When it comes to cosplay, you want to choose a character that you can fully embody. This doesn’t only mean wearing their same outfit, but understanding their personality and story. To become more intune with an anime character, try choosing an anime that has a ton of episodes. These anime have deeper stories and more insight into their characters – so follow their journey from start to finish!
Looking for a long anime series to get immersed into? We have some long-running anime series that you can obsess with and ultimately find the best anime character to cosplay. Then all you’ll need is their outfit and accurate cosplay swords to finish the illusion!
Longest-running anime to binge now
Ninja Hattori – 694 episodes
A lot of the longest-running anime are not as well known, often never leaving Japan. But this anime is known within anime circles all over the world since it was revived in 2012. The original version was created back in the 80s, running hundreds of episodes.
This show follows a character as he joins the Mitsuba family and becomes close to their youngest son. As he becomes closer and closer, he tries to help the son in his everyday life. It’s sort of slice of life meets ninja fighting.
Kotowaza House – 773 episodes
This show ran in the late 80s and early 90s and has become a bit “rare” since then. It’s hard to even find episodes! There may be a lot of episodes, but each one is just five minutes. It revolves around a salaryman named Peter that acts out and then must be educated on his behavior.
The Instructive Trip Around the World – 1006 episodes
This is another old show that seems to have been lost in time. There is barely any information about this show online. It aired between 1971 and 1974 but didn’t become popular outside of Japan. It’s also an educational series, which may have been why it didn’t keep people entertained for too long. Still, creating thousands of episodes over the course of three years is quite impressive.
One Piece – 1034 episodes
One Piece is the most popular anime right now. Whether you’re in Japan or North America, you’ll see One Piece cosplays everywhere (you’ll especially need cosplay swords if you’re looking to play Zoro, who holds three swords at one time). The dominant anime reached 1,000 episodes in 2021.
The manga debuted in 1999. That’s when people first heard about Luffy and his crew of pirates. The show is all about friendship and exploration, with Luffy and his pirates searching for the “one piece” as they fight off enemies with all types of wild powers and body shapes. The art style of One Piece is interesting all on its own, but the story about the Straw Hats has kept people hooked for over two decades now.
Detective Conan – 1049 episodes
Also known as Cased Closed, this anime series has become more and more popular as it continues. It first aired in 1996 and is still going strong now. The series, based on a manga, follows a teenage detective named Shinichi Kudo that was forced to ingest a poison that turned him into a child. He must now solve cases undercover, all the while looking for the organization that poisoned him.
Crayon Shin Chan – 1122 episodes
This anime series is instantly recognizable due to its unique character design. You’ll follow Shin-chan on his adventures, usually joined by his family and friends. Shin-chan is a mischievous and cheeky character that talks in a strange way. He has become an iconic character over the years, also featured in movies and video games.
Chibi Maruko-Chan – 1203 episodes
The Chibi Maruko-Chan manga ran for 30 years and then the anime aired in 1990. It started with a 142-episode run. It was then revived in 1995, becoming one of the longest anime to exist. This series revolves around a cheeky little girl named Momoko Sakura as she gets in trouble and finds herself in wacky situations. Her adventures have inspired several films.
Soreike! Anpanman, Go! – 2860 episodes
This anime is based on a popular children’s book series, following a sweet roll bean as a mighty superhero fighting crime. This has become one of the most beloved anime series in Japan, inspiring spinoffs, side stories, and movies. The character also inspired the One-Punch Man anime that people love to watch now.
Doraemon – 1787 episodes
The original series ran for over 25 years so it’s no surprise there are so many episodes. This anime follows Nobita and his robot Doraemon as they try to make good choices to get his family out of poverty. The popular show was given a reboot, which followed the original story but with a new animation style.
Mrs. Sazae – 7500 episodes
This is the longest-running animated TV series in the world. It started back in 1969 and is still going to this day. Each episode is divided into standalone segments, with each one containing three stories. The show is very simple in nature — Mrs. Sazae lives in a home with her husband, kids, and parents and it follows their encounters. It has become a look back at Japanese family life in former decades.
