Reorder Episodes By Absolute Number#

Anime, long-running serials, and shows with story arcs sometimes come with more than one episode order: aired, DVD, absolute, a streaming service's own split, and so on. If MetaTana used the wrong order, episodes show up under the wrong number. This recipe switches a show to a different episode order.

Step 1: Open the show#

In Library, open the show. Above its seasons, Episode order shows Aired and every other order the provider has for this show, with the active one selected.

The orders you may see:

• Aired: broadcast or streaming order (the default for most western TV)
• DVD: the DVD release order, which sometimes differs from aired
• Absolute: one running sequence with no seasons (common for long anime)
• Other orders the provider lists for this show, such as a streaming service's split

Step 2: Pick the order#

Select the order you want. MetaTana asks first, because changing the order renames files: Use DVD order? with Filed episodes are renamed to match. Select Use DVD order (or the order you picked) to apply it.

The Episode order dialog (⋯ › Episode order…) has the full controls, including setting one order for many shows at once.

Step 3: Check the result#

The season list rebuilds in the new order. Check:

• Episode counts per season: does Absolute collapse four seasons into one?
• Episode titles: do they line up with the right files?
• Files that didn't match any episode: they are listed under Show missing episodes

Open one or two episodes to check that the file really is that episode.

Filed episodes are renamed to the new numbers. Files that already have the right name are left alone; for example, switching from Aired to DVD might rename 6 files and leave 11 unchanged. The renames are listed in Activity under Show › Renames, where you can undo them.

Check missing episodes after the switch#

The missing-episodes list (Show missing episodes) follows the active order. MetaTana translates your files back to aired numbering to compare them with the provider's episode list, then lists the gaps with the active order's numbers (the header says which order, for example 2 missing episodes · Absolute order). Episodes that haven't aired yet are left out, and specials are shown as an optional line. See Manage a TV show: missing episodes.

When the files themselves carry the wrong numbers#

An episode order changes how MetaTana maps provider episodes, not the numbers stored for your files. If a file is numbered wrong (for example every episode of a season is off by one), use Renumber season… in the season's menu instead. It previews old and new numbers, can rename the files and rewrite their NFOs, and can be undone. If you leave NFO rewriting off, the result says how many NFO files still list the old numbers; that count includes only NFOs whose episode numbers disagree with the new ones. See Manage a TV show: renumber episode files.

What success looks like#

• Episode order shows the order you picked
• Episodes are numbered the way you expected
• Spot-checked episodes have the right title for the right file
• Activity lists the renames with no errors

Going deeper#

• Metadata and scraping: episode order when scraping, including anime
• Manage a TV show: the wider show workflow this fits into
• Naming and organizing: how file names follow episode numbers
• The metadata editor: editing one episode when it needs a manual fix