10 Great Anime You Can Binge Faster Than 1 One Piece Arc
While One Piece remains one of the very best shonen stories ever told, the sheer length of this title is a major issue for many consumers. Even a single story arc after the anime’s time skip is a bigger time investment than most anime fans are ready for, such as the notorious Dressrosa and Wano Arcs. Each of them spanned well over 100 episodes, with Wano being closer to 200 episodes. This is simply not an efficient way to scratch the itch for shonen anime action.
There are a few solutions here: watch the One Pace online project to trim the fat, read the original One Piece manga, or watch a variety of other excellent anime titles in less time than it would take to finish these epic One Piece arcs. It took over 100 episodes for Luffy to confront and defeat Donquixote Doflamingo, but it will take less than half as many episodes for equally awesome stories to unfold in other anime. Any of them are a fine binge for a weekend or a couple of weeks, and they don’t call for a One Pace project to get the job done.
Jujutsu Kaisen Packs a Lot of Horror, Comedy, & Action Into Two Seasons
Jujutsu Kaisen has earned its reputation as a must-watch new shonen anime for all lovers of action-oriented anime and shonen anime as a whole. It’s also one of many examples of how efficiently paced today’s anime tend to be, making One Piece show its age more than ever. One Piece may have bigger and deeper lore and worldbuilding, but all of that is lost if the anime feels like an endless slog to watch.
Anime like Jujutsu Kaisen deliver the goods right away, and never let up. Jujutsu Kaisen leaps right into the action, treating viewers to a powerful blend of supernatural horror elements, some commentary about systemic sexism, the pain of bullying, and the darker side of human nature. All of this is finely balanced with thrilling moments of triumph in battle and some truly great comedy with Yuji Itadori and Satoru Gojo.
Demon Slayer Looks Great & Features Smooth Power Scaling
Demon Slayer is another of many stellar new anime that manage to tell more story in under 50 episodes than One Piece can. One Piece may have much more lore than Demon Slayer does, but the delivery of that lore is bloated and inefficient, with each episode accomplishing remarkably little. Demon Slayer may be formulaic, but at least it’s highly concentrated goodness.
Demon Slayer is a fantastic pick for an action-oriented binge, doubly so now that the Infinity Castle Arc has begun with the recent Demon Slayer movie. This anime is short yet powerful, telling an emotionally charged story of kindness, compassion, overcoming trauma, and fighting true evil in under 50 episodes. Each arc is memorable and features exciting moments, which are all more densely packed than anything seen in One Piece.
Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Is the Stunning Final Saga of Tite Kubo’s Manga
The original Bleach anime doesn’t compare that well to One Piece on any level, since the original Bleach had weaker lore and worldbuilding and less of an epic feel. Bleach also couldn’t easily beat One Piece in terms of pacing and binge-worthiness, since Bleach had some watered-down episodes and more than a little filler. None of this applies to the glorious new Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War anime.
This new Bleach anime is a potent, highly concentrated experience of what fans loved about the Bleach franchise from the start. It expands the exciting combat system with new bankai and Quincy powers, all while taking fans on an incredible ride with its rapid, hard-hitting plot twists. In under 40 episodes, the new Bleach anime delivered more twists and turns than any saga in One Piece, and with much stronger pacing, too.
Fire Force Treats Fans to Shocking Conspiracies & a Fun Flame-Based Combat System
Fire Force‘s anime might remind anime viewers of One Piece on a few levels, such as these titles’ shared blend of intense action and goofy humor to maintain that classic shonen spirit. Both anime also take place in a cool alternate world that invites all kinds of carefree exploration, only for dark and sinister conspiracies and inequality to kick the plot into high gear.
Fire Force has a stronger plot than its constant fan service, generic protagonist, and simple combat system would suggest. Fire Force feels routine for the most part, but it still delivers with its increasingly gripping plot and cool unsolved mysteries, such as the exact nature of the Evangelist and the question of what Sho Kusakabe, the redeemed villain, will do next.
With no real action or power scaling to speak of, Death Note is a shonen anime where the plot and themes mean everything, and that makes the anime feel longer than it is for all the right reasons. Death Note‘s story is part crime thriller, part philosophy lesson, and part tragedy as Light Yagami begins his rampage as Kira, and the anime hardly wastes a moment. Each scene is vital in the hunt for Kira or the exploration of Light’s increasing darkness.
