kashif1: Here's my question, what do you think is a good length for an anime? On one hand you have Bleach which is now almost 290 episodes, Then there are the fullmetal alchemist animes which are both around 60, and then you have stuff that is 27 or even 14 episodes long. What is the best length to tell a story?
This is the fundamental dilemma of all serialized entertainment, isn’t it? When do you stop and when do you keep it going? The standard length seems to be somewhere around the 26 episode sweet spot (which none-too-coincidentally corresponds to a half-year, or two seasons. )That’d seem like the easy answer, but this obviously a little more complicated. Anime and manga are notable for generally being more disciplined about staying finite, even despite pressure from fans. This definitely isn’t a case of one size fitting all.
We explored a similar topic a while back - - when have shows jumped the shark? - - but this one extends a little broader; it encompass shows that were actually too short. If you like something, your first thought once it’s finished is that you want to see more of it - - or, at least, something like it. That’s just natural. And I think I’ve definitely seen some cases where brevity actually works against something.
I thought FLCL, for instance, was something that was cut off a bit too earlier. I think it could’ve been twice as long. I realize the whole thing was supposed to be a less-stressful goof for Gainax, but I still think the show could’ve used more space to explore all the relationships and crazy ideas it only just broached in the show. Eri, in particular, got short-shifted a bit and we really didn’t get to see enough of Haruko’s added interstellar intrigue at the end. As a result, the whole thing felt like a glimpse of a story rather than full-fledged experience.
On the other end of the stick, I’m honestly hesitant to pick up watching FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD because 60 episodes is just so daunting a number to get through. That’s at 20-30 hours of material! Then again, considering how complex the world is, only 17 episodes in, I’m sure they need that many episodes to explore the Elric brothers’ universe. I don't begrudge 'em for that, but that's just a sign of it being a different animal.
I don’t know. Sometimes series get long-in-the-tooth and drift too far from what made them interesting in the first place. Other times, an extended run allows for interesting complexities and “happy accidents” when creatives play round robin with an idea. And sometimes stories are squished into a box that’s too confining. Like I said, no one size fits all.
What do you lunatics think? When has a series go on past its natural life span? When has it been cut before its reached its prime? What’s the ideal length for a show?
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However Azumanga Daioh's two section episodes meant that the show didn't feel wrong even though the show spans 2 years in 25ish episodes.
As far as length goes, for me it really depends on the show. For longer series like a Fist of the North Star or Naruto, unless your writing is solid, or at least your characters are really likable, it's hard to keep it going past 60 episodes without losing steam. On the other hand, under 6 episodes can be a little short, unless you're basically telling a direct-to-video feature length story.
So, for me, 13-24 is a happy medium, unless there's enough material to tell a good story beyond that (Berserk, Durarara, Black Lagoon, Patlabor, etc.)
Length hasn't been an issue for me as as long as the show is entertaining then I'll be faithful.
5/6 eps has been an issue for me as think they can go for more (unless the eps are 30-60 long).
My pick:Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne
12-14 eps has done really well in my book as yes the stories may seem rushed but typically everything ends with the viewer mostly satisfied or craving more. But, this length has greater potential to get a second season than the next set.
My pick:Angel Beats!
15-26 eps (yes there are anime with such lengths if you sometimes count OVAs) have been even better then the previous lengths mostly due to better story and character development. However, the current length faces greater likelihood of at most getting a second season.
My pick: Toradora
27-65 eps have their ups and downs but these series are very in-depth on all levels of development. Obviously they don't typically get another season.
My pick:Death Note
66+ ep series are generally few in number and build arc upon arc of to develop the characters. These series are large chunks to take in and become repetitive after an amount of time.
My pick:Dragon Ball Z
So, length is not the problem for me in comparison to a good story and solid characters. If I had to choose though I would say 24-26 eps is the generally "right" length (in consideration of manga material).
Sadly, that happens to most anime that are based on manga. Want to know what actually happens/happens next? BUY THE DAMN MANGA!!!!!!! MUHAHAHA!!! That's how they get you by the balls.
