Metaseries
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In fan fiction, a metaseries includes series of stories which include references to each other and some overall similar chronological or cast backdrop, but are not similar enough to be considered direct sequels.
In some anime fandom, the term can be used to describe all the works and adaptations of a single overall story or franchise, especially when it should be implied each adaptation is not wholly consistent with another. For example, progressive market interest can get a manga made into a short OAV, later made into a television series (animated, live-action, or both), and then a movie. Long-running Japanese anime TV programs are divided into separate series instead of seasons, as Japanese television does not have the concept of 'seasons' that American television uses, so the term 'metaseries' can be applied to the entire collection of series that make up one program.
The series Tenchi Muyo! and Sailor Moon have been comics, multiple TV series, and movies, but they do not have a rigid single continuity.
Mobile Suit Gundam is an television anime series that has spawned at least four continuation series and at least five alternate universe series, one of which has its OWN continuation series. In addition, countless movies, mangas, video games, novels, and various other works have been created based off this anime. They all share the common theme of giant robots used as weapons of war, and for the most part, distinguish themselves by portraying giant robots realistically, with a solid basis in science. However, there is no single continuity, although one series, Turn-A-Gundam, attempted to reconcile the various alternate universes into a single rigid timeline, only for Gundam SEED to come along and break that continuity some years later.
This is not to be confused with Meta fanfiction, which is a fanfiction based on an (often elaborate) fanfiction.
For sources of metafic humor, see MSTing.
See also shared universe.