Although the concept of a Shared Universe is popularly associated with Western comics, large anime franchises have been interweaving timelines and secondary narratives for decades. In this medium, spin-offs are not just extra stories but often essential narrative pieces that redefine the main work. We analyze how anime uses this expansion to create rich and enduring worlds. I. The Classic...

Music in anime is much more than mere accompaniment; it is the heart and soul of the narrative, marking eras and defining entire genres. From the J-Rock anthems that powered the shonen of the 90s to the melancholic voices of modern dramas, these are the artists whose sound is inseparable from the series they soundtracked. 1. The Classic Pillars (Rock, J-Pop, and Orchestration of the Golden...

It is a frequent question in the anime community: How many episodes does One Piece have? Is it the longest? The short answer is: No, One Piece is not the longest anime in history. Although the Luffy anime has surpassed 1100 episodes, the throne of the most extensive anime belongs to a category of short-format Japanese series with near-daily broadcasts that have been on the air continuously for...

The Re-Rise of Sports Anime: How 'Blue Lock' and 'Haikyuu!!' Made Sports a Global Phenomenon   For decades, sports anime (or "Spokon") was a fundamental but consistent genre in Japan, with classics like Slam Dunk and Captain Tsubasa. Globally, however, it was often considered a niche. Today, in 2025, that has irrevocably changed. The sports genre now competes in global popularity with the...

The “curse of video game adaptations” is a real phenomenon. For decades, most anime based on video games were, at best, 20‑minute commercials and, at worst, rushed adaptations that stripped away everything that made the original great. But that has changed. In the modern era of streaming, creators have had the freedom to take the lore and world of a video game and build something...