The Top 100 Anime: Length

Having this top 100 anime data set is endlessly fascinating. This time I want to look at the series by length, to see if we can find any patterns, but also just to give people a firmer picture what 100 anime series/movies mean, just how much time out of their lives it would take to watch them all in full, just how enriching a past time watching guaranteed good anime with no letdowns would be. Previously I admitted I hadn't seen To Heart 2, Gunbuster 2, or Pretty Cure in full, so I was guessing their quality blindly in the rankings. Since then, I've finished watching To Heart 2 and Gunbuster 2, and watched most of Yes! Pretty Cure 5. That still leaves Pretty Cure 5 Go Go Go, Fresh Pretty Cure, Heartcatch Pretty Cure, and Suite Pretty Cure. Without having watched those seasons and movies, I still have to make a blind guess as to the series' overall quality. My new blind guess is #6. Not having fully watched Pretty Cure is the one fly in the ointment concerning my rankings. The problem won't be solved quickly, either. The series is only in Japanese, and incredibly long. I'll just have to take my time and do my best. Patience is the watchword of the day.

What makes Pretty Cure such a great anime? It has everything. By dividing the series equally between fighting the dark zone as magical girls and living out their ordinary school lives with all the perks and troubles of daily life, romance, friendship, sports, family, work, school, etc -- you simply include everything. Combine that with long series that covers every aspect of a character exhaustively, and tons of characters across the multiple world spanning series. . . and you end up with everything. What it lacks in quality it makes up for in quantity. It doesn't have the best fighting, but it has a lot of good fight scenes. It doesn't have the best romance, but it has a lot of them. It doesn't have the best school life comedy, but it has an endless supply of it. When you produce 50 episodes of original content a year since 2004, each episode different from the previous episode and covering something uniquely interesting and fun, you've made a masterpiece.

I also want to take this opportunity, with the ending of the spring anime season, to revise the rankings for other series. Many of them have released new content over the past month which has put them 'over the top' and increased their overall ranking. Fairy Tail, for instance, is in one of the best arcs in the series. The World God Only Knows had an amazing final episode that let it beat out its competitor Bakuman, and so on. Also, some series, like The World God Only Knows, are done (at least for now), while others have had sequels announced, (like Saki), so watch the + signs carefully to keep track of which series are still ongoing and promising to become even better over time.

