is a Japanese children's

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

picture book A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...

series written by

Takashi Yanase Takashi Yanase (February 6, 1919 – October 13, 2013) was a Japanese writer, poet, illustrator and lyricist. He was best known as the creator of the picture book and animated series ''Anpanman''. Yanase was chairman of the Japan Cartoonists Asso ...

, running from 1973 until the author’s death in 2013. The series has been adapted into an

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

entitled , which is one of the most popular anime series among young children in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. The series follows the adventures of Anpanman, a superhero with an

anpan is a Japanese sweet roll most commonly filled with red bean paste. Anpan can also be prepared with other fillings, including white beans (''shiro-an''), green beans (''uguisu-an''), sesame (''goma-an''), and chestnut (''kuri-an''). History An ...

red bean paste Red bean paste () or red bean jam, also called adzuki bean paste or ''anko'' (a Japanese word), is a paste made of red beans (also called "adzuki beans"), used in East Asian cuisine. The paste is prepared by boiling the beans, then mashing or g ...

filled pastry) for a head, who protects the world from an evil anthropomorphic germ named Baikinman. Heavily merchandised, the ''Anpanman'' characters appear on virtually every imaginable children's product in Japan, ranging from clothes and video games to toys and

snack food A snack is a small portion of food generally Eating, eaten between meals. Snacks come in a variety of forms including packaged snack foods and other processed foods, as well as items made from fresh ingredients at home. Traditionally, snack ...

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

Hello Kitty , also known by her full name , is a fictional Character (arts), character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphi ...

as Japan's top-grossing character in 2002, and has remained the country's top-grossing character . ''Anpanman'' has sold over 80million books as of February 2019, and the franchise generated in total retail sales revenue by 2013. Works inspired by ''Anpanman'' include the

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

and anime series ''

One-Punch Man is a Japanese superhero manga series created by One. It tells the story of Saitama, a superhero who, because he can defeat any opponent with a single punch, grows bored from a lack of challenge. One wrote the original webcomic manga v ...

'', and the

K-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, gos ...

song "

Anpanman is a Japanese children's superhero picture book series written by Takashi Yanase, running from 1973 until the author’s death in 2013. The series has been adapted into an anime entitled , which is one of the most popular anime series among ...

" by

BTS BTS (), also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010 and debuting in 2013 under Big Hit Entertainment. The septet—consisting of members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook—co-writes and co-produ ...

Development

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Takashi Yanase faced starvation countless times, which made him dream about eating an anpan. This inspired the creation of ''Anpanman''.

Characters

In each episode, Anpanman fights with Baikinman and saves people. He goes on daily patrols around the house of Uncle Jam. He is a symbol of

justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

, fighting for good 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 ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

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 films.

Heroes

; : : The main character of the anime, whose head is an

Anpan is a Japanese sweet roll most commonly filled with red bean paste. Anpan can also be prepared with other fillings, including white beans (''shiro-an''), green beans (''uguisu-an''), sesame (''goma-an''), and chestnut (''kuri-an''). History An ...

made by Uncle Jam. His name comes from his being a man whose head is made of bread (Japanese: ''pan'') that is filled with

(Japanese: ''anko'') called an anpan. When translated into English, Anpanman means "Bean Bun Man." 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 from getting wet when underwater or in wet weather, he wears a bubble-like helmet to protect it. He regains his health and strength when Uncle Jam bakes him a new head and replaces the old head. Anpanman's damaged head, with his eyes turning into X's, flies off his shoulders once a new baked head replaces it. Anpanman was born when a shooting star landed in Uncle Jam's oven while he was baking an anpan. In movies and other media, the shooting stars that brought Anpanman to life were called “the stars of life”. Anpanman 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 them eat a part of his head. This can also make him weaker and causes him to replace his head to regain his strength. He also has super hearing, which allows him to respond to anyone who calls his name out in distress, anywhere in the world. ; : (1988–2019),

Kōichi Yamadera is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with th ...

(2019–present), Barry J Tarallo (English) : The creator of Anpanman and a very kind baker. He is a skilled cook with knowledge of nearly everything in the world. ; : : Assistant to Uncle Jam. She is dedicated and hard-working but prone to forgetting things. Her name literally translates to "Butter Girl." She makes and mends the capes of Anpanman and the other heroes in the story. ; : : A

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

that lives in Uncle Jam's bakery. In the

, he became Anpanman's loyal friend after he saved his life. In the anime, a young Anpanman finds Cheese starving during his very first patrol, and gives him a part of his head to eat. Cheese tends to be an effective sidekick when he's around. ; : : 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. ; : : A friend of Anpanman. His head is made from sliced

white bread White bread typically refers to breads made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ layers have been removed from the whole wheatberry as part of the flour grinding or milling process, producing a light-colored flour. This milling pro ...

