Anime Long-Running Shows

Hey, I'm still pretty new to the anime world, so I was wondering: What shows have the most number of episodes? I know the Dragonball series probably holds the record (Someone said that between the three shows, there are over 500 episodes). I also know that a lot of shows don't make it past 50 or even 26, so I was just curious as to which shows have had the most airtime.

 

I guess it depends on what you're looking for. Probably the longest series are Sazae-san and Doraemon. Sazae-san began in 1969 and is still running on television in Japan (34 years of episodes). Doraemon began in 1973 and went for about a season. It then started again in 1979 and has been running ever since.

Detective Conan (recently licensed by FUNimation) has 300+ episodes and is still airing in Japan. Inuyasha (licensed by Viz) has 121+ episodes and is still airing in Japan. Dragonball/Z/GT is a total of 508 episodes (if I've done my math right and my information is accurate).


Most series aren't this long for a variety of reasons. The main reason is that the story can be told in 13 or 26 episodes, so that's what the animation studio does. Occasionally a series won't have very good ratings in Japan; this can cause the release to be cut short (example, Flame of Recca at 42 episodes). Conversely, if the series is very popular then the animation studios are more likely to continue it in one form or another (Dragonball GT, Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden).

~Shadrach Anki

 

Thanks, Shadowbard! That's very interesting stuff. Although (And please correct me if I'm wrong), aren't Sazae-san, Doraemon and Detectice Conan kid's shows, or at least about kids? That'd make sense, as there have been shows in the States around that long aimed at kids (Sesame Street is the best example of that).

So most shows aimed at teenagers and young adults don't make it nearly that long? I'm just curious because the first two animes I was introduced to go far and beyond past 26 or 50 (Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin at 112 and 95, respectively), and I just figured that was the norm. I guess shows like those and Inuyasha are more like exceptions?

 

maybe yu yu hakusho, rurouni kenshin, and inuyasha are exceptions, but there may be more shows we havent heard of that are longer than they are?

 

What's Fushigi Yugi Eikodan? And How long is Full Moon wo Sagashite?

And I know a really short anime... FLCL which is 6 episode's long. But another long one is Kodocha Breakin' in at 102 ep's. Don't forget movie's either, Inuyasha has 2...soon to be 3. And are you counting Samurai X Reflection with Rurouni Kenshin, even if it's a movie, still big part of show.

Umi.

 

Umi's right, we're not counting movies and OVAs.

I've found that longer shows are also more satisfying most of the time. Aside from the obvious reason that there's more time to see the coolness of the show, it also gives the audience more time to connect with the characters and plotline. Take Cowboy Bebop. I LOVED that show, but just as I was really getting into it, it was already episode 26! I would give anything to see even five or ten more episodes with Spike, Jet and everyone else. Because of Cowboy Bebop, I'm kind of hesitant to try out relatively short series. Even though I'm sure are exceedingly cool, it's just not a long time to get immersed in the show and characters.

Then again, it's obvious that if a show goes on TOO long, it can lose its appeal and coolness just as quickly (Like Dragonball...I don't think even I could stomach 500+ episodes unless it was over a VERY long period of time). I suppose it's a struggle to the animators, trying to determine that equilibrium that'll keep everyone happy.

 

Fushigi Yuugi Eikoden is the newest OAV in the Fushigi Yuugi series, and it was created mainly because the series is so popular in the United States.

Actually, according to the May issue of Newtype USA, episode 312 of Detective Conan aired in Japan (between February 10th and March 9th of this year). Since Newtype USA is several months behind the Japanese release and the series is so popular, I would expect that they're further along by this point.

~Shadrach Anki

 

Sailor Moon - 200

 

only 200 for sailor moon? i could have sworn i watched more than that.....

 

Really, if you want to talk about some series like Tenchi, Transformers or Digimon, you have to consider that they have several spin-offs. Like each season of Digimon is pretty much a different story in itself. Transformers had "generation 1" and "generation 2", then "Beast Wars" ("Beasties" here in Canada), then the "Beast Machines spin-off of Beast Wars, and now that new series. And of course, there are how many incarnations of Tenchi out there?

 

Did Koshi-Kame have an anime? Because I'm pretty sure it's one of the longest running manga series. According to Shounen Jump, it started in 1976.

 

I remembered one more anime that got to 50: Saiyuki, a great show. Plus, it had a couple of OVAs

 

how long does naruto go for?