However, after Kiyoshi ATSUMI, who played Torajiro KURUMA, became unwell, the "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo" series, which had been made twice a year, was reduced to one movie a year and, later, Yamada decided to have more scenes with Mitsuo, Torajiro's nephew, and fewer with Torajiro.
しかし、車寅次郎役である渥美清の体調が優れなくなってからは、年2回作られていた『男はつらいよ』シリーズを年1回に減らし、後に甥の満男の出番を増やして寅次郎の出番を減らす決断をした。