# Anime Relations

Anime is not produced like Western TV. And SIMKL does not pretend that it is.

Most anime series are created over many years, often by different studios, with story arcs that stop, restart, branch into movies, or continue long after the original run.

That makes anime fundamentally different from Western shows that air one continuous season every year.

SIMKL’s **Anime Relations system** is how this complexity is solved.

Instead of forcing anime into artificial “Season 1, Season 2” buckets, SIMKL tracks each anime production **exactly as it exists in Japan**, and then links those titles together using powerful relationship data.

This gives you:

* [x] Correct watch order
* [x] Proper notifications for new seasons
* [x] Accurate tracking across Plex, Kodi, MAL, TVDB, TMDB
* [x] And future-proof tracking that won’t break when studios split seasons, release specials, or change formats

{% content-ref url="" %}
[](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/getting-started-with-simkl/basic-navigation/anime-tracking/anime-seasons)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% hint style="success" %}
SIMKL relies on third-party databases like AniDB for its Anime Metadata [anidb-for-anime](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/faq/how-to-add-new-shows-missing-episodes-and-movies-to-simkl/anidb-for-anime "mention") 
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FmkgcdB21Sl5O7ETAUl0T%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=72e7684c-6bd1-419f-a04f-9c79f2a42d40" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

## What Are Anime Relations?

Anime Relations tell SIMKL **how anime titles connect to each other**.

Every anime on SIMKL can have links such as:

* **Sequel**
* **Prequel**
* **Side story**
* **ONA**
* **OVA**
* **Movie**
* **Special**
* **Spin-off**
* **Music**
* **Direct continuation**

These relationships are shown in the **Related Anime → Relations** panel on every anime page.

This allows SIMKL to know things like:

> Attack on Titan → Season 2 → Season 3 (Part 1) → Season 3 (Part 2) → Final Season → Final Specials → Final Movie

{% hint style="success" %}
Even though each of these is a **separate anime entry**, SIMKL knows they are part of the same story.
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FaaiwI58xtYc4WLHg9XLS%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=820e716c-56e8-418d-8433-f381ef80faea" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

## Why SIMKL Splits Anime Into Separate Titles

This is the single biggest source of confusion and also SIMKL’s biggest advantage.

SIMKL does **not** invent anime seasons.\
SIMKL tracks **how anime is actually produced and released in Japan**.

In Japan:

* Studios often take multi-year breaks between arcs
* Production committees change
* Animation studios change
* Episode formats change (TV → OVA → Movie → TV)
* Story arcs are officially marketed as separate titles

For example:

| Western TV Thinking | Real Anime Production                        |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Season 1, Season 2  | Attack on Titan (2013)                       |
| Season 3            | Attack on Titan Season 2 (2017)              |
| Season 4            | Attack on Titan Season 3 (2018–2019)         |
| Season 5            | Attack on Titan The Final Season (2020–2023) |
| Movie               | Attack on Titan: The Last Attack (2024)      |

These are not seasons in Japan, they are **separate releases**, each sold, licensed, and produced independently.

SIMKL preserves this reality instead of collapsing everything into one artificial show.

This allows:\
• Correct licensing & streaming tracking\
• Proper episode counts\
• Accurate release notifications\
• Correct studio credits\
• True drop-rate & popularity stats\
• Reliable long-term tracking

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FOsfdIaLMkRXbTYKoUDKt%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=3937f510-2ede-4164-b7de-3b8007122cb3" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

## How SIMKL Still Gives You “Season-Style” Tracking

Even though anime on SIMKL is stored as **separate titles**, SIMKL **recreates and improves** the idea of “seasons” through a system called **Anime Relations**.

Instead of forcing everything into one giant listing, SIMKL builds a **story-aware structure** that understands what actually comes next in the franchise whether it’s a new season, a movie, an OVA, or a special arc.

### Next to Watch – Sequel

On every anime page, SIMKL shows a **Next to Watch – Sequel** panel.

This is not a random recommendation, it is a **story-correct continuation** of the anime you are currently viewing.

> **Next to Watch – Sequel**

This automatically points to the **correct next anime** in the story.

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2Fcvzc3SiZ01J3jghTkTUW%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=196e698c-9cbb-4d98-9a52-aaa64b7c855e" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This is not a random recommendation, it is a **story-correct continuation** of the anime you are currently viewing.

For example:

* If you are on \
  **Naruto (2002),**\
  SIMKL shows: ➡ **Naruto Shippuden**
* If you are on\
  **Attack on Titan Season 3 (Part 1)**\
  SIMKL shows: ➡ **Attack on Titan Season 3 (Part 2)**

This works even when anime splits seasons across **multiple titles, years, studios, or formats**.

