Can series be too long? Let's discuss the lengths of animes...

[SuXrys]

Im sure we all have comed across them... the series that never seems to end, the ones that seem to be able to go on and on forever and ever...


An example on a 'forever-on-going-serie' are for example Pokemon. It has currently over 700+ episodes, 14 seasons and 15 movies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon_%28anime%29

Will we see the end of that show, or will it continue even after our deaths? ~ Lol.

* What do you say; can you have too much of the good thing? Can series in fact be too long?

* And on the other way around; do you have series that you wished would have been longer?

* Where is the balance? When does a serie becomes too long, and when do you wish it could've gone on.... forver and ever ~ ?

* Do you have an 'ideal length' on a show? [a preferred one / number of episodes].



So, come on, let me hear what you have to say about this.

[AnimeFrost]

For an anime? I want it to last FOREVER personally i hate the idea of any of my favorite anime/manga of ending it makes me sad and cry and make me feel like im missing something inside ~not to be taken litterally~

[blueangel06661]

I try to not attempt to watch anything above 26 episodes... I don't have the attention span for that anymore...

The only acception to that was Clannad and Kaleido Star wich were both 47 eps and 41 not including OVA's and stuff. My max limit is 50.. I won't look at a series if it's over that limit... Anything over 100 is pushing it.. I like my shows. But I like to be able to see the end within a years time.

[SuXrys]

For an anime? I want it to last FOREVER personally i hate the idea of any of my favorite anime/manga of ending it makes me sad and cry and make me feel like im missing something inside ~not to be taken litterally~So I guess you don't have any show at all that you wish could have been a little shorter?

[Saeriel]

50 episodes maximum, but I prefer the series which wrap up in two seasons - 26ish episodes. One season seems to usually be too short to really work. Past 50, in general I find that shows are just using filler rubbish or flashbacks and there's no real plot development.

[SpeaR]

What do you say; can you have too much of the good thing? Can series in fact be too long?
No. Yes.
One of my old favorite anime is Detective Conan so far 600+ episodes and still continuing and I will probably follow it until it ends.
Bleach should of ended a while back I don't watch the anime anymore but still keep up with the manga since each chapter takes ~25 seconds to read.


And on the other way around; do you have series that you wished would have been longer?Yes one I can mention is Baccano! but not never ending but maybe just another 12 episodes. Angel Beats should of also been a 26 episode anime.
Anime that end before the manga ends (most of the time) I would prefer it be longer but it doesn't really bother me since I can go read the manga. Ex: Beck, Great Teacher Onizuka, Rurouni Kenshin, One Outs, ect...
Where is the balance? When does a serie becomes too long, and when do you wish it could've gone on.... forver and ever ~ ?
Don't exactly wish any to go on forever I would prefer they end before I die. Occasionally I will watch an anime I just wished it didn't end there but I get over that fast.


Do you have an 'ideal length' on a show? [a preferred one / number of episodes].Not exactly as long as it looks interesting to me and it is entertaining I don't care if it is 12 episodes long or 400 episodes long.

I would like to add one thing I skip fillers if they are bad and flashbacks sometimes get annoying like in Shippuden. I would prefer they went with 25 episodes per year instead of 50+ that would make the anime a whole lot better.

[SCTetra]

I like the 26 episode series. Maybe a special or 2 after it, but beyond that I think is to much. 12 Episodes is to short. However, if there is a means to make money from it, it will continue until the profit becomes to little or non at all.

[Darkhallows]

Anything over 50 and I get a little bored. Especially if there's a lot of filler.

[Ragenomics]

* What do you say; can you have too much of the good thing? Can series in fact be too long?

Yes, I think you can. To me, it can be too much depending on the story. I enjoy things like Naruto and Bleach a lot, but they have so much filler, which is where I think you start crossing the line. Naruto, for example, has about 172 filler episodes from the beginning to ~238 of Shippuden. At 10-13 episodes per box of Shippuden, that's around 13 boxes. Then again, it's a merchandise/video game heavy show so no surprise.

* And on the other way around; do you have series that you wished would have been longer?

None that could have been helped, such as Kaze no Stigma, which ended because the creator (Takahiro Yamato) passed away before he could finish.

* Where is the balance? When does a serie becomes too long, and when do you wish it could've gone on.... forver and ever ~ ?

Depends on what kind of story/material you're working with. Naruto was the 'overdid it' example, but what about something like Golgo 13? Every episode is a contained story, no continuity from episode one to episode 50. The story has been around in manga form, I believe on a weekly basis, for about 44 years. When you don't have to worry about the episodes being tied together, you can make as many episodes as you can think up ideas for missions.

* Do you have an 'ideal length' on a show? [a preferred one / number of episodes].

Personally, around 26-52 episodes is good for me, though the huge shows occasionally grab my attention.

