Want to launch a hit anime? Have a longer first episode 

What do Demon Slayer, Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Fate/Zero and Oshi no Ko have in common? They are all popular Japanese anime series, however they also have one major similarity that may have helped them to hook audiences in. A recent article from Ameba Times highlighted the fact that many recent successful anime series were launched with extended 60-minute pilot episodes, as opposed to the standard half an hour runtime. 

Extended first episodes give new anime more time to showcase their appeal to the audience. Anime TV series episodes are typically around 25 to 30 minutes long. After taking out the opening and ending credits, this leaves around 20 minutes for telling the episode’s story. Therefore, it is difficult for a first episode with a standard runtime to do much more than introduce the characters and premise. With over 200 different anime series being broadcast in Japan each year, it is easy for new anime to be forgotten about if their first episode fails to stick in viewers’ minds. 

On the other hand, special extended first episodes with a 60-minute runtime allow new anime series to cover more ground. Many now popular series have opted for this approach including Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World and the aforementioned Oshi no Ko (which had a 90-minute opening episode). Fantasy anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End established its world and characters in a first broadcast that was 120 minutes long. In this case it wasn’t that the first episode ran for 2 hours, rather that the first 4 episodes were broadcast back-to-back.  

As well as setting up the world and characters, some anime series have used the extended first episode to throw a twist at the audience. Both Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World and The Rising Of The Shield Hero have long first episodes that start out like a typical isekai anime in which someone is suddenly transported to another world. However, both series flip their narrative in the last half of the first episode to show off how they are not following genre conventions.  

The need to fit anime episodes into TV schedules has meant that it made sense for series to stick to 30-minute slots in the past. However, with more people watching anime via streaming services, it’s possible that unconventional running times will become even more common in the future- with titles opting for a non-standard length episodes that best suit the particular series’ needs.  

Which extended pilot episodes do you think do a good job of pulling viewers in? 

To read more on this topic, check out Why did Frieren and Oshi no Ko have such unusually long premieres?