feature request: Improved layout for "Aired Recently" with more episodes on the screen

[zwamdurkel]

Checklist

• I checked that this feature has not been requested before
• I checked that this feature is not in the "Not planned" list
• This feature will benefit the majority of users

Problem Description / Use Case

I couldn't find a similar issue, but sorry if I missed it.

Let's start with the problem in the current situation:

As you can see "Aired Recently" can only show 4-5 episodes depending on your monitor size. We all know that during a single day, many more than 4-5 episodes get aired. In the current layout it is not convenient to discover which episodes have released during the last day or longer. The user will have to scroll through the carousel, which is actively working against you with auto scrolling enabled (default behaviour). The UI is not helped by the fact that the arrow key above the carousel only advances it by a single item per click. You can hopefully see why this approach is not optimal. It can be easy to miss a new show if it's pushed back quickly by more recently aired episodes.

Observations

• I personally do not need an episode card for recently aired shows. I assume there are others like me. Just the cover art would be enough (and take up less space). Of course I do understand if others prefer the episode specific art.
• The "Anime Carousel" layout item is close to a solution, but it does not have the option to sort by recently aired (would be nice to have)
• The "Currently Watching" is close to a solution, but only displays titles already in your library.
• The size of banners / artworks is quite large in general throughout the app with no built-in option to decrease the size or scaling. However, the default sizing is not a hindrance in most circumstances.

Why?

It can be made a lot easier for users to discover new recently aired shows that are not in their list

Proposed Solution

I would like to propose UI using more than one layer of height. Preferably a grid of recently aired shows. I think the "Aired Recently" item should show at least 15+ episodes. 2-4 titles in height, and as many as can fit across. the grid should have pagination that instantly views the next 15+ items. I also think there should be at least the option to display the cover art instead of episode cards. I believe the cover art is more recognizable by design and association than a weekly changing episode screenshot. The latest episode number should be displayed on the item. Many online streaming services have similar UI components that can be used for inspiration.

Hopefully I have made my point clear enough. You could see a solution as a merge between "Currently Watching" (which supports grid layout) and "Aired Recently" with the smaller sizing of "Anime Carousel".

Maybe a new "Anime Grid" (similar to "Anime Carousel") layout item would be the best and most flexible option for even more use cases than just this, if it has the option to sort by recently aired.

Thank you for reading. I love this app and I look forward to see all the cool future developments.

[Ju1-js]

Adding on, I think displaying the expected total separately from current progress using a format like 5/8 (12). To separate 'Watched/Released' from the 'Season Total.'
If no total is set, it should just default to the standard progress view.

Maybe if no watch progress, keep it like the mockup?
I haven't had a chance to check the code, but do anime in the watching list even appear in aired recently?
Just my 2 cents...

[zwamdurkel]

Adding on, I think displaying the expected total separately from current progress using a format like 5/8 (12). To separate 'Watched/Released' from the 'Season Total.' If no total is set, it should just default to the standard progress view.

Thanks for expanding upon the idea. I think this would be useful. I would personally enjoy it. My only concern is that having 3 numbers might be confusing to some. I have seen this 3 number progress before so it is not confusing to me. I do also wonder about the best ordering for the numbers.

You suggest 5/8 (12) being <watched>/<released> (<total>). Another option could be <released>/<total> (<watched>). The <watched> number could be visually separated, making the parenthesis unneeded (which removes clutter). Below are two examples of what a visually separated number could look like. This could be expanded by use of an icon? Maybe an eyeball for <watched>. Of course, you could apply the same for your order where <total> is separated. I'm not arguing which order is better. That would need further consideration.

but do anime in the watching list even appear in aired recently?

They do still appear in aired recently and I think this behavior makes sense. After all, they did air recently.