You may have heard of this anime, or maybe not. Sazae-san (サザエさん) has over 7500 episodes and is considered the longest-running animation in the world. It even has official recognition from the Guinness World Records.
The anime is an adaptation of the manga by Machiko Hasegawa and premiered on TV in October of 1969. But it had its first appearance in comic strips in the newspaper on April 22, 1946.
Although little known here on the western side, the anime is quite famous in Japan. It is considered one of the top programs for Japanese families. And it has always maintained an excellent audience, having the highest recorded in 1990.
What will be the secret of such success even after many years? Let's get to know a little about the history of this anime.
Table of Content
The story of Sazae-san and his ffamily
The anime portrays the daily life of Sazae, a mother of a family who lives with her parents. It depicted very well what a family was like after World War II. She was a woman who struggled with her family to overcome the effects of post-war and survive the influences of the American occupation.
But everything is portrayed in a light and comical way. Even though I don't try well-crafted characters or scenarios, it conveys a beautiful message to society.
Unlike the traditional, no big eyes, no epic fights, no cliché romances. But from her first comic strip, Sazae-san directly addressed the issue of women in society.
The episodes are short and often also show the everyday side of Japan. Things like taking care of children, getting along with neighbors, working to have a regular salary, keeping the house tidy, are depicted in this work.
Sazae-San's characters
- Sazae Fuguta = The protagonist of the story;
- Masuo Fuguta = After marrying Sazae, he moved in with his family;
- Tarao Fuguta = He is the son of Sazae and Masuo;
- Namihei Isomo = He is Sazae's father and patriarch of the family;
- Fune Isomo = It's Sazae's mother;
- Katsuo Isomo = Sazae's mischievous little brother. Likes to play baseball;
- Wakame Isono = She is Sazae's younger sister, a very kind and gentle girl;
- Tam = The family's pet cat;
Some facts about Sazae-san
The creator of the story said that her inspiration for the characters came when she was walking on the beach. So much so that the characters' names are derived from things related to the sea, even marine animals.
Sazae is a type of shellfish and all its family members have unusual seafood names. Fune (Boat), Katsuo (Bonito) and Tara (Gadidae). It may seem unusual, but many of these names are frequent and popular.
- The opening and ending music are the same from the first episode;
- So much success of the work, that in addition to the anime adaptation, there were also adaptations for radio soap operas, even with real actors;
- Machiko Hasegawa is considered by many to be the "great mother of manga";
Unfortunately, this anime is not easily found with Portuguese subtitles. This is strange, the most popular anime from Japan do not succeed in the West, this happens with others like Detective Conan and Uchuu Kyoudai that were wronged by their graphics or story.
Sazae San Syndrome - Generally Sazae-san it has been shown on Sundays from 6:30 am to 7 pm since its premiere in 1969. When the anime ends, some Japanese get depressed because it indicates that the weekend is over, and that the next day they need to get back to their work routine.
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