50 Longest Anime of All Time (Ranked by the Number of Episodes)
Modern fans might not know it, but anime series can be very, very long. For example, the famous “Big Three” anime series all had several hundred episodes, with One Piece, reaching the 1,000-episode mark only recently. If we go back into history, though, the number of such long anime increases and although some of them are still ongoing, most of them started a long time ago. New viewers are used to more seasons with less episodes and fillers are practically an unknown thing.
In this article, we are going to talk about the history of long-running anime series, as we tell you about the longest anime series of all time, ranked by the number of episodes that have aired until the time of writing this article. The list is going to be very precise and is going to contain a lot of interesting information about each of the shows.
Longest anime of all time
The anime series on this list are going to be ranked from 50th to 1st place, based on the number of episodes that have aired as of the time of writing this article. You’re going to find out some basic production and plot info on each of them, as well as the number of episodes for each of the series.
50. A Penguin’s Troubles
Number of Episodes: 253
Original Run: April 5, 2008 – March 30, 2013
The series follows the quotidian adventures of the protagonist and his talking penguin, who often gets into various forms of trouble, which results in a variety of comical situations.
49. Folktales from Japan
Number of Episodes: 258
Original Run: April 1, 2012 – March 26, 2017
An anthology series that retells various stories from Japanese folklore and mythology in an anime format.
48. Hoshi no Ko Poron
Number of Episodes: 260
Original Run: April 1, 1974 – March 21, 1975
The titular character, Poron, comes to Earth from outer space. There he soon meets the native life forms, although as a newcomer he is unaware that he has ignored humans and instead befriended some animals. However, the mischievous animal people keep causing trouble in various places with their naughty pranks and bad behavior. Although Poron is upset, he secretly unleashes his mysterious power to save and punish them.
47. Gan to Gon
Number of Episodes: 260
Original Run: April 5, 1974 – August 13, 1975
Gan and Gon are a pair of misfits on a worldwide treasure hunt. Gan is an unprepossessing, good-hearted man of justice who loves adventure but is a bit scatterbrained. Gon thinks only of sleep, but when it comes down to it, he gets some really crazy ideas.
46. Pokémon (original series)
Number of Episodes: 276
Original Run: April 1, 1997 – November 14, 2002
The Pokémon animated series follows the adventures of a young boy named Ash and his faithful Pokémon Pikachu. Ash travels the Pokémon world to obtain the supreme rank of “Pokémon Master”; to achieve this, he captures and trains Pokémon, in order to earn eight badges. The duo is often accompanied by a pair made up of another young boy and a young girl.
In Pokémon Sun and Moon, Ash will no longer have a “travel” companion at all since he must pass the various trials on each island and therefore has no “companions” strictly speaking but rather a classmate. During the episodes, the group is confronted with a criminal organization calling itself Team Rocket. This organization attempts to steal and capture other Trainers’ Pokémon or Legendary Pokémon.
45. Dotanba no Manners
Number of Episodes: 283
Original Run: October 3, 1984 – April 9, 1987
An introduction to etiquette through the hapless antics of Mr. Dotanba, who manages to put his foot in it in innumerable social situations.
44. Bonobono (2016)
Number of Episodes: 286
Original Run: March 7, 2016 – ongoing
The series follows the main character, a young sea otter named Bonobono, and his daily adventures with his friends from the nearby forest. These include the mischievous squirrel Shimarisu and the short-tempered raccoon Araiguma. Bonobono combines gag comics and philosophical questions.
43. Dragon Ball Z
Number of Episodes: 291
Original Run: April 26, 1989 – January 31, 1996
This anime tells the story of Son Goku, a little boy who is very good at martial arts, and who has a mysterious monkey tail. He meets a young woman named Bulma, and the two go together in search of the Dragon Balls (seven magic crystal balls which allow, if they are united, to invoke the dragon Shenron, then offering to grant the wish of the one who pronounces a specific formula in front of him), meeting many adversaries along the way (most of them being competitors in the quest for the famous balls, often with selfish or even evil intentions), some of whom later become allies, such as Yamcha or Ten Chin Han.
Already very strong in his normal form (even before he had formal training he stood up to high-level adult fighters), Son Goku transformed into a giant ape after staring at the full moon, unleashing immeasurable destructive power ( without being aware of it and without having the slightest memory afterward).
