As a kid, you probably had a favorite Anime. Maybe it was Pokémon or Sailor Moon. But as an adult, what would your favorite be? If you’re like me and most other adults in this world, it has to be something that isn’t well-known outside Japan, Sazae-san.
This long-running series about the daily life of a kindly old woman named Sazae Kasumigaoka has over 7,000 episodes—and counting!
What Anime has over 7000 episodes?
Sazae-san is the longest-running Anime ever. It has over 7,000 episodes and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Sazae-san premiered in 1969 and has been on the air for over 50 years! It’s so popular in Japan that it’s considered a national treasure by some people.
Hasegawa Machiko is the creator of Sazae-san. In 1946, it debuted as a four-panel comic strip in newspapers. The animated version was first shown in 1969 and has been running ever since. Sazae-san was named the longest-running animated television series by Guinness World Records in 2014.
What is the plot of Sazae-San?
Sazae-san is centered around a three-generation family residing in Setagaya, western Tokyo. Fuguta Sazae is a lively and cheerful young mum and wife who lives with her parents and younger siblings, in the suburbs.
Even though the plot is set in the suburbs, family members are amusingly named after the features of the sea, such as
- Sazae-The turban shell
- Her father Namihei-calm seas
- mother Fune- the boat
- And spouse Masuo-The trout
Sazae-San’s 30-minute episodes that air every Sunday night are immensely popular in Japan, Sazae-San has become a symbolization of the end of the weekend among Japanese people.
Despite the long continuity of this series, It has still managed to be on top of the charts because the audience gets a feeling of nostalgia by seeing a glimpse of the traditional Japanese family life.
What is the second-longest Anime?
The second-longest Anime ever is Chibi Maruko-chan, which has over 2,500 episodes.
Chibi Maruko-chan is a Manga series by Momoko Sakura that has been adapted into an Anime series. In 1986, the series premiered as a Manga in a monthly magazine. Its Anime adaptation first aired on television in 1990 and continues to air every Friday at 7:00 p.m.
What is the plot of Chibi Maruko-chan?
The protagonist of Chibi Maruko-chan is 4th grader Maruko Aso, who lives with her parents in suburban Tokyo and has many friends at school. In most episodes, Maruko and her friends plan wacky schemes and grand plans inspired by a story told by Maruko’s grandfather.
Things don’t always go as planned, but she and her pals continue to try again.
None of these is very well-known in most countries outside Japan.
These are not intended to be a list of the best Anime, but rather a list that shows you what’s popular in Japan and how long it has been on the air.
What are some very old Anime series that are still running?
Nintama Rantaro
Nintama Rantaro is a Japanese Anime series based on Rakudai Ninja Rantaro by Sobe Amako. The plot revolves around the adventures of three ninja students: Rantarou, Shinbei, and Kirimaru.
Rantaro the Ninja Boy is the show’s English title. This series is available on Amazon.
Ojarumaru
Ojarumaru is the third longest-running Anime series. The title is Prince Mackaroo in English.
Ojarumaru Sakanoue, a five-year-old prince from the Heian era, stars in the Anime. He finds himself in modern-day Japan after a time-warp mishap.
The series received the “Excellence Award” for animation from the Japan Media Arts Festival in 1999.
Anpanman
| Studio | Group TAC |
| No. of Episodes | 1471 episodes |
| Broadcast period | 1976 – 1994 |
| Genre | Fantasy |
Anpanman, one of Japan’s most popular Anime shows, has inspired a slew of goods, including clothing, toys, and even snacks. Another Anime series, One-Punch Man, was inspired by Anpanman.
“Anpanman, Go!” is one of the longest-running Anime series that still airs today. This Anime is a family-friendly comedy. It stars Anpanman, a superhero whose head is an “Anpan.” An “Anpan” is bread filled with red bean paste. The plot revolves around his heroics as he battles his mortal nemesis.
Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi
| Studio | Group TAC |
| No. of Episodes | 1471 episodes |
| Broadcast period | 1976 – 1994 |
| Genre | Fantasy |
Many films and television shows have been influenced by folk tales, but none more so than Manga Nippon Mukashibanashi.