{% content-ref url="../../tv-shows-tracking/parts-vs-seasons-tv-show-formats" %}
[parts-vs-seasons-tv-show-formats](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/getting-started-with-simkl/basic-navigation/tv-shows-tracking/parts-vs-seasons-tv-show-formats)
{% endcontent-ref %}

Western season systems cannot do this, they only count episode numbers.

SIMKL follows the **actual narrative order**.

***

### Relations Panel

Every anime page also contains a **Relations** panel. This is where SIMKL becomes uniquely powerful.

The Relations system shows the **full structure of the anime franchise**, including:

• Direct sequels

* Direct sequels
* Movies that continue the story
* OVAs
* Alternative versions
* Side stories
* Final parts

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FWvlDH7fEaqLJ0iBtKNus%2Fchrome_B2Dqz7pV6z.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=61125f1e-5e55-459d-a4de-a263c98c3217" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

You can switch between two views:

#### Directly Related

This shows the **core story path** the parts you must watch to follow the main narrative.

Example for Naruto:\
Naruto → Naruto Shippuden → Boruto

Example for Attack on Titan:\
Season 1 → Season 2 → Season 3 → Final Season → Final Specials → Final Movie

This acts exactly like a **true season list**, but more accurate.

***

## How SIMKL Syncs Seasons Across Plex, TVDB, TMDB & MAL

SIMKL has various connected IDs & links:

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2FItPDubMHoQLkQ4JfsdSh%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4c621772-0a80-4044-95a6-326f835222a7" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
Image Source: <https://simkl.com/anime/39508/naruto/summary/>&#x20;
{% endhint %}

SIMKL also connects **two anime worlds**:

| Japan                      | Western databases          |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Original anime titles      | TVDB seasons               |
| Japanese episode numbering | TMDB season structure      |
| Studio-defined releases    | Plex / Kodi episode layout |

SIMKL maintains a **mapping database** that links:

> TVDB Season 3 Episode 5 → The correct Japanese anime episode

So when Plex says:

> Naruto – Season 2 Episode 1

SIMKL knows:

> Which real Naruto episode that was

This means:\
• Plex\
• Kodi\
• API apps\
• Mobile apps\
• Browser extensions

All stay accurate, even when anime uses different season systems.

***

## Notifications for New Seasons & Related Anime

This is where SIMKL becomes extremely powerful.

When a new anime is added that is **related** to anything in:

* Watching
* Completed
* On Hold

SIMKL can notify you automatically.

{% content-ref url="../../../../core-features/notifications" %}
[notifications](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/core-features/notifications)
{% endcontent-ref %}

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2F8KWyVu2FlzpZa17cH0hz%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=61538c2e-3991-4d98-bb62-80d4bbd43956" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

This means:\
If you watched *Attack on Titan* years ago…\
When *Attack on Titan: The Last Attack (2024)* was added…\
SIMKL can tell you it exists.

You never miss new seasons, OVAs, or movies again.

This solves the #1 problem anime fans have via notifications:

> “I didn’t know there was another season.”

***

## Why SIMKL Does Not Collapse Anime Into One Big Show (Yet...)

Some apps show:

> My Hero Academia – 8 seasons

SIMKL shows:

> My Hero Academia Season 1\
> My Hero Academia Season 2\
> My Hero Academia Season 3\
> …

This is **not fragmentation.**\
This is **accurate representation of how anime is produced.**

{% content-ref url="../why-is-anime-a-top-level-category-like-movies-and-tv-shows" %}
[why-is-anime-a-top-level-category-like-movies-and-tv-shows](https://docs.simkl.org/how-to-use-simkl/getting-started-with-simkl/basic-navigation/anime-tracking/why-is-anime-a-top-level-category-like-movies-and-tv-shows)
{% endcontent-ref %}

<figure><img src="https://1063116720-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MkYIJb2JfKN8kBT29bf%2Fuploads%2Fnh42ZuXigJTEUedFgrRj%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9321d96d-d4b7-499b-8909-38b624c9847f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Anime is not one continuous show

Each season is:

* A separate TV production
* With its own budget
* Its own staff
* Its own broadcast window
* Its own licensing
* Its own episode IDs

Because:

* Japan releases them as separate works
* Studios change
* Licensing changes
* Movies interrupt the timeline

***

## SIMKL does not split anime for no reason.

SIMKL splits anime because: **That is how anime is actually made.**

Relations put everything back together. better than any single-title season system ever could.

You get:\
✔️ Correct history\
✔️ Correct future notifications\
✔️ Correct syncing\
✔️ Correct watch order\
✔️ Correct stats

That is what Anime Relations were built for.


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