@Stefan Ringel said:

rules are rules - no exceptions.

yes we know, we are not discussing the rules, just "interpretation of reality"

It's not the right place to discuss here! This ticket are close many times.

I'll be brief, we are discussing how to list episodes, the original sources talk about both "seasons" and "absolute numbering", this creates confusion, so I think this is the right place to discuss it, if the mods decide that the absolute one is the correct one I'm no one to argue against it. But I just point out the inconsistency of the original sources, and the too many differences that would be created with other TV show tracking tools (etc.)

That have no point to this ticket. Use a chat room or so for additional talk (i.E. https://www.themoviedb.org/discuss). And the Mod have decided and have closed this ticket.

add the final specials to the final season, stupid technicality arguments in this thread

@Stefan Ringel If the ticket is being re-opened, there seems to a reason. Using chat room as additional talk is not going to gain attraction. Multiplies replies in a single thread is a way to attain attraction. TMDB is a community run database where consensus should win and if consensus is asking for exceptions, then either give that or make some modifications in rules.

@raze464 I am not complaining about merging (that too I will, but somewhere else) here. The new episode is a continuation of the main story arc. If you feel that numbering is the problem, then I guess Season 5 (non-sense approach based on the official sources, but true to the story) should be a better option to show that. Please make an exception (TMDB - TV Bible says that there were exceptions made, this could be case) or if so, please add a new rule about non-numbered but canon episodes.

@activityum Why an exception - on the ends to many exceptions exists and than, nobody have overview of them? That is unacceptable.

Yeah, a weird decision in my point of view.

There is currently Season 4 ("The Final Season" https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/1429/season/4) with Part 1 (E01-E16) and Part 2 (E17-E28).

And Season 4's ("The Final Season") Part 3 is consisting of "The Final Chapters - Part 1" and the upcoming "The Final Chapters - Part 2". So they are officially part of Season 4 and not intended to be treated as some optional special movie.

Just because these ones are not called an "episode" you stick to that inflexible rule of putting them into a special season? It makes no sense to me and especially for newcomers who want to have a look on a complete list of season 4. This rule is actually leading to an artificial split-up of that season. It also makes the whole season useless for e.g. users of Plex, Emby, Jellyfin which rely on TMDB and thus have not a consistent and complete Season 4.

If you want to be that precise and follow that stubborn rule: the creators are listing "The Final Chapters - Part 1" under "episodes" which can be seen here https://shingeki.tv/final/story/#/episode/final_01 (=> "Introduction / Episode / NHK特別総集編") and in the url itself.

So what now?

@bob999 @activityum TMDB use the episode number directly from franchise project - season 2-4 are merged into season 1 in the future. The "final season - part 3" are specials without numbers, so it required tom add into season 0. TVDB, AniDB and TMDB have different philosophy to modeling anime series. AniDB use each sub series entries, like final season part 2, as a new series entry. TVDB use strictly seasons for modeling.

@Stefan Ringel said:

TMDB use the episode number directly from franchise project

TVDB use strictly seasons for modeling.

Then please tell me the benefit of having these strict rules, a new comer, normal audience will never know if the story ended or not because of your "strict" rules. TMDB is the source of Trakt which is going to make problems even worse. People use apps like TV Time, Showly to monitor their progress and those apps will never be updated if you stay on your strict rules.

A person watch season 2 on streaming website and even official website will never season 2 on TMDB because of your rules. Think about that.

Just stop with your western rules, make rules to accommodate all content and countries. That should the goal of a community run database.

@activityum Tract have it's own rules, it use most from TVDB and not from TMDB witch is most different.

Between leaving the final chapters in the special season and moving them to season 1 after the merge⁑ I prefer the merge

⁑(I still think it makes no sense since the producers of the show split the show into 4 seasons with the 2 final chapters in season 4⁂, but I don't want to argue again)

⁂@bob999 said: the creators are listing "The Final Chapters - Part 1" under "episodes" which can be seen here https://shingeki.tv/final/story/#/episode/final_01 (=> "Introduction / Episode / NHK特別総集編") and in the url itself.

Alternatively, let's end the discussions and turn the final chapters into two movies

@Stefan Ringel said: season 2-4 are merged into season 1 in the future.

I'm gonna ask a question that I've asked the mods several times and never got an answer for, because there is no good answer for this: Why does TMDB completely ignore the terminology of the official studio? Do the mods really understand this series more than WIT/MAPPA does? These studios have always advertised seasons 2-final under those names. The "official website" advertises the episodes in it as the "final season". Not only are official studios being ignored, but so are the episodes they made. Every episode of Attack on Titan has it's logo sometime in the opening, and every single one of these logos include "Season 2" "Season 3" or "The Final Season". That's not even including the official physical releases that also advertise themselves on the box as season one season two, etc. There has been way more evidence to suggest that there should officially be 4 seasons than 1, which is only based the mods' feelings, so I'll ask it again: Do the mods have more authority on the order of the show than the people who made it?

@Virch said:

Do the mods have more authority on the order of the show than the people who made it?

The best way is to do a public poll and ask the community what they want, with reasonable options that TMDB can provide, everyone will be happy. But no, rules are rules. Even governments changed rules during COVID, this is just a website, how difficult is it to adjust?

@activityum @Virch @Sirios_Dev

Enough now. Episode numbers are episode numbers. Seasons of this anime are sub series and in the title includes the season string. This is the basis and must be mapped in TMDB in accordance with the rules. The rule says sequence numbers are authoritative. A new season may not begin with anything other than 1. What does it mean for this series? Easily all numbered episodes (1-87) are bundled into season 1. The two episodes at the end (special and no number) should be placed in season 0 because they are part of the series (See https://shingeki.tv/final/story/#/episode/final_01 ).