With so much recent controversy over manga endings (Bleach is in its “final chapter,” Negima ends in 3 chapters, and generic Jump love comedy Kagami no Kuni no Harisugawa just received one of “those” endings), manga fans have been debating the perfect length for a manga – with many coming to the conclusion that “about 30” volumes is about right.
The various forms of protracted torture offered by such long-running titles as Bleach, Naruto and Berserk seem to have persuaded many that even the most epic of manga need to have properly paced endings:
“Anyone would lose interest with some of these longer titles…”
“25 volumes is a bit much.”
“12 volumes is good.”
“The beautiful ideal is 28-32 volumes!”
“If you’re unlucky and start reading one of those shonen titles midway you’ll be an adult by the time it finishes.”
“16 is a good time to leave off.”
“Slam Dunk is a good example of a 30 volume series.”
“Slam Dunk could have gone on a bit more.”
“If you start in your first year of elementary school you really want it to end about the time of your final exams in high school.”
“Where was One Piece even at when it hit 30…”
“Like anyone can be bothered to collect them all when they have 50+ volumes.”
“Recent manga tend to have huge panels, I really think that makes a difference.”
“Certainly, North Star and Seiya were better off not going over 30.”
“Any boy who started reading KochiKame is middle-aged now…”
“The biggest issue probably is readers of 30+ manga ending up as adults during its run.”
“20 or perhaps 10 is about right!”
“It was amazing how Full Metal Alchemist had the perfect length with no superfluous parts.”
“I read it all in 5 hours straight at a friend’s place.”
“Monthly series really get tedious at about volume 15. If you can save them up and read them all in one sitting, 30 volumes is great though.”
“Gash in 33, that was good.”
“Completion in 4 volumes is the best.”
“If it ends in the early twenties, you can at least hope to finish it in one sitting. I want to see an elegant ending but it does feel sad when they are over.”
“The college volumes of K-ON! and Lucky Star are just totally superfluous.”
“If only he could have finished Berserk at 28…”
Know what should fucking end.
Detective Conan.
pfft different manga have different needs and there methiods either lenthen or shortnen that
depends on the series:
Dragonball – 42
Solanin – 2
Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-oh-ki – 13
Sixteen is barely okay.
-Chris Hu, discussing “manga”
It would only bother me if it was coming fast, but it’s not. Berserk has like 3(?) chapters released per year.