Longest Running Animated Tv Shows Of All Time Ranked By Duration
From The Simpsons to South Park, these are the animated TV shows that have been gracing screens for the longest time.
Animation, or cartoons, as they are often called, were first created to accompany movies in the early days of Hollywood. Since then, animation has moved to the television landscape making quite an impact on audiences around the world. And while animated movies still remain heavily marketed towards children, animated television is quite the opposite. In fact, many of the longest-running animated shows of all time aren’t children’s shows in the slightest.
RELATED: 10 Animated TV Shows That Were Canceled For Strange Reasons
One of the many benefits of animated shows is that the characters don’t age which allows the series to stay on the air much longer than live-action shows would be able to. And they definitely take advantage of this with some animation shows spanning multiple decades and hundreds of episodes.
There are several classic shows that most fans will recognize and most likely grew up watching on Saturday mornings since these shows have been on the air for years. The shows follow animated animals, younger children in shows directed toward younger audiences, or older protagonists in more adult animated shows. Here are the longest-running animated TV shows, some of which are still on the air, according to how many episodes have aired so far in these longest-running cartoons.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Who knew that a cartoon about anthropomorphic fast food items could run for 14 years?
This Adult Swim cartoon about a milkshake, a box of fries and a meatball and their interactions with their human neighbours is incredibly surreal, but that’s what led to its late-night success.
When Aqua Teen Hunger Force was cancelled in its 11th season, it was Adult Swim’s longest running original series.
Both the network and its creators have suggested new episodes may surface one day, so watch this space.
Deluxe Da Yo Kaishain: Has Aired 900+ Episodes
This 2019 slice-of-life ONA is perhaps the only show on this list that belongs to the post-2000 anime era. The reason its been able to accumulate so many episodes within a short span of time is that each episode is only 2 minutes long.
This anime can be said to be a remake of the original show with the same name. The story is fairly basic, where it follows the day-to-day life of a man named Kamoyama, who ends up working as the Sales Department Zs manager for shellfish!
Read Also: Drawing Anime Mouth
What Is The Longest Running Anime Of All Time And How Long Is It
The anime genre of movies and television shows has gradually gained traction among viewers all over the world. The best-known anime series revolve around diverse topics, including fairy tales, action, and romance. Similar to other genres, some of these series have been aired for a very long time. Do you know what is the longest running anime of all time?
When you think of the longest running anime, what comes to mind? Sailor Moon maybe? Dragon Ball Z? There is so much more besides these hugely popular series for those really caught up in the world of anime.
Some people do not realize that the genre has been around for a very long time, and while most of these shows come and go, the longest anime series have been running for quite long.
The Young And The Restless 47 Years
After practically five decades and almost 12.000 episodes, this show is still going strong. The sister show of The Bold And The Beautiful initially centered on two principal families: the rich Brooks family and the working-class Fosters.
RELATED: The Young And The Restless: 10 Hidden Details About The Main Characters Everyone Missed
Subsequently to a succession of changes and departures in the early 80s, all the initial characters, excluding Jill Foster, were written off and substituted with original main families, the Abbotts and the Williamses. Notwithstanding these alterations, one narrative that has lasted through nearly the series full run is the vendetta between Jill Abbott and Katherine Chancellor, the most extensive enmity in American soap operas.
Don’t Miss: Anime Studio Debut 10 Tutorial
The Best Anime Of All Time
In this Hub I list the very best anime of all time, organized into useful categories:
shonen: where most anime/manga series listed are currently ongoing with more than 100 episodes
shonen: completed series with more than 50 episodes
shonen: original anime with less than 50 episodes
light novel-based anime
shojo/kodomo
Shima Shima Tora No Shimajir
Shimajiro a tiger kid, Mimirin a hare young lady, Torippii a parrot kid, Ramurin a sheep young lady has an undertaking on the difficult island where they live. With more than 700 scenes, this series additionally comes in my rundown without any doubt.
The whole arrangement centers around Shimajiro Shimano, an inquisitive tiger kid living in Challenge Island. Being the second in the family, he goes to Kindergarten close by his companions as they all find everything around them, and learn important exercises as they grow up.
Also Check: Durability Anime Fighting Simulator
One Piece: Has Aired 950+ Episodes
Monkey D. Luffy is a goofy teenage boy who also happens to be a pirate, but an unconventional one. He does not loot places or conquer people hes a pirate because he loves going on adventures and meeting new people.
Of course, much like any other pirate out there, Luffy has his eyes on the ultimate prize called One Piece fortune and riches that are said to be limitless in their amount. Not to mention, whoever gets to the One Piece first, also gets the coveted title of the Pirate King.
Worth It: World Trigger
As a season 2 has been confirmed for World Trigger, this is the perfect time to start Toei Animation‘s anime. Based on a manga by Daisuke Ashihara, World Trigger envisions an alternate reality where a gate appears linking humanity to a world filled with monsters called “Neighbors.” The anime follows the National Defense Agency’s attempts to protect humanity while also trying to learn more about this strange world.
