Viewers awe at the endurance of such anime as long-running favourites One Piece and Case Closed (also known as Detective Conan) sail over the thousand-episode threshold. It would take weeks to marathon just one of these shows because they have been on the air longer than some of their viewers have been alive and have hundreds or even thousands of episodes.
Whether these brands and series are some of the most well-known of all time, like One Piece, or obscure but still current, like Crayon Shin-chan, they all have a unique selling point that has drawn viewers to them for years. These anime have endured while others have come and gone.
Jordan Iacobucci updated this on January 25th, 2023: Numerous anime series have the potential to last an indefinite amount of time. Fans of these shows are reflecting on the many long-running anime that have revived interest in the genre and persisted over the decades as more and more cherished series cross the 1,000 episode mark.
Bleach – 366 Episodes, 8 Years Airing
Stream On Hulu
The experiences of Ichigo Kurosaki, a recently resurrected Soul Reaper who dedicates his life to protecting the vulnerable and soothing the suffering of lost souls, are chronicled in the anime Bleach. Ichigo’s use of his newly discovered abilities will determine the course of the world as he fights evil and defends the weak.
In 2004, the long-running anime series Bleach debuted. It continued to air for the following eight years before reaching a dramatic climax in 2012. The anime ran for 366 episodes in all by the time it was finished, making it one of the longest-running anime series ever. The brand-new sequel series Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War continues the show’s legacy today.
Case Closed – 1,067 Episodes, 26 Years Airing
Stream On Freevee
Shinichi Kudo is a smart young detective who has already helped seasoned law enforcement on significant cases with his blazingly quick assessments. As a result of their accomplishment, two crooks attack Shinichi and force-feed him an experimental poison. As he continues to strive to solve murders, the poison turns him into a child rather than killing him. This forces him to assume a new identity.
The fact that viewers continue to watch the show even after more than a thousand new cases have been added is a credit to how well the writing is done. Shinichi’s attempts to get back into his original body are a recurring theme, however Case Closed is mostly episodic.
Chibi Maruko-Chan – 1,359 Episodes, 27 Years Airing
Despite being a must-watch one-season anime, Chibi Maruko-chan might be more challenging to marathon than the typical 12- or 24-episode season. It would take almost three weeks to finish everything because there are thousands of episodes.
The children’s programme, which is based on one of the most well-known shoujo manga, follows Momoko “Maruko” Sakura and her friends and family. Both younger viewers who want something straightforward and elderly viewers who are nostalgic will enjoy it because it is charming and lively.
Crayon Shin-chan – 1,122 Episodes, 30 Years Airing
Crayon Shin-chan is a slice-of-life anime that features some of the most absurd character designs ever created. It centres on five-year-old Shinnosuke Nohara. Shin is a typical mischievous youngster that engages in extensive mischief with his friends in his neighbourhood.
The series is still being shown in Japan, and several attempts to dub it in English have been done, however most of them fall short. The Vitello Productions dub, for example, adds even more crude jokes to an already obscene show. All the English dubs significantly alter the original material.
Doraemon – 1,787 Episodes, 26 Years Airing
Numerous series with the name Doraemon have been a mainstay of the anime genre for a very long time. But the franchise has been around the longest since the 1979 season in particular.
Before ending in 2005, the 26-year run of the Doraemon version from 1979 featured more than 1,700 episodes. The total number of episodes in the entire Doraemon pantheon is over 3,000, even though the series is still far from having the longest run of any anime.
Dragon Ball – 639 Episodes, 32 Years Airing
Stream On Hulu
The enduring Akira Toriyama manga, which in turn was based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West, is the source for the legendary shounen anime Dragon Ball, a pillar of the genre. From childhood through adulthood, it chronicles the life of Son Goku, one of the few remaining members of the Saiyan warrior race, an alien warrior race.
Goku not only grows stronger in the three series that directly adapt the book, but also through the Dragon Ball GT anime. He battles his way through numerous competitions and end-of-the-world scenarios. Because death is not always final in this realm, storylines frequently include Dragon Ball characters who fans believe should have remained dead.
Gintama – 367 Episodes, 12 Years Airing
Stream On Hulu
Gintoki Sakata, a former swordsman, has abandoned his life of killing and now survives by working odd jobs all across Japan with straight-arrow samurai Shinpachi, obscenely strong alien female Kagura, and Kagura’s enormous dog Sadaharu. They form the Yorozuya Gin when combined.
In the universe of Gintama, aliens had a major cultural influence on Edo. Period Any absurd thing that might happen will happen in Japan. These finish a 367-episode run over twelve years and contain a character who transforms into a gorilla after being bitten by one, a four-way swordfight over toilet paper, and one of the best beach episodes in anime.
