It takes a long time to make new seasons of anime because the production process is so complicated and detailed. Every step, from writing the script to doing the final edits, needs to be carefully planned and coordinated.
Problems that animation studios often face are scheduling conflicts, a lack of resources, and the need to keep quality high. These things help explain why fans may have to wait years for new episodes of their favorite shows to come back.
The Complexity of Animation Production
The Complexity of Animation Production
A new season of anime takes a long time to make because there are so many steps involved in making animations. Unlike many TV shows, anime needs careful coordination at various stages, from the first idea to the last episode. This level of difficulty often causes big delays, especially for anime that a lot of people are looking forward to, like “Attack on Titan” or “Sword Art Online.”
- Scriptwriting and Storyboarding: The first steps are writing the script and making storyboards. Key animators carefully plan the flow and key animators for each episode of the anime season. This makes sure that the story fits with the source material, whether it’s a manga, a light novel, or an original anime idea.
- Animation and In-Between Frames: As soon as the storyboards are approved, the animation production starts. Often by hand, this means drawing thousands of frames. In-between animators fill in the blanks while key animators work on the most important scenes. Because this method requires a lot of work, it’s hard to speed up production without lowering quality.
- Post-Production and Editing: While the animation is still being made, tasks like editing, adding sound, and finishing the visual effects are done. This step is very important to make sure that the anime season lives up to the high standards that fans have set.
From beginning to end, the process can take several years. This is especially true for popular shows like “Hero Academia” or “One Punch Man,” where high-quality animation is expected.
Scheduling Conflicts and Resource Allocation
The difficulty of making plans is a big reason why anime seasons are delayed. Anime studios often work on a lot of projects at once, which can cause problems and make it hard to get everything done. When it comes to long-running series like “Naruto” or “One Piece,” where keeping a regular release schedule is hard, this is especially true.
- Multiple Projects: An animation studio might work on more than one project at the same time, which could cause delays. For example, the people who make “Sword Art Online” might also be working on another show, which would mean that they would have to split their time and energy between both. This makes it difficult to prioritize a single season or even a new season.
- Reuniting Original Staff: People who watched the first season often expect the same level of quality in the second seasons. To do this, the original animators, directors, and voice actors need to be put back together. But these professionals might be busy with other things, which would add to the wait time.
- Budget and Resources: How the resources, like budget and staff, are used is very important. It might be hard for smaller anime studios to get enough money for even single season, let alone several. Production committees, which are in charge of funding and overseeing projects, have to weigh the costs of the projects against the money they could make from Blu-rays, merchandise, and anime sites.
Boxed Sake is changing the game with easy, on-the-go packaging. It’s great for anime viewing parties and perfect for fans who love trying new things. See why Boxed Sake is trending.
Why Do Anime Episodes Take So Long to Make?
The Labor-Intensive Nature of Hand-Drawn Animation
Due to the amount of work that goes into hand-drawn animation, making a single episode of an anime can take a significant amount of time. Even though technology has improved, most anime is still made using old-fashioned methods that take a lot of time and require skilled artists.
- Hand-Drawn Frames: Key animators work hard to make each frame in an episode look great. Animators often only make a few seconds of animation every day because this process is so slow. When making long-running shows like “Dragon Ball” or “Naruto,” this can make the time it takes to make each episode longer.
- Quality vs. Speed: Studios have to find a way to balance speed and quality. For fans of shows like “Attack on Titan,” it takes time to make animation that looks good. For long-running series like “Dragon Ball” or “Naruto,” this can result in a lengthy production time for each episode.
Balancing Quality with Tight Deadlines
Animation studios often have trouble meeting tight deadlines, especially when they have to make a new season or live up to the standards set by previous seasons. Finding this balance between time and quality is always hard in the anime business.
- Deadline Pressures: Studios are often under a lot of pressure to get new episodes out quickly, especially after a season that made fans can’t wait for the next one. This kind of stress can make people work quickly, but sacrificing quality can hurt the studio’s reputation and the success of the anime.
- Filler Episodes: Some studios use filler episodes to get work done on time. These episodes are usually made so that animators have more time to work on main episodes. It’s possible to buy time this way, but fans who want to see the main story move forward may get annoyed.
How Much Time Does It Take to Make a Season of Anime?
The Lengthy Pre-Production Phase
The work on an anime season starts a long time before the first episode airs. Planning, getting money, and putting together a team are all part of the long pre-production phase. It could take months or even years to finish this phase.
- Planning and Funding: The first step is to carefully plan out the whole season, including how many episodes there will be and how the story will progress overall. At this stage, production committees often check to see if the project can be paid for.
- Team Assembly: It’s important to put together the right team. To do this, they need to find directors, key animators, and voice actors who can make the anime come to life. Getting the original team from a previous season back together, like in “One Punch Man,” can be hard and take a lot of time.
Production to Post-Production: A Time-Consuming Journey
The production and post-production phases start as soon as pre-production is over. Most of the time that goes into making an anime season is spent on these steps.
- Production Process: Animating the episodes, making background art, and adding sound and voice acting are all part of the production phase. Several things, such as a lack of resources or problems that were not expected, can delay this stage.
- Post-Production: Post-production includes editing, adding special effects, and making sure the episodes are ready to be released after the animation is done. This step makes sure that the final product lives up to the high standards of both fans and critics.
