Sanbiki no ossan

Sanbiki no ossan (or Three Old Geezers) is a TV series that has ran for two years on Japanese TV. It's about three 60-year-old men who see their world is changing and they don't seem to be needed any more. One has left his job and is doing part-time in a gaming center, another has left his bar to his son and just hangs around talking to the customers and the third still keeps working, but his daughter, who he raised by himself, is already a grown up, so he feels she doesn't need him anymore. One night, they find themselves helping some random person and end deciding to start doing a night watch to help keeping the city safe.

The series is based on a manga and even if it has some story lines that are developed in its 2 seasons, is basically a "case of the week" TV series. They help the local bookstore when children start stealing manga and books, the son of one of them from being blackmailed, an old friend... The show is funny enough, and the three actors have good chemistry together, making for fun company for 3 quarters of an hour. Some episodes are quite good and others are a little bit lame, but in general the quality is good and shows some aspects of actual Japan that are quite interesting. On the other hand, it is a little bit old- fashioned in its ideology and sometimes treads on a very fine line in that respect. And it's a little bit cheesy, as happens with many Japanese TV series/movies.

But these three old men that won't let the world tell them that they are useless is a good show. And as it's only 16 episodes long, it doesn't overstay its welcome.