is a

yonkoma , a comic strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom. They also sometimes run right-to-left horizontally or use a hybrid 2×2 style, depending on the layout requirements of ...

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 ...

series by

Mikio Igarashi is a Japanese manga artist born 13 January 1955 in the town of Nakaniida (now Kami), Kami District, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, though he lives in the city of Sendai. He is best known for his manga series '' Bonobono'' and ''Ninpen Manmaru''. In ...

. From March 1986 to March 1987, the series ran in the

Takeshobo is a major publisher in Japan. Takeshobo was founded in 1972 by Kyōichirō Noguchi, starting Japan's first Mahjong magazine . Other magazines, such as a magazine dedicated to mahjong-themed manga, as well as a magazine dedicated to yonkoma ma ...

manga magazine ''Tensai Club'' before the magazine was replaced with ''Manga Club'', where it had been serialized from April 1987 to April 2020. It is also been serialized in ''

Manga Life 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 used ...

'' since April 1986. It 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 ...

television series, as well as two anime

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s and two

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

s. While the series is considered a

manga, most of the "stories" use eight panels. The series follows the main character, a young

sea otter The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the small ...

after whom the manga is titled, and his daily adventures with his friends from the nearby forest. ''Bonobono'' combines gag comic and philosophical questions, bringing up comparisons to other manga such as ''

Azumanga Daioh is a Japanese ''yonkoma'' comedy manga series written and illustrated by Kiyohiko Azuma. It was serialized from February 1999 to May 2002 in the monthly magazine ''Dengeki Daioh'' by MediaWorks; three additional chapters were published i ...

'', and to films such as ''

Forrest Gump ''Forrest Gump'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. It is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and stars Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson and ...

''. In 1988, ''Bonobono'' won the

Kodansha Manga Award is an annual award for serialized manga published in the previous year, the event is sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It is currently awarded in three categories: '' shōnen'', '' shōjo'', and general. The awards began in 1977, initially w ...

in the General category. An anime film was released in theaters on November 13, 1993, and an anime television series was broadcast on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certified b ...

from April 20, 1995 through March 28, 1996. One day after the TV series began, a

simulation game Simulation video games are a diverse super-category of video games, generally designed to closely simulate real world activities. A simulation game attempts to copy various activities from real life in the form of a game for various purposes such ...

was released on the 3DO system. The following June, an

adventure game An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...

was released on the

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 ...

. Several ''

ehon is the Japanese term for picture books. It may be applied in the general sense, or may refer specifically to a type of woodblock printed illustrated volume published in the Edo period (1603–1867). The first were religious items with images ...

''—or "picture books"—have been released since the manga series was first introduced over 30 years ago.

Characters

* Bonobono (ぼのぼの): A mellow sea otter that lives with his father by the ocean near the forest. His mother died in childbirth. He is a bit naive in the ways of the world, and is curious in general. Never seen without a shellfish in his hand, in case he gets hungry. * Shimarisu-kun/Chipmunk (シマリスくん): A young chipmunk who is friends with Bonobono. He has a habit of asking if people are going to bully him (いじめる? ''Ijimeru?'') and is regularly tormented by Araiguma and his older sister Shō. However, he does bring some of it on himself; depending on the day, he can unintentionally or even intentionally say things to rile them up. Like Bonobono, he always carries something with him, in his case a walnut. * Araiguma-kun/Racoon (アライグマくん): A young raccoon who is friends with Bonobono. Has a very short fuse and often plays the ''tsukkomi'' for his other two friends. Likes to bully Shimarisu, and often gets into trouble with his father. * Tsunadori Neko-san/Fishing Cat (ツナドリネコさん): An animal who is not native to the Forest, but is the currently named strongest animal there after defeating Higuma no Taishō. Bonobono and friends often ask him questions about certain subjects. In general, he's often portrayed as one of the more sensible residents of the Forest. * Bonobono's Father (ぼのぼののおとうさん): The father of Bonobono. He is a somewhat bumbling man who tries to bond with his son in silly ways. He speaks with pauses in between phrases. Likes to go on long journeys. His wife died in childbirth. * Araiguma-kun's Father (アライグマくんのおとうさん): The father of Araiguma-kun. A very ornery animal, he gets set off at the slightest annoyance or indiscretion. Takes out his anger constantly on Araiguma-kun. * Kuzuri-kun/Wolverine (クズリくん): A young wolverine that walks on all fours. He has a bad habit of pooping all over the forest. * Kuzuri-kun's Father (クズリくんのおとうさん): The father of Kuzuri-kun. The closest thing the Forest has to a medicine man, Kuzuri-kun's Father has plenty of plants and herbs in his home that are relevant to the topic at hand. Resourceful, but somewhat eccentric. He is very proud of his son. * Fenegi-kun/Fennec Kitsune/Fenny (フェネギくん): A young fennec fox who is friends with Bonobono and company. Self conscious. * Shō Nee-chan (しょうねえちゃん): One of Shimarisu-kun's elder sisters. She loves to pick on him and always wins their fights, but has a soft spot for him underneath her bullying nature. * Dai Nee-chan (だいねえちゃん): One of Shimarisu-kun's elder sisters. Acts very proper and elegant, but often embellishes information she gets. She desires for Shimarisu-kun to become independent. * Anaguma/Badger (アナグマくん): A stoic young badger whose acquaintances are Bonobono and friends. No one can tell what is on his mind, since he does not emote. * Higuma no Taishō/Boss Bear (ヒグマの大将): The former strongest of the Forest before being defeated by Tsunadori Neko. While he is benevolent and wishes to protect the Forest, he does not wish for Tsunadori Neko to be there since he is an outsider. Lives away from his wife and child. Immense in size. * Shimacchau Ojisan/The Putaway Man (しまっちゃうおじさん): A tall animal that seems to exist only in Bonobono's imagination as a bogeyman. If Bonobono does something wrong, Shimacchau Ojisan will hypothetically come and lock him away in a cave.

