Binchō-tan (anime)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Binchotan
Screenshot from the Binchotan night anime television series
びんちょうタン
(Binchōtan)
Genre Seinen, Comedy
TV anime
Directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi
Studio Studio Deen
Network TBS
Original run 2 February 200630 March 2006
No. of episodes 12[1]

Bincho-tan (びんちょうタン Binchōtan?) (also Binchou-tan) is a mascot character, created by mangaka Takahito Ekusa (江草天仁?) and produced by game goods company Alchemist.

The name is a play on words: binchōtan (備長炭?) is a kind of charcoal, which is mainly used for cooking. However, in otaku culture -tan is a suffix used with the name of a cute girl. Relating to this dajare, the main cast is the moe anthropomorphic representations of different types of charcoal.

An anime began airing in February 2006 that was produced by Studio Deen.[1] The location used for the anime is Minabe, Wakayama.

Contents


[edit] Characters

Character Voiced by
Binchou-tan Ai Nonaka
Binchou-tan, the main character in the anime, is a young girl who lives by herself in an old house far from town. As her name suggests, she often wears a piece of charcoal on her head. Each episode depicts a day in the life of Binchou-tan who needs to work in order to buy food and necessities. Binchou-tan is assumed to be an orphan because she lives by herself, refuses to answer shopkeepers who ask where her mother is and keeps to her habits of greeting and farewelling herself when travelling. Binchou-tan apparently possesses the ability to change the size of her body. Normally she is the size of a small child, but in some cases she can shrink herself to for instance fit in a shoe or to ride on the back of a duck. She also treasures clothing made by her grandmother which becomes a plot point in one episode. Binchou-tan is initially a very lonely person.
Kunugi-tan Sakura Nogawa
Kunugi-tan, who is seen many times in the anime before meeting any of the other characters directly, is a rich girl living in a large home with many servants. Kunugi-tan is still very lonely despite being surrounded by many older people as well as her school peers. Unable to adventure outside her home and school due to her father's strict instructions carried out by her butler, Kunugi-tan often stares into the distance blankly. Kunugi-tan takes a great deal of interest in Binchou-tan and attempts to become better acquainted with her. Kunugi-tan wears two pieces of what appears to be charcoal in her hair. Her name comes from the charcoal made from the sawtooth oak tree.
Chiku-tan Mai Kadowaki
Chiku-tan is an enthusiastic person who enjoys inventing things and helping others. The viewer sees that like Binchou-tan, Chiku-tan also lives far from town in an old house but lives with others, her younger sister, Chiku-rin and her grandfather. Chiku-tan often takes on jobs like Binchou-tan and after meeting, they quickly become friends. Chiku-tan and Binchou-tan also begin raising a dog together. Chiku-rin often mimics Chiku-tan but is unable to talk fluently due to her age. She is named after bamboo charcoal.
Aroe Momoko Saito
Aroe is a young girl whose hair is made of Aloe which does not benefit her as she often requires water. Aroe does not often make direct contact with the other characters in the anime and her appearances are often a sidestory. Aroe's Aloe hair bursts many of her vinyl wading pools due to its sharpness. Aroe is often seen throughout the series in a dizzy state, sometimes due to needing water and on other occasions due to misfortune.
Ren-tan Rina Satou
It is explained during the story that Ren-tan is a miko and as such enjoys communicating with spirits. When Ren-tan summons spirits, they often approach Chiku-tan, much to her dismay. Rentan means a charcoal briquette

[edit] Media

[edit] Anime

[edit] Episodes

Screenshot Title Original air date #
"Spring Awakening"
"Haru no Omezame bin" (春のお目ざめびん)
February 2, 2006 01
 
"Gets a Job"
"Oshigoto Getto bin" (お仕事げっとびん)
February 9, 2006 02
 
"Bin's Birthday"
"Bin no Otanjō-bin" (びんのお誕生びん)
February 16, 2006 03
 
"Rainy Sunday"
"Ame no Nichiyō-bin" (雨の日曜びん)
February 23, 2006 04
 
"Memories of Kimono"
"Kimono no Omoide bin" (着物のおもひでびん)
March 2, 2006 05
 
"Work in the Night"
"Yoru no Otsutome bin" (夜のおつとめびん)
March 9, 2006 06
 
"Ramune and Candy Apples"
"Ramune to Ringoame bin" (ラムネとりんごあめびん)
March 16, 2006 07
 
"Close Your Hands, Open Your Hands"
"Musunde Hiraite bin" (むすんでひらいてびん)
March 23, 2006 08
 
"A Stag Beetle is Following"
"Kuwagata tsuiteru bin" (クワガタついてるびん)
March 30, 2006 09
 
"The Baked Sweet Potatoes Season"
"Oimo no Kisetsu bin" (おイモの季節びん)
April 8, 2006 10
This episode was aired on only MBS
"First snow, First sledge, First flight"
"Hatsu-yuki, Hatsu-zori, Hatsu-hikō bin" (初雪、初ぞり、初飛行びん)
April 15, 2006 11
This episode was aired on only MBS. 
"A Letter to the Sky"
"Osora ni Otegami bin" (お空にお手紙びん)
April 15, 2006 12
This episode was aired on only MBS. 

[edit] Themesongs

The soundtrack of this animation includes the instrument Ondes Martenot.

Opening themes
# Transcription/Translation Performed by Episodes
Iroha (いろは) CooRie All
Ending themes
# Transcription/Translation Performed by Episodes
Bincho Ondo (びんちょう音頭) Mai Kadowaki All [1]


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Binchō-tan (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia. Accessed 2006-12-06.

[edit] External links

In other languages