SAZAESAN

What is SAZAESAN?

SAZAESAN was written by Hasegawa Machiko. In Showa 21 years, SAZAESAN started as a serial comic in the evening edition of the FUKUNICHI. Hasegawa walked with her sister to seaside everyday and she thought of this comic. So SAZAESAN’s characters are marine products.

After SAZAESAN ended as a serial comic in the evening edition of the FUKUNICHI, this sequel started in the ASAHI SHINBUN from Showa 24 to 49. And then in Showa 44, this animation started on FUJI Television and is still being broadcast now.

SAZAESAN Family Structure

The SAZAESAN family structure is difficult. The major SAZAESAN characters include Sazae, Namihei, Fune, Masuo, Katuo, Wakame, Tarao, Norisuke, Taiko, Ikura and Tama.

Namihei is a descendant of Isono Mokuzu Minamotono Sutamina and Isono’s second son. His wife is Fune. She is Isida’s oldest daughter. Their children are Sazae, Katuo and Wakame. Sazae is married with Masuo. Masuo is Fuguta’s younger son. Their child is Tarao. These members make up the SAZAESAN family. So you know, this family has two surnames: Isono and Fuguta

Norisuke has descended of Isono because his mother is Nagie who is Namihei’s sister. Norisuke is Namino’s fourth son. He is married with Taiko and their child is Ikura.

Character Introduction

Fuguta Sazae

She is 24 years old. She was born in Fukuoka. Her hobbies are reading books, shopping and cooking. She likes to play baseball with Katuo. Her specialties are sewing, miming and sending way Katuo. Her treasure is a handbag which was presented from Masuo. Her friend is Taiko. She is very cheerful.

Isono Namihei

　　　He is 54 years old. He was born in Kyusyu. His hobbies are having drinks with his dinner, Igo, Bonsai, fishing, reading Haiku and playing golf. He is the breadwinner of the family but he is really quite gentle. He hates dishonesty. His best friend is Mr.Isasaka who is a novelist

Isono Fune

　　　　She is about 50 years old. She was born in Shizuoka. She is a commonly woman in Japan. She copes with the housework and can cook anything. She wants her family to be healthy.

Fuguta Masuo

　　　　　He is 28 years old. He was born in Osaka. He graduated from Waseda University and works for Umiyama Syouji now. He likes playing golf, mah-jongg, drawing pictures, and playing the violin. He is very kind to anybody. He is a good husband and a good father.

Isono Katuo

　　　　　He is 11 years old. He is a student of Kamome Elementary School. He can play all sports. He is good at playing tricks and running away from Sazae. He is quick-witted and gets carried away soon. He hates all subjects except for physical education.

Isono Wakame

　　　　She is 9 years old. She is a student of Kamome Elementary School. She likes to do origami. She is kind and a precocious child. She has good grades at school.

Fuguta Tarao

He is 3 years old. He is a son of Sazae and Masuo. He is dutiful and kind. He has a burning curiosity.

Tama

He is a white male cat. He is timid with mice.

Namino Norisuke

He is about 25 years old. He is a magazine reporter. He is a nephew of Namihei.

He is an optimist and an enthusiastic person.

Namino Taiko

　　　　　She is about 22 years old. She is the wife of Norisuke. She is feminine and beautiful, and a person of strong character. She is strong toward Norisuke.

Namino Ikura

He is about 2 years. He is active and restless. He is on good terms with Tarao.

Hasegawa Machiko

She was born in Saga in Taisho 9 and moved to Fukuoka. In Showa 7, she graduated from Haruyoshi Elementary School. In Showa 8, she entered Fukuoka Girls’ High School. Next year, she changed to Yamawaki Girls’ High School and then she became the student of the famous cartoonist Tanaka Suihou. In Showa 11, she completed “TANUKINO OMEN” that is her debut work. In Showa 21, she created SAZAESAN and this started as a serial comic in the evening edition of the FUKUNICHI. After a while, SAZAESAN was discontinued suddenly but after 3 years this sequel started in the ASAHI SHINBUN.SAZAESAN ran 6477 times in the paper. She died in Showa 60 years. Her most important works are SAZAESAN and IJIWARU BASAN. She was awarded SHIJUHOUSYOU and KOKUMINEIYOSYOU.

My Impressions

I think SAZAESAN is known to all people. This animation average program rating is 25%. Why has SAZAESAN become famous? I think this answer has to do with the time of broadcasting and contents. SAZAESAN is broadcasted at 6:30 on Sundays, when a lot of people prepare dinner and watch TV, so they are in their home. Next, I think this story is easy to win their sympathy because the family structure and the stories are general. I think these points have helped make SAZAESAN become famous.

I think Hasegawa Machiko is a little strange woman because SAZAESAN’s characters are unusual. This is my selfish opinion; Tarao and Katuo’s age gap is small. I think this is a disagreeable relation. Especially Wakame has difficulty communicating with Tarao because Katuo and Wakame are the uncle and aunt of Tarao and Tarao is the son of their sister. This is unusual relation. Hasegawa Machiko thinks of such a family structure, so I think she is a little strange woman, but SAZAESAN is interesting, so I don’t think seriously about this problem.