Ask John: Why Are Some Anime Series So Long?

Question:
Why are some anime series so obscenely long? I can name three series- Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon, and Urusei Yatsura, that have at least 200 episodes. Now, I am aware that there are series that span this kind of length here in the USA, such as the very popular “Simpsons” and the old but dearly loved “Flintstones,” but these are the only two series that have even cracked that barrier in the USA. In Japan, these things seem to flourish for some reason. I would genuinely like to know why these kinds of ultra-long anime series are so prolific over there.

Answer:
The series you’ve named are all long ones, but even they don’t compare to some of the genuinely long anime TV series like Doraemon, Chibi Maruko-chan, Anapanman, Crayon Shin-chan and Sazae-san that have anywhere from 800 to over 1200 episodes. In Japan, a series will stay on television for as long as it’s popular and profitable, and many of these childrens/family anime shows that I’ve mentioned have been on the air for decades and still earn three or even four times the number of viewers that more limited market, fan-oriented shows like Evangelion, Slayers and Cowboy Bebop do. In some cases, long series conclude when their popularity and ratings die off, as happened in Japan with Sailormoon, St. Seiya and Tenchi Muyo. Sometimes a series creator may get tired of drawing a series and move on to something else, but it’s also common for popular anime series to continue with a life of their own. Rumiko Takahashi had little to do with the later Urusei Yatsura OAVs and movies. Akira Toriyama’s Dragonball manga concluded with the end of Dragonball Z, but Toei Studios kept the series alive for the Dragonball GT series. Fujiko F. Fujio died of liver failure in 1996, but his most famous creation, Doraemon, still lives on in new TV episodes and movies.