While it can be amazing towatch an entire show in a single day, many anime fans want a series they can truly sink their teeth into. Long-running series have the potential to connect viewers with their characters in deeper ways than short shows, making every emotional moment hit harder since some folks might have spent their entire lives with these fictional people.
With shows likeGintamaandNarutoon the scene with hundreds of episodes, it can be a shock to fans to realize these aren’t even remotely thelongest-running animeof all time. Some series have spanned thousands of episodes and are still airing new ones to this day. Whichanime series have the most episodesever?
In the case of shows with almost no presence outside of Japan, finding the exact number of episodes can be difficult. As such, an approximation will be used, particularly for airing series likeSazae-san.
Also, franchises with multiple shows, incarnations, or unique seasons will not be regarded as a single entity. Essentially,Dragon BallandDragon Ball Zare separate entities, and the same goes forPokemon,Digimon, andGundam.
Updated on June 24, 2025 by Mark Sammut:As some of thelongest-running animefranchises split their episodes into separate shows, a section highlighting a few of these series has been added.
Special Mentions: Anime With Various Shows/Incarnations
While certain anime produce hundreds of episodes in a single run, some franchises split their content into different series or eras. Even though the individual entries do not qualify as thelongest animeever, the franchises as a whole could be candidates.
Consequently, the following table goes through a few popular long-running anime properties that have hundreds of episodes across different incarnations. More than anything, this data is fun to compile.
Total Number Of Episodes (Not Counting Movies Or Shorts)
779
392
519
861 (Dragon Ball Kaiis included)
338+
Mobile Suit Gundam(1979)
Gundam Build Metaverse(2023)
1069 (This is an approximation asGundamhas a lot of specials, compilation episodes, OVAs adapted into TV series)
1289
988+
239
1177
2011 – 2013
Genre
Parody
Dating back to the ’70s,Gatchamanis a sentai franchise that has a habit of periodically resurfacing for a new entry. While the original series,Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, is somewhat iconic in Japan, Western audiences might be more familiar with 2013’sGatchman Crowdsand its 2015 sequel, a reboot that shares very little common with its classic predecessor.
Airing in 2011,Ohayo Ninja Tai Gatchamanis a flash anime that consists of one-minute episodes, and it does not appear to be available online. A parody of the ’70s series and its later sequels, this show might have been a good time, although it is hard to know at this point.
If taken as a whole, includingBoruto, theNarutofranchise has passed 1000 episodes. However, each series is treated as a separate entity, even though they combine to tell a singular story (especiallyNarutoandShippuden). The sequel series contains approximately half of the franchise’s entire output, and many fans regardShippudento representNarutoat its best.
Hailed as one of the big three shonen properties,Narutowas inescapable for a number of years, and the anime has remained popular to this day. While a bit too reliant on flashbacks at times,Shippudenis generally a gripping ride.
1985 – 1987
Comedy
Debuting as a 1964 manga by Fujiko Fujio,Little Ghost Q-Tarowas adapted into three anime over the next two decades, with its final series lasting more than 500 episodes. Fujio’s resume includesDoraemonandNinja Hattori-kun, so the mangaka’s work has served as inspiration for plenty of long-running and beloved children’s shows over the years.
Nowadays,Little Ghost Q-Tarotends to be overshadowed by other adaptations of the creator’s properties. That said, the show and manga are easy recommendations forDoraemonfans since they strike a similar tone.
1983 – 1985
Another anime based on a manga by Fujiko Fujio,Permanis asuperhero-themed comedy. A young kid named Mitsuo meets an alien who gives him a few items that grant him superpowers, allowing the boy to become Perman. However, Mitsuo has to keep his identity a secret at all costs.
AlthoughPermanhas not received a new series since the mid-80s, the anime did get a couple of movies in the early 2000s. At this point, the franchise is unlikely to make another comeback.
2010 –
Where to Stream
YouTube Channel
Still ongoing,Hana Kappafollows the eponymous character, a kappa who has a unique flower that grants him different abilities. Obviously, this makes the protagonist a target, and he must use his powers and friends to take down a few persistent villains.
Hana Kappahas not really made its way out of Japan, but the series has been successful enough to last more than a decade. The show produces episodes at a near-daily rate and uploads the recent segments to its YouTube channel, so they are readily accessible if someone wants to give them a try. Naturally, they don’t come with any English subtitles since this series is solely for a Japanese audience.
1981 – 1987
Most of thelongest anime seriesare kids' shows that never made it out of their country of origin, and some are forgotten or impossible to find online. Compared to most of its peers,Ninja Hattoriis a relatively recognizable name, perhaps due to it receiving an anime revival in 2012. However, the ’80s original is the version that spanned hundreds of episodes and has a cult following made up of people who grew up on the show.
Ninja Hattorifollows theeponymous shinobias he joins the Mitsuba family and befriends their young son, helping Kenichi to navigate everyday life. The premise is not all that different from something likeDoraemon, just with a ninja replacing a robot.
1993 – 2008
Designed for preschoolers,Shimajirōcovers all the standard lessons children might need to know, and each episode is long for this type of show. The original anime ran for 726 episodes, but the franchise has spawned several sequels; therefore, if taken as a whole,Shimajirōhas produced over a thousand stories.
As is often the case with these types of anime,Shimajirōwas not promoted outside of Japan. Regardless of how popular they might be with their target audience, most shows designed for preschoolers tend to remain confined to their country of origin. That said,Shimajirohas an official English YouTube channel that uploads episodes from across the franchise’s history, so it is not completely insular.
2016 – 2019
Broadcast on Nippon TV Network,It’s Morning! Clamployeesconsists of 1-minute shorts focusing on workplace culture. Debuting in 2016 and lasting until 2019, this series produced a huge amount of content during that time, and it even inspired a spin-off calledShellfish Employeethat ran for a further 25 ONAs.
It’s Morning! Clamployeeshas almost no presence in the West, and it might be one of those cases where the content does not fully translate to other countries. Out of all theanime with the most episodesfeatured on this list,It’s Morning! Clamployeesis the only one that could theoretically be completed in a single day.
1987 – 1994
Slice of Life
Lasting from 1987 to 1994,Kotowaza Houseseems to have been wiped from existence as very little information is available about the series. Consisting of 5-minute episodes, the anime would use its protagonist, Peter, a salaryman, to conduct public service announcements. Essentially, Peter would behave in an undesirable and unhealthy way and then be educated on his flawed actions.
Kotowaza Housegoes to show just how much content has been virtuallyforgotten by time. This goes beyond anime, as there are presumably thousands of shows and movies that are simply lost. Projects that people put their hearts and souls into; ones that might have been popular during their eras but became a thing of the past the second they stopped airing.
Doraemonis a staple of Japanese TV, having been on the air for decades. The first series aired in 1973, lasting 26 episodes. The series was revisited in 1979 and ran until 2005. The currentDoraemonanime started that same year and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down since. It should be noted that most episodes consist of two individual stories, so technically they can be taken as standalone entries in the series.
Doraemon’s adventures with Nobita have inspired a wide range of manga, films, and video games. Like many of the longest-running anime out there, the series is aimed at children and has maintained a loyal following over the years. While none ofDoraemon’s incarnations found massive audiences outside of Japan, the eponymous character is just one of those faces that should be recognizable to most people familiar with anime.
