The manga dealt with everyday life and contemporary situations in Tokyo until Hasegawa retired and ended the series, with the final comic published on February 21, 1974.

Hasegawa was forward-thinking in that, in her words, the Isono/Fuguta clan would embody the image of the modern Japanese family after World War II.

Despite the topical nature of the series, the core of the stories revolved around the large family dynamic, and were presented in a lighthearted, easy fashion.

In current culture, the popular Sazae-san anime is frequently viewed as a nostalgic representation of traditional Japanese society, since it represents a simpler time before many of the changes brought by modern technology.

The comic strip was published in book form by Shimaisha (姉妹社) from 1946 to 1974, which Machiko ran with her sister, Mariko.

In addition, the unique culture and events in a typical Japanese household, including the four seasons, will always be reflected in the story.

At the start of the anime, it was a slapstick comedy with references to Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes, etc, but within a year the genre shifted towards a family drama.

Also because of its popularity, a survey conducted by NIPPON RESEARCH CENTER, LTD. (NRC) in 2020 recorded a high recognition rate of 97% for this anime in Japan.

In response to this, the staff stated, "The appeal of this anime is that it depicts scenes of everyday life and universal relationships that can be found in any family.

However, some things which have come to be considered inappropriate due to changing times, such as smoking and corporal punishment, have been removed or otherwise addressed.

Katō was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the "Longest career as a voice actor for the same character of an animated TV series".

Fuji Television switched to the janken match after doctors at Tohoku University Hospital and the National Center for Child Health and Development raised concerns that children may try to imitate Sazae and potentially choke on food.

[16] Despite the series being a hit, Hasegawa stated that she never wanted any merchandise to be made for it, including home video rights, making availability of past episodes, especially those prior to the introduction of the VCR, very rare.

[17] Despite this, however, Fuji TV made an agreement with Amazon Prime Video in December 2018 to release the 1969 and early-to-mid 1970s episodes available on their streaming service.

In 1979, NHK made a dramatic serial which ran for six months, focusing on the creation of Sazae-san and Machiko Hasegawa in her younger days.