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To 24 or not to 24: Episode count preference.


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What's Your Episode Count Preference?
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2%
 2%  [ 3 ]
13 Episodes
25%
 25%  [ 30 ]
26 Episodes
41%
 41%  [ 49 ]
26+ Episodes (for series like DBZ, InuYasha, One Piece)
12%
 12%  [ 15 ]
Other, and let me tell you why!
17%
 17%  [ 21 ]
Total Votes : 118

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PetrifiedJello



Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 3782
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 6:29 am Reply with quote
In another thread, there was a discussion about the number of episodes and which one had "more". This spurned a separate thought, which I bring to you now as a poll. Enjoy!

***

I prefer the 13 episode series much more than the 26. They're much easier to watch (generally taking about 6 hours) and definitely do their best to remove unnecessary filler many 26 episode series suffer from.

Perhaps it's just my observation, but I'm really enjoying continuations in 13 episode "chunks", such as Haruhi and Aria. These not only allow me to watch more series during their original release times, but I can then marathon them at a later date if I so choose. Watching 52 episodes of Aria may be daunting for many out there, but 13 seems easier (well, relatively speaking if those 13 don't put viewers to sleep).

Your turn.
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NeumanProductions



Joined: 03 Sep 2011
Posts: 110
Location: Appleton, WI
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:24 am Reply with quote
I have to go with, out of the options you portray 26.
I prefer 12 episode series the most though when a series is to air that way. This is because, as you are right, there are some series I like to watch in under a days time.

However, my reason for 26 is that I feel it can be the magic number where you can wrap up a semi-large series effectively while not having to leave second season notion, where people are always wondering. Take High School of the Dead for example, several people I know want a second season to justify the ending of the first (they'll more than likely get it) but if the series was planned out from the start to have 26 episodes then that would have been probably easier.
Though I must admit business wise, 26 episodes is a lot to invest in so it is very picky with me I must admit.
I'm fine with the extra long series but the filler get a littl tiring after awhile because they have to wait for the new written material first.
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cl-shojo



Joined: 04 Sep 2011
Posts: 70
Location: New York
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:10 pm Reply with quote
Hmm...a lot of my favorite series have been 50 episodes or longer, like Kodocha and Boys Over Flowers. Having a short episode count has been a turn-off for me in the past, because I've found that 13-episode series often lack character depth or just don't interest me (of course, there are exceptions, like Paradise Kiss). 26 episode series tend to be very hit or miss - I love series like Azumanga Daioh and Full Metal Panic!, but others have felt too stretched. So I'd generally say I prefer longer series, but in the end it comes down to the plot.
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EireformContinent



Joined: 30 May 2009
Posts: 977
Location: Łódź/Poland (The Promised Land)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:23 pm Reply with quote
There's no answer, besides "as many as it should be".
There are stories that fits for short formats and those which needs longer development. Every format has it's pros and cons- the shorter it is the less details we can get. However longer series tend to repeat themselves.
For episodic series I don't mind format with a bit nod to shorter ones- that let the producer wonder if the next portion is really necessarily. For viewers it allows them to ignore some parts if the series have a downscale.
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larinon



Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Posts: 992
Location: Midland, TX
PostPosted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:25 pm Reply with quote
I chose other because I'm actually fine with both 13 and 26 episode series. The ones that tend to annoy me are the ones that run longer. Except for various Gundam series and a handful of others that I enjoy that run for 50 or so episodes.

There are a handful of exceptions but I typically do not like the type of show that runs longer than 26 episodes, as these tend to be kids' shows (shounen jump shows) that are heavy on action but light on plot & characterization, at least in any kind of timely manner.
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Cam0



Joined: 13 Dec 2009
Posts: 4884
PostPosted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:24 pm Reply with quote
I chose other

12 - 26 episodes is good as long as there's enough action going on. 50+ episodes can be just as good if there just aren't too many fillers ruining the expirience, Fullmetal Alchemist being a good example while Eureka 7 being a bad one (imo). I'd rather have 50 episodes split into two 25 episode seasons though, than just have a one 50 episode long run. Major is a great example having more than 150 episodes, but since it's split into 6 seasons the expirience remains fresh, since you can watch a season at a time.
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jmfsilenthill



Joined: 31 Aug 2009
Posts: 1863
Location: Chinese cartoons are srs biz
PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:06 am Reply with quote
I like 13 episode series the most because they are easier to digest and you don't have to commit as much time to watch them. That being said most of the stuff I watch is usually 24 or 26, because that's mostly that I own. I haven't seen many anime with episode counts above that, the ones I have seen are FMA (51), Eureka Seven (50?), Death Note (37), Maria Watches Over Us (39+5 ovas). I usually don't have the patience to watch anything very long, which is why Cardcaptor Sakura and FMA Brotherhood are currently on hiatus for me Neutral.
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Aylinn



Joined: 18 Nov 2006
Posts: 1684
PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2011 9:21 am Reply with quote
It depends on the story. Obviously, the longer and more complicated is a story, the greater is the need for more episodes, otherwise the series will be rushed. Personally, I am inclined to watch shorter series, because they are less time-consuming and I like to know there is an ending. Series which have hundreds of episodes are slightly intimidating, but I still may check them out if they are finished and have a good reputation.

