Kara Dennison
February 10, 2023 
We may be past the longest, coldest nights of winter, but it’s still a ways ’til spring. We’re finding ourselves craving some cute anime to lift our spirits in the meantime. Fortunately for us, there’s plenty this season. So when we’re in the mood for something a little less heavy, we can take a breather with something sweet and friendly.
Best of all? Many of these shows are just a few minutes per episode! So we can use them as a weekly pick-me-up in between heavier tasks, or to brighten a gloomy day. Why not throw these three in your queue:
Nijiyon
Love Live! is already, by its very nature, a pretty cute anime. But we can always go cuter. And that’s definitely the case with Nijiyon, an expansion of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club storyline. In these bite-sized episodes, audience association character Yu Takasaki hopes to capture some more candid moments featuring the local idols.
Each episode feels like a 4-panel gag comic, with conversation about everything from horror movies to which idol is the cutest. We also love the adorable ending animation, featuring Yu engaging with each of her cool idol friends!
Lee’s Detective Agency: A Day in Lungmen
Despite its adorable animal girls, the Arknights adaptation wasn’t really a “cute anime” by our standards. Cute character designs? Sure. But also death and destruction. However, the mobile game did inspire a second anime: Lee’s Detective Agency: A Day in Lungmen.
The series focuses on in-game characters Lee, Aak, Waai Fu, and Hung. Together, they solve crime… but that’s not (completely) what the show is about. While you’ll see a bit of their professional work, there’s a lot of silliness to be enjoyed, too.
Oh, Suddenly Egyptian God
The cutest of the cute anime has returned for a second season! Oh, Suddenly Egyptian God takes the deities of ancient Egypt and makes them… well, cute. Based on popular character designs by artist yuka, the 5-minute episodes follow Anubis, Thoth, Bastet, and many more through their day. So what do Egyptian gods do? Order pizza, use social media, make pottery, fight with each other… all of it adorably.
There’s also plenty of this to go around. Catching up to the first season is relatively easy work since the episodes are so short. Then, you can catch new tiny deity adventures every week!
Need more good-mood shows? Get to know these anime couples.
