Anime release schedules are messier than TV. A single story can be spread across TV seasons, split cours, OVAs, specials and movies that are sometimes canon and sometimes not. Here is the plain-language version.
Seasons and cours
A cour is a block of roughly 12 or 13 episodes. A 24-episode season is two cours. When you see “Season 2 Part 2” on a card, that is the second cour of the second season, usually aired after a short break. Our episode tags (for example S2 · EP11) always count from the start of that season, so you always know where you are.
OVAs and specials
OVA stands for Original Video Animation: episodes released direct to disc rather than broadcast. Some are side stories you can skip; some are canon. We list OVAs at the end of the season they belong to, with a note if they are required viewing.
Movies
There are three kinds. Recap movies compress a season into two hours and are skippable if you have watched the series. Side-story movies happen between seasons. Canon movies continue the main plot, and we flag those in the synopsis. Re:ZERO – The Frozen Bond, for example, is a prequel you can watch any time after season 1.
The simple rule
Watch in release order unless the synopsis says otherwise. Release order is how the creators intended the story to unfold, and it almost always works.
Written by the Rish Anime editorial team. Last updated October 15, 2026.
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