Anpanman

Anpanman
アンパンマン
Manga
Written by Takashi Yanase
Published by Froebel-kan
Demographic Children
Original run 1973 – 2013
Anime television series
Soreike! Anpanman
Directed by Akinori Nagaoka
Shunji Ôga
Music by Hiroaki Kondo
Taku Izumi
Studio Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Network NTV, Cartoon Network Japan, Kids Station
Original run October 3, 1988 – ongoing
Episodes 1250+

Anpanman (アンパンマン) is a Japanese picture book series written by Takashi Yanase, running from 1973 until 2013 following his death. The anime adaptation Soreike! Anpanman (それいけ!アンパンマン, Let's Go! Anpanman) is one of the most popular anime series amongst young children in Japan. The show has been on the air in Japan continuously since October 1988. On October 4, 1996 (Episode 398) the show changed its time slot from Monday to Friday. On November 10, 2000 (Episode 588) the show was made with digital editing. On August 28, 2009 the show had aired 1000 episodes. Since April 2, 2010 (Episode 1029) the show started airing in High Definition. In 2011, the titular Anpanman is the most popular fictional character among people age 0 to 12 years in Japan in 10 consecutive years, according to 2channel the show was originally going to premiere in 1987 and it was originally going to end with 24 episodes, according to research by Bandai.[1]

Heavily merchandised, the Anpanman characters appear on virtually every imaginable children's product, from clothes to video games to toys to snack foods. The Anpanman books have collectively sold over 50 million copies in Japan.[2]

Many times during the Second World War, Yanase became faced with the prospect of starvation, which made him dream about eating anpan (a bean-jam filled pastry). This inspired the creation of the Anpanman character.

Kōichi Yamadera and Mika Kanai, the voice actors for Cheese and Melonpanna respectively, were a married couple until they divorced in 2006.[3] This is also translated in a way to the cartoon as Cheese spends most of his time in Melonpanna's company in the episodes she's in. Yamadera also does voices for recurring characters in the show, such as Kamameshidon.

The series spawned a short lived spin-off show featuring one of the more popular recurring characters on the show, Omusubiman.

Characters

In each episode, Anpanman fights with Baikinman and helps the people of the town. He always goes on patrol in the area around the house of Uncle Jam. He is a symbol of justice, fighting for the cause of justice every day. Anpanman has a long history and new characters are frequently introduced, keeping the series fresh. In 2009, Anpanman was verified as a Guinness World Record Holder for the highest number of characters in an animated franchise with a total of 1,768 characters appearing in the first 980 episodes of the TV series and the first 20 Anpanman films.[4]

