26 Episodes or 52? 100 or even more? - Ideal length for Animes.
 

There are shows which wear on for months and those, which are definitely too short. What's the ideal length when it comes to animes? Do you prefer long lasting shows like Naruto or do you prefer shorties like Air with about 13 episodes? Are there any salient examples which come to your mind?

If you ask me, it's a problem that nearly all shows observe the law of getting broadcasted in quarterly periods. 6 or 13 episodes usually turn out to be too short. Shingetsutan Tsukihime as an recent example felt very rushed in the end - The show wouldn't have sustained additional damage if it had lasted another five episodes. While 26 episodes are a better choice, it's still too short from time to time. However, whereas the next step normally is 52 episodes, shows tend to get boring after fifty episodes. This includes everlasting shows like Naruto with its dozens of fillers and One Piece. It's not like there can't be a show which still continues to stay interesting after months, but I'm happy that the vast majority of animes last about 26 episodes, even although something between 30 and 40 would be the better choice.

I find 26-52 to be the sweet spot. Most anime series outstay their welcomes past that. It only seems anime based on solid manga can pass the 100 episode barrier without becoming irrelevant, even then they toss filler down our throats. It does seem some anime are too short at only 26 episodes though (like Samurai Champloo).

Well... I find some mangas such as Dragon Ball dragged on too much. And some serises KNOWS when to end. (even it is under 30.) I personally can't decide on how long each anime should be unless I seen the anime myself.

I think 13 - 26 is the ideal timespan. Unless they're going to faithfully and utterly follow a manga that's 20+ volumes long -- and fairly consistent on quality of content -- then 50+ is simply pushing it. Not only that, but it costs quite a bit to buy, should you want to legitimately purchase it. I've seen quite a few series that, if you cut out all the crappy filler episodes, could have been condensed into a watchable 20 episodes (Saiyuki and Kyo Kara Maoh, anybody?). The animation quality is also kept up to snuff because they actually have a budget.

Right now I'm wondering about Death Note's future...the new chapters are back to being pretty interesting, but just how long do they plan to go on? Why does everything published in Jump have to go on for 230948 chapters??

anime's with around the 20 mark usually have a better story and great animation but each anime holds a different purpose in the number of episodes.
Elfen lied was only about 13 episodes I think and that fitted nicely otherwise it was mostly be a blood fest and get to repetitive but the flaw about that is that we don't get to appreciate some of the characters as much as we could. Anime's that keep on going over 55+ get repetitive if not handled correctily. DBZ only introduced a few new characters for each season and the same lame comedy from the same characters got so boring. And the story was also always the same, save the world from a blast ~_~
One peice and naruto are probably good ones to go over 100 (no fillers included) becuase theres a character that someone always relates to.

If a story manages to cover everything well within 13 episodes, I don't mind. My ideal length is 26-52, but series like Naruto or Bleach can still be enjoyable regardless of the number of episodes they have.

Yea.. but one's like DBZ... it kept dragging on forever.

I actually like having at least one anime like that. In case I finish the shorter series, there's still one continuous anime to watch.

I prefer really long animes. The ones i have seen that spring to mind are Bleach, Naruto and Rurouni Kenshin. I'm not such a fan of shorter animes. It depends on the story line really. I feel kind of dissappointed when animes end after 20 odd episodes. I was kinda dissappointed when Elfen Lied was only 13 episodes (technicaly 14). I like really long stories

I demand a poll! I seemto enjoy the number 26 though. The short ones I've watched around 13 episodes ended too quick and I wanted more :(. Series' after 26eps feel drawn out to me, unless they're split into seasons for breaks. I think my only exception is Rurouni Kenshin.