This series was a collection of ten-minute episodes based on Japanese children’s stories such as “Momotaro” or “The Moon Princess.” Legendary Anime director Gisaburo Sugii assisted in the series’ direction, choosing to change animators between episodes to keep the series appearing new.
This helped it stick out and last far longer than most other Anime that attempted to depict folk tales similarly.
Doraemon
| Studio | Shin-Ei Animation |
| No. of Episodes | 1787 episodes |
| Broadcast period | 1979 – 2005 |
| Genre | Comedy, Sci-Fi |
Doraemon’s original run lasted over twenty-five years, which is why there are so many episodes.
We all know that Doraemon is a robot from the future who was sent to alter in fact actually, to improve the destiny of the Nobi family by helping Nobita.
As he tries to influence his young ward to make better decisions so that his grandchildren in the future won’t live in poverty, the plot chronicles the exploits of Nobita and the titular robot Doraemon.
Doraemon’s four-dimensional pocket creates a plethora of bizarre and endearing possibilities, as almost anything can emerge from it. The show was so popular that it received a type of relaunch, retaining the original Anime story but with a new animation style and other alterations.
Doraemon was declared “Anime ambassador” in 2008 to help encourage Japanese Anime worldwide. And This really works because, in 2013, Doraemon was believed to be the most popular character among Japanese children based on a survey.
Further, Doraemon was chosen as a Special ambassador for Japan’s 2020 Tokyo’s Olympic bid.
What was the first Anime?
The first-ever full-length Japanese Anime movie was Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei. It was released in 1945.
Also known as Momotaro: Sacred Sailors in English translation, because “shipped” in this context means “soldier dispatched by a god.”
If that word strikes you as significant and prompts some time-travel calculations in your mind, it’s no coincidence. Momotaro was a World War II propaganda film commissioned by the Japanese navy.
Unlike the deluge of severely problematic Donald Duck cartoons, Disney would have us believe, animation was not as commonly employed for wartime propaganda in Japan as it was in the United States.
Momotaro was thus propaganda for children. The filmmaker, Mitsuyo Seo, did, however, instill hope for peace throughout the picture.
How many episodes does One Piece have?
One Piece now has 1040 (and counting) episodes accessible for viewing.
One Piece is both one of the most popular and longest-running shonen anime series of all period. Given its length, most spectators would be intimidated to watch the anime from the beginning.
Monkey D. Luffy, a youngster whose body got the qualities of rubber after incorrectly eating a Devil Fruit, is the protagonist of the novel. Luffy scours the Grand Line with his pirate crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, in pursuit of the world’s ultimate treasure known as “One Piece” in order to become the next King of the Pirates.
How long would it take to watch the entire series of One Piece?
The anime series One Piece recently completed its 1040th episode. It means it would take a long time for a first-time viewer to catch up on any future episodes.
The episodes vary in length from 22 to 24 minutes. Binding the series would last 24,960 minutes if the latter was used as the norm and multiplied by 1040. This works out to 416 hours or 17.33 days. Adding all fifteen films adds another 22.1 hours to the total viewing time, bringing it to 438.1 hours, or 18.25 days.
That is, assuming they never slept or took a break while managing it. If viewers spent the eight hours a day that they would normally devote to work or school watching anime instead, it would take 52 days to complete all One Piece episodes. With the movies included, the total number of days required to catch up would be 54.75.
That’s assuming they did it for eight hours every day, including weekends. That would be nearly two months of continuous viewing, which would be a difficult task. Thankfully, it would take viewers through the next Christmas season, which may afford a lot of downtime—particularly for students.
Conclusion
- This blog entails all the Anime series that are a few decades old but still, are not over.
- Anime such as Sazae-San has a deep-rooted cultural heritage that keeps it alive among the audience.
- Other old series is proof that Anime has a very strong influence on the Japanese audience even when the animations get old and out of date people still tend to value these shows as national treasures.