Modern-day anime are tame in terms of how long they run. A majority of new-gen anime stick to 12-24 episodes per season.
Of course, that’s what fans want these days.
Fans want anime that they can binge-watch in a day or two and move to the next one. So, we can’t really complain or blame the production studios too much.
But what about otakus like us who grew up watching shounens like Naruto, Bleach, Gintama, One Piece, and countless other anime with hundreds and thousands of episodes?
We’ve developed a thing for long-running anime, and there’s no turning back.
Thankfully, there’s plenty to chew on.
So, without further ado, here are 30 anime with most anime episodes that would take years to finish.
30 Longest Running Japanese Anime Series
What do you think? What is the longest anime series?
If you said One Piece, you’re wrong. One Piece isn’t even close to being the anime with the most anime episodes.
Read on, and prepare to be surprised.
30. Bleach – 366 Episodes
- Production Studio: Studio Pierrot
- Release Date: October 5, 2004
- Status: Finished
Let’s start things off with one of the Big Three Anime.
Bleach follows the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a high school student who inherits the powers of Soul Reaper from Rukia Kuchiki, the true Soul Reaper. Now, he must guide the departed into the afterlife and fend off evil spirits to keep the universe in check.
Bleach finished airing in March 2012, and a sequel – Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – is out now.
29. KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops – 373 Episodes + 27 Specials
- Production Studio: Studio Gallop
- Release Date: June 16, 1996
- Status: Finished
If you’re looking for some classic comedy anime, I’ll suggest KochiKame.
This long-running anime follows Ryotsu Kankichi, a lazy, fugly, greedy, but sweet cop from a small police station in DownTown Tokyo.
The anime is based on Osamu Akimotos’ manga of the same name, which began publishing in 1976. And if you’re wondering why it took so long to get an anime, it’s because the mangaka wanted it to be a live-action film and not an anime.
28. Cooking Idol I! My! Mine! – 400 Episodes
- Production Studio: Studio Deen
- Release Date: March 30, 2009
- Status: Finished
Cooking Idol I! My! Mine! is an educational anime for children that teaches them the basics of cooking.
Created with a mix of anime and live-action segments, the main character of the show called MAIN cooks some of the most popular dishes of Japanese culture and sings about them.
It’s an entertaining show if you like cooking and cute little girls singing about cabbage.
27. Shimajiro no Waow! – 453 Episodes
- Production Studio: The Answer Studio
- Release Date: April 2, 2012
- Status: In Production
Another Japanese anime targeted younger audiences to encourage interactive learning.
The show follows a group of cute little animals led by a tiger cub, Shimajiro, as they try to engage viewers in educational content using music, physical activities, and more.
Shimajiro no Waow! focuses on subjects like Math, Science, and other social skills.
26. Morning Ninja Team Gatchaman – 475 Episodes
- Production Studio: Tatsunoko Productions
- Release Date: October 1, 1972
- Status: Finished
Also known as Science Ninja Squad Gatchaman, Morning Ninja Team Gatchaman is a classic action anime from the 70s.
This series follows a group of 5 superheroes (Ken, Joe, Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu) called the Science Ninja Team. The Ninja Team is up against an evil organization, Galactor, who wants to conquer the Earth.
If you’re into space battles and high-tech gadgets, you’ll love this ahead-of-it’s-time anime.
25. Naruto: Shippuden – 500 Episodes
- Production Studio: Studio Pierrot
- Release Date: February 15, 2007
- Status: Finished
Naruto’s sequel, Naruto: Shippuden has more than twice the number of episodes. Part I only has 220 episodes, while the sequel ended with 500 episodes.
The sequel was set two and a half years after the original Naruto series. This time skip saw Naruto leave the Hidden Village and train with Jiraiya. After his training ends, Naruto returns to the Village.
That’s where a new journey starts for Naruto as he moves closer to becoming the Hokage.
24. Obake no Q-taro – 510 Episodes
- Production Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
- Release Date: April 1, 1985
- Status: Finished
Fujiko Fujio, the minds behind Doraemon, Ninja Hattori-kun, and more iconic children’s anime created Obake no Q-taro.
