[dmortin]

> I really dislike TV/Anime that never ends, seems to be the modus operandi for pretty much every mainstream show despite how bad the quality gets after 2-3 seasons.

Isn't this an American thing where TV/movie things are primarily for money making?

I mean the British Office had 2 seasons and 12 episodes. The US version had 9 seasons and 200 episodes.

I didn't watch The Office, so I don't know if the US version got worse towards the end, but in general in the US they keep making episodes while the series is profitable, regardless of quality and in the end they usually drive it to the ground.

They just can't stop until there is no money in it. Most of the time they can't end a TV series on a high note.

[ConceptJunkie]

The American "The Office" ran about 2 seasons past its sell-by date. Losing Steve Carrel was the point when the show should have ended. There were certainly good episodes after his departure, because he was far from the only thing that made the show good, but we often say, when watching Seasons 8 and 9, "When did this show become a cartoon?"

[monetus]

Maybe not British, but it is very much a Japanese tendecy, ime. If I see a good anime/comic, I try to appreciate what I saw and expect no resolution. I'm curious how often they even have resolution in the outline.

[crooked-v]

A key thing with manga is that many series originally run in serial format in magazines that will drop the series and the author like a hot potato if popularity with readers wavers, so (a) it's impossible for the authors to actually plan for an ending and (b) authors are incentivized to insert whatever it takes to keep readers coming back based on this specific week in the real world instead of having a plot outline.

[delecti]

Every year has a slew of animes which wrap up in 13 or 26 episodes. A sparse few go to 52. An even sparser few fit the mold you describe, but even many of those end eventually with a planned conclusion (Bleach and Dragon Ball <Suffix>).

[monetus]

Sorry, I wasn't speaking in absolutes. I'm not a pollster or statistician, so I was relaying my anecdote. I think your comment's sibling, and one of mine, elucidate why I have that anecdote.

[beatgammit]

I just can't do that. I typically only watch anime that has ended so I know that there will be resolution. I really appreciate well thought out series.

In short, I appreciate the story far more than the story telling. The longer the story is, the bigger the payoff needs to be.

Perhaps that's the difference between British and Japanese audiences?

[bliblah]

Americans make money via ads and dvd/streaming but the Japanese use merchandising to fund all their endeavors.

DVD/Bluray sales usually dictate if a show gets renewed. Also most anime are adaptations from light novels or manga so the expectation is that they all drive up sales for one another. Then we have things like figures, video games, pillow cases, etc. This is why One Piece has over 850 episodes spread over at least a dozen box sets and 900 manga chapters collected in 60 volumes.

[yardie]

I've watched both and I think the US series is the better of the 2. Maybe it was just me but I found the Office UK's David to be a completely unlikable sociopath. The Office US had enough time to develop most of the characters and create some very funny scenarios. And most fans barely remember the trying to hard to be British 1st season.

200 episodes was probably too much, yet 12 episodes would not be enough.

[flashgordon]

I think it was wierd that the UK office finally came upon their own "redemption" moment for David Brent with the movie that came out a couple of years ago. I felt this was actually inspired by the US version where even though Steve was initially incompetent and selfish, by the time of his departure his incompetence had mellowed down a lot and his social "integration" was quite the highlight.