The Heroes

Anpan
Anpanman (アンパンマン Anpanman)
Voiced by: Keiko Toda
The main character of the anime, whose head is a bun made by Uncle Jam. His name comes from the fact that he is a man with a head made of bread (Japanese: pan, a loanword from the Portuguese word meaning "bread") that is filled with red bean paste (Japanese: anko) called an anpan. The rhythm of the rhyming name might be loosely idiomatically translated in English as "Bean Bun Boy". He doesn't need to eat or drink to sustain himself and has never been seen eating, as it is believed the bean jam in his head allows him to sustain himself in this manner. His weaknesses are water and anything else that makes his head dirty (In order to prevent his head getting wet when underwater or in wet weather, he is usually seen with his head concealed inside a protective bubble in such situations). He regains his health and strength when Jam Ojisan bakes him a new head and it is placed on his shoulders. Anpanman's damaged head, with Xs in his eyes, flies off his shoulders once a new baked head is made for him by Uncle Jam. Anpanman came to life when a shooting star landed in Uncle Jam's oven while he was baking. He has two special attacks: An-punch and An-kick (with stronger variations of both). When Anpanman comes across a starving creature or person, he lets the unfortunate creature or person eat part of his head. He also has super hearing in that he can respond to anyone that calls his name out in distress from anywhere in the world.
Uncle Jam (ジャムおじさん Jam Ojisan)
Voiced by: Hiroshi Masuoka
The creator of Anpanman, and a very kind baker. A skilled cook with knowledge of nearly everything in the world.
Batako-san (バタコさん Batako-san)
Voiced by: Rei Sakuma
Assistant to Uncle Jam. She's dedicated and hard working, but is prone to forgetting things. Her Japanese name means "Butter Girl". She makes and mends the capes Anpanman and the other heroes use to fly with.
Cheese (チーズ Chiizu)
Voiced by: Koichi Yamadera
A dog that lives in Uncle Jam's bakery. He became a loyal friend after Anpanman saved his life in the manga. In the anime, a young Anpanman feeds Cheese, who is starving, a part of his head as a part of his very first patrol and became inseparable afterwards. Cheese tends to be an effective sidekick when he's around.
Currypanman (カレーパンマン Currypanman)
Voiced by: Michiyo Yanagisawa
Another of Anpanman's friends. His head is made from currypan, a pastry filled with red-hot curry. He is quick tempered and hot-headed on the surface, but gives way to a kind and sentimental interior. Tends to be the strongman of the trio. Wields the Curry-punch and Curry-kick, which are similar to the fighting techniques of Anpanman's other sidekicks. However, he can also use the hot curry concealed in his head as a weapon, using it to burn villains. He first appeared in episode 2b.
Shokupanman (しょくぱんまん Shokupanman)
Voiced by: Sumi Shimamoto
A friend of Anpanman. His head is made from sliced white bread (Japanese: shoku pan). He is handsome and level-headed and kind, but narcissistic. Tends to be the thinker of the trio. His job when not helping Anpanman is serving lunch to the schoolchildren. Dokin-chan has a crush on him. Wields the Shoku-punch and Shoku-kick, which are similar to Anpanman's fighting techniques. He also has a multi-functional delivery van known as the Shokupanman-go with many implements to help avoid trouble. He first appeared in episode 3b.
Melonpanna (メロンパンナ Meronpanna)
Voiced by: Mika Kanai
Anpanman's friend. Her head is made from melon bread. She is extremely softhearted, being caring and sensitive, and is sometimes clever. When she's in trouble, she usually needs Anpanman or somebody else to save her, or if there is no one available, she calls out for her sister, Rollpanna. Sometimes she likes hanging out with Cheese. Her special attack, the Melo-Melo Punch, makes bad guys woozy with affection or awakens others from deep sleep. She first appeared in episode 200.
Rollpanna (ロールパンナ Rollpanna)
Voiced by: Mina Tominaga
Melonpanna's older sister who has two hearts: A red one of goodness, and thanks to Baikinman, a blue one of evil. The sight of Anpanman can trigger her evil heart while the sight of Melonpanna can trigger her good one. She started out in the series as a loner at Baikinman's beck and call, but she broke from his power and wanders the world doing good deeds, but stays away from others for fear of what she would do if her black heart is triggered. Her nickname is "The tragic heroine". Uses a gymnastics ribbon as her main weapon. She can use it to wrap up her enemies or cause tornadoes. She first appeared in episode 300.
Creampanda (クリームパンダ Creampanda)
Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa
The youngest of Anpanman's friends and the foster brother of Melonpanna and Rollpanna. He is 6 years old. His is head made from a cream bun and his eyes that looks like those of a panda's. Despite his immaturity and relative weakness as compared to Anpanman and his hero friends, he is courageous, protective of his friends, and has a "never give up" attitude. He has an immature character causes him to sometimes get into petty squabbles and competitions of one-upsmanship with the other younger characters on the show. Because his head resembles a hand, he has a special headbutt attack called the "Guu-Choki-Punch" (Guu-Choki-Pa means Rock, Scissors, Paper in Japanese). Relatively powerful when it connects, it fails to connect more often than not. He first appeared in episode 469.