(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 A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...

known as the ''Shokupanman-go'' with many implements to help avoid trouble. He first appeared in episode 3b. In the Tubi Dub, he is called Bread Head Man. ; : : Anpanman's friend. Her head is made from

melon bread A (also known as melon pan, melon bun or melon bread) is a type of sweet bun originating from and popular in Japan, as well as in Taiwan and China. They are made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appear ...

. 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 a deep sleep. She first appeared in episode 200. ; : : 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". Her weapon is a gymnastics ribbon, which she can use to wrap up her enemies or cause

tornadoes A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

. She first appeared in episode 300. ; : : The youngest of Anpanman's friends and the foster brother of Melonpanna and Rollpanna. He is 6 years old. His head is made from a cream bun and his eyes look 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-upmanship with the other younger characters on the show. Because his head resembles a hand, he has a special

headbutt A headbutt is a targeted strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as ...

attack called the "Guu-Choki-Punch" (Guu-Choki-Pa means

Rock, Scissors, Paper Rock paper scissors (also known by other orderings of the three items, with "rock" sometimes being called "stone," or as Rochambeau, roshambo, or ro-sham-bo) is a hand game originating in China, usually played between two people, in which each ...

in Japanese). Relatively powerful when it connects, it fails to connect more often than not. He first appeared in episode 469.

Villains

; : : 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 Dualism in cosmology or dualistic cosmology is the moral or spiritual belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other. It is an umbrella term that covers a diversity of views from various religions, including both traditi ...

. He has a weakness to

soap Soap is a salt of a fatty acid used in a variety of cleansing and lubricating products. In a domestic setting, soaps are surfactants usually used for washing, bathing, and other types of housekeeping. In industrial settings, soaps are use ...

, 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. On the English TMS Entertainment website, he was called Bacteriaman. In the English Tubi Dub, he keeps his original Japanese name. Anpanman and his main enemy Baikinman combine in the view of the media expert Thomas Hoeren elements of Milton Paradise Lost,

Frankenstein (Roman) ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific ex ...

and

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

In Japanese his name sounds like bikeinman. ; : Baikinman's henchmen. They have the ability to rot Anpanman's head with

mildew Mildew is a form of fungus. It is distinguished from its closely related counterpart, mould, largely by its colour: moulds appear in shades of black, blue, red, and green, whereas mildew is white. It appears as a thin, superficial growth consi ...

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...

(Japanese: ''kabi''). They first appeared in episode 2a. In the English Tubi dub, they're called Rot-Rot. ; : (1988–2017),

Rei Sakuma is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and narrator from Tokyo, Japan. She is best known in Japan for her voice work in the long running children's series ''Soreike! Anpanman''; her most famous role in the English-speaking world, however, i ...

(2017 Christmas Special),

Miina Tominaga , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. She is currently attached to Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society. Tominaga is best known for her roles in ''Sazae-san'' (as Ka ...

(2018–present), Krystal Valdes (English) : 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 Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...

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. On the English TMS Entertainment website, she was called Spark, however in the English Tubi dub she's called Dokeen ; : (1991–2016),

Kazuki Yao Kazuki (written: , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese wrestler *, Japanese anime director *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, J ...

(2017–present),

Rio Chavarro Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

(English) : 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''. In the English Tubi dub, he is called Horror.

Media

Picture books

The ''Anpanman'' picture book series debuted in October 1973. Froebel-kan has published over 150 picture books under different series labels consisting of a varying amount of picture books. Takashi Yanase wrote and illustrated the picture books until 2013, following his retirement from his career and eventual death.

Manga

Takashi Yanase created three different manga series based on the character. * January 1975 – May 1976: ''Nekketsu Märchen Kaiketsu Anpanman'' (熱血メルヘン怪傑アンパンマン) ** Serialized in

Sanrio is a Japanese entertainment company. It designs, licenses, and produces products focusing on the ''kawaii'' ("cute") segment of Japanese popular culture. Their products include stationery, school supplies, gifts, and accessories which are sold ...

