There’s incredible diversity when it comes to anime’s many genres, but there’s just as much variety present in regard to the length and structure of content. There are thousands of anime that come and go after a succinct 26 episodes.
However, there are also more evergreen properties that have been running for decades with hundreds, or even thousands, of episodes. A staggering quantity isn’t always positive for storytelling, but some anime thrive in this context and have kept their audiences entertained for extremely lengthy periods of time.
10 One Piece
The Rewarding Character Development
The adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of One Piece’s Straw Hat Pirates are inescapable in anime. Some long-running series take breaks before they return with sequels, but One Piece has continually turned out new episodes since its premiere in 1999.
Admittedly, there are some clunky filler sagas earlier on in the series’ run, but the One Piece anime has perfected its formula so that modern filler is exciting rather than exhausting. One Piece understands how to pace out its payoffs so that fans stick with Luffy’s journey. The anime’s current teases for Luffy’s Gear Five transformation have audiences more excited than ever for what’s to come.
9 Detective Conan
A Multitude Of 70zll0v” title=”origin”>Original Mysteries
Anime, like any other medium of storytelling, has its share of procedural series that are more interested in standalone episodic stories rather than continually contributing to a grander serialized story. Detective Conan is anime’s longest-running and most consistent crime and mystery series that’s produced more than 1000 episodes since its premiere in 1996.
Shinichi Kudo does have a grander problem that he hopes to solve, but audiences have gotten comfortable with the idea that this may never happen and that the series is more about indulging in creative and unconventional mysteries. This level of freedom has kept audiences coming back for more and satisfied with Detective Conan’s mystery standards.
8 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Its Changing Protagonists & Stories
Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has become one of the biggest manga and anime series of the generation. The JoJo manga has been in circulation since 1987, but its anime doesn’t get going until 2012. Nevertheless, the JoJo anime has accumulated 190 episodes with its adaptations of the first six story sagas in Araki’s ongoing series.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure follows the Joestar family, select individuals who are destined to use their powers for incredible causes. JoJo perpetually switches its setting, characters, and even sometimes its genre between different sagas. This helps each new story feel like a brand new series, while still contributing to the larger JoJo lore.
7 Yu-Gi-Oh!
The Growing Universe Between Series
Yu-Gi-Oh! has found as big of an audience as a Trading Card Game as it has as an anime and these two mediums have helped keep the franchise alive. Most audiences were first introduced to Yu-Gi-Oh! during the initial 1998 anime series. However, there are now more than 11 series in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe that have produced more than 1100 episodes, all of which embolden the franchise’s rich duel lore.
The current series, Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!!, feels indebted to the original, but still pushes the series in new directions, like the incorporation of aliens. Audiences appreciate how the mechanics of this game continue to expand and evolve with each new series.
6 Bleach
A Fulfilling Chance For Closure
Tite Kubo’s Bleach held the prestigious title of a “Big 3” shonen series for years, but Ichigo Kurosaki’s thrilling saga as a budding shinigami met its share of highs and lows. The initial Bleach anime has 366 episodes, but it’s subjected to such extensive filler that it veers off course from its source material manga.
A decade after Bleach‘s final episode in 2012, the series has come back with a vengeance in 2022’s Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. This continuation proves that there’s still an extremely dedicated audience for this series. Fans are ready for Ichigo’s story to receive the proper closure that it deserved a decade earlier.
5 Gintama
Compounded Gags That Get Funnier Over Time
Gintama tells the story of Gintoki Sakata and his fellow Odd Job outlaws who pledge to fulfill basic tasks for the right price. Gintoki and friends wind up saving the universe from destruction and take on endless threats in this subversive and self-aware shonen/gag hybrid. There are more than 350 episodes of Gintama, as well as three feature films, the last of which claims to be the anime’s official swan song.
However, Gintama loves to fool its audience and the emergence of new Gintama material wouldn’t surprise anyone. The relentless callbacks and fearless nature to Gintama’s comedy only gets stronger and is the anime’s secret weapon.
4 Digimon
Its Evolution Of Lore & Nostalgia
Digimon is an anime and video game property that’s often lived in Pokémon’s shadow even if there are some major differences between these two monster catching franchises. Nine unique Digimon anime have been created, including the current Digimon Ghost Game, which all adopt slightly unique perspectives on the concept and utility of Digimon.
It’s these creative pivots that lead to fans checking out each new series. That being said, there’s still tremendous reverence for the original Digimon Adventure characters, who have received modern continuations to their stories to great acclaim.
3 Doraemon
A Perpetual Mischief Maker Who Never Gets Old
Doraemon is a robot cat from the future whose madcap adventures have made him a pop culture institution in Japan. There have been brief periods of hibernation for Doraemon, but by and large it feels like his presence is unavoidable in Japan.
There are more than 1150 episodes of Doraemon across its anime series, but what’s equally impressive is that the series also has more than 40 feature films. Doraemon continues to live on through these cinematic adventures, which still break box office records. Doraemon is often light on plot, which means that it’s the series’ lovable characters and sense of humor that continually brings them back for more.
2 Dragon Ball
Ongoing Character Accomplishments
706z87″ title=”akira”>Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is one of anime’s most celebrated properties and it’s amassed a remarkable legacy that’s still going strong. The first episode of the original Dragon Ball aired in 1986 and there have now been more than 600 installments and 20 feature films across the many series in the broader franchise.
Fans have stuck with Dragon Ball for so long because its characters continue to grow older and reach greater milestones. There’s a lot of satisfaction in seeing characters mature from eager children into heroic adults. Each new Dragon Ball adventure also showcases powerful new transformations, which have also become a powerful motivator for the fans.
1 Pokémon
The Subtle Changes Across Each New Generation
The Pokémon anime has been running for more than 25 years with an overwhelming total of more than 1200 episodes and two-dozen feature films. Pokémon decides to embrace a certain level of stasis when it comes to its protagonist’s perpetual youth, but the anime still mixes things up as Ash and Pikachu meet new friends and acquire new partners as they progress through different regions of the Pokémon world.
Pokémon offers a level of nostalgic comfort that makes it easy to share across generations. Many fans continue to watch episodes while they also share it with their younger siblings, or children, who are experiencing it for the first time.
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