Well it all just depends. stuff that is just random and nonsence need to end before they pass the 26 mark, just because, its hard to keep nonsince funny, or entertainning after that. Hints why none of the really good comedys that are just plain silly made it past that. But if they can keep a good and full story like, people say Monster did, and FMA, and not throw in a TON of bullshit in there, they are fine, like Detective Conan, or Lupin there series, where for the most part intellegent, While having their silly parts kept to the story from what i have seen of them.
Series like DBZ should have been cut down a bit, considering most of the animation towards then end, just looked like grown muscular men then where constipated trying to shoot a load out their ass. but if they would have just kept things like that down to like a 10/15 second thing and 5 mins in the show equated to no more than one episode. then people probly would have to problem with it.
But as long as they dont stray from the plot and keep it intressting, an anime can go on as long as it needs to. Afew silly episodes here and there between arcs of longer series are good, but just afew. what naruto is doing right now sickens me, but before that it was decent, and hopefully soon(like THIS MONTH FINALY) they will be airing episodes that have a relevance!

26-52. The DBZ series was too darn long.

26 to 52 is also my ideal point. There are some series that run up to 75 episodes that I can stomach (Monster) if it has a good plot and a decent amount of action. Any more than that and it's just an excuse to drag on and on (Inu Yasha and Kenshin to name two that were guilty of it).

I am interested in seeing how Bleach will develop once the storyline jumps back into the manga sequence and I may just break by 75 episode cap rule to do just that.

I normally like the medium to long animes, but it all depends on the story. If they story fits well into 12 or 13 episodes, thats fine. On the other hand, you get animes that are twice as long as what they should be.

One thing I hate is when an anime ends but the manga keeps going. Then you don't know what happens without reading the manga. I don't like watching a series, only to find that the ending doesn't really wrap things up...

Although I prefer formulated argumentations, I totally forgot about the option of creating a poll. Since there's no possibility to add a poll afterwards without having special rights, I'd be nice if a moderator could add a poll about the ideal length for animes. Just involving the main numbers like >13, ~26, ~52, <100 and >100 should be enough.

Everything else is fine for me, except the neverending stories like Naruto. I want to see an ending, preferably before watching 200 episodes. 24-26 episodes is the ideal lenght, but 13-episodes-long series are good for "minimarathons".

As long as it keeps me interested, I'll watch it.

Me, I like 'em long. Well, just not Dragonball Z long. THAT was torture.

My preference is around the 50 mark, much like my two all-time favorite series, Gundam Wing(49 episodes, plus 3 for Endless Waltz), and Gundam Seed(50 episodes, I think). Meh, Gundam Seed: Destiny might bump itself into my fave list if it ever makes it to North America.
The point is, I prefer around the 50 mark. I like long stories. I can even tolerate up to 100, provided that the show has enough staying power. But not Dragonball Z. Good lord, that show did not know when to quit.

I don't really have a set preference - it really depends on the show. I've seen shows of various lengths that I found enjoyable:

13 episodes or less - stuff like Haibane Renmei or Crest of the Stars have been enjoyable watches at this length. Some topics are just ideal for this length

26 episodes - more or less the standard, and it works for a lot of shows.

52 episodes - It's much harder to produce a good show of this length. You must have a well thought out story for this to work. Episodic shows with little plot carry over from one episode to the next just don't work here. Good examples of successes are Fullmetal Alchemist and the various Gundams.

More than 52 episodes - you better be faithfully reproducing a GOOD manga to pull this off. Hajime no Ippo was doing it well and Bleach appears to be on the same track. Shit hits the fan when you make your own arcs a la Naruto.

Any length is just fine. They just have to watch what they're doing.

I generally don't mind anything in the 13~52 episode range, as long as it fits the story. I personally wish they didn't have to go by these standards, and just keep going until needed. It does not have to be overly long, but not so formulaic with the whole 13, 26, 52 thing (can't we have a 19 episode series, or 37, just break the norm sometimes).

Let them go crazy as long as you don't have 8 episodes dedicated to showing someone power up.

Then another 8 to attack.

Then another 8 for the baddie to die.

Personally, I think a lot of the better anime are the shorter 13~26 series. There are series that are exceptionally good with less than that (Gundam 0080: there were only 6). I really can't stand anime where filler is put in. Usually in a 26 episode series they have a 1 episode where they recap the previous series of episodes up to that point. That's all that's necessary to me.

I prefer the 26 episodes mark, really, if it's paced well. More often than not, though, anime have too much filler and irrelevant character interactions (I like non-plot interactions as much as the next person, but do we REALLY need a swimming pool episode?)