With another young boy named Krillin, he follows a very rigorous training with Kamé Sennin known as “Turtle Master”, a renowned martial arts master, hiding great power under his appearance as a lecherous old man, who prepares his two disciples for the Grand Tournament. martial arts (Tenkaichi Budokai). More and more formidable enemies appear, until the incarnation of Evil in the form of the Demon Piccolo.
42. Ikkyū-san
Number of Episodes: 296
Original Run: October 15, 1975 – June 28, 1982
The story follows the adventures of the little Ikkyu bonze during his stay at Ankoku-ji, a temple located in Hiroshima prefecture; the young monk relies exclusively on his intelligence and spirit to solve the various problems that gradually stand in his way, especially those of a human nature (from desperate farmers for famine to greedy and selfish traders).
Whenever he thinks about the best way to deal with obstacles he sits in the lotus position and enters into a deep meditation which allows him to enter into communication with the Buddha.
41. Hamtaro
Number of Episodes: 296
Original Run: July 7, 2000 – March 31, 2006
The series tells the story of Hamtaro, a hamster, owned by a 10-year-old girl named Hiroko Haruna (Hamtaro’s young owner). Curious by nature, he ventures out every day in search of new friends and new adventures with his group of friends named the Ham-Ham, including Hamiral (the leader), Hamidou (Hamtaro’s neighbor), a hamster, belonging to a best friend of Hiroko Haruna named Kana Iwata (Hamidou’s young owner), Bijou (Hamtaro’s romantic interest) belonging to a young girl named Maria (the owner mistress of Bijou) Chapo, Topla, Pashmina, Penelope, the twins Tigris and Tigrette (brother and sister), Ronpschit, Librius, Babos, Panda, Ernest, Manitou, Paprika, etc.
40. Hyppo and Thomas
Number of Episodes: 300
Original Run: January 1, 1971 – September 30, 1972
Totto is a small bird that lives in the mouth of the good-natured and naive hippo Kaba. Although Totto is heavily dependent on Kaba, he is constantly trying to outsmart the behemoth and take advantage of it. Despite frequent quarrels, Totto and Kaba continue to live together and live amicably.
39. Manga Hajimete Monogatari
Number of Episodes: 305
Original Run: May 6, 1978 – March 31, 1984
An educational program for children featuring various historical events, showing both animation and live action footage. A reoccurring “older sister” and the pink mole Mogutan, will take you on a journey through time.
38. Otogi Manga Calendar
Number of Episodes: 312
Original Run: June 25, 1962 – June 25, 1964
Through more than 300 black and white episodes that last only a few minutes, the series retraces and explains historical events, seeking to answer the following question: “What happened on that date in history? “. In order to answer this, director Ryuichi Yokoyama uses animation, but also photographs, as well as cinematographic sequences.
37. Fairy Tail
Number of Episodes: 328
Original Run: October 12, 2009 – September 29, 2019
One day, Lucy Heartfilia, a 17-year-old girl specializing in celestial spirit magic, runs away from home and travels to the kingdom of Fiore to fulfill her dream of joining the Fairy Tail guild. Along the way, she meets Natsu Dragneel, a young man who is looking for Igneel (a dragon who raised him as an adoptive father in his childhood), and who travels accompanied by her best friend, a talking cat named Happy.
Shortly after their meeting, an impostor of Fairy Tail’s “Salamander” appears in Fiore, and Lucy, believing that she is a member of said guild, decides to follow him even though he intends to sell her as a slave. Natsu rescues her and reveals that he is the real Salamander, since he has the abilities of a Fire Dragon Slayer (that is, specialized magic to kill dragons, which is characterized by its antiquity).
After this, he offers her to join Fairy Tail and she accepts. Once she arrives at the guild, Lucy meets Erza Scarlet, a magician specializing in armor and sword retooling, as well as Gray Fullbuster, an ice-creating mage. From then on, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza and Happy form a team to go to the different missions that exist in the guild, which they offer in exchange for a reward whose value varies depending on the degree of difficulty of the mission.
As the series progresses, other guilds are revealed that almost always seek to overcome and destroy Fairy Tail, so the members of the guild must join forces and prevent their dark purposes from being fulfilled.
