Kara Dennison
December 26, 2024 
‘Twas the day after Christmas, and if you’re anything like us, you don’t want to do anything today. Ideally, even your binge-watching should be laid-back. And we can help! To help you achieve optimal relaxation today, we’ve compiled a list of short, sweet, low-stakes anime. They’re perfect for Boxing Day, or any day you want to take it super easy. Where will you start?
Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time
How chill are we being this Boxing Day? This is the highest-stakes title on our watchlist! Tonari no Seki-kun: The Master of Killing Time premiered in 2014 and consists of 21 seven-minute episodes. The majority of the series takes place in the back of a classroom and stars student Rumi Yokoi. She’s just trying to focus on class, but she’s sitting next to Toshinari Seki. He’s always up to something in class. And it’s always elaborate.
Whether he’s building dioramas, inventing games, or playing out a robot slice-of-life story, Seki is very distracting. Yokoi can’t help but get invested in his antics, and neither can we. It’s a great short watch where the worst outcome is getting noticed by the teacher. And you can finish it in the time it takes to watch a long-ish movie!
Pui Pui Molcar
One of two stop-motion titles on our list, Pui Pui Molcar brings a major dose of cuteness to your Boxing Day activities. The brainchild of Tomoki Misato, this short series popped off in 2021, becoming a global phenomenon. It’s even got a CG-animated movie now, with a sequel already in the works.
The series takes place in a world populated by humans who drive “molcars”: guinea pig/car hybrids that are, somehow, alive. While the humans do have a small role in the series, the molcars are the stars. They look after their owners, go on adventures, and party as only guinea pigs can: with plenty of fresh carrots.
Pokémon Concierge
Even if you’re spending Boxing Day at home, you can take a virtual vacation thanks to Pokémon Concierge! Another stop-motion series, this super-short anime takes place at a resort where Pokémon are the guests of honor. Haru, the new concierge, is in charge of helping them relax. But the more ‘mons she works with, the more she learns about herself, too!
This series has a definite healing vibe, but that’s not all. It also has lots of great Pokémon designs, in addition to telling stories that might not have a place in more battle-centric games and series. Plus, we just love seeing Psyduck finally get a chance to relax.
Hungry for more anime? Give these delicious series a try!