When 26-epsioders pace their plots well, they usually are quite rewarding. IMO. Sometimes I feel they're a bit short, but that's only just the earmark of a good time well spent. But this is coming from a person who walks out of the theater, satisfied, but wishing it was an hour longer >_>

It truly depends on the series. I think something like Kenshin should've be shrunk down to 52~ episodes instead of the 90-something it was with nearly half-filler.

King of Bandit Jing was really short -- less than 20 episodes. I would've liked to see more, but the way the series was structured it would've need to have more story written. Basically it needed a true beginning and a true ending.

On the other hand, Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu was fantastic for it's length. Maybe a bit too detracting from the original to be longer in episode count, but still for 17 episodes it was pretty damn good.

Noir could've been quite a bit shorter. They spent 18 or so episodes not even bothering to discuss the main plot. Whole series could've been summed up in 10 episodes I'd say.

26 is the most ideal number for me.

< 12 basically is a teaser of what could have been expanded (eg. Bokusatsu Tenshi, despite the random nature of the entire show)

By the time I'm between 15-26 I find myself questioning just how long I've been watching the anime of my own will.

The only anime I liked that have broken 26 are Bleach, FMA, and Naruto. Although Naruto is angering me with all these pointless village sidetracks and idiot episodes (escorting the rich kid, Kunihisa, comes to mind)

26 usually concludes the series nicely. Except for Fruits Basket. I want more.

Added poll for you guys.

Personally I don't care about length as long as it's used where it's needed. If a series only needs 13 episodes or it requires 50 then so be it. As long as it's entertaining I'm cool. I watch and enjoy series of all lengths.

any length is good but most of the 52 episode animes get told right becoming cult hits most of the time

As long as it needs to last for the win!
I mean, some animes could use and extra few episodes at the end to finish the story better, but some animes are prefect at 26, some need 39 to make it perfect, and then if you made some 13 episode series 26 episodes, it would be way to freakinglong because well, i dont know about some people, but i know some animes that are 13 episodes, if they where anylonger they would have just been too much...although, im sure we all could have used abit more Golden Boy :p
Oh, and Elfen Lied was great, but if it would have followed all 12 volumes of the manga it would have been even better!...well i thin anyway...

I don't really care about the length of a series. But when buying them....I don't really go passed 52 episode series unless I really like the 100+ episode series enugh to buy the season boxsets.

When they get too long, i normaly just got it bootleg as opposed to geting it at all... like Kenshin i might get the first 2 boxes, but the 3rd one, for what its worth sucked ass. so i would never but the whole thing legit, but i foudn it on ebay for 20, so i got it...and i plan on getting the first 2 boxes legit now... XD....when/if i ever get money

It depends, really.

Most original anime, ones that are not based off a manga, should be 13-26 episodes. I think that is ample to get a story off the ground as well as keep a viewer interested. Any more would tend to drag. Unless of course it's already an established franchise, like Gundam or something.

As for manga based, 52 should be the absolute maximum. If anything, they should concentrate on a particular arc, or concentrate on the first half or something of the already published manga. Good example is Kenshin. Just finish the Kyoto or Edo arc and end it there. The revenge arc, although the better one, would make the anime series drag. And waiting for new chapters to come out ends up with crappy filler episodes, like Naruto. (Besides, manga is better).

I like 26-52.
Some stories sometimes go too long and others too short, between 26 and 52 almost everytime it fits just right. I take Love Hina for example, the anime would be a lot better if it were 52 instead of 24 or 26, because I had a feeling it was rushed a lot.

Tsubasa Chronicle, for example, they endend the 1st season while the story hadn't ended, but with the extra 26 episodes to come, making the total of 52, it'll be enough (I hope) to end the story.

When an series gets too long, it usually gets a lot of bad episodes, like Inuyasha, in my opinion, if it was cut down to half episodes it would be quite enjoyable.

My point is, there should be episodes enough to tell the story with a good timing, no rushes and no stalling either. Doesn't really matter much how long the anime will be, but most of the times, 26-52 get's mostly right.