Take Gantz for example. One of my favourite manga, but I hated the anime because the pacing was awful. One episode was spent on the main character weighing the decision of killing an alien monster or not. Granted, the manga did the same thing, but the pacing worked on paper, but not on TV.
But a well-paced anime will bring enjoyment to me regardless of how long it is. If it's good, it's less of a case of "Alright, X episodes left!", than it is "Nice. Next episode!"
So, yeah. I don't think length is that important. What's your opinion on pacing?
i love how anime is short, i just love it, It makes it easy to get into, and i love how it ENDS a HUGE problem all american entertainment seems to have to me is that the creators don't know when to stop! and it inevitably detereriates (just look at Heroes) but in anime, you get just one or two seasons of (usually) quality entertainment, and i freaking love that
and the majority of anime that runs for longer than 60 episodes SUCKS, not because the story is bad, but because shows like naruto, one piece, and bleach are inevitably caught up to by the anime, which results in HUNDREDS of episodes of crappy filler, which annoys the hell out of me
Or a FLCL of 26.....
Eureka Seven - 50 eps
Evangelion - 26
Trigun - 26
Cowboy Bebop - 26
Gurren Lagann - 27
ROD TV - 26
FLCL - 6
Gunbuster - 6
Diebuster - 6 (I luv Gainax OVAs, can you tell?)
Aaand, I guess that's all, so I suppose if you were going strictly on the numbers I would have to say a standard season is probably my favorite length. Although there are a LOT of 9's at 13 episodes, stuff like Black Lagoon, Nanoha, Zero no Tsukaima, Air, Hellsing, Ichigo Mashimaro, Mahoromatic, Kemonozume, Ga-Rei Zero, Rideback, Abenobashi, Bakemonogatari, Canaan, and Tokyo 8.0. I like 13 episodes or 26 episodes the best, and me liking stuff like Eureka Seven is few and far between. I've started and stopped watching Bleach about a dozen times.
EDIT: WATCH FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! 60 episodes for that series almost seems like too little because there are so many great characters and so much stuff is happening all the time.
@ninjadude853 said:
I actually dislike that they stop everything so short and you usually never ever see the characters again. Heroes is an example of a show that didn't know when to stop (although I enjoyed 3 seasons of it, which is still way more than what anime usually provides) but there are a lot of other long running shows that have stayed entertaining for a long time. The Sopranos, The Shield, Breaking Bad, Entourage and tons of others are examples of shows that lasted 5+ seasons and stayed good the whole time.
If the Sopranos was anime, they would have shot Tony in the head in episode 13 and we would have been robbed of like 50+ additional good to great episodes.
26 plus a movie is perfect.
As far as other anime goes yea there are some that go on for too long, mainly due to filler but that's the nature of the business.
However, if something maintains a cohesive narrative over a long period of time, and that is just how long it takes to tell the story (Code Geass) then that is perfectly acceptable.
I can think in death note, It was really good when L was alive but when he died, everything went down. I really enjoyed the end of the story, when Light was dying and he saw L..
However, anime which go for eighteen million episodes are soap operas, and useless to me.
My favorites overall are in the 26 episode range. Perfect span for a complete story, and then I can get on to another series.
I think that a lot of writers have trouble with the needs of a long series, especially pacing and maintaining constant forward action. I'll take some examples from manga. Bleach, for instance, has gotten its feet tangled in all its characters, many of whom are there just for giggles. One Piece has done a good job, by contrast. it also has a large cast, but the enter and leave the series as appropriate. The addition of the latest member of the straw-hat crew was foreshadowed all the way back in like, Volume 1 or something. Since we know where Luffy's going and why, and since there's a reasonable amount of hinting and foreshadowing that goes on well in advance of the plot unfolding, things largely seem to be going somewhere and things don't feel made up as it goes. Monster has similar things going for it.
At the end of the day, a story should be told in as long as it takes to tell that story. So I guess if I had to give a rule I would say, "Anything goes, except for filler."