Obake no Q-taro follows the adventures of Q-taro, a young boy who dies and becomes a ghost. Soon, he’s joined by his mother, father, and younger sister as well. And after the reunion, the whole family just enjoys causing trouble.
But, being the good-hearted boy that Q-taro is, he also helps out those in need.
23. Perman – 526 Episodes
- Production Studio: Tokyo Movie
- Release Date: April 2, 1967
- Status: Finished
Perman is one of the lesser-known works of the Fujiko Fujio duo, but it’s still one of the longest manga and anime series.
The story revolves around a young boy, Mitsuo Suwa, who meets Birdman, an alien, and becomes his apprentice. Along with Birdman, Mitsuo joins a group of superheroes dedicated to keeping universal peace.
Mitsuo gets different gadgets that give him superpowers, but the clumsy boy needs a lot of training.
22. Hanakappa – 629 Episodes
- Production Studio: Xebec, OLM
- Release Date: March 29, 2010
- Status: In Production
Some anime never really make it big outside of Japan, and Hanakappa is one of those. But, the series is still as popular as ever in Japan. That’s why it’s been running for over a decade.
Hanakappa is a manga and anime series about a Japanese folklore character, a Kappa. Kappas are adventurous creatures, and Hanakappa is no different.
But, what makes Hanakappa unique and a target of evil are the special powers granted to him by a unique flower on his head.
21. Ninja Hattori-kun – 696 Episodes + 11 Specials
- Production Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
- Release Date: September 28, 1981
- Status: Finished
Just like some anime fail outside of Japan, some garner a worldwide audience, and Ninja Hattori-kun did the latter.
The series follows a young Ninja, Hattori-kun, who befriends a lazy boy, Kenichi Mitsuba, and helps him navigate through life.
Nickelodeon and Disney introduced Ninja Hattori-kun to children from every corner of the world. USA, UK, Australia, and Canada got the English dub on Netflix (removed in 2020), whereas Amazon Prime Video still streams Ninja Hattori-kun in India and a few other countries.
20. Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō – 726 Episodes
- Production Studio: Studio Kikan, Pierrot Plus
- Release Date: December 13, 1993
- Status: Finished
Titled in English as Striped Island Tiger Shimajirō, this is a children’s slice of life/education anime. The series is set on a fictional island, Challenge Island, home to anthropomorphic animals.
Within those animals is Shimajiro, a young tiger cub who attends Kindergarten and discovers new things in every episode.
The series targets preschoolers, and that’s why it only ever aired in Japan.
19. Asa da yo! Kaishain – 744 Episodes
- Production Studio: DLE
- Release Date: April 4, 2016
- Status: Finished
Asa da yo! Kaishain (It’s Morning! Clamployees) started as interval animations representing stereotypical employees in a Japanese workspace.
There’s no storyline to follow, no set premise. It’s just a bunch of shellfish that represent the various types of employees one could see in a Japanese office, or any office for that matter.
The shorts gained so much popularity among the Japanese audience that the producers kept creating and creating and creating…
18. Kotowaza House – 773 Episodes
- Production Studio: Eiken
- Release Date: April 4, 1987
- Status: Finished
Kotowaza House was a proverb-of-the-week anime set around a salaryman, Peter.
This public-service anime would air 5-minute episodes every weekday.
Every episode will start with Peter doing something that doesn’t sit well in Japanese culture. And then, by the end of the episode, he’d be corrected and educated by his friends and family.
You’d think they’d run out of proverbs after a few weeks, but the series went on for 5 years.
17. Sekai Monoshiri Ryokō – 1,006 Episodes
- Production Studio: –
- Release Date: October 1, 1971
- Status: Finished
Another educational Japanese anime that aired during the 70s and has been completely forgotten is Sekai Monoshiri Ryoko (The Instructive Trip Around The World).
The series is a documentary-styled animation with 5-minute episodes that take the viewer on a trip to famous places around the globe.
Much like many other anime on this list, Sekai Monosiri Ryoko also never made its way to the Western audience, and now it’s completely lost in time.
