Baby & Me

Baby & Me (Japanese: 赤ちゃんと僕, Hepburn: Aka-chan to Boku) is a shōjo manga by Marimo Ragawa. It was originally published in Japan by Hakusensha, and was published in English by Viz Media, serialized in the magazine Shojo Beat. It received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo in 1995. The series was adapted as an anime television series in 1996. All episodes were also dubbed in Arabic.

Baby & Me describes the detailed lifestyle of an elementary child and is highly praised in many aspects. The feelings of people are observed very closely, and the realistic descriptions of Takuya's life are one of the praised points in Marimo Ragawa's manga. Not only the story's plots and details, but the stable, clean drawings is also one of the attractive points.

Plot

Takuya Enoki loses his mother, Yukako, when she dies in a car accident. Takuya now lives with his father, Harumi, and his baby brother, Minoru. Takuya's baby brother is only two years old and requires much care. Although Takuya is only a fifth grader, he cooks, cleans, sews, scolds, and does everything that is normally a mother's job. Between his housework and looking after his baby brother, Takuya begins to feel a helpless gap between his friends who have fun everyday after school. The Kimura family blame him for Minoru's constant crying. His stress gradually builds up and bursts at a point. Because of a mistake Minoru made, Takuya reacts violently. He cannot help feeling upset over Minoru, who is stressing him and taking up all his time.

One day, when Takuya picks Minoru up from preschool, he starts to walk faster imagining what it would be like to leave his little brother behind him. But soon, Takuya realizes what he has done and runs back. He finds Minoru with his eyes full of tears and a brutal dog is blocking Minoru's way. Takuya dashes in full speed and saves his little brother. After coming home and seeing Minoru sobbing, Takuya realizes that Minoru cries because he is just lonely and becomes ashamed of himself. From then on, Takuya learns to love his little brother as family and his long life story of being a mother and a brother at once begins.

Characters

Enoki family

Takuya Enoki (榎木 拓也, Enoki Takuya)

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi

The elder brother. Has taken up the burden of mothering his younger brother, Minoru. Akihiro and he Is popular with the girls at school.

Minoru Enoki (榎木 実, Enoki Minoru)

Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto

Baby of the family. Loved and over protected by his older brother, Takuya. Loves to wear a bear hat. His favorite character is Zap, a superhero from a laundry detergent commercial. His hero in life is Takuya.

Harumi Enoki (榎木 春美, Enoki Harumi)

Voiced by: Mitsuru Miyamoto

The father of Takuya and Minoru. He works hard to feed his family.

Yukako Enoki (榎木 由加子, Enoki Yukako)

Voiced by: Misa Watanabe

Deceased mother of Takuya and Minoru. Married Harumi against her family's wishes, and escaped her family in doing so also.

Friends

Tadashi Gotoh (後藤 正, Gotō Tadashi)

Voiced by: Yoshiko Kamei

Classmate of Takuya's. Nicknamed Gon. Is the older brother in his family, with Hiroko (Hiro), his younger sister. Is the opposite of Takuya in many ways, especially his care towards Hiro. Greedy and lazy. His family opens a grocery store, and he often works there. Though Gon's crush likes Takuya, he still likes Takuya as a friend.

Hiroko "Hiro" Gotoh (後藤 浩子, Gotō Hiroko, ヒロ Hiro)

Voiced by: Yumi Kuroda

Younger sister of Tadashi. Same class as Minoru. She has a crush on Minoru and often fights with love rival, Ichika. Was first thought to be a boy. She sees Minoru as brave and handsome. Plays roughly.

Tokio Tamadate (玉館 時男, Tamadate Tokio)

Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto

Rich classmate of Takuya's. Stuck up because he is rich. Wears expensive designer clothes. He often ridicules Takuya and fights with Gon (whom he dislikes).

Fujii family

Akemi Fujii (藤井 明美, Fujii Akemi)

Voiced by: Misa Watanabe

Oldest daughter in the family. in charge of the other siblings when Parents are at works and looking after the house

Tomoya Fujii (藤井 友也, Fujii Tomoya)

Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata

Oldest son, second-oldest child in the Fujii family. Dirty-minded.

Asako Fujii (藤井 浅子, Fujii Asako)

Voiced by: Akemi Okamura

Second-oldest daughter, third child in the Fujii family. Has a cold voice.

Akihiro Fujii (藤井 昭広, Fujii Akihiro)

Voiced by: Hiro Yuuki

Classmate of Takuya's. Is the fourth brother in his family of two older sisters, an older brother, a younger sister, and a younger brother. Competitive. He is deemed "cool" in class, mostly because it is hard to know what he is thinking. Poor because he has to share everything with his other siblings. Often stuck taking care of his younger siblings.

Ichika Fujii (藤井 一加, Fujii Ichika)

Voiced by: Mika Kanai

Younger sister of Akihiro's. Different class from Minoru. She has a crush on Minoru and often fights (verbal and physically) with love rival, Hiro. She is highly intelligent and sees Minoru as cute. Sharp tongued.

Masaki "Ma-Bo" Fujii (藤井 正樹, Fujii Masaki, マー坊 Mā-bō)

Voiced by: Kazumi Okushima

Youngest son, sixth child, and youngest child in the Fujii family. Though younger than Minoru, his vocabulary is better than Minoru's. Also very intelligent.

Neighbors

The Kimuras

Lives across the street from the Enoki's. Though both are old, they are very spirited. Their son recently came home.

Others

Shinako Fukaya (深谷 しな子, Fukaya Shinako)

Voiced by: Michiko Neya

Girl in Takuya's class. She has a quick temper. Her reputation as a liar makes it hard for her to have friends. She often speaks too honestly, and words come out of her mouth before she thinks it through, leading her to hurt other's feelings without meaning to.

(Chapter 14)

Ai Yarimizo (槍溝 愛, Yarimizo Ai)

Voiced by: Hinako Kanamaru

Gon's crush. She is the class representative of Class 6-3. Takuya thinks she is weird. Gon probably likes her because she is pretty. She likes to dress very extravagantly (weird by Takuya's taste). On her date with Gon, she chose to go to the kiddie rides. She sexually harasses Takuya and Gon by patting their behinds. When Takuya asked her to go on a date with Gon (from Gon's orders) she told him that she liked someone else. After her date with Gon, she confesses to him that she liked Takuya. She commented to Takuya that she knew he would not tell Gon because he wants to protect his friends.

(Chapter 20)

Volumes

1. ISBN 4-592-12241-0 published in March 1992
2. ISBN 4-592-12242-9 published in August 1992
3. ISBN 4-592-12243-7 published in December 1992
4. ISBN 4-592-12244-5 published in February 1993
5. ISBN 4-592-12245-3 published in June 1993
6. ISBN 4-592-12246-1 published in November 1993
7. ISBN 4-592-12247-X published in March 1994
8. ISBN 4-592-12248-8 published in July 1994
9. ISBN 4-592-12249-6 published in November 1994
10. ISBN 4-592-12250-X published in February 1992
11. ISBN 4-592-12821-4 published in May 1995
12. ISBN 4-592-12822-2 published in September 1995
13. ISBN 4-592-12823-0 published in January 1996
14. ISBN 4-592-12824-9 published in July 1996
15. ISBN 4-592-12825-7 published in November 1996
16. ISBN 4-592-12826-5 published in March 1997
17. ISBN 4-592-12827-3 published in June 1997
18. ISBN 4-592-12828-1 published in September 1997

Reception

Baby & Me received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōjo manga in 1995.^[1]

References

External links

• Shojo Beat - Baby & Me
• Baby & Me - Trader
• Baby & Me (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia