Ask John: Have There Been Anime That Are Too Long or Too Short?

Question:
Have there been series you thought ran too long, diluting or even ruining the story being told? At the same time, have there been shows that were too short, ending before really being able to get into the story? What do you think is a good balance for how long a series lasts?

Answer:
Ultimately, I think it’s the creators that have a right to decide how long or short an anime series should be. Viewers can develop opinions based on their reactions, but only original creators know what their goals for the production are. That’s why I find it difficult to isolate anime series that I think continued for too long. Rather, I can cite titles which are frequently accused of being too long. A list of titles that would benefit from more episodes could potentially be tremendously long, so I’ll limit my response with an explanation.

It’s rarely a good idea to continue an anime series contrary to the wishes of its creator, or only for the purpose of milking additional lifetime from a show that deserves retirement. Akira Toriyama’s Dragonball saga concluded with the final episode of Dragonball Z, yet Toei extended the series with Dragonball GT. While not entirely all bad, Dragonball GT is definitely the declining side of a parabola that peaked with the conclusion of Dragonball Z. Likewise, the Rurouni Kenshin television series was artificially extended, and the brilliant first OAV series was followed by an unnecessary second OAV series. Similarly, the outstanding Saishuheiki Kanojo television series was followed by an entirely pointless two episode OAV series that added no depth to the original story, and in fact undermined some of the intriguing mystery of the original TV series by providing dull, mundane explanations. I’ve also heard countless critics complain that the Kareshi Kanojo no Jijoo television series ruins its acceptable conclusion by continuing on to introduce an incomplete new storyline.

On the opposite side of the coin, one could argue that virtually any anime title that ended with a cliffhanger, or which had a manga series with more story than the anime adaptation, could have been longer. I’ve always been satisfied with the story told in the Fruits Basket television series, for example, although the manga contains much more story yet to be animated and many American fans feel that the anime story is unfulfilled. I do agree with the common opinion that the Berserk television series’ cliffhanger ending was more frustrating than gripping. But in many cases I think that anime series with cliffhanger or unresolved conclusions are intended to end that way. So rather than second guess the intentions of Japanese animators, instead of arguing the merits of cliffhanger endings, I’ll investigate shows that were too short to fulfill their potential or be satisfying for viewers.

The first example that comes to mind is the Shingetsutan Tsukihime television series. Twelve episodes was far too few to adequately convey a satisfying sense of story development. The twelve episode Gunparade March television series likewise wasn’t nearly long enough to do justice to its story or give viewers a satisfying viewing experience. Even with 26 episodes, the Tenjho Tenge anime series felt terribly choppy, incomplete, and thoroughly unsatisfying. It would have been much better served by a significantly longer length, or a more concise adaptation specifically designed for animation instead of a direct recreation of the original manga’s introduction.