Gundam – 1,027 Episodes, 43 Years Airing
Stream Original Series On Crunchyroll
One of the most well-known and popular anime franchises of all time is Gundam. The canon TV shows keep coming even without include specials and OVAs. In dozens of other worlds and timelines, they tell tales of valiant pilots piloting strong flying machines known as Gundams to win battles and defend loved ones.
The original Mobile Suit Gundam from 1979, Zeta Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam Wing are a few of the most well-known Gundam series. They can all be regarded as foundational anime series for the mecha subgenre.
Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops – 373 Episodes, 8 Years Aired
A humorous animation series called Kochikame: Tokyo Beat Cops follows the exploits of middle-aged Tokyo police officer Kankichi Ryotsu and his other police colleagues and city buddies. The animated series was based on a popular serial that ran for many years before it ever appeared on television.
With eight years of footage to sort through, Korchikame: Tokyo Beat Cops has a massive backlog of programmes for both new and seasoned viewers. With 373 total episodes, the series eventually came to an end in 2004. However, it has since continued to create new material through nine television specials, the most recent of which aired in 2016.
Naruto – 720 Episodes, 15 Years Airing
Stream On Hulu
With its second portion, Naruto Shippuden, accounting for the majority of its duration, Naruto is one of the longest-running series of all time, even without including the follow-up series Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, which has 260 episodes as of this writing. Beginning as a desolate orphan with unrealized potential, Naruto Uzumaki eventually triumphantly emerges as a great hero.
Of fact, some would argue that Naruto cheats a little in this department because filler episodes make up a large portion of its episode total. Even while this filler is frequently criticised, some arcs gave birth to some of Naruto’s greatest foes.
One Piece – 1,043 Episodes, 23 years airing
Stream On Netflix
One Piece is based on one of the longest-running manga series ever and is a universal classic. With very little filler, it is an accurate adaptation. The One Piece, the ultimate treasure, has been concealed, according to Gol D. Roger, the most legendary pirate in history, just before he was executed. The new Pirate King will be whoever completes the arduous task and discovers the loot.
Eiichiro Oda’s manga may soon surpass some currently lengthier anime because it is still going strong and shows no signs of stopping. Only time will be able to determine how long the Luffy and the Straw Hats saga will have continued after its conclusion.
Pokémon – 1,222 episodes, 25 Years Airing
Stream On Prime Video
New seasons of the anime will continue to be released as long as Pokémon video games are produced. With the aim of becoming a Pokémon Master, the young Trainer Ash Ketchum and his sidekick Pikachu go across region after region, collecting new Pokémon, gaining new friends, and triumphing in fight after battle.
Pikachu is a beloved character in many nations, and the show is still a hit with viewers of all ages. Even if the stakes aren’t exactly high, the show is cheerful, upbeat, and a lot of fun, which will have viewers coming back for more.
Sazae-San – 7,920 Episodes, 53 Years Airing
Sazae-san is one of the longest-running TV shows of all time, easily surpassing powerhouses like The Simpsons and Doctor Who. It not only outperforms any anime in history in terms of library and duration. Even more impressively, it currently retains the record for the longest-running animated television programme in history.
The programme follows housewife Sazae Fuguta and her family’s daily activities. It is well-liked in Japan for its depiction of a wholesome Japanese way of life, and many families continue to watch it every Sunday night. Because it is ingrained in Japanese culture, depression brought on by the conclusion of the weekend and the approaching start of a new workweek is known as “Sazae-san syndrome” in that country.
Shima Shima Tora No Shimajiro – 726 Episodes, 15 Years Aired
Fans of the slice-of-life anime subgenre should not miss Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro. Younger children are the target audience for the enduring anime series, which aims to impart valuable lessons about starting school, making friends, paying attention to parents, and other topics.
The historical run of the show began in 1993 and lasted for more than 700 episodes over a period of fifteen years, concluding in 2008. However, only the first season was cancelled; subsequent seasons added to the show’s history and produced a combined total of far over 1,000 episodes.
Soreike! Anpanman – 1,572 Episodes, 34 Years Airing
Stream On Tubi
Anpanman, Soreike! – 1,572 Episodes, 34 Years, Streaming On Tubi Go! An illustration of the lead characters, Sorieke! The children’s superhero Anpanman, who has a bean-shaped head, faces evil, including the malicious germ Baikinman, in the story Anpanman. Anpanman has emerged as one of the most known original characters from Japanese pop culture thanks to the series, which has become a mainstay of Japanese society.
The popularity of the main character in Japanese popular culture has allowed Sorieke! Anpanman to have a successful run on television. The series started airing in 1988 and is still going strong today, having produced more than 1,500 episodes over more than three decades.