16. One Piece – 1,055 Episodes
- Production Studio: Toei Animation
- Release Date: October 20, 1999
- Status: In Production
One of the most popular anime of our generation, many believe One Piece is the longest anime ever. And it’s a well-founded claim because the series has been running for nearly 24 years now.
The story of Luffy trying to become the King of Pirates is as entertaining and gripping as it was the day Luffy set sail for the first time.
But, is One Piece the longest anime? Far from it! In fact, there are 15 more anime with more episodes than One Piece.
15. Case Closed (Detective Conan) – 1,077 Episodes
- Production Studio: TMS Entertainment
- Release Date: January 8, 1996
- Status: In Production
One of the longest-running manga, with over 100 volumes, is bound to have plenty of anime episodes.
Detective Conan currently sits at 1077 anime episodes with new episodes airing every week.
The anime follows a teenage detective, Shinichi Kudo, who transforms into a child after he’s injected with an unknown chemical. But, Shinichi still solves cases as quickly as he did as a teenager.
14. Crayon Shin-chan – 1,122 Episodes
- Production Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
- Release Date: April 13, 1992
- Status: In Production
Much like Ninja Hattori-kun, Crayon Shin-chan also garnered a global audience.
The series is about Shin-chan, a young prankster, who has some crazy adventures because of his outgoing and playful personality.
He’s not alone, though.
Shin-chan has a colorful cast of friends and family by his side.
With a unique animation style and some peculiar voice acting, Shin-chan became an equally popular cartoon series among Asian and Western viewers.
13. Doraemon (2005) – 1,217 Episodes
- Production Studio: Shin-Ei Animation, Asatsu-DK
- Release Date: April 15, 2005
- Status: In Production
While some of you may not have seen the 2005 version, everyone knows who and what Doraemon is.
The sequel continues the adventures of Nobita and Doraemon along with Shizuka, Gian, Suneo, and others.
The classic Doraemon, from 1979, finished airing in March 2005. And just a month later, part 2 of Doraemon with better animation started airing on ANN in Japan.
12. Monoshiri University: Tomorrow’s Calendar – 1,274 Episodes
- Production Studio: –
- Release Date: July 1, 1966
- Status: Finished
This series only ran for 4 years but still managed to churn out 1,274 episodes.
Monoshiri University: Tomorrow’s Calendar is another one of those educational anime series that got restricted to Japan.
The anime has a 5-minute-episode format, and each episode will focus on a certain historical event.
Since it’s from the 60s, there’s no way to watch it now.
Also Read: 17 Most Banned Anime & Whether To Watch Them Or Not
11. Hoka Hoka Kazoku (The Affectuous Family) – 1,428 Episodes
- Production Studio: Eiken
- Release Date: October 1, 1976
- Status: Finished
Hoka Hoka Kazoku was a state-sponsored anime series produced by the National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations.
It was an Educational Slice-of-Life anime that used a combo of animation and live-action elements to educate audiences about the new and emerging Japan.
There was no set plot for the series.
It just followed a family of five to convey public service messages and educate the audience with a 5-minute episode every weekday.
10. Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi – 1,494 Episodes
- Production Studio: Group TAC
- Release Date: January 7, 1975
- Status: Finished
Japanese folk tales turned into anime? Who could say no to that?
Gisaburo Sugii picked up the best of Japanese folk tales and turned them into an omnibus-format anime series. The stories and the fact that he used different animators for every episode made the series an instant hit.
Every episode would have felt fresh and exciting as if you were watching it for the first time.
It’s a shame that the series is non-existent on the internet now.
9. Kirin Ashita no Calendar – 1,498 Episodes
- Production Studio: –
- Release Date: Jan 1, 1980
- Status: Finished
Very little is known about Kirin Ashita no Calendar except for the fact that this is a sequel to another one of the longest Japanese anime series, Monoshiri University: Tomorrow’s Calendar.
Much like it’s a prequel, Kirin Ashita no Calendar also had the same format of 5-minute educational episodes about history.
And much like its prequel, Kirin Ashita no Calendar also was confined to the Japanese audience.
8. Chibi Maruko-chan – 1,501 Episodes
- Production Studio: Nippon Animation
- Release Date: January 8, 1995
- Status: In Production
Based on a 17-Volume manga, Chibi Maruko-chan follows a young girl named Momoko Sakura. She lives in suburban Japan with her family and is the troublemaker of the town.
