what is a story arc in anime

Full Answer

What is an arc in anime?

An arc is a specific section of the storyline. The anime has an overall plot, but the arcs are specific sections of the plot focusing on a specific section of the story. They’re basically mini-plots within the overall plot. You can think of it like a novel series.

What is a story arc?

Story arcs in contemporary drama often follow the pattern of bringing a character to a low point, removing the structures the character depends upon, and then forcing the character to find new strength without those structures.

What is the greatest anime story arc of all time?

Greatest Anime Story Arcs of All Time. 1 Invasion of Pain (Naruto Shippuden) 2 Soul Society Arc (Bleach) 3 Chimera Ant (Hunter X Hunter) 4 Marineford Arc (One Piece) 5 The Promised Day and Final Battle Arc (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

What are the 5 elements of a story arc?

A story arc begins with an introduction or exposition, such as once upon a time. The classic story arc definition includes five elements: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This lesson will examine each part of the classic story arc and how it is applied to reading and writing.

What is a story arc?

Narrative arc, also called a “story arc,” a “dramatic arc,” or just an “arc,” is a literary term for the path a story follows. It provides a backbone by providing a clear beginning, middle, and end of the story.

What is a story arc example?

Cinderella (rise then fall then rise) The Cinderella arc, like Rags to Riches, is one of the most common arcs, often found in love stories, sports stories, Disney movies, and other stories with happy endings. If you're writing a Disney movie, there's a good chance it's going to be Cinderella.

What are the best arcs in anime?

11 Most Suspenseful Shonen Anime Arcs, Ranked7 YorkNew City Helps Hunter x Hunter Grow Up.8 Enies Lobby Is One Piece In Peak Form. ... 9 The Hideout Raid Arc Finally Raises The Stakes (My Hero Academia) ... 10 The Dark Tournament Elevates Yu Yu Hakusho To New Heights. ... 11 Pain's Assault Proves Riveting (Naruto Shippuden) ... More items...•

Why is it called a story arc?

A story arc (also called a narrative arc) is just a term for the plot of your story. The line that the story follows, from beginning to end, is called an “arc” because of the rising, peak, and falling action. It runs from the beginning, through the middle, to the end of a story.

Do all characters need an arc?

Something to remember: not all characters need to experience a major, defined character arc. Flat character arcs, while much less common than the types we've discussed above, do exist. They involve no change or growth within the character, who's exactly the same at the end of the story as they were at the beginning.

How long is a story arc?

The story arc, also known as the narrative arc, is made up of 5 key scenes (plot points) and can help you create your story structure in a way that captivates readers. You may be familiar with the simplest form of a story arc composed of the Inciting Incident, Plot Point 1, the Middle, Plot Point 2, and the Climax.

What is the biggest arc in anime?

1 Wano (One Piece) The current (and possibly last) arc of the expansive, incredibly long anime/manga series is set to be the longest arc in anime history. As of February 2022, the manga has 129 chapters for just the Wano arc, and it is still being written.

Does Death Note have arcs?

Anime information Part II, also known as the America arc, is the second part of the Death Note anime and manga series. It revolves around a three-way feud between Near, Mello, and Kira after L's death.

Who is the most powerful in anime?

The 12 Strongest Anime Characters of All Time1 Saitama (One Punch Man)2 Son Goku (Dragon Ball) ... 3 Giorno Giovanna (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure) ... 4 Anos Voldigoad (The Misfit of Demon King Academy) ... 5 Tetsuo Shima (Akira) ... 6 Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer) ... 7 Kaguya Otsutsuki (Naruto) ... 8 Yhwach (Bleach) ... More items...•

What are the 7 parts of a story arc?

Let's break down each key part and point in the narrative arc.Exposition. This is how all stories begin and get set up: they introduce the world, the characters, and the genre, theme, or general feeling. ... Inciting Incident. ... Rising Action. ... Crisis. ... Climax. ... Denouement, or Falling Action. ... Resolution.

What are arcs in shows?

A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, video games, and films with each episode following a dramatic arc.

What is an arc in acting?

A character arc is the path a character takes over the course of a story. A character's arc involves adversity and challenges, as well as some changes to the character, and ultimately leads to resolution. Character arcs generally progress in tandem with traditional three-act story structure.

What is a story arc?

Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. A story arc (also narrative arc) is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and films with each episode following a dramatic arc. On a television program, for example, ...

What is the purpose of a story arc?

The purpose of a story arc is to move a character or a situation from one state to another; in other words, to effect change. This change or transformation often takes the form of either a tragic fall from grace or a reversal of that pattern. One common form in which this reversal is found is a character going from a situation of weakness to one of strength. For example, a poor woman goes on adventures and in the end makes a fortune for herself, or a lonely man falls in love and marries.

When was the story arc created?

Although story arcs have existed for decades, the term "story arc" was coined in 1988 in relation to the television series Wiseguy, and was quickly adapted for other uses. Many American comic book series are now written in four or six-issue arcs, within a continuing series.