Most of the time the number of episodes is of secondary importance to me. Other factors, such as: the concept for the story, the plot, characters etc. influence my final decision to a greater degree.
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OldCharlieStoletheHandle



Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Posts: 1288
Location: Mastic Beach, NY
PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:20 am Reply with quote
I chose 13 as a number of my all-time favorites are about this length. I sometimes find it a slog to get through 24-26 episodes and longer series are really hard for me to get through generally. There's usually less time-wasting filler in 13 episode shows, although sometimes you get shows that should have been 3-4 episode OVAs being stretched out to 13 episode shows.
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One-Eye



Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Posts: 2260
PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 3:11 pm Reply with quote
It really depends on how well the story is told. There's plenty of instances where 13 episodes was enough, but just as many where it wasn't and I'm left unsatisfied. I think in general for me the sweet spot is 24-26. Some of my favorite shows are in that range and when its done right there isn't a lot of filler. Anything larger than 26 though starts to drag or pick up filler or worse re-cap episodes. Also at my age the show has to be pretty awesome for me to invest more than 26 eps into it.
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st_owly



Joined: 20 May 2008
Posts: 5234
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2011 6:31 am Reply with quote
It totally depends on the series. For stuff based on manga or novels, if the source material is ongoing, I tend to prefer 12/13 episode series, and then maybe another 12/13 episode series later on to try and finish it off properly. Natsume Yuujinchou is a fantastic example of this.
For stand alone stories, I think however many episodes they feel is necessary is best. Given the choice, I prefer 13 episode series to longer ones, but I'd rather watch a good 26 episode series than a bad 13 episode one. I'm generally not keen on longer series just because of filler. I think the only long series I've finished are Cardcaptor Sakura and Fushigi Yuugi. Possibly a couple of others as well, but I can't remember.
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Tris8



Joined: 30 Oct 2009
Posts: 2114
Location: Where the rain is.
PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 12:18 am Reply with quote
As everyone has been saying, it really depends on the series and the story and how many eps the series 'needs'.

That said, my ideal is for series to have episode counts in the 50-70 range. Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple, Twelve Kingdoms, Rurouni Kenshin and Hikaru no Go were great lengths. Shows in the several hundred range are usually a little long for me and end up lagging in quality, but as short as 12/13 eps I don't get much time to get into the show. I like a series I can get to love and get immersed in that won't take me a year to finish.
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zawa113



Joined: 19 Jan 2008
Posts: 7357
PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 10:41 am Reply with quote
I am going to assume this mostly applies to "anime first" sorts of things because I'm likely to just read the manga if it's readily available anyway. And obviously my preference won't work for all series, I'm betting everyone will say that about their own too, but this is what I find usually works best for me.

My preference is 26ish, I feel like it's usually the correct amount of time to tell the story properly without rushing anything. I'll usually also let two seasons of 13 eps slide as well. I often find it long enough to get enthralled without having it end just when I finally have gotten into it while it's not long enough to overstay its welcome.
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Fifth B



Joined: 05 Sep 2010
Posts: 213
PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:47 pm Reply with quote
Personally, while I'm slightly more inclined towards shows with a 24-26 count, it really does depend on the show itself. There are few things I find more irritating in anime than when a great show starts to stretch itself out merely to lurch towards a certain episode mark, or similarly, when such a show is so condensed that nothing is fully developed, and it's over before it starts. As long as the show is well-plotted and structured, the exact episode count doesn't mean much to me (although I must admit, there are times when I've loved a show to the extent that I wished there was more of it, reasonableness be damned).
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TCJJ



Joined: 02 Oct 2011
Posts: 12
Location: New Zealand
PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:59 am Reply with quote
I like longer shows, but I often like ones that head towards the 50 episode mark. It all really depends on the series though. If it has a deep and complicated story, it shouldn't be a short series.

If it's something like a comedy or slice of life, there's no reason it needs to be a long series (not that I'm against it though - I like good slice of life shows).

I also think that if a story can be told in as little as 11 or 12 episodes, then there is no real need to extend that, as it can become a waste and ruin a potentially great show with unnecessary padding.

In the end, it all depends on the show, but I do prefer having a balance of short shows and longer-running shows, as well as a handful of on-going ones.
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