's monthly poetry magazine ''Shi to Märchen'' (詩とメルヘン) for which Yanase was the

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

. Unlike all other iterations, this one is aimed at adults. The entire series is included in the box-set ''Yanase Takashi Taizen'' (やなせたかし大全), published in 2013 by Froebel-kan. * September 1976 – July 1982: ''Anpanman'' (あんぱんまん / アンパンマン) ** Serialized in Sanrio's monthly youth magazine ''Gekkan Ichigoehon'' (月刊いちごえほん). The series changed its title spelling from

hiragana is a Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' literally means "flowing" or "simple" kana ("simple" originally as contrast ...

katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...

in January 1981 and ended when the magazine folded in July 1982. It remained commercially unavailable until 2016 when it was collected in its entirety into the volume ''Dare mo shiranai Anpanman'' (だれも知らないアンパンマン) by Fukkatsu Dotcom. * January 1, 1990 – May 29, 1994: ''Tobe! Anpanman'' (とべ!アンパンマン) ** A full color

comic strip A comic strip is a sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions. Traditionally, throughout the 20th and into the 21st ...

serialized in the Sunday edition of

Yomiuri Shinbun The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; th ...

. In 1991 Froebel-kan published a selection of strips into three bilingual volumes, marketing them as English learning tools for children age 3+. Unlike traditional tankoubon, these volumes are presented in a vertical " Garfield Format". The rest of the series run is currently commercially unavailable.

Anime

The first anime adaptation of ''Anpanman'', consisting of a single episode, aired during ''Spring Break Children's Hiroba - Picture Book'' on

NHK General TV , abbreviated on-screen as NHK G, is the main television service of NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster. Its programming includes news, drama, quiz/variety shows, music, sports, anime, and specials which compete directly with the output of its ...

on March 13, 1979. Like the early picture books, Anpanman's name in the title was written in

(あんぱんまん) instead of

. The anime was narrated by Meiko Nakamura. Although the character designs were closer to the picture books released under the ''Kinder Picture Books'' label, the story and the worldview were almost the same as the second anime adaptation. The second anime adaptation of Anpanman, entitled ''Soreike! Anpanman'' (それいけ!アンパンマン, ''Let's Go! Anpanman''), is produced by

TMS Entertainment , formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946. TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as ''Lupin the Third'', ...

. Over 1300 episodes have aired on

NTV NTV may refer to: Television * NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh * NTV (India), Telugu regional channel * NTV (Kenya) * NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia * NTV (Newport Television) ...

since October 3, 1988. In April 2020, it was reported the voice recordings have had been put on hold due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

. On October 2, 2020, it was announced that the voice actors will now be recording lines in separate booths in order to minimize the spread of COVID-19. They will also be taking shifts. The anime series also received an English dub in India (along with other regional languages) which was aired on

Pogo TV Pogo is an Indian cable and satellite television channel owned and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery India under its International division, as part of Cartoon Network India as the network’s sister channel. It was launched on 1 January 2004 ...

in 2009.

Full-length movies

There are currently a total of 33 full-length films based on the ''Soreike! Anpanman'' anime series. The films are also produced by TMS Entertainment and have been released in Japanese theaters every year since 1989. Since at least 1995, the films have been released concurrently with storybook versions written and illustrated by Takashi Yanase himself. Each movie has 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. In May 2020, it was announced that production on the thirty-first Anpanman film ''Soreike! Anpanman: Fuwafuwa Fuwari to Kumo no Kuni'' (それいけ! アンパンマンふわふわフワリーと雲の国, ''Let's Go! Anpanman: Fluffy Fuwari and the Cloud Country'') had also been delayed due to the pandemic. The film was slated to be released on June 26, 2020. In June 2020, the film was delayed to 2021. In 2021, TMS Entertainment dubbed ten ''Anpanman'' movies into English and Spanish exclusively for

Tubi Tubi is an American over-the-top content platform and ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corporation. The service was launched on April 1, 2014, and is based in Los Angeles, California. In January 2021, Tubi reached 33 million monthly ...

. The first movie ''Apple Boy and Everyone's Hope'' was released on April 15, 2021 (which was the first Takashi Yanase anime production since ''

Ringing Bell is a 1978 Japanese anime adventure-drama film adaptation of the storybook of the same name written by Takashi Yanase, the creator of ''Anpanman''. It is most notable by fans and critics as a family film which makes a sharp, sudden turn into a d ...

