Ijiwaru Baa-san (1996)

Based on a 1966 manga by Sazae-san creator Hasegawa Machiko. This is another slice-of-everyday-life tale, centered around a spiteful old woman who causes trouble for neighbours with her constant bumbling and grumbling.

The story of Jii-san Baa-san Wakagaeru follows Shouzou and Ine, an elderly couple who are living a quiet life in a farming village in Aomori Prefecture. After eating a mysterious apple that they discover on their apple farm, Shozo and Ine spontaneously regain their youth, but even after being reinvigorated they continue to live life at a grandparent-ly pace.

Amika is a elementary school student who dreams of becoming an idol. Her grandmother is a harsh yet wealthy woman who lives on a remote island that she owns. When her grandmother passed away, Amika's life begins to appear subtle changes. Not long after the passing of her grandmother, Amika's mother gave birth to a baby girl. Ironically, Amika's little sister looks and behaves exactly like her grandmother.

The main character is a mother named Sazae-san. She lives in a house with her husband, her kid, her siblings and her parents. The show is the ultimate family program and tends to follow traditional themes. Think of this show as the Japanese equivalent to "The Partridge Family" and you'll get a good feel for this show's atmosphere. Don't expect to see things like violence, swearing, kung-fu action or magical girls. The plots are more like "Today, Sazae-san goes to the new mall and gets lost". Such "boring" plotlines and the simplistic art are often a turn-off to non-Japanese audiences, but most Japanese find the show incredibly good. As a result, it continues to be one of the top ratings grabbers on TV and is one of the few anime that is considered "acceptable" by adults.