I think that 26 or so it's more than enough for a season and maybe for a series, take Chrno Crusade for an example, twenty-something ( I don't remember exactly how many ) episodes, and the plot it's awesome, the quality and production it's excellent.
Besides the less episodes the more budget they will have for production equals to better anime :).
I've seen anime since the 80's and that's my humble opinion.

I think any length is ok as long as it stays fresh and interesting the entire time. Shows like Naruto was before this whole filler crap started, it had new characters, new development in plot as well as characters and the small segments of storyline were usually just long enough. Granted, there was a few parts that could have been shorter (like the rasengan training) but what are ya gonna do.

I guess it depends on the animé, some of them are so full of potential that they deserve to be a long series and others are shorter and they're better suited to that.

Love stories/Love comedy > 13
Generic Action > 26
Action with deep story > 52

I'd say that the animes that actually have ends are usually the animes worth watching. NGE, Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Fullmetal Alchemist etc. are all great examples IMO. Power-up-anime's, such as Dragonball, Bleach or Naruto are all interesting to a point, but tends to get less and less interesting as you start realizing that it's never going to change. The heroes and villains are all going to get stronger and stronger and they will have more and more 5 episode fights that show basically the same shit over and over again.

I'd say the perfect number would be 26, two seasons. Not too long and not too short. If an anime can keep me interested longer than that, it's a great anime.

something between 52-100 is good, developing more characters and story is the best part in anime, but, if much of this eps are fillers tossed like naruto(that have more than 40 filler arcs) then i prefer a shorter anime.
26 eps is a god lenght if you want to collect the series in dvd, its cheaper, hehe

I'd say about 26-52 for me. Shows with around 13 episodes or show don't give me enough time to get to "really know the character," and shows that stretch out to close to a hundred episodes are usually loaded with fillers. I thought that Honey and Clover had a nice number of episodes, which was around 24, although it would have been nice if there were just a couple more. With this number of episodes, the characters were able to develop, and I was really impressed at their depth and "human-ness."

Shows like Monster, however, can easily get away with over 50 episodes, especially with a great plot, good pacing, and constant sense of suspense and mystery. ;)

26 is usually the best. In most cases the story seems too stretched out up to the 52 mark. But there are always exceptions. I like to stick to OVAs and Movies, but I'll take a longer, solid series anyday.

I personally like either, as long as the series don't go on for TOO long.

Samurai Champloo was perfect for 26 episodes. There could be only so many times that Mugen, Jin and Fuu escape or one-up (sans Fuu lol) their adversaries or scrap for food, despite the um, stuff, that happened in the last 3 episodes (I'm not spoiling anything).

I felt at finality with Fullmetal Alchemist's 51 (or 50?) episodes.

I loved DBZ, despite others' hatred of its length. It had a fourth dimension (no censored dub pun intended) with its characters that is not seen in many animated shows: they all aged.

And I'm not talking about "everyone gets one birthday" aging or "they all grow up in the last episode" nonsense. I'm talking a generation of characters brought into the mix, young kids to teenagers to adults, wrinkles on the ladies' faces, etc. I felt that having this rarity in a cartoon show gave DBZ more reason to be on for so long, so that it wouldn't feel stale, minus all the filler except when Goku and Piccolo was learning to drive lol. This sign of longevity is really appreciated for those who had watched Goku, Bulma, Krillin and the rest on Dragon Ball.

HOWEVER, DBGT took shit too far with its rapage of...everything not named Goku.

Just my 2 cents.

shoot, i didn't even see "somewhere between 26 and 52 is the sweet spot".

anything between 26-52, fullmetal alchemist was perfect. really they didn't even have to make the movie. but cowboy bebop was also perfect and that was only around 24?

Sorry folks, but I prefer animes that drag on for ages. I just get more out of it. (IE: DBZ, Naruto..) however, animes about 100 episodes long, tend to be pretty good as well. Yu Yu Hakusho, is a good example.

Yeah, I don't watch a lot of anime, but I prefer animes that are over 100 episodes, or so.

Short animes give me a thirst for more. FMA is one of them.

