OVA Anime: What Are They? Can They Be Skipped or Are They Canon?

What is the meaning of OVA in anime? If you watch anime, you might have seen the term OVA somewhere and you’re wondering what it means. Here is a guide on OVAs in anime.

What are OVA episodes in anime?

OVA stands for original video animation. These refer to shows or movies that are released through home video, either on DVD or Blu-ray. This means that these shows or movies were not aired on TV or released in theaters.

OVAs began during the 1980s as VCRs became more popular. Since these VCRs were incredibly common in Japanese households, the idea of direct-to-video was bound to happen. Some popular series during this time were released as OVAs.

Presently, in anime, OVAs range from anime-only content, and adaptations of extra manga or light novel chapters to side stories or spin-offs. Think of it as extra content for the main series. The length of these OVAs varies — it can be shorter than the usual anime episode or longer.

Are anime OVA episodes canon?

This depends on the anime series. While some OVAs adapt the source material, some are non-canon additional content.

For example, Haikyuu has a total of five OVAs as of writing. Some of the Haikyuu OVAs adapt the manga while the others are just additional content to the series. The Path of the Ball and Land vs. Air are both OVAs that adapt content from the manga.

Another example is Attack on Titan: No Regrets, which is a prequel spin-off of the Attack on Titan series. This was adapted from a manga.

Is it okay to skip OVA episodes?

Generally, it’s okay to skip OVA episodes. However, if an anime series that you really like has OVA episodes, then it might be worth watching them anyway. The OVAs usually add extra content to the series so if you can’t get enough of a certain series or certain characters, then the OVAs would definitely be a fun watch for you.

For more anime content, check out our guide on the Crunchyroll Winter 2024 lineup release dates and schedule.

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