Ask John: Why Do Series With Endless Potential Finish so Quickly?

Question:
Why do popular and successful manga/anime series like Death Note end so quick when it have the potential to be good long term?

Answer:
It’s natural for fans of a particular story to want the story to continue unabated. When we enjoy something, we naturally want more of it. And when we enjoy the company of certain characters, or enjoy being immersed in a particular setting, we want to prolong that experience. Furthermore, the influence of American cartoons and comics may create an unconscious expectation that fertile narratives can or should continue indefinitely. Cartoon and comic characters like Superman, Spiderman, Charlie Brown, and Bugs Bunny never age, and their stories never end. And Japan does have its own perpetual characters like Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan that never age and whose stories seemingly never end. But popular series like Death Note, Rurouni Kenshin, Inuyasha, Sailor Moon, and Dragon Ball do eventually end, despite their seeming ability to stretch on and on.

That these beloved stories do reach conclusions is actually part of the reason why we love them so much, although it’s probably not a reason that many readers or viewers consciously realize. Well conceived literary creations tell their own stories. An involving, skillfully composed story develops because of character’s natural decisions and actions. Events occur because they’re situations that develop naturally as part of the story, or because of characters’ actions, not as a result of an author’s whims or audience demands. Authors sometimes admit that their stories didn’t develop they way they’d anticipated. That’s because, during the writing process, characters take on a life of their own, and the characters’ own personalities determine the progress of the story.

Conventional American comics and cartoons are specifically designed to avoid reaching definitive climaxes or conclusions. They’re often constructed by authors that use characters to tell stories rather than authors who allow characters to tell their own stories and reach their own natural conclusions. While I don’t want to imply that American comics and cartoons aren’t involving and entertaining, I think that manga and anime fans specifically appreciate certain manga and anime series like Death Note because these series have believable, absorbing characters and stories that don’t feel artificially manipulated or unduly prolonged. We appreciate stories like Death Note because the story unfolds at a natural pace and builds toward an inevitable climax. In that respect, continuing the story beyond its natural conclusion would feel like a betrayal of the literary integrity that initially made the series compelling. It may be possible to continue a story, but that possibility doesn’t mean that a continuation is the right thing to do. Stories end when they reach their conclusion, and in some cases, while the characters may live on, or the world continue to exist, the story itself has finished, and therefore the series has reached its natural conclusion.

We also can’t ignore the desires of the author or creator. When an author has told the story he wants to tell, readers or viewers have some obligation to respect that decision. (Of course, loyal fans can urge the original creator to continue working with the story or characters. Or fans can create their own sequels or spin-offs through various forms of fan art.) Extending a story beyond its natural conclusion does not always produce satisfying results. The conclusion of the Dragon Ball Z television series adapted the climax of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga, but Toei Animation didn’t want the Dragon Ball anime franchise to end. The resulting compromise between creator Akira Toriyama, who had satisfactorily finished his Dragon Ball story, and Toei Animation that wanted to continue the story, was the widely panned Dragon Ball GT series. Similarly, Studio Deen intended to conclude the Rurouni Kenshin television anime after the “Shishio” story arc, going so far as to even animate a series finale episode. But then a decision was made to prolong the series, resulting in the widely disparaged “Christian” story arc and the ignominious end of the series.

There’s always a reason why manga or anime series end, although readers or viewers may not always know what that reason is. In virtually every instance, it’s always possible to continue a story or further develop a story, but sometimes that’s not actually the wisest thing to do. The best anime and manga stories often conclude when they reach their natural ends. In some cases that takes a long time; in other cases a natural climax appears very quickly. In those cases, audiences should respect the artistic integrity of the story and appreciate what they’ve read or watched. Look to the positive instead of the negative. Be grateful for the quality of the story that you have received instead of disappointed by a lack of additional story that you think you should receive.