*Notes:

•  The “My Recommendations” section contains works I rated 6-10 (and with the enjoyment at least 6), while “Other”  contains the rest. There are, though, some anime that I won't mention at all, as I'm not sure how anyone could enjoy them.
• If I don't mention if a show is rated in any way (PG, PG-12, R), it means it is suitable for all ages.
• If I don't mention the genres for a show, it means the only genre is Avant-Garde.

rating: 8

rating: 8

rating: 7

rating: 7

rating: 8.5

rating: 8

  8. Fast Week

rating: 8

enjoyment: 6.5

duration: 1 min.

rated: PG-13

For a 1-minute short, Fast Week really does have quite a lot to unpack. It has 7 sections, one for each different day. And every section has its own meaning. Under the layers of fast-food and eating/fasting themes, this animation presents several social problems, in true Q-rais fashion. Its message is indeed a great one, so make sure to give it a try!

  9. Kiseichuu no Ichiya (The Midnight Parasites)

rating: 6

enjoyment: 6

genres: Avant-Garde, Horror

duration: 10 min.

rated: R-17+

This short is the perfect template for an avant-garde anime: set in a prehistorical dystopia, with monstrous creatures, cannibalism, and death everywhere, it illustrates the cycle of life and death, and society. It is pretty entertaining in doing so, and very explicit and gruesome. 

 10. “Parade” de Satie (Satie's Parade)

rating: 6

enjoyment: 6

genres: Avant-Garde, Music

duration: 14 min.

Satie's Parade is, as the new implies, an animated music video for Erik Satie's ballet music piece, “Parade”. The art style is very similar to that of old western cartoons, but, like a lot of other avant-garde anime, incorporates unusual, fantasy-like elements. I must say, the way the personages were used to highlight the music flow was mesmerizing; Satie's Parade did its job as a music video pretty darn well.

  11. Puparia 

rating: 9

enjoyment: 10

duration: 3 min.

rated: PG-13

Puparia is it. Really. It is the one and only creation that could ever heal and thoroughly cleanse my soul. In all seriousness, though, it is really a work of art. It doesn't exactly have a story (as far as I can tell), but the art is so mesmerizing that it doesn't even need one. It is, truly, a masterpiece; so don't hesitate and give it a try!

 12. Subarashii Shigoto (Decent Work)

rating: 6.5

enjoyment: 6

duration: 7 min.

Decent Work is, indeed, a decent work; it is a social commentary in the form of animation, presented in a way that can be understood by anyone. Although the art is very simple, it is pleasing to the eye, and quite a good fit for the genre and story. The message is clear: the workforce only has importance as a whole. For big corporations and the people in charge, the individual does not matter.

  13. Suisei (Aquatic)

rating: 6.5

enjoyment: 7

genres: Avant-Garde, Comedy

duration: 5 min.

First off, the animation is magnificent. It is, actually, the first Japanese clay painting animation. Aquatic succeeds in immersing you in its story from the opening scenes, and it keeps it that way, with the help of the art and the sound. The art alone made this an enjoyable experience, and paired with good sound design and the interesting ideas of Yamamura Koji, it was a treat.

  14. Tobira wo Akete (Open the Door)

rating: 6

enjoyment: 6

genres: Avant-Garde, Fantasy

duration: 10 min.

A short animation about a little girl that travels to the wonderland of her dreams with the help of a fairy. A nice little story about the power of imagination a child holds.

  15. Ushinawareta Choushoku (The Lost Breakfast)

rating: 8

enjoyment: 9

genres: Avant-Garde, Psychological

duration: 7 min.

rated: PG-13

This is pretty damn amazing. The flow of the animation is captivating, and the artist's creativity is really shining through, especially in the second half. The Lost Breakfast presents how deep a routine can be rooted in our unconsciousness, so deep that a minor inconvenience or change could destroy everything and make us lose our minds.

  16. Wake up!! Tamala

rating: 6

enjoyment: 6.5

genres: Avant-Garde, Fantasy, Psychological

duration: 17 min.

rated: G – all ages, but I think some scenes aren't very suitable for children

Wake up!! Tamala is a short movie featuring Tamala, the main character from Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space. Similar to its parent story, Wake up!! Tamala has a clear goal: to raise awareness. In this case, it is for people to notice how important it is to fight against pollution, climate change, and the dangers we face. Aside from this, the movie itself isn't especially great, the animation stays the same as in Tamala 2010. It is, though, an interesting one; similar to Cat Soup, but better.

 

  17. Yubi wo Nusunda Onna (Woman Who Stole Fingers)

rating: 8

enjoyment: 9.5

genres: Avant-Garde (Horror as well, in my opinion)

duration: 4 min.

rated: G – all ages, but I'd say children watching this would definitely have nightmares

Woman Who Stole Fingers is, (duh), about a woman stealing fingers. To be more precise, it is a perfect depiction of an overprotecting mother. Stealing her children's opportunities and, in the end, their life, as they aren't able to actually do anything by themselves. In picturing this, the creator uses a unique method of animation, which is oil painting. This works perfectly with the theme and the emotions presented and looks fascinating as well. It is sharp and raw, and it gives you the sensation that it is being painted right in front of your eyes. It is a unique experience, and I recommend it to anyone who can handle a bit of horror-ish stuff.