36. Atashin’chi
Number of Episodes: 330
Original Run: April 19, 2002 – September 19, 2009
The series follows the everyday life of the fictional Japanese urban family Tachibana. The family consists of the father, an office worker, the mother, a housewife, and the adolescent siblings Mikan and Yuzuhiko.
35. Kiteretsu Daihyakka
Number of Episodes: 331
Original Run: March 27, 1988 – June 9, 1996
There are many similarities in make-up and appearance with the protagonists of Doraemon, also the work of Fujio, but the plot is completely different. Here the main character is a little boy named Kiteretsu, a math genius, who built a companion robot named Korosuke.
The adventures mainly tell of their time travels through the time machine that Kireretsu built, and also involve Miyoko (Kireretsu’s neighbor and basically girlfriend), love rival Tongari and neighborhood bully Buta Gorilla.
34. Keroro Gunso
Number of Episodes: 358
Original Run: April 3, 2004 – April 3, 2011
Sergeant Keroro is the leader of a special force section of five aliens (looking like frogs) from the 58th planet of the cloudy and rainy Gamma system. This team has the ultra-secret mission to infiltrate the planet Earth and bring back with it information in order to invade it. Quickly, each character’s goofiness causes the mission to fail and the team is unmasked by the humans, dismantled and captured.
Sergeant Keroro is captured by an Earth family who now consider him their pet, which strongly thwarts their plans… Having all been captured by different people, they will then try to find each other and, although still awkwardly, find each other again. accomplish their mission.
The series (both the manga and the anime) emphasizes the self-destruction shown by this army of invaders, tall as three apples and moreover in the shape of a frog, in their attempts to conquer and sell frivolous merchandise to Japanese citizens.
Its leader, Sergeant Keroro, is easily distracted and would rather spend his time creating plastic Gundam miniatures and surfing the internet than destroying the Earth, much to the chagrin of the belligerent Corporal Giroro. In addition to Keroro’s legendary laziness, what hinders the success of the mission the most is the Hinata family, a trio of humans who, although harmless, constantly make ridiculous demands of Keroro and trick him (in especially their daughter Natsumi).
33. Charady no Joke na Mainichi
Number of Episodes: 365
Original Run: April 1, 2009 – March 30, 2010
A gravure idol, Asada Misako, plays the main character Charady. Other characters are played by the students of Kyoto University of Art and Design Department of Character Designing. It is a short comedy animation about jokes from all parts of the world.
32. Kirin Monoshiri Daiquiri: Manga Bushiness
Number of Episodes: 366
Original Run: August 3, 1970 – September 30, 1971
An instalment of the famous Monoshiri series dealing with the world of manga.
31. Bleach
Number of Episodes: 366
Original Run: October 5, 2004 – March 27, 2012 (to be continued in October 2022)
The 15-year-old high school student Ichigo Kurosaki has had the ability to see ghosts since childhood. One day he meets the shinigami Rukia Kuchiki who is hunting a hollow. Seriously injured during the fight, she is forced to transfer her powers to Ichigo to defeat the hollow in her stead. Until Rukia recovers, Ichigo must now do the work of a shinigami.
Rukia enrolls at Ichigo’s school and moves into his closet. Over time, the two become friends. Since Rukia Kuchiki has exceeded her stay in the human world, Rukia is forcibly returned to Soul Society by her stepbrother, the commander of the 6th Division of the Gotei 13, Byakuya Kuchiki, and his lieutenant, Renji Abarai, where all deceased souls, including the Shinigami reside.
Due to transferring her Shinigami powers to a human, which is a serious offense, she is sentenced to have her soul wiped out. Desperate to save Rukia, Ichigo allows himself to be trained by Kisuke Urahara, who runs a business that sells products for spiritual beings and is an exceptionally battle-hardened former commander of the 12th Division.
So, together with his friends and schoolmates Yasutora “Chad” Sado and Orihime Inoue, who also have special powers, and the Quincy Uryū Ishida, he sets out for Soul Society, where trying to save Rukia leads to confrontations with powerful Shinigami.
In the process, a plot planned by three captains of the Gotei 13 is uncovered that could have serious consequences, not only for Soul Society, but also for this world, whereby Karakura, the hometown of the main characters, is explicitly targeted by the conspiracy.
