If You're Looking For an Anime That Will Keep You Busy for Years, Well - I've Got a Few Suggestions (2025)

Over the past decade or so, the days of anime running for years at a time have slowly been coming to an end. While there are still some that will run for years at a time, nowadays, most studios opt for short seasons before taking a break, which not only helps maintain quality, but also helps keep fans and animators alike from getting burnt out from an overload of content.

The current model for anime is a great one, but that doesn’t mean long-runners have lost all their value. Not only do many of them have plenty to offer in terms of both visuals and storytelling, especially the ones that are still going on, but plenty of people like the idea of having something big to occupy their time for months at a time, possibly even years. There are plenty of long-running anime with great enough quality that they’re worth committing an extreme amount of time to, and the best of the bunch are especially worth highlighting.

10 Bleach

Anime Series By Studio Pierrot; Based On The Manga By Tite Kubo

Bleach

Created by

Tite Kubo

First Film

Bleach: Memories of Nobody

First TV Show

Bleach

Cast

Johnny Yong Bosch, Michelle Ruff, Stephanie Sheh, Jamieson Price, Derek Stephen Prince, Wally Wingert

TV Show(s)

Bleach, Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War

Character(s)

Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora 'Chad' Sado, Uryu Ishida, Renji Abarai

Video Game(s)

Bleach: Blade Battlers, Bleach: Soul Resurrección, Jump Force

Studio Pierrot’s Bleach stars Ichigo Kurosaki, a boy whose strange ability to see ghosts leads to him learning about Soul Reapers, the guardians of the afterlife, and the bloodthirsty monsters they protect people from called Hollows. When a Hollow puts his family in danger, Ichigo is forced to become a substitute Soul Reaper to protect them, and that begins a constant series of battles to protect Ichigo’s loved ones old and new, in addition to the entire world.

Even without Bleach’s filler arcs, there are still over 200 episodes and four movies to watch, so it’s hardly something a person can get through in a short amount of time. Not only that, but Bleach’s writing and fight scenes are among the best in shonen anime, with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War taking that to incredible new heights, so it’s perfect for anyone looking for something long to occupy their time.

9 Kinnikuman

Anime Series By Toie Animation & Production I.G; Based On The Manga By Yudetamago

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Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc

TV-14

Animation Action Adventure

8/10

Release Date

July 7, 2024

Cast

See All

• 

  Mamoru Miyano

• 

  Akira Kamiya

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

2

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Kinnikuman, very appropriately, stars Kinnikuman, the bumbling superhero of Japan who rarely ever saves the day without embarrassing himself. As the series shifts from a superhero parody into a wrestling epic, however, Kinnikuman gradually becomes more heroic, and much of his growth is sparked by the constant wrestling matches he and his friends have to protect the universe from the forces of evil.

While Kinnikuman isn’t that popular outside of Japan, Kinnikuman’s great action and perfect blend of comedy and heartfelt character writing have it more than earn its reputation as one of the biggest shonen stories of all time. The original series and its sequel, Ultimate Muscle are both plenty lengthy on their own, and with the new series, Kinnikuman: Perfect Origin Arc, still ongoing with no signs of stopping, there’s plenty to keep someone entertained for years to come.

8 Digimon

Anime Series By Toei Animation; Part Of The Media Franchise By Bandai

Digimon

Created by

Akiyoshi Hongo, Kenji Watanabe

First Film

Digimon Adventure

Latest Film

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning

First TV Show

Digimon Adventure

Latest TV Show

Digimon Ghost Game

First Episode Air Date

March 7, 1999

Cast

Toshiko Fujita, Yuto Kazama, Yuko Mizutani, Umi Tenjin, Ai Maeda, Masami Kikuchi, Hiroko Konishi, Kae Araki, Chika Sakamoto, Mayumi Yamaguchi, Miwa Matsumoto

TV Show(s)

Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Tamers, Digimon Frontier, Digimon Data Squad, Digimon Fusion, Digimon Universe: App Monsters, Digimon Adventure: 2020, Digimon Ghost Game

Character(s)

Tai Kamiya, Matt Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Izzy Izumi, Mimi Tachikawa, T.K. Takaishi, Joe Kido, Kari Kamiya, Davis Motomiya, Ken Ichijouji

Video Game(s)

Digimon World, Digimon All-Star Rumble, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition, Digimon World: Next Order, Digimon Survive

Toei Animation’s Digimon is an anthology series based on the massive media franchise of the same name. Every series in the Digimon franchise has a different story, with most being set in different universes, but they all have the basic premise of children befriending mysterious creatures called Digimon and needing to work with them to protect Earth and the Digital World from destruction at the hands of evil.