'' to be presented in the English dub). The second movie ''Anpanman: Purun, the Soap Bubble'' was released on July 23, 2021. Seven other films were released on September 10, 2021. The tenth movie ''Anpanman: Twinkle! Princess Vanilla of Ice Cream Land'' was released on November 12, 2021. * March 11, 1989: * July 14, 1990: * July 20, 1991: * March 14, 1992: * July 17, 1993: * July 16, 1994: * July 29, 1995: * July 13, 1996: * July 28, 1997: * July 25, 1998: * July 24, 1999: * July 29, 2000: * July 14, 2001: * July 13, 2002: * July 12, 2003: * July 17, 2004: * July 16, 2005: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: The Adventure of Happie'' in English on September 10, 2021) * July 15, 2006: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Star-Spirited Dollie'' in English on September 10, 2021) * July 14, 2007: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Purun, the Soap Bubble'' in English on July 23, 2021) * July 12, 2008: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: The Secret of Fairy Rin-Rin'' in English on September 10, 2021) * July 4, 2009: * July 10, 2010: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Blacknose and the Magical Song'' in English on September 10, 2021) * July 2, 2011: * July 7, 2012: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Revive Banana Island'' in English on September 10, 2021) * July 6, 2013: * July 5, 2014: (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Apple Boy and Everyone's Hope'' in English on April 15, 2021) * July 4, 2015: * July 2, 2016 (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Nanda and Runda from the Star of Toys'' in English on September 10, 2021) * July 1, 2017 * June 30, 2018 (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Shine! Kulun And The Stars Of Life'' in English on September 10, 2021) * June 28, 2019 (Dubbed as ''Anpanman: Twinkle! Princess Vanilla of Ice Cream Land'' in English on November 12, 2021) * June 25, 2021 * June 24, 2022

Animated shorts

In 1990, Tokyo Movie Shinsha started producing short subject Anpanman movies. These are around 24 minutes (except the second which is a double-length short) that were shown in conjunction with the full-length movies seen above. The shorts made in 1989 and 1993 are not included as they do not involve the world of Anpanman. * , July 14, 1990 * , July 20, 1991 * , March 14, 1992 * , July 16, 1994 * , July 29, 1995 * , July 13, 1996 * , July 28, 1997 * , July 25, 1998 * , July 24, 1999 * , July 29, 2000 * , July 14, 2001 * , July 13, 2002 * , July 12, 2003 * , July 17, 2004 * , July 16, 2005 * , July 15, 2006 * , July 14, 2007 * , July 12, 2008 * , July 4, 2009 * , July 10, 2010 * , July 2, 2011 * , July 7, 2012 * , July 6, 2013 * , July 5, 2014 * , July 4, 2015

Christmas specials

In December 1988, Tokyo Movie Shinsha started making Anpanman Christmas specials. A total of 32 Christmas Specials have been made. * December 19, 1988: * December 25, 1989: * December 24, 1990: * December 23, 1991: * December 21, 1992: * December 20, 1993: * December 19, 1994: * December 25, 1995: * December 13, 1996: * December 25, 1997: * December 24, 1998: * December 23, 1999: * December 21, 2000: * December 20, 2001: * December 19, 2002: * December 25, 2003: * December 24, 2004: * December 23, 2005: * December 22, 2006: * December 21, 2007: * December 19, 2008: * December 25, 2009: * December 24, 2010: * December 23, 2011: * December 21, 2012: * December 20, 2013: * December 19, 2014: * December 18, 2015: * December 23, 2016:

Video games

There are currently a total of 42 video games on this list based on the ''Soreike! Anpanman'' anime series, ranging from

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

games to

educational Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Vari ...

games. With the exception of ''Soreike! Anpanman Eigo to Nakayoshi 2 Tanoshii Carnival'', the video games were released only in Japan. ;

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

* ''Oeka Kids: Anpanman to Oekaki Shiyou!!'' * ''Oeka Kids: Anpanman no Hiragana Daisuki'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman: Minna de Hiking Game!'' ;

PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...

* ''Kids Station: Soreike! Anpanman'' * ''Kids Station: Soreike! Anpanman 2: Anpanman to Daibouken'' * ''Kids Station: Soreike! Anpanman 3'' * ''Kids Station: Oshaberi Oekaki Soreike! Anpanman'' ;

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

* ''Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman no Daisakusen'' * ''Anpanman to Asobo: Aiueo Kyoushitsu'' * ''Anpanman to Asobo: ABC Kyoushitsu'' * ''Anpanman to Touch de Waku Waku Training'' * ''Anpanman to Asobu: Aiueo Kyoushitsu DX'' ;

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...

* ''Anpanman to Asobo: New Aiueo Kyoushitsu'' ;

Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...

* ''Soreike! Anpanman: Fushigi na Nikoniko Album'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman: 5tsu no Tou no Ousama'' ;

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...