30. Gintama
Number of Episodes: 367
Original Run: April 4, 2006 – October 7, 2018
In the Edo period, Japan is invaded by aliens called Amanto, creatures of various shapes, but all more or less humanoid. They manage to defeat the samurai after long battles. From then on, a radical futurition cutting edge with the classic decor of Japan is set up and the Amanto forbid the wearing of the sword in public.
Despite everything, there are still some who prefer to keep their bushido. In this completely anachronistic Japan, there are people who refuse to give up their swords. Among them, Gintoki Sakata, an eccentric former samurai who helps a teenager named Shinpachi Shimura save his sister Tae from a group of aliens who want her to join a brothel. Impressed by Gintoki, Shinpachi becomes his apprentice and works with him as a handyman in an effort to pay Gintoki’s rent.
Later, they rescue a teenage alien girl, named Kagura, from a group of Yakuza who want to use her for her superhuman strength. Kagura then joins Gintoki and Shinpachi to work as a handyman and they become “Yorozuya”. During his missions, they will meet the police force, the Shinsengumi, many times, usually the two groups will ally to arrest dangerous criminals.
They will also meet three former comrades-in-arms of Gintoki, partners during the Amanto invasion war, including the terrorist Kotarō Katsura with whom he maintains a friendly relationship despite the latter’s ambition to destroy the bakufu or the smuggler Tatsuma Sakamoto. Conversely, Shinsuke Takasugi mainly acts as an antagonist since he wants to destroy the bakufu but in a more violent way than Katsura.
29. Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
Number of Episodes: 373
Original Run: June 16, 1996 – December 19, 2004
Kankichi Ryotsu (referred to as “Mister Ryo”) is a 36-year-old police officer operating in Tokyo’s Katsushika Ward. Immature, lazy, otaku, and always ready to make money, he experiences all kinds of misadventures. Most of the stories take place at the same police station, often with the same main characters, without the episodes being linked together, giving the anime a sitcom-like feel.
28. Cooking Idol I! My! Mine!
Number of Episodes: 400
Original Run: March 30, 2009 – March 29, 2013
Cooking Idol teaches children how to cook through the guidance of the main character MAIN. The show itself consists of an animated segment featuring MAIN and a live-action segment in which the voice actress of MAIN, Fukuhara Haruka, practices cooking herself. The live action segment is not included in the average episode duration.
27. Morning Ninja team Gatchaman
Number of Episodes: 475
Original Run: April 18, 2011 – March 29, 2013
A series of one-minute flash shorts based on Tatsunoko Production’s classic science-fiction hero series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman aired during the NTV’s Zip! television program on mornings.
26. Naruto: Shippuden
Number of Episodes: 500
Original Run: October 3, 2007 – March 23, 2017
The story begins during Naruto’s adolescence, around the age of twelve. Orphan dunce and great prankster, he does all possible stupid things to get noticed. His dream: to become the best Hokage in order to be recognized by the inhabitants of his village. Indeed, the nine-tailed fox demon sealed within him has fueled the fear and contempt of the other villagers, who, over time, no longer differentiate between Kyūbi and Naruto.
Despite this, Naruto trains hard in order to become genin, the first level among ninjas. After failing the genin exam 3 times, he finally manages to receive his Konoha forehead protector. He is then included in a team of three ninja apprentices, with Sakura Haruno and the talented Sasuke Uchiha who wants to avenge the people dear to him, by killing his brother Itachi Uchiha.
Shortly after, they meet their jōnin (upper-class ninja), the one who will take care of their training: the mysterious Kakashi Hatake. At first feared and despised by his peers, Naruto will gradually rise in power and gain the respect and affection of the villagers’ thanks, in particular, to the battles he will win against the most powerful enemies of Konoha.
25. Shimajiro no Waow
Number of Episodes: 504
Original Run: April 2, 2012 – ongoing
The current season of the popular Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō series (see below for more information).
24. Obake no Q-tarō
Number of Episodes: 510
Original Run: April 1, 1985 – March 29, 1987
The story tells of a ghost, called Q-tarō (sometimes called Q-chan or also Oba-Q) who lives with Ohara’s family. This specter lives by flying and stealing food, damaging the properties of others and frightening anyone who happens around him, even if he himself is afraid of dogs; as well as on him, the story is also based on another character who is his friend, Doronpa.
