When some fans think about anime, they do not immediately think of all-ages content. With popular anime in the spotlight, such as Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul, some people who do not watch anime regularly will believe that it isn’t for children and instead opt not to tell others about it.
However, there are tons of family-friendly anime available to watch without fanservice or bloody scenes. One of the longest-running children’s anime is Crayon Shin-chan, amongst others. Here are 10 long-running anime any group of anime fans could watch with their family.
10 Crayon Shin-Chan
Crayon Shin-chan may be a bit daunting to begin as it has more than 1,000 episodes—akin to One Piece—but it is worth the effort if one has a lot of time on their hands. Also, since the series is a slice-of-life, all of the episodes do not necessarily need to be watched to understand the characters’ gist of the various plots that occur.
The series follows Shinnosuke Nohara, otherwise known as Shin-chan. He is a 5-year-old kindergartener who has an odd speech pattern and a love for chocolate biscuits. Each episode is about his family, adventures, and the importance of family.
9 Doraemon
Doraemon is one of the most beloved series as well as mascot in anime. He has transcended languages to become the most adored blue robot in all of anime. After the cat-robot was sent from the 22nd century to a boy named Nobita Nobi, he befriends him to live a better life.
It turns out he was sent to him by his future great-great-grandson, Sewashi Nobi, so he and his family can live a better life. Each episode follows the pattern of Nobita causing trouble by messing with a gadget Doraemon brings from the future, and Doraemon fixing whatever mess he caused because of it.
8 Naruto
Naruto is a staple in shonen anime, much like Dragon Ball—but the original series would be a fitting series to sit on the couch and watch with one’s family. The story is about a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki who strives to become the Hokage, the Hidden Leaf Village’s leader.
However, he is often shunned because of his loudmouth behavior and the fact that he has the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him, making others think of him as a monster. The series has a lot of heart and would be great to view with family.
7 Chi’s Sweet Home
Chi’s Sweet Home follows an animal as the protagonist this time—specifically, an American Shorthair named Chi. Chi is a kitten who loves playing, running around, and is easily distracted by various things such as butterflies and cat food.
Despite the heartwarming nature of the series, it has a sad undertone initially, as Chi was initially trying to find her owner after getting lost during a walk. A young boy named Youhei and his mother then gave her a new home and family.
6 Natsume’s Book Of Friends
Natsume’s Book of Friends is a shojo series that centers on a young boy befriending the yokai in his deceased grandmother’s Book of Friends. Takashi Natsume has seen various supernatural entities since he was young, so she left it to him.
Instead of forcing the yokai to work for him as his grandmother did, he decides to dissolve the contracts between the book and the yokai and befriend them.
5 Tomorrow’s Nadja
Tomorrow’s Nadja follows an orphan named Nadja Applefield as she heads on a trip around the world to find her mother she thought died when she was small.
She joins the Dandelion Troupe, learns various dances from around the world, and befriends each member by learning about their past pains and stories. The series is full of wonderful animation, characters, and a plot that will sometimes be full of drama.
4 Detective Conan
Detective Conan has been ongoing for two decades now, but it is still going strong for mystery anime fans. Although the mystery behind Conan becoming a child doesn’t seem likely to be solved anytime soon, the cases he does solve are all different in nature.
From murder mysteries to acts of passion gone horribly wrong, there’s nothing Conan Edogawa—otherwise originally known as Shin’ichi Kudo—can not solve.
3 Sailor Moon
Usagi Tsukino was nothing but a crybaby and average teenager until a talking cat named Luna told her she had the responsibility of becoming Sailor Moon—as she is the reincarnation of the moon princess, Princess Serenity.
Although reluctant at first, Usagi grows with each season of the anime as she fights various enemies and has the other Sailor Senshi join her to fight against more threats.
2 Pokémon
Ash Ketchum wants to be the very best there ever was and to do that. He must catch as many Pokémon as he can. The series follows the 10-year-old—along with his other companions, depending on the season—as he explores various regions.
Along with his best friend and arguably strongest Pokémon Pikachu, Ash strives to follow his heart and train to be an amazing trainer.
1 Sazae-San
Sazae-san is the longest-running anime in Japan, and it is still going strong as of 2021. The series follows the Fuguta family’s life, with Sazae being the main character and wife of Masuo. Sazae is tomboyish and cheerful, and her family is full of personality.
What is interesting about Sazae-san is how it adapted to the times. Although, at first, the series described Sazae’s actions as “unladylike” and stated she wouldn’t find a husband with her attitude, she stayed true to herself and found a wonderful partner. There are River 2,500 episodes that include 7,500+ segments of the show that focus on each character and their actions inside the household.
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