[ladymulti]

* What do you say; can you have too much of the good thing? Can series in fact be too long?
It depends... so yes/no. There are some series that are too long and drag out to the point that you don't even care what happens anymore (Naruto for me; I had also gotten that way about Inuyasha at one point but I managed to finish it.). There are also series that put me off from watching it because of the length...
...On the other hand, there are also some series that you can tell have much more to offer or are too rushed to get the main plot out. Some some could be bit longer. :) Not 200 random filler episodes longer but just more detailed plot worthy longer.


*And on the other way around; do you have series that you wished would have been longer?
...kinda answered that with the question above. :D


* Where is the balance? When does a serie becomes too long, and when do you wish it could've gone on.... forver and ever ~]?
Again, if it gets so long it puts off new watchers and makes old watcher just not really care, it's too long. Now, Dragon Ball Z drug out but at least it kept you wanting to watch it for it wasn't just randomness; Sailor Moon had points that you could just skip all together and do just fine without, but even the random episodes could be enjoyable.


* Do you have an 'ideal length' on a show? [a preferred one / number of episodes].
26-52 episodes. I like to be able to start it, enjoy it, not get bored with it, and see a satisfying conclusion.

[macedadon]

12 Episodes is to short. However, if there is a means to make money from it, it will continue until the profit becomes to little or non at all.

I get what you mean.
But there are some 12 episode anime that are brilliant such as House of 5 leaves, Usagi drop etc. However their normally the anime you don't want to finish which is kinda annoying as well. :)

[AnimeFrost]

So I guess you don't have any show at all that you wish could have been a little shorter? Nope absolutely not!

[JCfan0019191]

For me the length doesn't matter. I like some 12 to 13 episode series like they are my noble masters. They really help you to kill time. 26 episode series like Ouran High School Host Club and Maid-sama and Lucky Star is nice too. They have nice plots that goes slowly at first but when the end is near some stuffs tend to happen... 50 episode series are also awesome. Like CLANNAD and K-ON. They are both some of my favourite. 60 episodes are fine too. Yumeiro Patissiere is an interesting story. 70 are good. Cardcaptor Sakura had always been my favourite anime... I like 100+ ones too like Shugo Chara but I don't really think the last few episode of Shugo Chara was likable... I personally don't like it after the embryo was found... 600++ is nice, I have been watching Detective Conan since I was 5-6? I love that anime. It started before u was born...
That was long... In conclusion, as long as the anime is in my preferred genre, it's length doesn't matter. :)

[randomusername]

As long it's interesting I don't care how many episodes it has.

[marvel_phoenix]

26 eps is a good enough length for me. Like was stated before, it's long enough to get the story across while adding a strong sense of completion without being too long. More than 26 seems to push it. As for Pokemon... They are making too many people too much money. That show will never end until the money train stops.

Anime that is just too darn long? FMA comes to mind. I loved the series, but towards the end it started adding a few too many flashbacks and such, and I was ready for it to end by episode 40. (Does not sound good for my plans to watch all of Sailormoon... with subs. :p)

As for too short, they could have filled out FLCL just a bit. :p By the end I was still going "WTH!" with trying to figure out what was going on. :p Boogiepop Phantom could have had and extra episode or two, and I wish Voogie's Angel could have at least gotten a full season. :(

[TheWired]

I try to not attempt to watch anything above 26 episodes... I don't have the attention span for that anymore...


I completely agree. One of my favorite series of the past was Rurouni Kenshin which ran like over a HUNDRED episodes... that's INSANE (and expensive if you collect like I do)... I've even seen 26-episode series feel DRAGGED out... it all depends on the specific production, but I like shorter better.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Episodes should max be in the 20's maybe 30's, but anything more drags on for me.

[Hanamaru Kunikida]

It depends on the anime, really.

If the anime has really good characters but the story itself isn't that good and can just go and go on then yeah, but series that it's the story what makes the series transcend then it should have a right ending and any fanboy that want it to be more episodes is just stupid.

It's like they say, all good things have an end.

[Shinblue]

Being a Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Bleach fan, I don't think that an anime series can be too long. Except, if it has 1000+ episodes.
As long as the anime keeps having a story to tell and you like it, it's fine. But there are series that should have ended before they
actually did (Prince of Tennis).
That's just my opinion.

[Random User]

I don't really mind lengths of anime series, unless filler is what's dragging it on. Prime example is Naruto. After all the filler, I just didn't want to watch it anymore. If it's a large storyline with a great and solid plot, then sure why not have tons of episodes? On the other hand, I don't want a really short anime that speeds through a short plot.

[Yurika]

It depends on the anime. I am an Inuyasha fan, and that has around 200 episodes. I like most them, but would prefer it to be shorter.

In general, I usually like a series to be around 60 episodes or so. Three seasons seems like a good length.