23. Perman
Number of Episodes: 526
Original Run: April 4, 1983 – July 2, 1985
Mitsuo Suwa is an extravagant child, who receives a special helmet from the mysterious superhero Birdman that gives him incredible strength and makes him capable of flying. He thus becomes a superhero, Perman (Superkid in the Italian version of the 80s anime) and is dedicated to fighting criminals and injustices.
In this mission Mitsuo is not alone; in fact he is joined by a fat boy, a girl and a monkey who have a special kit consisting of a helmet that gives them strength, a cloak to fly and a P-shaped transceiver that, in addition to keeping them in contact, also allows the transformation. The funny thing is that they also have a robot that, when pressed on its nose, transforms itself into the person who pushed the button, thus taking his place; it is then used to do housework or go to school by deceiving parents, who are unaware of all this.
22. Hanakappa
Number of Episodes: 629
Original Run: March 29, 2010 – ongoing
Hanakappa (also known as Flower Kappa) follows the story of the misadventures of a young kappa named Hanna Kappa. Unlike other Flower Kappa’s, Hanna Kappa’s flower does not stop changing.
His grandfather tells him to wait until he is older, but Hanna Kappa wants his amazing adult flower immediately. Meanwhile, the evil Kuruwaneya Chyoubee orders his servant Garizoo to steal the priceless flower on Hanna Kappa’s head. Thanks to his friends and his own abilities, Hanna Kappa manages to thwart Garizoo’s attempts and make each day more fun than the last.
21. Ninja Hattori-kun
Number of Episodes: 696
Original Run: September 28, 1981 – December 25, 1987
Ken’ichi Misoba, an unfortunate 10-year-old boy who goes to elementary school with poor returns, befriends a young ninja named Kanzo Hattori who goes to live with Ken with his brother Shinzo Hattori and his dog-ninja Shishimaru, to often become part of the family. Nino helps Ken solve his problems and keeps an eye on him constantly, like a good friend.
Nino often confronts his antagonist Kemumaki Kemuzo, also a skilled ninja, and his cat-ninja Kagechiyo, this also due to the fact that Ken’ichi and Yumeko are competing for the same girl: Yumeko. Our heroes will also try to make Ken’s mother happy. Together, in addition to the numerous attempts to solve various problems, they will combine all the colors.
20. Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō
Number of Episodes: 726
Original Run: December 13, 1993 – March 31, 2008
Focusing on the main character Shimajiro, the anime depicts life on Challenge Island in an omnibus format. Many of the episodes feature lessons learned from social rules and deepen ties through troubles with family and friends, and fantastic stories such as enjoying the seasons and adventuring in a dream world. Most of the characters in this work, including guest characters, are anthropomorphic animals, but occasionally fairies and witches also appear.
19. Asadayo!Kaishain
Number of Episodes: 744
Original Run: April 4, 2016 – ongoing
The series follows a variety of employed shellfish who exhibit selfish or odd personality traits.
18. Kotowaza House
Number of Episodes: 773
Original Run: April 4, 1987 – September 28, 1994
Peter the salary man lives a very unhealthy lifestyle, starving then bingeing until he feels seek, or slobbing around the house until badgered into taking up exercise, during which he invariably pulls a muscle.
17. Sekai Monoshiri Ryokō
Number of Episodes: 1,006
Original Run: October 1, 1971 – December 31, 1974
An educational documentary series that depicts a variety of real-life places around the world in short 5 minute segments.
16. One Piece
Number of Episodes: 1,011
Original Run: October 20, 1999 – ongoing
Twenty-two years after Gol D. Roger’s execution, the interest in the One Piece treasure is waning. Many have given up on it, some even wonder if it really exists. Although pirates are still a threat to the locals, the Navy has become more effective in countering their attacks on all four seas: East Blue, North Blue, West Blue, and South Blue.
However, this change did not deter Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy, from wanting to become the successor to the legendary Roger. He will thus set off on an adventure, giving himself the first objective of creating a crew in order to reach the Grand Line sea, where the fever of the “great wave of piracy” continues to rage, and where many big names in the piracy are in pursuit of the One Piece, supposed to be on the last island of this great sea, Laugh Tale.
15. Detective Conan
Number of Episodes: 1,037
Original Run: January 8, 1996 – ongoing
Shinichi Kudo is a 17-year-old high school detective frequently associated with the police. During a visit to an amusement park with his childhood friend, Ran Mouri, he discreetly overhears a private conversation between two individuals – Gin and Vodka – belonging to a mysterious criminal organization whose each member is dressed in black.
