enigmatic bartender and arbitrator at the Quindecim bar where people who pass away simultaneously are sent to decide their fate, is the protagonist.

Hellsing Ultimate – Crunchyroll

I’m still pissed off for how Walter was turned evil in Hellsing Ultimate pic.twitter.com/rQDbIUO0cZ

— Chilly Aintit (@HenryHarper523) April 23, 2025

Since its premiere in early 2006, Hellsing Ultimate has been one of the greatest vampire anime to ever appear on television. Ten episodes, each lasting at least forty minutes, comprised Hellsing Ultimate’s 2014 finale. These episodes told a gruesome and captivatingly sinister tale of humanity and what it really means to be a monster.

Parasyte: The Maxim – Crunchyroll

I love Parasyte The Maxim but I don’t know anyone else who has seen this magnificent series. pic.twitter.com/s62x3MkkA2

— Fables Folly (@FablesFolly) March 25, 2025

In 2014 and 2015, Japan released two live-action adaptations of the manga. Madhouse’s adaptation of the anime television series, Parasyte-the maxim, ran in Japan from October 2014 to March 2015. The series centers on Shinichi Izumi, a senior in high school, who is the target of a parasitic organism’s unsuccessful attempt to take over his brain.

Samurai Champloo – Crunchyroll

The Japanese historical adventure anime Samurai Champloo was released in 2004. Hip hop and other anachronistic cultural allusions are mixed with traditional aspects in the series’ fictitious depiction of Edo era Japan. The show chronicles the adventures of Ronin Jin, a vagabond outlaw, and tea waitress Fuu.

These one-season anime gems deserve a spot on your watchlist, so what are you waiting for? Start streaming them today!

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