Summary
These days, it seems like rising production costs and lofty ambitions have led to some unbearable wait times between seasons of anime. Yes, higher quality shows are great, but sometimes, viewers just want to know what the next episode has in store for their favorite characters, which meay lead them to read the manga and abandon the anime altogether.
Of course, some anime have never been ones to keep fans waiting. These shows provide viewers with mountains of content that would, in turn, allow them to become some of the longest running in the medium. Here are some of thebest anime series that have surpassed 500 episodes.
Dragon Ball
As an anime with incredible international reach, it’s completely understandable whyDragon Ballhas lasted as long as it has. The show has managed to maintain a solid output of compelling story-lines, led by a number ofcharacters that are ridiculously powerfuland likable in the same breath.
Dragon Ballis probably the anime on this list that has had the most downtime. Nevertheless, it has managed to accrue a huge output. Yes, there is an entire series of episodes (Dragon Ball GT) that is considered to be a dud, but that’s only 64 episodes within this otherwise exceptional series.
Narutohas been pumped out non-stop since the early 2000s as one of the last vestiges of the shonen era of yester-year. In fact, the decade that it premiered in is often looked back on as a time when shonen anime was stuffed with tons of unnecessaryfiller and exposition-laden episodes.
But it was those fillers that gave creators time to make sure that the translations of the best parts of the manga worked exceptionally well in animation. The later episodes ofNaruto: Shippudenin particular provided fans with some ofthe most heart-pounding fight scenesin anime. This was something that was carried into its sequel series,Boruto.
There have been a metric ton ofGundamanime iterations over the years. These series entries vary heavily in length and maturity, drawing in fans of all ages to the high octane action that the stories provide.
Fans can watch child soldiers duke it out in bloody combat for their liberation inIron Blooded Orphans, or they can take things slower, with the kid-friendly meta-series that isGundam Build Fighters. Since there are just so many different takes onthe popular mecha anime, bringing the franchise past the 1000 episode milestone, there really is something available inGundamfor everyone to enjoy.
Luffy and the gang just exude likability, so it’s incredibly easy to see why fans have stuck around since the series' inception. Of course, that’s to say nothing of the exceptional storytelling, character development, and beefed-up animation quality of later episodes.
Of the big 3, (Naruto,Bleach, andOne Piece)fillers in this anime are just more entertaining. Unfortunately, this lends credence to the argument that 1000+ episodes is just too big of a barrier for newcomers to break through, as very little of the series is skippable. Regardless, if time allows, getting throughOne Pieceprovides one of the most fulfilling viewing experiences a person can have.
Interest in true crime has seemed to skyrocket as of late. However, morbid curiosities in media have been a thing for a while, with anime likeDetective Conanbeing long-running, serialized proof. 31 seasons in, it’s truly a wonder how writer Gosho Aoyma can come up with so many fun and interesting ways to portray crime on screen.
Of course, there is an overarching plot that sees Conanbutting heads with the seedy Black Orginization, which makes for an incredibly interesting glue that holds the show together. However, the show shines in its “murder-of-the-week” style episodes that keep viewers guessing the entire way through.
Pokemonis one of those shows that adults today are proud to show their kids, overjoyed at the prospect of them getting sucked into something that ruled their life when they were younger. It’s a simple joy that’s not rare either, asthe show’s adorable pocket monstershave run amok for multiple generations at this point.
Each new region explored in the anime correlates with each new game released on Nintendo consoles. There are also tons ofincredibly high qualityPokemonmoviesand merchandise available, helping fans stay invested in the world.
Automation in the modern world is meant to make the lives of normal people easier.Doraemon, on the other hand, focuses on how life can be more fun with a robot whileteaching kids a lesson or twoin the process.
Of course, some episodes forego the life lessons and just to goof around with Doraemon’s myriad of futuristic tech. For instance, one episode sees him give one of the other characters a liquid to rub on his hand that turns it into a powerful air gun. Gags like these are so random that it’s truly a wonder how the creators can keep the ideas coming, episode after episode.
The longest running anime ever turns out to be one of the easiest to get into, as it follows the everyday exploits of the Fuguta family. What’s more, it hasn’t really changed much over time.
It’s a slice-of-life anime through and through, following characters who are simply living their lives, and viewers are along for the ride. As such, there are tons of interesting characters here, all with their own varying problems. Of course, while it all may not all be interesting to the modern viewer, with nearly 9,000 episodes, there are bound to be a number of stories here for many to enjoy.
