Over the years, anime fans all over have been enthralled by timeless stories of their beloved animated shows, i.e., the longest-running animes. Some of these have been running for years, acquiring hundreds of episodes. In this guide, we venture into the thrilling domains of the most enduring anime and unravel their captivating narratives, characters as well as legacy that have enthralled viewers for decades.
One Piece: 1999 – Present, 24 Years Airing
A Toei animation production and manga written by Eiichiro Oda is the global favorite book, One Piece. Created by Eiichiro Oda, it remains on the list of longest-running manga series. In 1999, the manga’s anime adaptation which was faithful with very little filler began its journey. The story centers around the search for Gol D. Roger’s treasure, One Piece which is also referred to as One Piece and which initiates a quest for Pirate King who will take his place among many other pirates in history.
Now, as Eiichiro Oda’s manga has no end in sight so far, it is possible that the anime may surpass longer ones not long after. As for the anime One Piece, it was launched in 1999 and has produced over a thousand episodes by the time this paper is written. When the story of Luffy and his Straw Hats finally comes to an end, only time will say how much their journey has expanded.
Detective Conan (Case Closed): 1996 – Present, 28 Years Airing
Produced by TMS Entertainment and based on the Manga of Gosho Aoyama Detective Conan, is one of the best. The mystery saga of Detective Conan, also referred to as Case Closed began in 1996. Shinichi Kudo, the brilliant young detective has decided to solve crimes as a child after an erroneous poison experiment. The name Case Closed is not used widely except in North America and some other countries. This is to avoid confusion regarding any similarity between Conan O’Brian and Conan Detective.
Strong evidence of the quality of writing for a show with more than a thousand episodes. Started in 1996 and now past hundreds of episodes, it is a combination of episodic mysteries and Shinichi’s search for a treatment.
Crayon Shin-chan: 1992 – Present, 32 Years Airing
Animated by Shin-Ei and based on the manga of Yoshito Usui, Crayon Shin-Chan is no less.
A slice-of-life comedy presents the naughtiness of Shinnosuke Nohara, age five to us. It has been popular in Japan since 1992 with crazy designs of the characters.
It was on the air since 1992 accumulating as many as one thousand and two hundred episodes. Being famous for its juvenile sense of humor and peculiar character designs. The show has seen several different attempts at English dubs with varying amounts of success, bringing it to this list of longest-running anime.
Pokémon: 1997 – Present, 27 Years Airing
Animation by OLM and based on the video game series developed by Satoshi Tajiri, Pokémon is a classic. Pokémon, a franchise that began with video games debuted on television as an animated movie in 1997. Based on the adventure of Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, it mixes action, friendship, and fighting as they fight to attain Pokémon masters.
The original series ran for 1,232 episodes and twenty-five years before it ended. Pokémon Horizons is a new chapter in the series with 1,269 episodes up to that point. Continues to be a worldwide success, enjoyed by people of all generations, and bringing it to this list of longest-running anime.
Naruto: 2002 – 2017, 15 Years Airing
Animated by Pierrot and Based on the Manga By Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto is loved worldwide. Naruto is a ninja story, which started its journey as anime in 2002. Regarding the journey of Naruto Uzumaki, themes such as friendship and determination are present because Naruto wants to become a Hokage.
The first series covered the period 2017 to. A sequel, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is a continuation of the saga. The engaging character development and battles to remember.
In the world of anime, such enduring series have left their footprints making viewers’ journey travel through generations. While we celebrate the sustainability of these animated sagas, their timeless setting still enthralls both old and new audiences.