* ''Anpanman Niko Niko Party'' ;

Sega Pico The Sega Pico, also known as is an educational video game console by Sega Toys. Marketed as "edutainment", the main focus of the Pico was educational video games for children between 3 and 7 years old. The Pico was released in June 1993 in Japa ...

* ''Soreike! Anpanman Eigo to Nakayoshi Youchiende ABC'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman no Game de Asobou Anpanman'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman no o-Hanashi Daisuki Anpanman'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Eigo to Nakayoshi 2 Tanoshii Carnival'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman no Medalympic World'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman no Minna de Kyousou Anpanman!'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman: Anpanman to Denwa de Asobou!'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Anpanman to Tanoshii Drive!'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Anpanman to Kotoba Asobi'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman no Medalympic World 2'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman: Anpanman to Suuji Asobi '' * ''Anpanman Pico Waku Waku Pan Koujou'' * ''Anpanman to PC Renshuu!'' * ''Gakken Anpanman to Chinou Up!'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman: Anpanman no Chie no World'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Hajimete Asobu Pico Soft: Anpanman no Iro-Kazu-Katachi Nurie mo Dekichau zo!'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman: Anpanman no Hitori de Dekichatta!'' ; Advanced Pico Beena * ''Soreike! Anpanman Hajimete Kaketa yo! Oboeta yo! Hiragana Katakana ~Gojūon Board Kinō-tsuki~'' * ''Shoku Iku Series 1 Soreike! Anpanman: Sukikirainai Ko Genki na Ko!'' * ''Anpanman no Waku Waku Game Oekaki'' * ''Anpanman o Sagase!'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Card de Tanoshiku ♪ ABC'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Doki Doki! Rescue Drive ~Car Navi-tsuki~'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman o Mise ga Ippai! TV de o-Ryōri Tsukutchao'' * ''Soreike! Anpanman Waku Waku Eigo Game!'' ;

Arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...

* ''Let's Go! Anpanman: Popcorn Factory'' ;

Playdia The (developed under the codename "BA-X") is a fifth-generation home video game console released exclusively in Japan in 1994 at the initial price of ¥24,800. It was intended for a young audience and, like many consoles of the era (e.g. the L ...

* ''Soreike! Anpanman: Picnic de Obenkyō''

Theme music

Openings

Endings

# # # # # #

Reception

In 2011, research by

Bandai is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...

found ''Anpanman'' to be the most popular

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...

among people aged 0 to 12 in Japan for 10 consecutive years. Anpanman overtook

as Japan's top-grossing character in 2002, and was Japan's top-grossing character .

Retail sales

By 2006, the ''Anpanman'' books had sold over 50million copies in Japan. By the time Takashi Yanase passed away in 2013, the ''Anpanman'' picture books had sold 68million copies. As of February 2019, ''Anpanman'' has sold more than 80million books. ,

Bandai Namco also known as the Bandai Namco Group and generally Bandai Namco, is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, formed from the merger of Bandai and Namco on S ...

has sold ''Anpanman PC'' units since 1999, including

tablet computers A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being comput ...

. Retail sales of ''Anpanman'' related products grossed an annual revenue of at least consecutively for nearly 30 years.

Box office

Legacy

130720 Kobe Anpanman Children's Museum & Mall Kobe Japan01s3

There are five museums across Japan that are dedicated to ''Anpanman'', such as the Yokohama Anpanman Children's Museum & Mall. There is also the Yanase Takashi Memorial Hall, a museum dedicated to Takashi Yanase himself. ''Anpanman train'' livery is featured on some of

JR Shikoku The , commonly known as , is the smallest of the seven constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates of intercity and local rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company has it ...

trains, such as the

JR Shikoku 2000 series The is a tilting diesel multiple unit (DMU) train type operated by Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) on limited express services in Shikoku, Japan. An identical lone 4-car set is also operated by the Tosa Kuroshio Railway. Variants *TSE 200 ...

DMU and the

JR Shikoku 8000 series The is a tilting limited express electric multiple unit (EMU) train operated by Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku) in Shikoku, Japan, since 1992. Operations * ''Ishizuchi The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Shi ...

EMU The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

. The Anpanman Official Shop Taipei, the first overseas ''Anpanman'' shop specializing in products related to the series, opened at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi shopping mall in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...

on September 10, 2015. ''Anpanman'' inspired the

and anime series . It is a

webcomic Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books. Webcomics can be co ...

series created by

One 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, with the title a play on the titular character. The

group

released a song in their hit album '' Love Yourself: Tear'' under the name "Anpanman" with many references to the series.