History Trivia / SazaeSan

* LongRunners: '''THE''' Animation example, running since '''1969''' ('''''53 years'''''). Its manga wasn't too shabby either, running for 28 years from 1946 to 1974.

* TheOtherDarrin: Despite its long run this trope is averted with Sazae and Tara whose voices are still performed by the same actors around 50 years. However, there have been changes with voice actors for Masuo (3 actors) Katsuo (3), Wakame (3), Namihei (2), and Fune (2)[[note]]Before that, one 2009 episode had someone else perform her, only because her original voice actress was sick that day[[/note]].

* LongRunners: '''THE''' Animation example, running since '''1969''' ('''''50 years'''''). Its manga wasn't too shabby either, running for 28 years from 1946 to 1974.

* [[LastOfHisKind Last of Its Kind]]:
** This show has become famous among animation-buffs for being, until 2013, the last traditionally-animated (hand-drawn on acetate cels and shot on film) cartoon in the world, though as of April 2009, the Opening Credits had already switched mediums. Literally every other piece of "commercial" animation on the planet, if it's not already an AllCGICartoon, is at least composited and coloured digitally[[note]]For reference, the last traditionally-animated anime film was ''Anime/PokemonRangerAndTheTempleOfTheSea'' in 2006; the last traditionally-animated major film not tied to a preexisting franchise was ''Anime/MillenniumActress'' in 2001; the last traditionally animated ''American'' film was ''WesternAnimation/DougsFirstMovie'' in 1999; the last new American TV cartoon to use traditional animation was ''WesternAnimation/WhateverHappenedToRobotJones'' in 2002; the last American TV cartoon to switch to digital production during its run was ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' in 2004; ''WesternAnimation/HappinessIsAWarmBlanketCharlieBrown'' was drawn by hand, uniquely for a 2011 film, though it was a DirectToVideo release[[/note]].
** It's also the only still-running Japanese animated program that predates {{Anime}} as a distinct style, and thus avoids most of [[JapaneseVisualArtsTropes the visual shorthand]] associated with it.

* NoExportForYou: This is basically the greatest NEFY in anime, besides the Macross franchise.

** Comparing [[Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure Josuke Higashikata]]'s hairdo to Sazae's is one way to [[BerserkButton insult it]].

** This show has become famous among animation-buffs for being, until 2015, the last traditionally-animated (hand-drawn on acetate cels and shot on film) cartoon in the world. Literally every other piece of "commercial" animation on the planet, if it's not already an AllCGICartoon, is at least composited and coloured digitally[[note]]For reference, the last traditionally-animated anime film was ''Anime/PokemonRangerAndTheTempleOfTheSea'' in 2006; the last traditionally-animated major film not tied to a preexisting franchise was ''Anime/MillenniumActress'' in 2001; the last traditionally animated ''American'' film was ''WesternAnimation/DougsFirstMovie'' in 1999; the last new American TV cartoon to use traditional animation was ''WesternAnimation/WhateverHappenedToRobotJones'' in 2002; the last American TV cartoon to switch to digital production during its run was ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' in 2004; ''WesternAnimation/HappinessIsAWarmBlanketCharlieBrown'' was drawn by hand, uniquely for a 2011 film, though it was a DirectToVideo release[[/note]].

** Despite the fact that the series is tremendously popular in Japan, surpassing in ratings to practically all the animated series that are broadcasting in that country (being the only legal way to know the anime exists), the series has never been exported outside of Japan. Due to how extremely long the series is, its content that couldn't be liked by people outside of Japan (series like Crayon Shin-chan and Chibi Maruko-chan have suffered similar fates when distributed overseas, specially in North America and Europe) and the request of its author, Machiko Hasegawa, before dying that no episode would be marketed in home video format (up until before the agreement between Fuji TV and Amazon in 2018), the series will hardly put a feet outside Japan and even if foreign licensors would ever want to license the series, they probably couldn't.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Necessary example. From its premiere episode in 1969 until October 1991, Sazae used to end every episode by throwing a bean or a rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth and swallowing it. According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, after doctors at Tohoku University Hospital and the National Center for Child Health and Development raised concerns that children may try to imitate her and potentially choke on food [[note]][[PopCultureUrbanLegends there actually exists a story in which a kid tried to do this stunt and choked to death, but its veracity is still disputed]][[/note]], this was changed in November 1991; she now ends every episode by challenging the viewer to jan-ken-pon (rock/paper/scissors).

