Watch smarter · Steins;Gate
Finding anime episodes, release dates, and the voice you recognize
Where can I find episode lists, release dates, staff and voice-actor information, and track what I watch?
A practical research routine for sorting out episode numbering, broadcast dates, production credits, and your own progress.
Start by identifying the exact version
The fastest way to find the wrong episode list is to search only a franchise name. Add the release year, season subtitle, and format before comparing results. Fullmetal Alchemist and Brotherhood are different adaptations. Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 are separate entries, not two interchangeable labels for the same season. A database's related-title links are more useful here than a search engine's confident-looking summary.
Record three things first: the exact title, its total episode count if confirmed, and whether it is television, a film, an OVA, or a special. An OVA is an original video animation, originally released for home video rather than a normal television run. Count specials separately until you know how your viewing service numbers them. A recap attached to a season is not automatically its next story episode.
Use an episode index, then verify the awkward details
MyAnimeList's episode pages are useful for numbered titles and original air dates. Official anime sites often have a STORY section containing episode summaries, stills, and individual production credits. Frieren's official first-season index, for example, runs from episode 1 to 28; its episode-28 page records March 22, 2024, and names the screenplay, storyboard, direction, and animation supervisors. That is a concrete reference when a database and a streaming season label disagree.
Avoid opening every synopsis if you are trying to stay unspoiled. Later episode titles, thumbnails, and cast additions can reveal more than a review. Compare the number and date first. If your service restarts numbering after a cour, meaning a roughly three-month broadcast block, note both the local number and the continuous number. It is easier to resolve a mismatch with those two anchors than with a translated title alone.
A broadcast date is not a universal release appointment
Separate the original Japanese broadcast, your region's subtitled stream, and the dubbed release. They can have different dates and different delays. AniList's official media reference includes start and end dates, episode totals, and airing-schedule data, but those fields should not be mistaken for a promise that every streaming service in every country has the episode at that moment.
Japanese schedules may also use late-night times beyond 24:00. A Tuesday 25:30 broadcast means Wednesday at 1:30 a.m. in Japan, while retaining Tuesday's programming-day label. Check the time zone before setting a reminder. For a postponement, prioritize a dated announcement from the production or broadcaster, then check your regional service. An old countdown cannot account for every schedule change or licensing restriction.
Follow the role, not just the familiar name
For a voice you recognize, open the character's cast listing and check the language before following the actor. Japanese and English performances belong to different credits, and even an English role can change between adaptations or seasons. AniList's staff reference explicitly covers both voice actors and production staff and records primary dubbing language. Match the person to this particular entry rather than assuming one franchise-wide cast.
For production research, distinguish series director, episode director, storyboard artist, character designer, and animation director. These jobs describe different contributions; the studio name alone cannot explain why one episode looks unusual. Official episode credits are especially helpful for a standout sequence. Database filmographies are a convenient discovery tool, but the on-screen credits or official staff page are better final checks for an attribution.
Make tracking lighter than the watching
Pick one main list and update the number of the last episode you completed, not the next one you intend to start. AniList supports status, progress, scores, notes, and start and completion dates. A note such as 'season two, episode six completed; service calls it episode eighteen' can save a surprisingly long search after a break. Keep sequel entries separate instead of silently rolling everything into season one.
Use planning for possibilities and on-hold for an actual pause. You do not owe an abandoned show a completion badge. Check privacy settings before writing personal notes: AniList's documented list fields include a private flag. A useful tracker should answer 'where did I stop?' immediately, without turning every evening into catalog maintenance.
Keep the conversation going
What most often trips you up: split-season numbering, release time zones, or finding the right dub credit?
Sources and further reading
Sources checked . External pages may contain story spoilers.
- AniList official media and airing-data reference
- AniList official staff and voice-actor reference
- AniList official progress, notes, and privacy fields
- Frieren official episode 28: broadcast date and episode credits
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