The Magic 26

[shabutie]

Why is it that most animes have 26 episodes per season? (or 13, which is 26/2 for those of you not so good with math )

Out of the ones I've seen (still not very many and I know there's many more out there)

Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell (1st and 2nd Gig), Outlaw Star, Gungrave, and Samurai Champloo all have 26 episodes
Hellsing and K-On! both have 13 episodes.

The only one that doesn't fit out of the ones I've seen is Death Note with 37 episodes

[Path]

It's a result of the subdivision of Japanese TV known as cours. A full cours span 13 weeks, and two subsequently span 26. Each cours tend to have its own OP/ED, so a normal two cours series (26 episodes) would typically have two different OPs/EDs.

(or 13, which is 26/2 for those of you not so good with math )

Four cours correpsond to 52 weeks, or a year.

[Lupin]

Currently airing with that number of episodes: Elementhunters, Konnichiwa Anne.

Other popular titles with ~39 eps: Mobile Suit Gundam, Sailor Moon (S and Super S), Macross,

[Humanoidz]

It's a result of the subdivision of Japanese TV known as cours. A full cours span 13 weeks, and two subsequently span 26. Each cours tend to have its own OP/ED, so a normal two cours series (26 episodes) would typically have two different OPs/EDs.

(or 13, which is 26/2 for those of you not so good with math )

Four cours correpsond to 52 weeks, or a year.

Basically a season.  Then I suppose OVA's are all shorter than 13.

[Talapus]

Then I suppose OVA's are all shorter than 13.

Usually, but it doesn't need to be. OVA just means that that originally it didn't air on TV (it was released straight to video). Since that means it's not held to TV seasons, they can be of any length (Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an OVA with 110 episodes).

[newy]

The new OVA series (some alternative universe of the Tenchi Muyou series, I think) is a 13 episode OVA, iIrc.

[shabutie]

It's a result of the subdivision of Japanese TV known as cours. A full cours span 13 weeks, and two subsequently span 26. Each cours tend to have its own OP/ED, so a normal two cours series (26 episodes) would typically have two different OPs/EDs.

(or 13, which is 26/2 for those of you not so good with math )

Four cours correpsond to 52 weeks, or a year.

its amazing, It actually makes sense! (unlike most American shows that just go on seemingly random)

I can dig it

[Sosseres]

its amazing, It actually makes sense! (unlike most American shows that just go on seemingly random)

I can dig it

Random has advantage of not forcing fillers to fill out a quota of episodes if you lack in story. ^^

[shabutie]

its amazing, It actually makes sense! (unlike most American shows that just go on seemingly random)

I can dig it

Random has advantage of not forcing fillers to fill out a quota of episodes if you lack in story. ^^

so very, very true    (though most american shows do it anyways  )

[Humanoidz]

Then I suppose OVA's are all shorter than 13.

Usually, but it doesn't need to be. OVA just means that that originally it didn't air on TV (it was released straight to video). Since that means it's not held to TV seasons, they can be of any length (Legend of the Galactic Heroes is an OVA with 110 episodes).

No kidding?  I thought OVA's got air time, at least not in a season format.

[Sosseres]

It can of course get air time, but it isn't released with that as its basis. They probably happily sell rights just as any other producer.

[Havoc10K]

golden rule, we love 13/26/52, if it's good, the more the better, but yeh it's that way around

It's a result of the subdivision of Japanese TV known as cours. A full cours span 13 weeks, and two subsequently span 26. Each cours tend to have its own OP/ED, so a normal two cours series (26 episodes) would typically have two different OPs/EDs.

Four cours correpsond to 52 weeks, or a year.