I can say that in printed novels, I like it when the chapters are short.
It gives me a sense of accomplishment because I sometimes feel like I have ADD with them long chapters...............

So anyways, unless it's a oneshot collection,
I prefer three to seven volumes with twenty to thirty pages per chapter (more or less, depending how interesting the manga is).
Single volume works (like many BL manga) tend to be too rushed or just end too quickly.
Many shoujo and shounen manga seem to be too infinite and inconclusive.

But as long as the story's good, who cares, right?


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If I had a fantasy self, it'd be a tentacle monster.

This poll is kinda confusing for me...
It sort of makes me think more in terms of weekly(18~20 pages) vs monthly manga (~30 pages) instead of story arcs.
Chapter length isn't really a good comparison parameter, since it's more restricted by the publication than story arcs.

If this was just about the way things are printed, then I'd still vote for lots of volumes with short chapters. It's much easier to progress through the story by having it controlled in a shorter page span than have it drag on over longer pages where the author may end up filling pages with whole page spreads (though some weekly series does this often as well coughbleachcough).

If this was about story arc lengths, then I'd prefer a mix of story length, but overall lots of volumes, somewhere around 15~25 is usually good enough length for most series whether they have enough to go further.

I don't want to go through several volumes to still be stuck in the same situation, kinda reminds of Skip Beat in recent arcs, it's just taking forever for them to move on...

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This is a hard one. I like both long and short stories. What's key is having the right length for the individual story. If the story calls for 4 volumes then fine but if it takes 45 volumes to do the story justice then so be it.

If I had to choose, I'd say between 12 and 50 volumes, but what I think is really important is the pacing. Don't drag it out and don't rush it.

As far as chapter length, I got nothing. The length of the chapter typically only signifies how often it's released (ie ~20 page is typically weekly, while 30-40 is typically bi-weekly or monthly). I do prefer getting weekly chapters so it doesn't take forever for the story to unfold but long monthly chapters are sometimes better thought out and drawn.

It really depends on the manga for me. There are a lot of <4 volume manga I wish would've reached 8 - 10 volumes but I think any manga (with plot) that goes beyond 20 volumes is pushing it.

Depends on the type of manga, there is not an specific margin i prefer, sorry.

Last edited by BlackOrion at 10:52 pm, Jan 26 2013

Can we get a "don't care" option?

Why should that option always be available in polls? These are supposed to be fun. Always checking "don't care" defeats the purpose. If you don't like the polls, don't vote in them.

Totally agree.

I typically prefer longer stories, but what really matters is pacing. I hate longer series that feel like they are being dragged out and I hate short stories that feel rushed and unfinished. If the pacing is right, the length doesn't matter too much.

Don't let it get to you lamb, I know it's hard and frustrating but it's the internet. Meh.

Haha, I know what you mean. I've been around MU for 7 years now, so I know what it means to be disappointed by the Internet

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A just ruler amongst tyrants

Well, the font poll was, by far, the stupidest poll I've ever seen here. And I've seen some strange ones.

Anyways, I find a few volumes with longs chapters better than the other choices. Sometimes a series will go on forever, even though it should have ended **cough** Bleach **cough**
A lot of times if a series gets too long, people start to dislike the series as a whole even though the first half was great **cough** Gantz **cough**
I think series with around 40-60 chapters usually end up being the ones I remember and would read a 2nd time over (that doesn't happen often since I remember everything that happens and the entertainment value sinks). Basically, less than 100 but more than 50 chapters. That's my ideal manga.
Now, there are some that continue to entertain even though it's really long, like One Piece. Naruto is kind of ruined IMO since Tobi was Obito (the obvious, uncreative choice).
I usually don't like series with 10-20 chapters since it seems rushed most of the time.

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-No longer do I quote great scholars, the famous, etc. Kids feigning wisdom ruined it.
--I wont type a post like a college report. If you don't read it just for that reason, you don't have to post why your hoity-toity ass refused to. I swear, so many people on this site are so full of themselves. A lot seem to think they always have an "intelligent and/or logical" point or show signs of a superiority complex. They never admit they're wrong. Maybe partially, but excuses abound! :\
-Stop mailing me about my comments. I don't read them.
/sigrant

Agreed, most of the series I enjoyed reading have long chapters. When a chapter is too short - 15 pages or less - it breaks the flow so I can't immerse into the story and am left feeling unsatisfied, either rushed or nothing really happened. (Reading them in complied volumes helps.)

Ofc not agreeing about there being an 'optimal' story length but just that the ones I've read and liked are usually not over 30 volumes.

'A few volumes with long chapters' might be the easiest length to make a satisfying story.

Lots of volumes with long chapters so when I see a new release, it is more than 10 pages. The more volumes, the more I have to read. I think that is good, unless there are volumes just to make more money after running out of plot. Should stop while the joke still is fun, you know.

Haha, I dunno if I have a case of schadenfreude or whatever but your last line made me crack up. No worries, though, I voted for Webdings and was by no means part of the Font War x).
As for this poll, I'd like to pick long chapters with lots of volumes (my computer won't let me vote anymore; it skips directly to the results :c) on the condition that the release time in between isn't significantly longer...which is probably impossible because no mangaka wants to be subject to that horror

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While I'm really a short story type of person, I agree there should be a middle option here (or a "My fave manga should last forever" option, to differentiate between regular long and neverending). Some stories need more than just a few volumes to be told and that's fine, but no story *needs* 30+ volumes. Your preferred length is what I find long but doable, I usually end up dropping longer stuff or simply don't read based on the number of volumes. Reading 20+ volumes is a big time investment...