There’s very little in Hollywood that’s new.

Loyal readers will know that I’m actually a big fan of the Japanese art of anime. Not only do I think it’s a very unique medium that is capable of telling stories in ways that other forms of art just can’t, but most of it also has a property that I’ve really come to appreciate.

Their stories end.

Now, this is because most of these animes are based on mangas, the Japanese version of comic books, or the graphic novel. These stories are generally created by people who had an idea in their mind, wrote out a story, drew it, then released it. These stories that they created had a beginning and an end. Once the story ended they may consider keeping the adventure going in various ways but I’ve found that the best ones don’t.

This allows for the story to mean something. It doesn’t extend past its expiration date for easy money. It says what it needs to say and then promptly dies, disappearing into the realm of legend. Full Metal Alchemist, Cowboy Beebop, Death Note, and soon Attack on Titan all have a beginning and an end. Their stories are so fulfilling that fans continue to go back to relive them again and again.

American media has a very serious problem with ends. If there’s money to be made, they’ll continue to drag a series well past its retirement age. They’ll rehash, reboot, and revive long-dead series in an effort to squeeze out cash from nostalgic audiences or keep a once-successful show going until people look at it in disgust like a stripper well past her prime.

A solid example of this would be The Walking Dead. The show was one of the most massive hits the world had ever seen. Yet, the show that featured intrigue, blood, gore, and zombies couldn’t retain the excitement it once delivered and audiences began to drop off. Instead of ending it gracefully, AMC and the show’s writers and producers attempted to find new ways to inject life into it to keep it going, but to no avail. Now, instead of being remembered for the incredible success it was, it’s now remembered for being a show that tried too hard and fizzled out.

You can probably think of some yourself. That ’70s Show, Scrubs, West World, and even The Office were all shows that I loved that went way past their sell-by date. All of these are examples of properties that tasted massive success and were kept alive because it was easy money, running their reputations and the memories around them into the ground.

This issue is part of the reason you see these continued reboots. Disney is one of the worst offenders as they take their library’s unbelievably successful movies and characters from the ’80s and ’90s and make “live-action” versions of them that aren’t half as charming as the original.

If American media truly wants to become the powerhouse it used to be, then perhaps we need to return to the basic idea of a story. It has a beginning, middle, and end. There’s a goal that is accomplished and once it is, then we need not keep up with it any longer. The story is over.

What I’m trying to say is, let poor Indiana Jones die.