The Villains

Baikinman (ばいきんまん Baikinman)
Voiced by: Ryusei Nakao
The villain from the "Germ Planet" and is the leader of the Viruses. His Japanese name means "Bacteria Man". His ambition is to destroy Anpanman and spread bacteria all over the latter's world, yet he is perfectly content to play tricks, steal, and bully those weaker than him. He and Anpanman were born at the same time, making them physical representations of moral dualism. He has a weakness to soap, which shrinks him to the size of a fly. He constructs machines and thinks of intricate plans to counteract Anpanman's strength. His two famous phrases are his battle-cry, "Ha-hi-hu-he-ho!" (based on the h-row of Japanese kana); and "Bye-baikiiin!", which he utters out whenever he's sent flying by Anpanman or another character.
Moldyrunrun (かびるんるん Kabirunrun)
Baikinman's henchmen. They have the ability to rot Anpanman's head with mildew/mold (Japanese: kabi). They first appeared in episode 2a.
Dokin-chan (ドキンちゃん)
Voiced by: Hiromi Tsuru
Baikinman's female partner in crime. She is selfish, demanding, childish, and greedy, but sometimes shows kindness, as demonstrated by her crush on Shokupanman. Her Japanese name is a combination of "Doki", the Japanese onomatopoeia for a quickly beating heart, "baikin" (meaning "germ", also the case for Baikinman), and the diminutive/affectionate suffix "-chan". She first appeared in episode 13a.
Horrorman (ホラーマン Horrorman)
Voiced by: Kaneta Kimotsuki
A skeleton who often works with Baikinman and Dokin-chan. Although he seems scary on the outside, he is very weak and often falls to pieces, and can magically put the pieces back. He is neither a hero nor a villain. His special attack is the Bone Boomerang, where he takes off one of his bones and throws it. He is also in love with Dokin-chan and often stalks her. He first appeared in Fly! Fly! Chibigon.

Videography

Movies

In 1989 Tokyo Movie Shinsha started making Anpanman movies. There has been a total of 25 Anpanman movies with each movie having the same general plot - A person (usually a princess) comes from a foreign land. Baikinman unlocks some dark secret and controls a weapon or monster able to polymorph people. And with the help of the aforementioned person, Anpanman defeats the said weapon or monster. Sometimes the person dies, but is brought back to life by a tearful song from the characters. Since at least 1995, the films have been released concurrently with storybook versions written and illustrated by Takashi Yanase himself.

Animated shorts

In 1990 Tokyo Movie Shinsha started Anpanman short movies. These are short subject Anpanman anime of around 24 minutes that were shown in conjunction with the full-length movies above. The shorts made in 1989 and 1993 are not included as they do not involve the world of Anpanman.

Christmas specials

In December 1988 Tokyo Movie Shinsha started making Anpanman Christmas specials. A Total of 24 Christmas Specials have been made.

Video games

Example of Anpaman products
Anpanman characters on a JR Shikoku 2000 train.
The façade of Kobe Anpanman Children's Museum & Mall
Famicom
PlayStation
Nintendo DS
Nintendo 3DS
Game Boy Color
Wii
Sega Pico
Advanced Pico Beena
Arcade
Playdia

Outside Japan

Anpanman has had very little impact outside of Japan, however the anime series has aired (briefly) under the following names in other countries:

Sponsors

Theme music

Openings

  1. "Anpanman's March" (アンパンマンのマーチ "Anpanman no Māchi")

Endings

  1. "Courage Rin-Rin" (勇気りんりん "Yūki Rinrin)
  2. "Anpanman Gymnastics" (アンパンマンたいそう "Anpanman Taisō")
  3. "Sun-Sun Gymnastics" (サンサンたいそう "Sansan Taisō")
  4. "Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Anpanman" (ドレミファアンパンマン)

See also

Pokemon

References

  1. ↑ Bandai Kodomo Enquête Report Vol.190, June 2011
  2. ↑ "新文化 - 出版業界紙 - 過去のニュースフラッシュ". Shinbunka.co.jp. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
  3. ↑ "Entertainment News from Japan". Japan Zone. 2006-10-29. Retrieved 2012-05-25.
  4. ↑ "Anpanman Gets Guinness World Record for Most Characters (Updated)". Anime News Network. July 15, 2009. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
  5. ↑ "25th Anpanman Film to Open on July 6". Anime News Network. 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2013-03-02.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anpanman.