* AuthorExistenceFailure: Namihei's original voice actor Creator/IchiroNagai died of a heart attack on January 27, 2014 while working on the anime after 44 years.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Was this for a long time, but in December 2018 they announced that they're digitally restoring old episodes and making it available through Amazon Prime Japan streaming service (likely part of the deal when Amazon took over as the show's main sponsor after Toshiba dropped out). As of 2020, episodes from 1969 to 1978 and 2005 to 2008 are now available. There are so far no words on other episodes, however.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Was this for a long time, but in December 2018 they announced that they're digitally restoring old episodes and making it available through Amazon Prime Japan streaming service (likely part of the deal when Amazon took over as the show's main sponsor after Toshiba dropped out). As of 2020, episodes from 1969 to 1978 are now available. There are so far no words on episodes after 1978, however.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Was this for a long time, but in December 2018 they announced that they're digitally restoring old episodes and making it available through Amazon Prime Japan streaming service (likely part of the deal when Amazon took over as the show's main sponsor after Toshiba dropped out). Their plan is to make episodes from 1969 to 1978, which covers nearly 500 episodes, available. As of December 26, 2018, the first 53 episodes (released as "season 1") is available through the streaming service, with more likely on the way. There's still no word on what will happen to episodes made after 1978.

** This show has become famous among animation-buffs for being, until 2015, the last traditionally-animated (hand-drawn on acetate cels and shot on film) cartoon in the world. Literally every other piece of "commercial" animation on the planet, if it's not already an AllCGICartoon, is at least composited and coloured digitally[[note]]For reference, the last traditionally-animated anime film was ''Anime/PrincessMononoke''; the last traditionally animated American film was ''[[WesternAnimation/DougsFirstMovie Doug's First Movie]]''; the last American TV cartoon to use traditional animation was ''WesternAnimation/WhateverHappenedToRobotJones'' in 2002; the last American TV cartoon to switch to digital production during its run was ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' in 2004; ''WesternAnimation/HappinessIsAWarmBlanketCharlieBrown'' was drawn by hand, uniquely for a 2011 film[[/note]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: Necessary example. From its premiere episode in 1969 until October 1991, Sazae used to end every episode by throwing a bean or a rice cake in the air and catching it in her mouth and swallowing it. According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, after doctors at Tohoku University Hospital and the National Center for Child Health and Development raised concerns that children may try to imitate her and potentially choke on food [[note]][[UrbanLegendOfZelda there actually exists a story in which a kid tried to do this stunt and choked to death, but its veracity is still disputed]][[/note]], this was changed in November 1991; she now ends every episode by challenging the viewer to jan-ken-pon (rock/paper/scissors).

** Despite the fact that the series is tremendously popular in Japan, surpassing in ratings to practically all the animated series that are broadcasting in that country (being the only legal way to know the anime exists), the series has never been exported outside of Japan. Due to how extremely long the series is, its content that couuldn't be liked by people outside of Japan (series like Crayon Shin-chan and Chibi Maruko-chan have suffered similar fates when distributed overseas, specially in North America and Europe) and the request of its author, Machiko Hasegawa, before dying that no episode would be marketed in home video format (up until before the agreement between Fuji TV and Amazon in 2018), the series will hardly put a feet outside Japan and even if foreign licensors would ever want to license the series, they probably couldn't.

** This show has become famous among animation-buffs for being, until recently, the last traditionally-animated (hand-drawn on acetate cels and shot on film) cartoon in the world. Literally every other piece of "commercial" animation on the planet, if it's not already an AllCGICartoon, is at least composited and coloured digitally[[note]]For reference, the last traditionally-animated anime film was ''Anime/PrincessMononoke''; the last traditionally animated American film was ''[[WesternAnimation/DougsFirstMovie Doug's First Movie]]''; the last American TV cartoon to use traditional animation was ''WesternAnimation/WhateverHappenedToRobotJones'' in 2002; the last American TV cartoon to switch to digital production during its run was ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' in 2004; ''WesternAnimation/HappinessIsAWarmBlanketCharlieBrown'' was drawn by hand, uniquely for a 2011 film[[/note]].

** This show has become famous among animation-buffs for being the very last traditionally-animated (hand-drawn on acetate cels and shot on film) cartoon in the world. Literally every other piece of "commercial" animation on the planet, if it's not already an AllCGICartoon, is at least composited and coloured digitally[[note]]For reference, the last traditionally-animated anime film was ''Anime/PrincessMononoke''; the last traditionally animated American film was ''[[WesternAnimation/DougsFirstMovie Doug's First Movie]]''; the last American TV cartoon to use traditional animation was ''WesternAnimation/WhateverHappenedToRobotJones'' in 2002; the last American TV cartoon to switch to digital production during it's run was ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'' in 2004; ''WesternAnimation/HappinessIsAWarmBlanketCharlieBrown'' was drawn by hand, uniquely for a 2011 film[[/note]].

** It is no longer ''entirely'' cel animated, though. Since 2009, the opening and closing credits of each episode have been digitally animated.
** And now Eiken's stopped using cels for the show entirely.

** Despite the fact that the series is tremendously popular in Japan, surpassing in ratings to practically all the animated series that are broadcasting in that country (being the only legal way to know the anime exists), the series has never been exported outside of Japan. That’s because, before her death, Machiko Hasegawa requested that none of the episodes will be released on home media format. As of this day, this request is still been honored and that's the reason why, even if foreign licensors would ever want to license the anime series, they probably couldn't.