Every episode starts with Momoko starting trouble and then finding a solution for it with help from her friends.
Chibi Maruko-chan is a two-parter. The first part aired from 1990 to 1992 and had 142 episodes. Part 2 started airing in 1995 on Fuji TV, and is still going strong with 1359+ episodes.
7. Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata – 1,565 Episodes
- Production Studio: –
- Release Date: January 1, 1975
- Status: Finished
Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata is another educational anime for kids that had a “this day in history” format. Cathy, a cat, is the main character of the series. She, along with a mouse, gives history lessons to viewers.
The show aired for 4 years before shutting down in December of 1979.
As of now, Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata is Lost Media. There’s no way to watch this informative show anymore.
6. Soreike! Anpanman – 1,572 Episodes
- Production Studio:
- Release Date: October 3, 1988
- Status: In Production
Takashi Yanase, the creator of Anpanman, came up with the character while starving for food during World War II.
Soreike! Anpanman is the story of a superhero who has an Anpan for a head. The superhero fights Baikinman in every episode and protects the world from total annihilation.
FYI: Anpan is a sweet roll filled with bean paste and is very popular in Japan. Anpanman anime is equally popular among younger kids in Japan.
5. Doraemon (1979) – 1,787 Episodes
- Production Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
- Release Date: April 2, 1979
- Status: Finished
Although the OG Doraemon series ended in 2005, it remains one of the top 10 longest anime series to date.
Quite frankly, if a show ran for 25 years and had as much of a viewership as Doraemon did, it’d be silly not to create this many episodes.
The show remains one of the most popular Japanese shows globally. And even though they ran out of manga material in 2005, the creators keep coming up with new adventures for Nobita and Doraemon.
4. Oyako Club – 1,818 Episodes
- Production Studio: Eiken
- Release Date: October 3, 1994
- Status: Finished
Oyako Club is a slice-of-life anime that follows two aliens and their day-to-day interaction with a human family.
Rompa and Lun are two Japanese-speaking aliens (because why not?) who end up living with a human family. As they learn the ways of Earth and introduce the family to their style of life, the show turns humorous and wholesome at times.
It’s kind of sad that the show never got a proper finale. No one knows whether the aliens returned home or stayed on Earth.
3. Ojarumaru – 1,947 Episodes + 7 Specials
- Production Studio: Gallop
- Release Date: October 5, 1998
- Status: In Production
Ojarumaru, also known as Prince Mackaroo, is a comedy/fantasy/adventure anime that’s been running for nearly 25 years now.
This original anime created by Run Inumaru focuses on a 5-year-old prince, Ojarumaru Sakanoue. He is a prince from the Heian era who landed in modern-day Japan through time travel.
As he learns to live in this new world, he must also fight off enemies who have followed him through time to take back a magical scepter.
2. Nintama Rantarou – 2,321 Episodes
- Production Studio: Ajia-Do
- Release Date: April 10, 1993
- Status: In Production
Meet the OG ninja anime that has been successfully running for nearly 30 years.
Nintama Rantarou follows 3 young shinobis, Rantaro, Shinbei, and Kirimaru. The 3 are first-grade students who love the Ninja culture and aspire to become the best Ninjas in the world.
Since the show is more kid-centric, fights and action take the back seat as comedy becomes the main theme of every 10-minute episode.
1. Mrs. Sazae – 2,640 Episodes
- Production Studio: Eiken
- Release Date: October 5, 1969
- Status: In Production
Here’s the answer to what anime has the most episodes- Mrs. Sazae.
Airing on Fuji TV since October 1969, and showing no signs of slowing down even after 2,640 episodes, Mrs. Sazae is the longest Japanese anime series ever.
The show revolves around Mrs. Sazae and her family. She lives with her husband, 3 kids, a pet cat, and her parents. The family lives in Setagaya Tokyo, and the series showcases how a typical Japanese family navigates through life.
And We’re done
These are the top 30 anime with the most anime episodes.
Next time someone tries to debate you about what is the longest Japanese anime series, just steer them to this blog.