I am of the opinion that, so long as the pacing is fast enough, it doesn't matter how long the anime is. Juuni Kokki was ~48 episodes, and I think that they could have done the overall story much more justice if they at least added another season, if not two. The potential for expansion and further storytelling is huge, and I would have loved to see more of the characters develop.

However, something like Dragonball Z was utterly pathetic. The pacing of that show was so tedious that I almost pulled out my hair on occasion. Needless to say, I abandoned all interest in DBZ, and have not looked back since.

So, ultimately, it varies solely on a case-to-case basis.

26-52 is perfect.

Although shorter 1x episodes anime are good sometimes, while you wait for longer anime to download. ^^ I don't think I actually enjoyed an anime that spans for 100+ episodes.

Usually 26 episodes is enough the flesh the story out without too much filler, but sometimes you just want more.I voted 26-52 for that reason, some examples of wanting more, imo our SCRYED, Berserk (at least we have the manga), Trigun, etc.

26 works well for anime that has a definite ending and beginning planned. 52 is good for series that have a wider story and many plot points to take care of.

13 is just too short, unless they do like 2 seasons of the show or something.

100 Episode Anime are good for long martial arts based series with lots of enemies and battles... although the longer ones like
DBZ and Naruto just go apeshit with the format and have like 10 Billion episodes.

DBZ should have ended after the Frieza Saga, or at the end of the Cell Games.
and on that note, One Piece should find the bloody treasure already.
Haven't even tried to watch Naruto so no comment on that.

Depends on the storyline. If it's long, then 50+ to 60+ would be nice. If it's short, maybe 5 to 20. Pokemon, Dragonball are too long. And 100+ aren't good IMO because it's kind of hard to catch every single episode.

I think Full Metal Alchemist was a perfect length (52 episodes) given the content (it has action and an involved storyline, so something like this works. I haven't read the manga, though. I only note this because someone always yells about reading the manga). Long-running series tend to fall into a rut of too much filler, which makes it hard for me to want to watch the show again. I think Inuyasha would have worked much better had it been a 52 episode series rather than... however long it ran (6-7 seasons?). Naruto's falling into this trap as well. I was interested in the main storyline at first, but I think the last 40 episodes have been sidestories that no one really cares about.

I like getting involved over a really long period of time, but not dedicating my life to a series. fifty-two episodes gives a series a long enough time to tell a great story and still bullshit around occasionally without having to cram everything in in the last few episodes.

Indeed. Animes that have tons of extra contents at start and middle then placing too many cramped things at the end is a bit annoying.

Depends on the anime...I pretty much dropped off Inuyasha about 60 episodes in because of the pacing and I stayed with Dragonball Z until the end of Cell Games (I taped the Buu Saga, but haven't come remotely close to rewatching any of it). They just go on too long sometimes and in some cases, the filler episodes border on irresponsible. Others though, like Tenchi Universe and Outlaw Star could have benefitted from longer runs (52 Episodes).

If it's more of an episodic show (as opposed to one where you have to have seen the previous episode to know what's going on) and I like the characters and scenarios, they can keep milking it. Galaxy Angel and Ranma both reach well over 100 episodes each, through various seasons and they feel short to me because they're so enjoyable. Same for Conan, though I haven't seen anything past the Adult Swim run. Tenchi Universe was wasted potential in this sense...They could have made a fairly enjoyable sit-com with the cast and milked it for a good while, before going to the outer space adventures.

Yea, it really depends on the show for me, but I guess I would have to say I like the 13-26-52 length ones that have atleast some plot and story development in most episodes. I don't really like the ones that have around 100+ episodes where each episode is just an entire action scene or hardly anything ever happens.

13 is good enough for me. It's harder to do but I think it's worth it if you can pull it off. Since I don't read much manga anyway it doesn't really matter if they didn't put in an "essential" character because I wouldn't even be aware of it for it to ruin the show for me.

I only tend to be concerned with 13 episode series if the story seems rushed or the plot is too different from its manga counterpart. I may go back to the read the manga only after watching the anime.

100+ as long as theres some new conflict and or resolution going on between the characters or storyline, its fine with me.