World Trigger has an infamously slow and unsatisfying start, as the anime takes a while to properly establish its characters and universe. However, things pick up significantly after approximately 20 episodes, specifically once the Large-Scale Invasion Arc commences. From there, World Trigger just gets better and better.
Don’t Miss: How To Use Anime Studio Debut 9
Not Worth It: Fairy Tail
Fairy Tail is junk food. Now, there is nothing wrong with enjoying something like that, but there are better meals out there. As far as shounen series go, Fairy Tail starts strong but loses a great deal of momentum as it goes along. Although always present, the anime eventually begins to focus too much on fan service while seldom providing much in the way of consequences for the characters’ actions.
Fairy Tail hits a couple of high points but it becomes very inconsistent after the first hundred episodes. While not the worst show out there, Fairy Tail gets old pretty quickly.
Worth It: Attack On Titan
With a fourth and final season expected to drop by the end of the year, Attack On Titan looks set to come to an end. It has been an incredible ride that has only gotten better with each new twist. A dark fantasy series about humanity’s attempts to survive in a world with massive creatures known as Titans, Attack On Titan started out as a relatively straightforward action series with Eren, the protagonist, seemingly fulfilling the role of a “chosen one.”
However, the subsequent seasons dispelled this cliche while also adding political intrigue into the mix. Even if the first season ends up leaving something to be desired, it is worth sticking with Attack On Titan for just a bit longer.
Don’t Miss: How To Draw Anime Girl Lips
Longest Running Anime Series Of All Time
What do you think is the longest running anime? Prepare some extraordinary watching material. If you are planning to watch a very long episode series.
Anime series will in general come in two phases: rather short and very long. Probably the most well-known anime accompany scary scene checks.
Yet, regardless of whether youve looked after 400 scenes of Naruto or more than 700 scenes of One Piece, that isnt anything contrasted with the longest-running anime recorded in this article.
But if you guys think that Naruto and One Piece have many episodes but you are long. If you just check the rundown thoroughly you will get surprised as well as shocked by watching the episode list.
Here I have prepared the 21 longest running Anime in this rundown for you guys if you want to spend a lot of time on a character so here lets start the rundown without any delay.
Longest Manga Series Of All Time
You thought Superman had a lot of issues? Wait till you see what they have coming out of Japan!
It’s easy to look at something like Superman or Captain America and see a comic book character that’s been around for the better part of a century with more than a thousand issues under their name. Looking at that, it’s hard to imagine there are comics out there that have as many or more.
As it happens, neither Marvel nor DC have much when compared to some Manga titles. These are books that regularly churn out so much content, having a mere thousand or so issues is child’s play, and many have far more.
These are comics that have been around for decades like their Western counterparts, but there’s something about the Japanese creative spirit that keeps these books going for longer than most artists or writers could ever dream of and most of them are done by only one or two people!
That’s not how things are done at DC or the House of Ideas, which makes the Japanese comic book industry one of the most impressive on the planet. While many are turned into anime series and films, a lot of these take up plenty of shelf space as some of the longest-running comic book series of all time.
In the world of Manga, a chapter is around 15-25 pages released weekly. A volume is a collection of chapters into a single book called tankbon.
Also Check: How To Draw Eyelashes Anime
Not Worth It: One Piece
With each passing year, One Piece‘s anime adaptation becomes harder to recommend. Despite its endearing characters and sense of adventure, One Piece moves at such a grueling pace that every arc post-Enies Lobby feels drawn out. Along with its slow pacing, One Piece‘s animation is quite inconsistent, which is a shame considering Eiichiro Oda’s manga has such fantastic art.
While the later sagas overstay their welcome, One Piece is still a fun ride up to the timeskip, which happens during episode 517. After that point, it is best to stick to the manga.
Here Are 15 Of The Longest Running Anime In Existence
MAL Rated 8.26, Ranked #236 | Started airing Winter 1996 | Produced by TMS Entertainment
FUNimation released the first 104 episodes of this mystery-of-the-week series about a genius detective trapped in the body of a child, while Crunchyroll’s been streaming it since episode 754. As the popularity of this classic anime doesn’t seem to be cooling off any time soon, Conan will surely make its way up this list of the longest running anime in the future, so please stay tuned!
MAL Rated 7.74, Ranked #930 | Started airing Spring 1992 | Produced by Shin-Ei Animation
Only 78 episodes of this crude family sitcom were dubbed by FUNimation. Language barriers seem to have been difficult to overcome, especially since a reoccurring scene in this anime seems to be a closeup shot of a mischievous, young boy’s bosom. How did such a goofy masterpiece make it on this list of the longest running anime in Japan? The same way that The Simpsons and South Park have overseas – with tons and tons of laughter! Don’t underestimate the power of a good dirty joke.
