15 Longest-running Anime Series With 1,000 Episodes Each

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

"Sazae San" (which translates to "Mrs. Sazae") easily takes the prize as longest-running anime series ever. In fact, it might just be the longest running show of any kind; the show holds Guinness World Record for longest running anime series, far outstripping other popular long-running animated shows such as "The Simpsons" [source: Guinness World Records].

The show follows the life of Sazae San, a housewife who lives with her husband, children and parents in the suburbs of Tokyo. Incredibly, it's been running since 1969 and is widely beloved in Japanese society, with many episodes offering valuable life lessons.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

"Nintama Rantaro," which is titled in English "Ninja Boy Rantaro," is a Japanese anime series based on a similarly titled manga. Aimed at young children, it has logged over 2,000 10-minute episodes since originally airing in 1993.

Considered the original ninja anime series, especially of those geared towards kids, it follows the exploits of a three young ninja apprentices as they progress through ninja school, with lots of comedic hijinks thrown in.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

The third-longest running anime series is "Ojarumaro," known in English-speaking territories as "Prince Mackaroo." It follows the exploits of the titular character, who time travels from Heian-era Japan (1,000 years ago) to modern Japan, where he befriends a contemporary family.

Ojarumaro is pursued by demons who have also traveled through time, and the series is fantastical and comedic. This original anime first aired in 1998 and is still going strong, with over 2,000 10-minute episodes.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

Running from 1994 to 2013, "Oyako Club" logged nearly 2,000 five-minute episodes. Once again geared towards children, the series is little-known by anime fans outside of Japan. It follows the time-tested formula of an educational series with comedic elements.

The story centers on a family that adopts space aliens, whose insatiable curiosity about the ways of Earthlings in the modern world is both amusing and informative (especially if you're a youngster).

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

Based on a popular manga series, "Doraemon" has seen enormous success worldwide, having been broadcast in at least 60 countries. It ran from 1979 to 2005, an impressive stretch of time for any television series.

The sequel series, which began in 2005, is long-running in its own right.

Doraemon, the titular character, is a robotic cat sent back in time to aid its inventor's grandfather. This helpful mechanical feline then helps the grandfather (because it's in the past, he's a young boy struggling at school) with the troubles he faces at school and in life overall.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

Yet another anime series geared towards young kids, "Anpanman," which is based on a popular children's book, first aired in 1988 and is still going strong.

The main character, a superhero with a red bean paste pastry for a head, is so popular in Japan that he overtook Hello Kitty in terms of merchandising sales in 2002 [source: New York Times].

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

This long-running anime is considered "lost" or "partially found," because only one or two episodes from the original run have been recovered and preserved in a digital format. The series premiered in 1975 and ran until 1979, racking up an impressive episode count in the process.

Sponsored by the popular beer brand Kirin (they also make nonalcoholic beverages), it used five-minute clips, interspersed between other shows, to impart short history lessons to children.

The show featured distinctively styled animation of a cat and a mouse; enterprising internet sleuths might yet uncover more episodes.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

Another Kirin-sponsored educational anime, was likewise nearly lost to history. The series, which was a spinoff of the previously listed "Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata" ran from 1980 to 1984, and was also primarily an educational, short-format anime, as well as a kind of old-school sponsored content.

Once again, only a couple of clips can be found online, making this cultural document very nearly lost to time.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

"Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi" ran for 20 years, logging well over 1,000 episodes. It's another educational program, beloved for focusing on the folk tales and mythology of Japanese culture.

A hugely popular series, it is respected both inside and outside the anime industry for its rich and stylish content.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

"Chibi Maruko-chan," based on a manga of the same title, recounts the childhood of its author, Momoko Sakura, as she goes about her life. Both humorous and lightly dramatic, the show is widely considered to be an essential children's anime, teaching youngsters about life while also entertaining them.

The show has had some gaps since its original broadcast in 1995, but is currently going strong, with new episodes being released to this day.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

"Hoka Hoka Kazoku" is another educational series, this time centering on a contemporary Japanese family, which explores the customs and culture of Japan. It also incorporated live-action segments and is notable for its relatively realistic portrayal of life, eschewing the fantastical elements from other anime shows.

Airing from 1976 to 1982, it's another anime on our list that's pretty hard to get a hold of. If you can find a copy of the show, you're in for a treat.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

Okay, this series appears to have been yet another version — maybe the original, given when it began airing, in 1966 — of the Kirin-sponsored educational shorts "Kirin Ashita No Calendar" and "Kirin no Monoshiri Yakata."

Or, it might be totally unrelated the "lost media" aspect of these series makes it difficult to be sure. This was another single-run anime series broadcast on Japanese TV, before digitization made it easier to copy and distribute video content.

Where to stream: Currently not available to stream. Check your local library!

This series' main character is a five-year old boy named Shinnosuke, and the story follows his interactions with adults and other children. While drawn like a kids show, the series features a lot of crass humor, some of which hinges upon sexual innuendo.

"Crayon Shin Chan" is a fascinating window into Japanese popular culture. It's one of the most popular anime series in Japan, although much of the humor involves cultural norms and plays on language that are easily lost on non-native speakers.

Where to stream: Crunchyroll, Fubo

Also known as "Detective Conan," "Case Closed" is a mystery anime, telling the story of a teenage detective who finds himself in the body of an elementary school-aged child. Undaunted, he continues to solve crimes, utilizing his new identity and its unexpected advantages.

As one of the more modern anime series on this list, it can actually be found streaming online, It's also still running, making it a great opportunity for fans of anime to dive into a popular series.

Where to stream: Crunchyroll, Hulu

"One Piece" is a modern classic of action adventure animation, following the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of Straw Hat Pirates. Their exploits are fantastical and zany, and the show is treasured for its colorful characters, as well as its ability to remain entertaining after so many episodes.

"One Piece" began airing in 1999 and is still going strong today, with new storylines than continue to engross fans in Japan and abroad.

Ranking the longest-running anime series by episode is less straightforward than it seems. A lot of anime series have various reboots and spin-offs ("Pokemon," "Dragon Ball" and the "Naruto" franchise are all examples).

Sometimes this means that a series will be appear to be counted more than once, because they have distinct, separate runs ... both of which are long.

Then there's the fact that some of the longest-running anime series were only broadcast once on Japanese television — never dubbed or released in other markets — and are therefore almost impossible to see.

Still, the list is a good overview of these especially long-running series that are sure to be of interest to new and old anime fans alike.