“Sazae-san” is the only anime to still use cel animation

Asahi.com (by way of Canned Dogs) has noted that the childrens anime “Sazae-san” (airing since 1968!) is the only show left on Japanese TV animated using the classic method of hand-drawn “cel” animation (the vast majority of Japanese animators now (almost exclusively) use computers).

The decision to stick with hand-drawn art was a stylistic call, since this decidedly ‘manual’ aesthetic creates a “warmhearted feeling which puts the minds of viewers at peace”. Interestingly, Sazae-san is even being held back from high definition digital TV broadcast – because the clarity of picture exposes the human error in the animation.