How many story arcs are there in Dragon Ball Z?

The anime Dragon Ball Z adapts four different story arcs from the Dragon Ball manga, each with its own ultimate antagonist, along with original story arcs created for the TV series.

What is a Story Arc?

A story arc is a device used by readers and writers to understand the make-up of a story. To create a story arc, the reader analyzes the parts of a story. Then the story arc is often drawn as a curve or line graph, and various elements of the plot are identified and labelled on the drawing.

Story Arc Components

A plot arc or storytelling arc is an explanation of the literary elements contained in a story. The most common breakdown of the story arc contains five components.

Story Arc Examples

What is a story arc in practice? Story arc examples give an idea of how a reader can dissect the plot of a story in terms of key literary elements.

12 Cell (Dragon Ball Z)

The famous Cell arc consists of 29 episodes that aired from 1992 to 1993. The anime episodes are based on the last 26 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga. The lengthy season covers all 92 chapters and 1388 pages of Cell's story.

11 Alvarez (Fairy Tail)

The iconic Alvarez arc is the seventeenth and final story arc of Fairy Tail. After so many incredible seasons of the magical anime, the last 43 episodes make up the final arc. They are based on the manga chapters 438 to 545.

10 Chunin Exams (Naruto)

Oh, the Chunin Exams. This long-winding arc in the beginning of Naruto's story, consisting of 47 episodes, covers the training exams that the student ninja need to pass in order to gain the rank of chunin. The arc includes both the Chunin Exam Preliminaries and Finals, and really shows viewers how long and intricate the story can get.

9 Thriller Bark (One Piece)

This won't be the only One Piece story arc to make this list. Released back in 2008, more seasons have since come out and beat the number of episodes in this one. The Thriller Bark arc, the eighteenth in the series, consists of 45 episodes in the anime that cover 48 chapters in the manga.

8 The Frieza Saga (Dragon Ball Z)

Dragon Ball is famous for its long arcs and yawn-inducing, stretched out battle scenes. After each powerful attack, the characters always feel inclined to fully explain their every single move, in very specific detail.

7 Fish-Man Island (One Piece)

One Piece hits this list multiple times due to how long its story arcs are. The anime has been airing for over 20 years now, following a manga that is just as detailed and long. The Fish-Man Island arc is the 25th story arc in the series and is 51 episodes long.

6 Arrancar: Downfall (Bleach)

The entire 14th season of Bleach covers the Arrancar: Downfall arc, spanning 51 episodes. The season aired from April 2010 to April 2011, with an episode coming out every week for that entire year. The arc follows the battles between the Soul Reapers an Sōsuke Aizen's arrancar army as they try to save Karakura Town from destruction.

What happens in Naruto's arc?

Konahamaru uses the Rasengan on screen for the first time, Naruto gets to show the results of his training in senjutus u and Hinata finally tells Naruto she loves him, not that anything happens between them until much later on. It's also the closest we've seen to Kurama taking over Naruto, with only Minato being able to help stop the transition into a full-blown nine-tailed form.

What is the final arc of Dragon Ball?

The final arc, Universal Survival, carries more weight than any story in Dragon Ball history, with not only the hero's universe being threatened with destruction, but every other universe in existence, adding intensity and desperation to the already breakneck fight scenes the series is known for.

What is the story of Anohana?

The story of Anohana follows a group of estranged friends who, after one of their group mysteriously comes back to life as a spirit, work together to try and figure out what is anchoring her to the living world and help her move on.

What arc is Hunter x Hunter?

3 Hunter x Hunter Is At It's Peak During The Chimera Ant Arc. For many, the Chimera Ant arc is what cemented in the minds of viewers that Hunter X Hunter was one of the best, if not the best, Shonen anime to have ever come out.

Who is Callum Archer?

About The Author. Callum Archer (162 Articles Published) Callum Archer is a freelance writer based in Perth, Western Australia. He is an avid gamer, Nintendo fanboy and lover of weird sci-fi novels, who also dabbles in manga from time to time, usually dark and twisted work like Uzumaki and Death Note.

Is anime a cliche?

Though cliche animes can be truly entertaining it is important to note that not all shows fit within the tropes that people associate with the medium. Over the years, the anime medium has continuously proven stereotypes of the genre to be false, with films like Your Name, a romantic drama, being listed as one of the most successful ...

Overview

In television and radio

Story arcs on television (and also on radio) have existed for decades (one notable (albeit, unusual) example, from the so-called "Golden Age of Radio", being the 1946 NBC Radio Summer-run docudrama serial, The Fifth Horseman, which (in part) featured a four-episode arc regarding a hypothetical chain of events (spanning nearly two full "future" decades) surrounding a fictitious nuclear holocaust), and are common in many countries where multi-episode story lines are the n…

Dramatic structure and purpose

See also

External links