Every Digimon series, especially the later ones, does a great job of putting a unique spin on the “Mon” genre with great action and varying themes, and with nine different anime and 17 different movies, there’s plenty to keep a person occupied. Digimon is one of the most iconic anime to come out of the ’90s, and it more than earns that reputation and the longevity behind it all.

7 Pokémon

Anime Series By OLM, Inc.; Based On The Video Games By Game Freak

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Pokémon

TV-PG

Action Adventure Animation

73 9.6/10

Release Date

1997 - 2022

Network

TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TVh, TVQ, TSC

Cast

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• 

  Rica Matsumoto

  Pikachu (voice)

• 

  Mayumi Iizuka

  Satoshi (voice)

Directors

Kunihiko Yuyama, Daiki Tomiyasu, Jun Owada, Saori Den

Writers

Takeshi Shudo, Junki Takegami, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Aya Matsui, Shoji Yonemura, Dai Saito

Franchise(s)

Pokemon

Main Genre

Adventure

Creator(s)

Naoko Takeuchi

Character(s)

Pikachu (voice), Satoshi (voice), Aipom (voice), Pichu Younger Brother (voice), Self, Pichu Older Brother (voice), Kasumi (voice), Gou (voice), Narrator (voice), Serena (voice), Haruka (voice), Shigeru Oak (voice), Dent (voice), Citron (voice), Eureka (voice), Iris (voice), Hikari (voice), Maamame (voice), Mao (voice), Suiren (voice), Kaki (voice), Wanpachi (voice)

Producers

Takemoto Mori, Tsunekazu Ishihara, Keisuke Iwata

Seasons

25

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu, Netflix

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OLM, Inc.’s Pokémon is the long-running adaptation of the video games of the same name. For most of its run, the series focused on the adventures of Ash Ketchum, a young boy looking to become a Pokémon Master with his trusty Pikachu by his side, although in Pokémon’s latest installment, Pokémon Horizons, the focus shifts to a new protagonist named Liko and her quest to uncover the mysteries of her ancestor, Lucius the Ancient Adventurer.

Between the original series and Pokémon Horizons, Pokémon is one of the longest anime around with over 1300 episodes, and fortunately, the timeless nature of Pokémon writing, combined with its ever-evolving visual style, always makes it fun to watch. Whether someone wants to start from the very beginning or use Horizons as a starting point, it’s easy to say that Pokémon is as worth committing to now as it was back in the ’90s.

6 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Anime Series By David Production; Based On The Manga By Hirohiko Araki

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Created by

Hirohiko Araki

TV Show(s)

JoJo Bizarre Adventure

Character(s)

Will A. Zeppeli, Jonathan Joestar, Giorno Giovanna, Jotaro Kujo, Joseph Joestar, Jolyne Cujoh, Johnny Joestar, Josuke Higashikata, Gyro Zeppeli

Video Game(s)

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R

David Production’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a generational epic chronicling the adventures of the members of the Joestar family, all of whom have names that can create the nickname “JoJo.” As the title would imply, the Joestars repeatedly deal with increasingly bizarre threats to the world, many of which involve supernatural powers called Stands, and their repeated battles span not only centuries, but multiple timelines, as well.

The JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure manga is one of the longest ongoing manga in history, and sure enough, the anime is appropriately lengthy with 190 episodes spread across six different parts, with even more to come if rumors of a Steel Ball Run anime are true. More than that, of course, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s anime always does a great job of adapting the manga with its incredible animation and overall direction, and there are few modern anime that are better worth committing to.

5 Naruto

Anime Series By Studio Pierrot; Based On The Manga By Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto

First Film

Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow

Latest Film

Boruto: Naruto the Movie

First TV Show

Naruto

Latest TV Show

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

First Episode Air Date

October 3, 2002

Cast

Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Nana Mizuki, Hideo Ishikawa, Yûko Sanpei

Current Series

Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

TV Show(s)

Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Character(s)

Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, Kakashi Hatake, Itachi Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga, Gaara, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru

Video Game(s)

Naruto: Clash Of Ninja Revolution 3, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (2003), Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4, Naruto: Rise Of A Ninja, Naruto: The Broken Bond, Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, Naruto Shippuden Dragon Blade Chronicles, Naruto: Path Of The Ninja, Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections

Studio Pierrot’s Naruto stars Naruto Uzumaki, an aspiring ninja who’s spent his entire life ostracized by his peers for being the vessel to the ferocious Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Naruto seeks to become the next Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, and earn everyone’s respect, and his quest to do so puts him at the center of one major conflict after another until it falls on him to save the entire world.

While almost half of Naruto’s anime is filler, not only are there hundreds of episodes and 11 movies to watch, but Naruto’s well-rounded cast of heroes and villains, engaging storytelling, and gorgeous fight scenes make it plenty worth watching, despite its length. The sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, is looking to run for just as long, if not longer, so anyone who commits to Naruto is set to have plenty of great content for years to come.

