Thought One Piece’s 1,000 episodes were impressive? Brace yourself for the longest anime out there, which boasts far more episodes than the pirate epic.
Many anime have been airing for decades – take One Piece or Detective Conan, for instance. Both series have surpassed 1,000 episodes, earning them spots among the longest in the genre. But they don’t hold a candle to the anime with the most episodes, a series relatively unknown in the West.
Record Holder: The Longest Anime Ever
The title goes to Sazae-san, with over 2,600 episodes. Since 1969, these episodes have been airing in Japan, with each one telling three short stories. The source material was the manga by Hasegawa Machiko, which concluded decades ago.
Sazae-san follows 27-year-old Sazae and her family as they tackle everyday challenges. The stories reflect the issues of their time – from Sazae’s annoyance with American soldiers in the 1940s to the family’s struggles against hunger. Later, they grapple with modern developments like shopping centers.
10 Anime with the Most Episodes
Animes with over 1,000 episodes aren’t rare. In the top 10 longest anime list, each series surpasses this mark. Here’s the ranking:
- Sazae-san (over 2,600 episodes, since 1969)
- Nintama Rantaro (over 2,350, since 1993)
- Ojarumaru (over 1,900, since 1998)
- Oyaku Club (over 1,800, from 1994 to 2013)
- Doraemon (over 1,750, from 1979 to 2005)
- Soreike! Anpanman (over 1,550, since 1988)
- Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata (over 1,550, from 1975 to 1979)
- Kírin Ashita no Calendar (over 1,450, from 1980 to 1984)
- Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi (over 1,450, from 1975 to 1995)
- Hoka Hoka Kazoku (over 1,400, from 1976 to 1982)
Further down the list, you’ll find anime known in the West, like Pokémon with over 1,250 episodes, Detective Conan with over 1,100 episodes, and of course, One Piece with over 1,050 episodes. By comparison, the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, with around 220 episodes, sits at 58th place.