The entire anime is a lean and mean 37 episodes, enough time to properly chronicle Light’s descent into villainy and reach a satisfying end to his battles of wits with L, Mello, and Near, one at a time. Death Note is also just long enough to give fans ample time to make up their own minds on what justice means and whether Light was a savior gone wrong or just a monster all along.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Is the Serious High Fantasy Anime Fans Have Been Waiting For
There may be some fantasy elements in One Piece, such as the Devil Fruit combat system and exotic islands like Wano or Fish-Man Island, but fans of The Lord of the Rings or Dungeons & Dragons have a stronger option for scratching that fantasy itch. Isekai anime can deliver on that front, such as Tensura, but not everyone wants isekai to watch isekai anime to get a proper fantasy experience.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is precisely what fantasy fans needed, seeing how many fantasy stories are either comedy, subversive, or isekai. Frieren is a leisurely anime that doesn’t focus too much on a serious plot or stakes, but it’s still efficiently written so it doesn’t drag. Just because Frieren and her new friends are wandering the fantasy realm at their leisure doesn’t mean the Frieren anime will waste any time — and it doesn’t. Each episode has cool worldbuilding, intimate character moments, and/or exciting action to offer.
Dandadan Expertly Blends Many Genres Into One Zany Adventure
Dandadan just might be one of the most efficiently designed anime to appear in some time, and not just because this anime is much better paced than any One Piece arc. Each short arc in Dandadan packs all kinds of great content into just a few episodes with great pacing. What’s even more impressive is how Dandadan juggles so many genres while doing all this.
One Piece does well to blend pirates with typical action, while Dandadan is even busier with its winning blend of science fiction, the supernatural, slice-of-life comedy, and even some romance. All this may feel a little subversive or off-putting at first, but Dandadan juggles its many elements with surprising grace and earnestness, giving this anime a vivid, deep personality in under 25 episodes’ time.
Vinland Saga Can Change Someone’s Life in Just Two Seasons
Seinen action anime like Vinland Saga can handily compete with any given saga in One Piece, fitting even more character development and philosophy into the story than the likes of the Dressrosa or Wano Arcs. Vinland Saga is a deconstruction of violence and warfare, teaching both Thorfinn and viewers a hard lesson about the emptiness of fighting and the deep virtues of building something better in peace.
One Piece isn’t wrong to suggest that Luffy and his crewmates should use force to defeat villains like Kaido and Enel, but then again, such a narrative can only be so deep. In real life, fighting rarely solves anything, and Thorfinn knows that better than anyone. He has mastered himself after conquering his inner demons and resolving to build something better for humanity, and that’s bound to get viewers thinking. And it only took about 48 episodes for Vinland Saga to fully explore these life-changing ideas on the small screen.
Berserk’s 1997 Anime Is a Breathtaking Saga of Warfare, Love, Hope, & Trauma
Berserk is another legendary seinen series that has so much to say about humanity’s good and dark sides, from Guts’ antihero nature and Griffith’s ambitions to the healing power of trust, love, and friendship. The manga is the best way to absorb these stellar lessons, but the 1997 Berserk anime does a decent job of it, too. This late ’90s anime is easy to binge on a weekend and will no doubt leave fans dying to see more in the pages of Kentaro Miura’s masterwork.
Berserk‘s 1997 anime charts the rise and fall of not just the Band of the Hawk, but also the three main characters, whose lives are forever changed. This lean, mean story will challenge viewers to rethink how rivalries, both romantic and professional, may change someone’s life. If someone isn’t careful, they may end up hurting someone else because of their lofty ambitions — or suffer because someone close to them did the same.
Kaiju No. 8 Is a Fun & Fresh Take on the Giant Monster Genre
Kaiju No. 8 clearly has no illusions about trying to beat One Piece at its own game in terms of a deep combat system and expansive lore. Instead, Kaiju No. 8 gets a lot of work done by exploring the idea of a full-grown adult seizing their last chance to realize their dreams. More than enough shonen anime are about fresh-faced teens achieving greatness at their first opportunity, but these anime don’t tackle the idea of second or third chances.
Kaiju No. 8 shines in that regard, with Kafka Hibino fighting off his own impatience and insecurities as he tries again and again to realize his dream at age 32, much older than most new Defense Force soldiers typically are. On top of that, Kaiju No. 8 does a fine job showing what a burden it is to be a half-other like Kafka, all while the story gets moving with the terror of Kaiju No. 9. It took under 30 episodes for Kaiju No. 8 to reach this point, and anyone who binges it can’t wait for more.