1. Clannad (2007-2009) 49 episodes 1 movie.
2. One Piece (1999-2011+) 507 episodes 10 movies.
3. Code Geass (2006-2009+) 50 episodes 2 movies.
4. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha (2004-2010+) 52 episodes 1 movie.
5. Seikai no Monshou/Senki/Danshou (1999-2005) 39 episodes 2 movies.
6. Pretty Cure (2004-2011+) 360 episodes 10 movies.
7. Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (2006-2009+) 55 episodes.
8. K-On! (2009-2011+) 31 episodes.
9. Naruto (2002-2011+) 442 episodes 8 movies.
10. Dragonball (1986-2011) 609 episodes 17 movies.
11. Haruhi Suzumiya (2006-2010) 28 episodes 1 movie.
12. Kanon (2002-2007) 38 episodes.
13. Fairy Tail (2009-2011+) 88 episodes.
14. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007-2009) 27 episodes 2 movies.
15. To Aru Majutsu no Index/Kagaku no Railgun (2008-2011) 73 episodes.
16. Katanagatari (2010) 12 episodes.
17. Angel Beats (2010) 14 episodes.
18. Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011) 12 episodes.
19. Da Capo (2003-2011) 82 episodes.
20. Kobato (2009-2010) 24 episodes.
21. Vandread (2000-2001) 26 episodes 2 movies.
22. Full Metal Panic! (2002-2005) 50 episodes.
23. Working! (2010+) 13 episodes.
24. Toradora! (2008-2009) 25 episodes.
25. Record of Lodoss War (1990-1998) 43 episodes 1 movie.
26. The World God Only Knows (2010-2011) 24 episodes.
27. Bakuman (2010-2011+) 25 episodes.
28. Sora no Woto (2010) 14 episodes.
29. Cowboy Bebop (1998-2001) 26 episodes 1 movie.
30. Ef (2007-2008) 24 episodes.
31. Hayate no Gotoku (2007-2009+) 78 episodes.
32. Inuyasha (2000-2010) 193 episodes 4 movies.
33. Evangelion (1995-2009) 26 episodes 4 movies.
34. Basilisk (2005) 24 episodes.
35. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) 1 movie.
36. Galaxy Angel (2001-2006) 139 episodes.
37. Saki (2009+) 25 episodes.
38. Uuchuu no Stellvia (2003) 26 episodes.
39. Ranma 1/2 (1989-1996) 174 episodes 2 movies.
40. Samurai Champloo (2004-2005) 26 episodes.
41. Major (2004-2010) 155 episodes 1 movie.
42. Air (2005) 15 episodes 1 movie.
43. Sailor Moon (1992-1997) 200 episodes 3 movies.
44. Rurouni Kenshin (1996-2001+) 101 episodes 1 movie.
45. Prince of Tennis (2001-2011+) 205 episodes 1 movie.
46. Hanasaku Iroha (2011+) 14 episodes.
47. Ore no Immouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai (2010-2011) 16 episodes.
48. 12 Kingdoms (2002-2003) 45 episodes.
49. Utawarerumono (2006-2009) 26 episodes.
50. Kimi ni Todoke (2009-2011) 37 episodes.
51. Mononoke Hime (1997) 1 movie.
52. Summer Wars (2009) 1 movie.
53. Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu (2010-2011+) 15 episodes.
54. Battle Athletes (1997-1998) 32 episodes.
55. Amagami SS (2010-2011) 27 episodes.
56. Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai (2011) 11 episodes.
57. Zero no Tsukaima (2006-2008) 38 episodes.
58. Berserk (1997-1998+) 25 episodes.
59. Claymore (2007) 26 episodes.
6o. Valkyria Chronicles (2009-2011) 27 episodes.
61. Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka (2008-2009) 13 episodes.
62. Negima! Magister Magi Negi (2004-2010+) 38 episodes.
63. Macross Plus (1994-1995) 4 episodes 1 movie.
64. Read or Die (2001-2004) 29 episodes.
65. Angelic Layer (2001) 26 episodes.
66. Mahoromatic (2001-2009) 30 episodes.
67. Sora no Otoshimono (2009-2011) 25 episodes 1 movie.
68. Bleach (2004-2011+) 328 episodes 4 movies.
69. Card Captor Sakura (1998-2000) 70 episodes 2 movies.
70. Martian Successor Nadesico (1996-1998) 27 episodes 1 movie.
71. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) 1 movie.
72. Break Blade (2010-2011) 6 movies.
73. Spice and Wolf (2008-2009) 27 episodes.
74. Bastard! (1992) 6 episodes.
75. Alien Nine (2001-2002) 4 episodes.
76. Fatal Fury (1992-1994) 3 movies.
77. Bakemonogatari (2009-2010+) 15 episodes.
78. Iria: Zeiram the Animation (1994) 6 episodes.
79. Guyver (1986-2006) 38 episodes 1 movie.
80. Sora no Manimani (2009) 12 episodes.
81. Shakugan no Shana (2005-2010+) 53 episodes 1 movie.
82. Gosick (2011) 24 episodes.
83. Macross Frontier (2008-2011) 25 episodes 2 movies.
84. Scrapped Princess (2003) 24 episodes.
85. Lucky Star (2007-2008) 25 episodes.
86. Hunter x Hunter (1999-2004) 92 episodes.
87. Spirited Away (2001) 1 movie.
88. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) 1 movie.
89. Azumanga Daioh (2002) 27 episodes.
90. To Heart (1999-2010) 48 episodes.
91. Saber Marionette (1995-1999) 60 episodes.
92. Kanokon (2008-2009) 14 episodes.
93. Ninja Scroll (1993) 1 movie.
94. High School of the Dead (2010-2011) 13 episodes.
95. Gunbuster (1988-2006) 12 episodes 3 movies.
96. RG Veda (1991-1992) 2 episodes.
97. Shamanic Princess (1996-1998) 6 episodes.
98. Akira (1988) 1 movie.
99. Moshidora (2011) 10 episodes.
100. Soul Eater (2008-2009) 51 episodes.

Attaching the length to each series let's us see exactly what we're talking about. First off, it pays to be long. The first 15 series are all on the longer side, and even Katanagatari's 12 episodes are 50 minutes a piece, translating into '24 episodes' if you look closely. The first short series to place highly is Angel Beats, followed by Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Both series are incredibly good for their length, but they still can't compete with their longer opponents. Many of the low ranking series are just single movies or a series that is less than 20 episodes, not having enough time to impress with a truly grand tale. But that's not always the case. Some very long series are pretty weak, when you look at how little quality they generated with so much effort: Bleach, Soul Eater, Saber Marionette, Hunter x Hunter, To Heart, Shakugan no Shana and Card Captor Sakura stand out for this. If you're going to watch those series, be ready for a long slog with comparatively little payoff. The longest series in the rankings are ordered thusly:

10. Dragonball
2. One Piece
9. Naruto
6. Pretty Cure
68. Bleach

So mostly long series have paid off handsomely. They're great for the seller and the audience, because they just go on and on and they're always avidly appreciated. But Bleach. . .::shakes head::. . .what can I say. . .poor Bleach.

If you add up all the episodes and movies released from all 100 series, you would get 5772 episodes and 98 movies. That's around 105 days worth of around-the-clock viewing entertainment. Even as we speak, more anime from these series is being released, too, so you'd better crack to it if you want to catch up. If we assume people can only spare 2 hours out of every day watching anime, it would take 3.5 years to watch it all. Imagine if I expanded this list to the top 110 series. . .

Anime isn't just a few good shows. It isn't just a peculiarity or a good movie here and there. There's enough good anime out, now, that it can become an entire way of life. Millions of people have discovered this winning formula: Birth, death, anime inbetween.