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Title (English) Little Miss Maruko

Title (Japanese) Chibi Maruko-chan

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Fantasy Novel

Notes From a manga by SAKURA Momoko, published in Ribon Mascot magazine. Genre(s): comedy, family life, elementary school
TV series (J): 3 LD 250 min, 5 tape 50 min each, 2 movies LD/Tape 92-94 min each. [Shoujo Anime List]

Classification shoujo

Synopsis This is a TV series for young children, with a quirky and non-realistic animation design. Maruko's Grandfather lives with her and her family, and joins in some of her pranks.
The recollections of Maruko, as she was growing up in 1970's Japan. (ENC)

Review It looks somewhat like childish drawing; all the characters have very thin stick-like necks and some, particularly the small boys, are savagely drawn with heads like blobs, potatoes or radishes. One suspects that this would be very funny if one understood the dialogue. In one episode, Maruko is caught out by an April Fool trick and then proceeds to hoax one of her more slow-witted little friends. Grandfather brings sweeties to make all well. Worth a look. (GC)
This is a show that would probably not appeal to most Western anime fans, being a weekly family show. (By the same token, there are probably very few Brady Bunch fans in Japan.) There are quite a few of these - Kobo-chan and (the big one) Sazae-san, for instance. But it is very well-known and popular in Japan, for good reason.
The manga from which this show originates is written by one Sakura Momoko, which, coincidentally, is also the name of the main character in the show. Is it autobiographical? I don't know. Maruko (her nickname) is, I think, in first grade, lives with her family (an older sister, her parents, and her Ojii-san). The show is about her - the things that happen to her at school, at home, with her friends, the scrapes she gets into, etc. Sounds boring? It isn't. What makes the show is the cast of characters. Her Ojii-san (voiced by, until his death a few years ago, Yamada Yasuo, who also did Lupin III), for instance, who she occasionally gets into trouble.
Throughout the show, there is a voiceover, which is quite sarcastic. The artwork is primitive, and the animation crude (about 4 frames a second), but it's part of the character of the show. One of the theme songs became a hit in the early 80s.
(Iskandar Taib)
Although the animation is not that great, the story more than make up for it. A Japanese Simpson type of cartoon which is very popular in Japan. (HBV) Rating ****

Credits Creator(s): Momoko Sakura
Dir: Tsutomu Shibayama
Scr: Momoko Sakura
Des: Yuji Shigeta

Episodes 142

Release Ger:TV, Jap:LD, Jap:VHS

TV Showing See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.

Date 1990 January 7 - 1992 September 27

Production Nippon Animation

Broadcaster

Animation

References & Help Look up the latest data on this title at:
Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or
Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) ,
or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001).
Help & further information.

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Information
Title (English)	Little Miss Maruko
Title (Japanese)	Chibi Maruko-chan
Advertising Fantasy Novel
Notes	From a manga by SAKURA Momoko, published in Ribon Mascot magazine. Genre(s): comedy, family life, elementary school TV series (J): 3 LD 250 min, 5 tape 50 min each, 2 movies LD/Tape 92-94 min each. [Shoujo Anime List]
Classification	shoujo
Synopsis	This is a TV series for young children, with a quirky and non-realistic animation design. Maruko's Grandfather lives with her and her family, and joins in some of her pranks. The recollections of Maruko, as she was growing up in 1970's Japan. (ENC)
Review	It looks somewhat like childish drawing; all the characters have very thin stick-like necks and some, particularly the small boys, are savagely drawn with heads like blobs, potatoes or radishes. One suspects that this would be very funny if one understood the dialogue. In one episode, Maruko is caught out by an April Fool trick and then proceeds to hoax one of her more slow-witted little friends. Grandfather brings sweeties to make all well. Worth a look. (GC) This is a show that would probably not appeal to most Western anime fans, being a weekly family show. (By the same token, there are probably very few Brady Bunch fans in Japan.) There are quite a few of these - Kobo-chan and (the big one) Sazae-san, for instance. But it is very well-known and popular in Japan, for good reason. The manga from which this show originates is written by one Sakura Momoko, which, coincidentally, is also the name of the main character in the show. Is it autobiographical? I don't know. Maruko (her nickname) is, I think, in first grade, lives with her family (an older sister, her parents, and her Ojii-san). The show is about her - the things that happen to her at school, at home, with her friends, the scrapes she gets into, etc. Sounds boring? It isn't. What makes the show is the cast of characters. Her Ojii-san (voiced by, until his death a few years ago, Yamada Yasuo, who also did Lupin III), for instance, who she occasionally gets into trouble. Throughout the show, there is a voiceover, which is quite sarcastic. The artwork is primitive, and the animation crude (about 4 frames a second), but it's part of the character of the show. One of the theme songs became a hit in the early 80s. (Iskandar Taib) Although the animation is not that great, the story more than make up for it. A Japanese Simpson type of cartoon which is very popular in Japan. (HBV) Rating ****
Credits	Creator(s): Momoko Sakura Dir: Tsutomu Shibayama Scr: Momoko Sakura Des: Yuji Shigeta
Episodes	142
Release	Ger:TV, Jap:LD, Jap:VHS
TV Showing	See the whole series for free? This series may be syndicated to regional cable, satellite or terrestial TV stations. For Europe click here.
Date	1990 January 7 - 1992 September 27
Production	Nippon Animation
Broadcaster
Animation
References & Help	Look up the latest data on this title at: Richard Llewellyn's Animated Divots, or Anime News Network (see Encyclopedia section) , or in "The Anime Encyclopedia" (Clements & McCarthy, Stone Bridge Press, 2001). Help & further information.