To relax and relieve stress from Covid-19, it's necessary for us to calm our minds and divert our attention away from all the negativity. That's where the appeal of anime comes in.

Here are some long (by number of episodes) anime series to keep yourself busy during this time of crisis.

BLEACH, 366 episodes

Plenty of action, iconic soundtracks, and badass antagonists makes Bleach one of the most popular anime of all time. Set in a world where the Shinigami (soul reapers) are constantly in battle with Hollows (ugly creatures which are actually corrupted spirits), the anime portrays a heartwarming plot focusing on friendship, and a bit of romance. However, over-emphasis on "power of friendship", and "the only characters who ever die are the bad ones", may seem annoying at times.

GINTAMA, 367 episodes (in all seasons)

Gintama should be on top of your list for comedy, as the sole purpose of the series is to make the audience burst into laughter, going to lengths such as making parodies of super popular anime like Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, Attack on Titan, and many more. Not every day do you get to see an anime with a silvery-blue haired protagonist, well-crafted parodies, and sudden but timely changes in facial expressions of characters and background music to fit the comedy.

DETECTIVE CONAN, 837 episodes and counting

This series is a wholesome package of mystery, comedy, romance, and slice of life. While the animation style might seem old (after all, it started airing in 1996), it keeps getting better. Shinichi Kudo, a talented high school detective, solves a variety of crimes under the alias Conan Edogawa. What will keep you hooked to this series are the deductions and utter cleverness of solutions given by Conan, buildup of hype, satisfaction after a crime is solved, and the touch of comedy and romance thoughtfully executed by the mangaka. If you're into Sherlock Holmes, you're definitely going to love Detective Conan.

ONE PIECE, 926 episodes and counting

One Piece is one of the longest running and most popular shounen anime series out there, where pirates roam the seas in search of the legendary treasure "One Piece". The protagonist Luffy and his crew set sail across the unknown seas hoping to find this legendary treasure. Though slow paced, the plot as well as the character designs are unique. The anime vividly portrays the bond of friendship, which may seem overly dramatic at times.

I wanted to write "a few honorable mentions" but Giren, Itachi and Zeref asked me not to.

H. Rainak Khan Real is on a quest to find the elixir of eternal youth. Send him clues or simply wish him luck at rainakkhanreal@gmail.com