To sum up, the whole process of making a new season of anime is long and complicated, and it usually takes a few years to finish. This is why, even for the most popular anime shows, there are often long gaps between seasons.
Why Are Anime Seasons Typically 26 Episodes?
Historical Context and Broadcast Standards
The traditional length of an anime seasons is 26 episodes, which comes from the history of Japanese TV. This standard was made to meet the needs of Japanese TV networks, which showed anime shows series every week. By airing 26 episodes, networks were able to fill a six-month programming slot, keeping viewers interested for a long time.
- Broadcasting Needs: Japanese TV networks needed a steady flow of shows to keep people interested. A 26-episode anime season is a good length for both broadcasters and production committees because it fits perfectly into a half-year schedule.
- Consistent Viewer Engagement: This format helped anime series get a lot of fans by giving them enough material to build characters and story arcs. People kept coming back week after week because of the regular release schedule, which was important for keeping the ratings high.
- Examples: Anime classics like “One Piece” and “Dragon Ball” used this format, which helped make it the standard in the business. The 26-episode structure is still used by many new anime shows today because it strikes a good balance between telling a story and making the show possible.
Economic and Artistic Considerations
Not only is the 26-episode format a tradition, but it also makes sense from an artistic and a financial point of view. This length lets anime studios make good use of their resources while still giving viewers a full story experience.
- Resource Management: Making 26 episodes takes a significant amount of time, money, and staff. By limiting the number of episodes, anime studios can focus on making sure the animation stays high-quality all season long. Key animators, for example, can spend more time perfecting important scenes, making sure that fans are happy with the end result.
- Balanced Storytelling: A 26-episode season gives writers enough time to build complicated plots and character arcs without slowing down the story. This balance is especially important for shows that are based on manga or light novels since the source material often tells the show how fast or slow to go.”One Punch Man” and “Attack on Titan” were two examples of shows that used this format to tell stories that were tightly connected and kept viewers interested until the very end.
- Financial Viability: From the point of view of a business model, 26 episodes are a good value. The costs can be spread out over more episodes, which makes it easier for the production committee to get their money back through merchandise sales, Blu-ray sales, and licensing in other countries. Because this format has worked well for many anime, it will be used in new seasons as well.
Why Do a Lot of Animes Only Have One Season?
Profitability and Market Demand
A lot of anime only gets one season because it’s not always profitable to make more than one. Studios and production committees are hesitant to put money into a second season if the first season doesn’t make enough money.
- Financial Risk: Putting together a new season comes with a lot of financial risk. The production committee may decide that the possible returns are not worth the cost of making another season if the first season does not get good ratings or enough merchandise sales.
- Market Demand: It’s not enough for an anime to be popular; it also needs to sell well for there to be more seasons. This is especially true for original anime that doesn’t already have a fan base. There is less chance of a second season if related merchandise or Blu-rays don’t sell well.
- Examples: This is why many anime, like “No Game No Life” and “The Devil is a Part-Timer!”, didn’t get a second season even though their first seasons did well. Fans liked these shows, but the people in charge of making them didn’t think there was a market for more episodes.
Source Material Constraints and Adaptation Challenges
One more reason why many anime series only have one season is that they can’t get enough source material. When anime is based on manga, light novels, or other sources, it can be hard when the original material isn’t enough or is missing parts.
- Limited Source Material: There might not be enough material for a second season if the manga or light novel hasn’t gone far enough. This often happens with anime adaptations, where the story may not have moved forward much since the first season aired.
- Adaptation Challenges: Making an anime version of a story requires a lot of planning and work. It might not be possible to make more episodes if the original material is hard to adapt or if the first season tells the whole story. For example, some anime series end after one season because the story is told, and adding new, non-canonical content would mean making new episodes, which fans might not like.
- Examples: The second season of “One Punch Man” came out later than planned because of problems with adapting the manga and the need for enough new material in the manga. In the same way, there were long breaks between seasons of “Attack on Titan” while the anime caught up to the manga. This meant that the studio had to wait for more content before making new episodes.
To sum up, the choice to limit anime to one season is usually based on cost and the availability of source material. This means that production committees and studios make the decision after careful thought.
Final Thoughts
There are many steps and stages that go into making anime, which is a difficult and time-consuming process. Every anime season, from the first season to the new seasons, needs key animators, production committees, and studios to work together and carefully plan everything.
Sometimes it takes longer to make anime seasons, and this is also why many anime series only get one season. Japan’s “One Piece” and other popular shows show that the focus of the industry is on making good anime, even if that means we have to wait longer for the next season.
The final product is good because everyone worked hard on it, whether it was just one episode or the whole series.
FAQs
Why Do Anime Seasons Take so Long to Produce?
Anime production is complex. Key animators and studios must ensure high quality, which can delay the release of new seasons.
Why Do Some Anime Series only Have One Season?
Often, if the first season doesn’t generate enough revenue or if there’s not enough source material, only one season is made.
What Makes a Good Anime?
A good anime balances a strong story, skilled key animators, and well-executed production. Examples include “One Piece” and other long-running series.
Why Do Some Anime Series Have Long Gaps Between Seasons?
Long gaps occur due to the time required for anime production and waiting for more source material to create another season.
How Does Japan’s Anime Industry Handle the Production of New Seasons?
Japan’s anime industry carefully plans each anime season, focusing on quality and the demand for more anime before producing new seasons.