Sazae-san

***Sazae-san*** is a 1969 Japanese animated series based off of the 1946 comic strip of the same name. It was created

    by Machiko Hasegawa. *Sazae-san* is one of the most successful shows in Japan; it is the longest-running animated series in the world, with over 2500 episodes, and new episodes are still being made. Despite this, it is obscure outside of its home country.

## Plot

*Sazae-san* focuses on the traditional life of the Japanese housewife Sazae Fuguta and her family. It reminds viewers of an earlier, simpler time in Japan.

## Why It Rocks

1. It has simple, relatable plots.
2. This was one of the last cel-animated shows in the world before switching to digital animation in 2015. Because of this, the show has a nice, nostalgic art style that is reminiscent of older shows.
3. It introduces viewers to the various customs of Japanese families.
4. It pokes fun at these customs creatively.
5. The show is helpful for people learning Japanese because it contains several useful words about real life situations.
6. While most of the episodes are based on the comic strip, the series will occasionally receive brand new episodes inspired by current events. This helps the show stand out from the comic strip and it keeps long-time viewers interested.
7. The creator, Machiko Hasegawa, didn't want the show to become merchandise-driven and lower in quality. She requested for the show to never receive merchandise and toys, and this is still honored after her death.

## Bad Qualities

1. While Machiko Hasegawa didn't want to see her creation get turned into an endless line of toys, she didn't want to see any home video releases made, either. Because of this, it can be very difficult, if not impossible, to catch up on any episodes you missed, and some episodes have been deemed lost.

## Reception

In October 1969, Fuji Television started an anime comedy series, which is still on the air today and currently in production, making it one of the longest-running scripted TV series in history and the longest running animated show. It has been broadcast every Sunday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and contains three vignettes. The anime series has some characters, like Katsuo's classmates, who have not appeared in Hasegawa's original works.

The end credits for each episode include brief animations of the original comic strips, with dialogue appearing in word balloons. Since November 1991, after the closing credits and the next episode previews, each show has ended with a janken match between Sazae and the viewers at home, in which Sazae holds up a sign representing one of the appropriate hand gestures.[10] From 1969 to 1991, Sazae ended each episode by tossing a bean or rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth. Fuji Television switched to the janken match after doctors at Tohoku University Hospital and the National Center for Child Health and Development raised concerns that children may try to imitate Sazae and potentially choke on food.

On November 16, 2008, the series' 2000th 30-minute broadcast was aired in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the anime series; this special episode also featured Sazae-san wearing five costumes based on submissions from viewers.

The anime series was originally sponsored solely by Toshiba—including placement of its products within the show—but later expanded to other sponsors.

*Sazae-san* was the last animated television series to use traditional cel animation, although as of April 2009, the opening credits were digital;[11] the series finally switched to fully digital animation in 2015. Despite the series being a hit, Hasegawa stated that she never wanted any merchandise to be made for it, including home video rights, making availability of past episodes, especially those prior to the introduction of the VCR, very rare. Following her death, her request to prohibit older episodes from being released in home media continues to be honored.[12]

On September 5, 2013, *Sazae-san* was awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest running animated television series in the world.[4] As of November 2015, there have been 7332 episodes aired.[1][n 1]