Spotted then stunned, he is forced to swallow a new poison (APTX 4869) developed by this organization, before being left for dead. This poison, supposed to kill him without leaving a trace, causes him to regress to his former physical appearance as a six-year-old boy due to a rare and unknown side effect. In order to hide his true identity and invest his time in tracking down this organization called the “Organization of Men in Black”, he adopts the pseudonym of Conan Edogawa.
To find clues concerning the Organization, he succeeds, thanks to his friend and neighbor, Professor Agasa, in being placed in the custody of Ran Mouri, of whom he is in love and whose father, Kogoro Mouri, works as a private detective. In the meantime, he attends Teitan Elementary School and forms a small team of apprentice detectives called the “Detective Boys” with three of his classmates: Genta Kojima, Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya and Ayumi Yoshida.
Shinichi, in the guise of Conan, solves Kogoro Mouri’s investigations by putting him to sleep and usurping his voice thanks to the electronic bow tie provided to him by Professor Agasa, one of the only ones to know his true identity. He thus launched the famous legend of “Sleeping Mouri” and contributed to Kogoro’s worldwide fame.
14. Crayon Shin-chan
Number of Episodes: 1,122
Original Run: April 13, 1992 – ongoing
The series follows the adventures of a five-year-old boy named Shinnosuke Nohara (nicknamed Shin-chan) and his family, neighbors, friends and entourage in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Shinnosuke’s family is initially made up of four members, including Shinnosuke, Misae Nohara (the mother), Hiroshi Nohara (the father), and Shiro (the dog).
The family members grow to five in number upon the arrival of the last, Shinnosuke’s younger sister, Himawari Nohara. Also on the family side, his cantankerous and often overbearing grandfather Yoshiji is the opposite of his other grandfather, Ginnosuké, nicknamed “Ginny”, who is a joker and also perv
erse. Shinnosuke mostly hangs out with four of his buddies: Nene, Kazama, Masao, and Bo. He goes to kindergarten where he frequents teachers such as Miss Yoshinaga and Miss Matsuzaka as well as the school principal, Mr. Takakura, whom he and his friends call “The Godfather” because of his dress and his mafia appearance. Shin-chan is secretly in love with his former teacher, Nanako Ōhara, and is also a fan of two superheroes he particularly appreciates, Action Kamen and Cuntom Robo.
13. Doraemon (2005)
Number of Episodes: 1,159
Original Run: April 15, 2005 – ongoing
The robot Doraemon is sent from the 22nd century to the present. Nobita’s great-great-grandson tries to save the clumsy Nobita from his biggest mistakes, lead a carefree life and not get into trouble that will affect the future. In particular, Doraemon should make sure that Nobita doesn’t get into trouble unnecessarily and marries Shizuka as planned. The stories follow predetermined patterns. Nobita comes home crying and calls loudly for Doraemon: “Doraemon, help me!”.
Together they go through many adventures and deal with Nobita’s problems, which range from school problems to trouble with classmates to insecurities in dealing with girls. To help Nobita, Doraemon keeps conjuring up new imaginative gadgets from the future from his pocket. However, their use often gets Nobita even deeper into the mess.
12. Monoshiri Daigaku Ashita no Calendar
Number of Episodes: 1,274
Original Run: July 1, 1966 – August 2, 1970
Another continuation of the Monoshiri series with a new title. This time it was sponsored by Kirin, a brewery company in Japan.
11. Chibi Maruko-chan
Number of Episodes: 1,276
Original Run: January 8, 1995 – ongoing
The story is set in the seventies. Maruko is a girl who lives in the agricultural province of Shizuoka and who has a normal family. Normal as her red and white dress, black eyes in the image of speckles of ink, and her hairdo. Her adventures are normal stories of fantastic suggestions that arise and feed on simple emotions and take place in the places where an eight-year-old girl lives.
10. Hoka Hoka Kazoku
Number of Episodes: 1,428
Original Run: October 1, 1976 – March 31, 1982
There is no actual plot development in the series. This is a kind of instructive program that tells in detail about aspects of life in modern Japan. The series in this regard is in many ways similar to the anime Bottle Fairy, and was created with the support of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations, as well as by the office of the Prime Minister of Japan.
9. Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi
Number of Episodes: 1,494
Original Run: January 7, 1975 – January 2, 1995
An omnibus-format anime series that consists of a series of adaptations of various Japanese folk tales. The main rule of the series was that the creative staff changed from episode to episode.
8. Kirin Ashita no Calendar
Number of Episodes: 1,498
Original Run: January 1, 1980 – December 30, 1984
Kirin Ashita No Calendar follows Cathy, a cat, and a mouse, both from the predecessor Kirin Monoshiri Kan, as they teach children about historical events through a stage play format.
7. Soreike! Anpanman
Number of Episodes: 1,565
Original Run: October 3, 1988 – ongoing
In each episode, Anpanman helps the people of his village, especially the hungry, and fights against Baikinman. Over the course of all the episodes broadcast to date, more than 1m700 characters have been presented.
6. Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata
Number of Episodes: 1,565
Original Run: January 1, 1975 – December 31, 1979
Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata is about a cat named Cathy and a mouse teaching children about history while trying to get along. The two quarrel constantly, usually the mouse outwitting the cat. It is basically a Japanese version of Tom & Jerry.
5. Doraemon
Number of Episodes: 1,787
Original Run: April 2, 1979 – March 18, 2005
The robot Doraemon is sent from the 22nd century to the present. Nobita’s great-great-grandson tries to save the clumsy Nobita from his biggest mistakes, lead a carefree life and not get into trouble that will affect the future. In particular, Doraemon should make sure that Nobita doesn’t get into trouble unnecessarily and marries Shizuka as planned. The stories follow predetermined patterns. Nobita comes home crying and calls loudly for Doraemon: “Doraemon, help me!”.
Together they go through many adventures and deal with Nobita’s problems, which range from school problems to trouble with classmates to insecurities in dealing with girls. To help Nobita, Doraemon keeps conjuring up new imaginative gadgets from the future from his pocket. However, their use often gets Nobita even deeper into the mess.
4. Oyako Club
Number of Episodes: 1,818
Original Run: October 3, 1994 – March 30, 2013
Rompa and Lun are two aliens who join a human family. The show details the humorous and heartwarming interactions between the aliens and the humans in various everyday situations.
3. Ojarumaru
Number of Episodes: 1,917
Original Run: October 5, 1998 – ongoing
The plot revolves around a 5-year-old prince who arrived from the Heian era in modern Japan. He is also accompanied by firefly and three Oni demons. The main character will have to adapt to a new way of life in a new society for him.
2. Nintama Rantarō
Number of Episodes: 2,321
Original Run: April 10, 1993 – ongoing
Rantarō is the son of a second-generation ninja, just like his grandparents and great-great-grandparents. His father, tired of living in a family of ordinary ninjas, decides to send Rantaro to a special school so that he can become an elite ninja and bring honor to his family. But at school not only boys learn, but there are also girls, which causes more fun situations between them.
When Rantaro and his crew start in the hard art of the ninja, they discover that it is not as easy as they thought because they have to learn a survival manual and special techniques to be the best. But, although their teachers do their best, the three of them are the clumsiest in the whole school. Due to their ninja status in the school, the school is not exempt from evil characters who will even try to bring the school down.
1. Sazae-san
Number of Episodes: 7,881
Original Run: October 5, 1969 – ongoing
The anime episodes revolve around the 27-year-old Japanese Sazae Isono. She lives in post-war Japan with her father Namihei Isono, mother Fune Isono, and her siblings Katsuo Isono and Wakame Isono. First, they live in Kyushu, later Tokyo. After marrying Masuo Fuguta, Sazae takes his surname as well. They both have a son named Tarao Fuguta.
Sazae has to help her family through the post-war period and the hunger, and later on fill the various roles in the household, as daughter, wife, and mother. She also advocates women’s rights and emancipation without disregarding tradition. The stories each deal with problems of their time. In the 1940s, for example, Sazae was annoyed by the American soldiers and the family had to fight hunger.
Later, the older family members are confronted with modern conveniences such as shopping malls. The student movement in the 1960s is also a topic. Most of the time, the incidents remain simple and usual. The choice of the characters’ names also corresponded to the 1940s. Because of famine, characters in entertainment media were mostly named after food, Sazae-san after a turban snail (Turbo cornutus).