4 Detective Conan

Anime Series By TMS Entertainment; Based On The Manga By Gosho Aoyama

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Case Closed

TV-14

Animation Mystery Comedy

Release Date

January 8, 1996

Cast

See All

• 

  Minami Takayama

  Conan Edogawa

• 

  Kappei Yamaguchi

  Shinichi Kudo

• 

  Wakana Yamazaki

  Ran Mouri

• 

  Akira Kamiya

  Kogoro Mouri

Main Genre

Animation

Character(s)

Conan Edogawa, Shinichi Kudo, Ran Mouri, Kogoro Mouri, Ai Haibara, Hiroshi Agasa, Ayumi Yoshida, Genta Kojima, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, Juzo Megure

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TMS Entertainment’s Case Closed, better known as Detective Conan, stars Shinichi Kudo, a teen detective prodigy turned into a child by an experimental drug of the mysterious Black Organization. Now living as Conan Edogawa, Shinichi has to do what he can to uncover the truth of the Black Organization to both take them down and get his body back to normal, all while solving the multitude of other crimes he runs into along the way.

With over 1000 episodes, 28 films, and dozens of spinoffs and specials, Detective Conan is one of the few anime to rival One Piece in length, and sure enough, Detective Conan more than justifies its incredible length with an engaging cast and one clever mystery story after another, with its central mystery always justifying the slow burn in its development. Few anime require a bigger commitment than Detective Conan, and overall, it’s more than deserved.

3 Dragon Ball

Anime Series By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Akira Toriyama

Dragon Ball

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Cast

Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil

Video Game(s)

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

Toei Animation’s Dragon Ball tells the story of Son Goku, an odd young boy with a monkey tail and inhuman strength, as he goes on adventures with his friends, often in search of the titular wish-granting Dragon Balls. The series started as a martial arts comedy that drew inspiration from Journey to the West, but it eventually shifts gears into a sci-fi epic with over-the-top battles and feats of strength constantly being scaled against the entire universe.

In addition to 21 films, Dragon Ball has amassed hundreds of episodes across five different anime, and even with filler content and one series, Dragon Ball GT, not being canon, Dragon Ball almost always delivers great writing and incredible action that can more than hold up for decades after the fact. Even with Akira Toriyama’s passing, Dragon Ball shows no signs of stopping, so there’s always a good time to get into it.

2 The Nasuverse

Anime Franchise Created By Kinoko Nasu & Type-Moon

The Nasuverse is the name ascribed to the works of Kinoko Nasu and the video game company Type-Moon. The works of the Nasuverse encompass a wide array of stories centered around the supernatural, with some taking place in wholly separate continuities from each other, although they all tend to involve themes of humanity and heroism to varying degrees.

With the multitude of anime adaptations for the Fate franchise, Tsukihime, The Garden of Sinners, and even the upcoming Witch on the Holy Night film, there are dozens of different movies and TV shows in the Nasuverse for a person to watch, each with their own histories and lore to keep track of that ensures every story will be a wholly unique experience. The Nasuverse has a reputation for being confusing, but anyone who sticks with it is bound to find at least one gem of a series to get attached to.

1 One Piece

Anime Series By Toei Animation; Based On The Manga By Eiichiro Oda

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One Piece

TV-14

Comedy Action Adventure Anime Fantasy

45 9.3/10

Release Date

October 20, 1999

Network

Fuji TV

Cast

See All

• 

  Mayumi Tanaka

  Monkey D. Luffy (voice)

• 

  Kazuya Nakai

  Roronoa Zoro (voice)

Franchise(s)

One Piece

Main Genre

Anime

Creator(s)

Eiichiro Oda

Producers

Yoshihiro Suzuki

Number of Episodes

1122

Seasons

21

Studio

Toei Animation

Creator

Eiichiro Oda

Streaming Service(s)

Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV

Based On

Manga

MyAnimeList Score

8.72

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In Toei Animation’s One Piece, the world has entered a Great Age of Piracy following the death of Gold Roger and the hunt for his legendary treasure, the One Piece. Among the people searching for it is Monkey D. Luffy, and despite the oddity of him having a body made of rubber, Luffy will gather a crew to travel through the Grand Line, find the One Piece, and become King of the Pirates.

With over 1000 episodes, 15 films, and a live-action Netflix series, One Piece is easily one of the biggest anime franchises of all time, and fortunately, One Piece more than earns its incredible length through its charming cast, amazing fight scenes, and its intricate worldbuilding that becomes more engrossing with every arc. One Piece has more than earned its stellar reputation, and as such, it easily stands as the best long-running anime for a person to watch.