Okay, I know I’m not the first 20-something to indulge in anime shorts, with the YouTubers going ham with all those effects. What can I say, it’s a guilty pleasure! Like, yes, I am absolutely too old to be watching Gojo Satoru thirst traps on ye olde YouTube, of all places. Maybe you can take the girl out of the AMV (Anime Music Video) scene, but you can’t take the AMV spirit out of a degenerate weeb like yours truly. 

Although honestly, I mean all of this with the utmost affection. Growing up, I’ve realized that anime shorts youtubers are simply the next generation of AMV creators, only working with a shorter format. And it’s fascinating to see how things have evolved since the days of Windows Movie Maker overlaid with the most emo songs you can imagine. I mean, AMVs still exist, and they are amazing. But Anime Shorts YouTubers have definitely overtaken the anime landscape. And for good reason! 

Look, I’m all for long form videos that are thoughtfully curated. I actually got back into the AMV scene quite recently, so I know how hardcore they’ve become. But I also know that this is the era of TikTok, where short form videos shot in vertical form are just more favorable to the algorithm. And hey, not all of us have the bandwidth for cinematic pieces. Sometimes, a funny little meme video about my favorite anime is enough to brighten my day. Or even small breakdowns of information I might’ve missed initially. 

In any case, I wanted to do a comprehensive list of some of the top anime shorts YouTubers that I could find. But I didn’t want content where it was anime YouTubers usually making their shorts out of scenes from their podcasts or videos. And like, that was actually sort of hard to compile! Nevertheless, here are some of my top picks for anime shorts YouTubers that you can doom scroll to your heart’s content, in another segment of Get Ranked. 

And that is what Animeme_TV is. Look, a lot of anime shorts YouTubers do this thing where they just post lore or scenes from the most popular anime, but Animeme_TV does it the most straightforward. I understand there is nothing too unique about this, but it does help to have one wide resource that covers anime news in a short format, and Animeme_TV is the one with the most views. So clearly, they are doing something right.

Their videos mostly center around character edits, especially from popular Shounen such as One Piece. But that frazzled style with heavy transitions is very characteristic of the shorts style, making them a nice treat to watch. I like it when a creator knows their aesthetic from the get-go, and sticks to it. It makes them stand out from the mass produced anime edits community, and that’s always a good sign.

And besides, their anime skits are simply too hilarious to not mention here. Often, Carmen ropes other cosplayers to help with them, and it’s a crossover like no other. But most of the time it’s just really funny single person skits that speak to you, especially if you’re a massive fan of Shounen. They actively also do anime challenges, and the content is just so relatable. Extra bonus: They happen to do a lot of anime shorts on Haikyuu!

Instead of copy pasting episodes and acting like a content farm, BAKA’s shorts veer much more into the lore side of anime. They frequently post about backstories to certain characters or just what makes them tick. Short videos explaining anime plot points have become popular over the years and BAKA makes them the most concise. 

Their AMVs are already ones I replay when I’m in a mood, so that’s nothing new. But their shorts are equally as heartfelt and beautiful to see. They don’t do as many edits as a lot of fandom based YouTubers do, but the few they do post are so special to watch. Their videos on Mo Dao Zu Shi speak to me especially, because of how beautifully edited they are. Also, major WangXian stan here so it’s always a good time!

Like her Spy X Family short set to Wannabe By Itzy is a literal masterpiece, and I will not hear any critiques otherwise. Of course, it helps to be a kpop fan who is also into BL (Boys Love), because a lot of her content revolves around an amalgamation of those two. Also, side note: LABY has set some of her videos to desi music? Which, as a brown anime girl myself, always blows my mind when I come across it in the wild! 

Originally an AMV creator, I came across Lee AMVs through their Banana Fish video that was immaculate. But turns out, they are just as good at making anime shorts, with some of them having hundreds of thousands views on YouTube as we speak. The way they consider some scenes in anime and how they play off the music and editing? Honestly, downright artistic work! Again, you want some heart pumping shorts? Lee AMV is your person!

I mean, did you know that Avatar: The Last Airbender had a tabletop RPG (Role Playing Game)? Well, now you do! But I think my favorite videos of theirs happen to be their roasts of certain anime. Not to mention their ‘These Animators Need To Chill’, a series where he simply screams about how absolutely hard an animation company went when designing certain characters in an anime. As a fangirl, I can highly relate to that level of simping, is all I’m saying.  

I know some might not count it as an anime shorts YouTuber, but I love how this channel has made recreating anime foods its entire thing. You’re telling me that I finally have a breakdown of what goes into that delicious looking croquette sandwich from Kimi No Nawa? Instantly, they are my new favorite food content creators and anime bestie. Letsmakeittasty has cooked and baked some of the most popular dishes in anime, including Naruto Uzumaki’s favorite ramen and Zenitsu Agatsuma’s potato mochi.

Ultimately, TrashTalk feels like a conversation between a bunch of anime nerds – because that is exactly what it is. With Gigguk, TheAnimeMan and CDawgVA headlining a lot of the episodes, you best believe there are some intensely hilarious tidbits that come out. And like, I adore how they explore Otaku culture in general, and how much the landscape of anime YouTube has changed over the decade. Because, again, these people were one of the first serious anime commentary channels and now they get to share their experiences with everyone else. Which means you get guests that end up in shorts saying some of the most insane things. 

---

On that note, it has been fascinating to see how anime culture has evolved through social media, with anime shorts and youtubers merely being the newest addition to a landscape that is only growing more vast with time. Still, it makes me happy because in my time, anime wasn’t as mainstream. 

And now, literally everyone I know is aware of it thanks to the advent of shorts and TikToks. While we might scoff at easily digested content, it’s what pulls a lot of newbies into something we love, and that’s always a good thing!

---