MAL Rated 7.41, Ranked #1818 | Started airing Winter 1995 | Produced by Nippon Animation
MAL Rated 6.69, Ranked #8674 | Started airing Summer 1966 | Produced by Otogi Production
MAL Rated 6.69, Ranked #4356 | Started airing Fall 1988 | Produced by TMS Entertainment
MAL Rated 6.46, Ranked #5096 | Started airing Winter 1976
Recommended Reading: Yuri Anime Series List
Kirin Monoshiri Yakata: 1560 Episodes
Kirin Monoshiri Yakata was an anime that aired on MBS TV and TBS TV from January 1975 to December 31st, 1979, for a total of 1,560 episodes.
The series is about a cat and a mouse who teach children about history while trying to get along. The two animals constantly quarrel, usually the mouse outwitting the cat.
Today, only two episodes of Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata have been found, both very poorly translated and only in Japanese. Since its last episode, the show has never been aired again or gotten any English dub during its run.
One night, a Star of Life falls down the chimney of a bakery nestled deep in the forest, causing the dough in the oven to come to life. The dough becomes Anpanman, a superhero made of anpan .
Together with his friends, Anpanman fights his rival Baikinman and helps malnourished people.
List Of Anime Franchises By Episode Count
This is a list of anime series by franchise series total episode count for series with a minimum of 200 total episodes in the franchise, including television series episodes and specials, OVAs, and films. The series in the list combine all episodes in a franchise series within the original work or original text regardless of series subtitle. For example, even though each individual Sailor Moon series has a different title, they are all combined into one total for this list.
Also Check: How To Draw Anime Girl Lips
The 20 Longest Running Cartoons On Television
From the TV you watched when you got home from school, to the raunchy sketches that come on Adult Swim in the middle of the night, we all have cartoons that are close to our hearts.
However, some have more longevity than others.
There are animated series that have been on our airwaves for decades, while some new kids on the block are giving the oldies a run for their money.
Here are the 20 longest running cartoons on television.
What Is The Longest Running Anime Series
In modern anime, there are a few big names that stick out in terms of popularity and running time. Some of these include Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, and Pokémon.
Outside of the more mainstream names, there have been thousands of other series created, with some dwarfing these large properties in both age and total viewership. In fact, there has even been a handful of series that have remained on the air for over 50 years. And that begs the question: what is the longest-running anime series?
Read Also: What Traumatized Anime Boy Are You
Not Worth It: Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball needs no introduction. The original anime and Dragon Ball Z are rightfully hailed as classics, but the subsequent series are far more divisive. Somehow, Dragon Ball Super is even more of a mixed bag than Dragon Ball GT, as the former fluctuates in quality so frequently that it is simultaneously awesome and awful.
While the anime does improve as it goes along, even the best arcs are not without their significant flaws. The Universal Survival Saga starts strong but lacks enough substance to justify its 54 episode run, and the “Future” Trunks Saga fails to stick the landing. When Dragon Ball Super is bad, it is also laughably bad.
Boku No Hero Academia
This show is just hype as all hell.
Its so shounen that it just makes you want to get a cape and run around your room and punch a wall or something.
The anime plus superhero mix-up was just a genius choice. The hype the show has gained also amassed just shy of 90 episodes for now, as well as two movies and a manga spin-off.
Story-wise its not as gripping as some of the others on this list, except Bakugos transformation from tsundere into lovable tsundere. But the action scenes definitely make up for it.
Recommended Reading: Cartoon Voice Actor Salary
The Longest Running Anime
Many anime movies have existed for a long time and continue to exist today. Pokémon, Dragon Ball, Naruto, and One Piece are a few of the most well-known. In addition, some anime shows have been on the air for nearly 50 years and are still going strong.
Sazae-San is the longest aired popular anime of all time. It includes more than 2500 episodes and counting. From 1969 to the present, Sazae-San has aired on Sunday evenings. It depicts Sazae Fugutas life and that of her family.
Sazae-San was the last film to use the vintage cel animation method before switching to digital in 2013.
Sazae-San has always been in production, producing new episodes continually. However, during the recent COVID 19 outbreak, it paused its new episodes and streamed old ones.
Now, they are back again to producing new episodes and continue to grace our screens. Sazae-San is the longest-running anime in history, and it will be a long time before any other anime film catches up.
What Was The First Anime The Making Of The Anime Series
The term anime is the Japanese short form for animation. Anime is widely known as any animation work from Japan, although the Japanese refer to it as animation in general from any part of the world.
Osamu Tekuza first introduced the modern style and art of anime through his work in the 1960s. Anime characters have large doe-eyes and bright colored hair. Furthermore, these characters tend to express exaggerated emotions and gestures.
Anime series promote Japanese culture, and there are stories for all age groups. Anime film has grown over time, but everything has a beginning.
What Was The First Anime?
The first anime film was Dekobo Shingacho meian no Shippai , credited to famous Japanese artist Shimokawa Oten in 1917. It was a five-minute chalk animation.
There remains some argument the author of the first anime. The uncertainty is due to the practice of taking down films when reels were complete.
Unfortunately, some films that survived disappeared in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, which swallowed many film studios and theatres. The crisis destroyed others in the World War 2 bombings, and the rest just vanished over time.
Also Check: What Anime Character Do I Look Like Buzzfeed