Arslan Senki (TV): Arsen 4-koma Gekijou

There are good anime that stop after one or two seasons despite the source material still having a lot of good ground to cover, much to everyone's disappointment. So we wait, and wait and wait... for nothing.

This list features a selection of notable incomplete adaptations that have stuck in the limbo for at least five years without any new announcements, in most cases far longer than that. For simplicity's sake, I will only include the chronologically latest entry in the series, not the highest-rated or most widely known. The notability guideline I'm using is roughly based on a combination of rating and popularity at the time of inclusion.

What this list DOESN'T include:
* any original anime;
* any inconclusively finished anime based on games, mixed-media projects, or any other non-written sources;
* adaptations with anime-original endings meant to serve as a conclusion to the series (I strive to verify every entry in this regard, but please do inform me if something has been added in error);
* incomplete adaptations of manga and LNs that have gone on long or even indefinite hiatuses themselves, leaving potential new seasons of TV adaptation without enough content (e.g. Hunter x Hunter, Nana);
* adaptations of officially discontinued manga and LNs, as it's obvious the publisher isn't interested in having them done;
* incomplete adaptations with anime-original endings that stop before the part of the source material that very distinctly made the series' fans unhappy (Usagi Drop is a good example).

I also reserve the right not to include adaptations with anime-original ambiguous endings if there is no greater overarching plot thread carried on in the source material, or if the source material also ends ambiguously without wrapping it all up. Those are low-priority items.

See also the counterpart to this list: NotLikeThis — anime-original sequels nobody wanted: https://myanimelist.net/stacks/2355.

List alumni:
* Slam Dunk – a new movie has been announced, which will presumably pick up where the previous adaptation ended and cover the last game in the manga, which is also its best part.
* Spice and Wolf — a whole new season has been announced! Woof!

These shows have a distinct Middle Eastern aesthetic or take place in the region. The Middle East consists of over a dozen countries that stretch from Turkey (sometimes spelled Türkiye) to the north, Egypt and the surrounding African nations in the west, all the way to Iran (formerly known as Persia or Pars in ancient times) and Afghanistan to the east. The land of Arabia is particularly well-known, due to the famous literature, "Arabian Nights".

Arslan Senki (The Heroic Legend of Arslan) Watch Order:
(2 TV Series, 2 OVAs, 4 Specials)
1. Arslan Senki (Aug 17, 1991 to Sep 21, 1995) | OVA | 6 episodes x 38 min. per ep. - Alternative Version
2. Arslan Senki (TV) (Apr 5, 2015 to Sep 27, 2015) | TV | 25 episodes x 24 min. per ep. - Alternative Version / Full Story / Parent Story / Prequel / Other
3. Arslan Senki (TV): Tsuioku no Shou - Dakkan no Yaiba (Jul 5, 2015) | TV Special | 1 episode x 24 min. - Summary
4. Arslan Senki (TV): Arsen 4-koma Gekijou (Jul 23, 2015 to Feb 24, 2016) | TV Special | 8 episodes x 1 min. per ep. - Side Story / Prequel
5. Arslan Senki (TV) Gaiden (May 9, 2016 to Nov 9, 2016) | OVA | 2 episodes x 24 min. per ep. - Side Story
6. Arslan Senki (TV): Fuujin Ranbu (Jul 3, 2016 to Aug 21, 2016) | TV | 8 episodes x 24 min. per ep. - Sequel / Parent Story / Other
7. Arslan Senki (TV): Fuujin Ranbu (Sep 7, 2016 to Dec 7, 2016) | Special | 4 episodes x 1 min. per ep. - Arsen 4-koma Gekijou - Sequel / Side Story
8. Kigyou Senshi Arslan (Oct 5, 2016) | Special | 6 episodes x 4 min. per ep. - Other

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Reading Order:
1. Arslan Senki (Nov 1991 to Sep 1996) | Light Novel | 13 Volumes ? Chapters [Amano, Yoshitaka (Art), Tanaka, Yoshiki (Story)] - Alternative Version
2. Arslan Senki (Nov 1991 to Sep 1996) | Manga | 3 Volumes ? Chapters [Tanaka, Yoshiki (Story), Nakamura, Chisato (Art)]
3. Arslan Senki (Jul 9, 2013 to ?) | Manga | ? Volume ? Chapter [Arakawa, Hiromu (Art), Tanaka, Yoshiki (Story)] -

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Arslan: https://myanimelist.net/character/11771/Arslan

Author: Tanaka, Yoshiki https://myanimelist.net/people/6044/Yoshiki_Tanaka
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Theme: Historical
Demographic: Shounen

Tags: Medieval, Prince, War

Official Sites: https://www.arslan.jp/2/
https://shonenmagazine.com/special_page/arslan/
Twitter (X): アニメ『アルスラーン戦記』公式 (Anime “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” official) @arslan_anime https://twitter.com/arslan_anime
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heroic_Legend_of_Arslan

Clubs:
Arslan Senki F-club https://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=67388 (Inactive)
Arslan Senki Battalion https://myanimelist.net/clubs.php?cid=80809 (Inactive)

Note: Use JustWatch to check availability in your region.
https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-heroic-legend-of-arslan

✔️。