Books

In addition to the original

tankōbon is the Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or cultur ...

releases, the first twenty tankōbon volumes have been rereleased in bunkoban format as 15 volumes. Several stand-alone picture books have been released as well. For the first film, an ''ekonte''—or

storyboard A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding process, i ...

—volume and a set of four film comics have been released.

Manga

Tankōbon

Takeshobo released all the volumes of manga listed below. *Volume 1, , March 1987 *Volume 2, , December 1987 *Volume 3, , September 1988 *Volume 4, , August 1989 *Volume 5, , September 1990 *Volume 6, , June 1991 *Volume 7, , November 1991 *Volume 8, , May 1993 *Volume 9, , October 1993 *Volume 10, , November 1994 *Volume 11, , August 1995 *Volume 12, , January 1996 *Volume 13, , September 1996 *Volume 14, , March 1997 *Volume 15, , December 1997 *Volume 16, , September 1998 *Volume 17, , August 1999 *Volume 18, , December 1999 *Volume 19, , August 2000 *Volume 20, , January 2001 *Volume 21, , May 2002 *Volume 22, , February 2003 *Volume 23, , July 2003 *Volume 24, , January 2004 *Volume 25, , July 2005 *Volume 26, , January 2005 *Volume 27, , October 2005 *Volume 28, , July 2006 *Volume 29, , April 2007 *Volume 30, , March 2008 *Volume 31, , July 2009 *Volume 32, , August 2009 *Volume 33, , December 2009 *Volume 34, , August 2010 *Volume 35, , July 2011 *Volume 36, , May 2012 *Volume 37, , July 2013 *Volume 38, , February 2014 *Volume 39, , July 2014 *Volume 40, , June 2015 *Volume 41, , March 2016 *Volume 42, , March 2017 *Volume 43, . March 2018 *Volume 44, . March 2019 *Volume 45, . March 2020 *Volume 46, . March 2021 *Volume 47, . March 2022

Bunkoban

Takeshobo released all the volumes of manga listed below. *Volume 1, , July 2002 *Volume 2, , July 2002 *Volume 3, , July 2002 *Volume 4, , July 2002 *Volume 5, , July 2002 *Volume 6, , January 2003 *Volume 7, , January 2003 *Volume 8, , January 2003 *Volume 9, , January 2003 *Volume 10, , January 2003 *Volume 11, , January 2015 *Volume 12, , March 2015 *Volume 13, , May 2015 *Volume 14, , July 2015 *Volume 15, , March 2016

Film comics

These books contain scenes from the first ''Bonobono'' film laid out in comic book format. All were released by Takeshobo. *Volume 1, , December 1993 *Volume 2, , December 1993 *Volume 3, , January 1994 *Volume 4, , January 1994

Storyboards

This book contains the

s for the first ''Bonobono'' film. *, , November 1993, Takeshobo

Picture books

Various ''Bonobono'' picture books have been released, including the following. Titles are listed chronologically. *, , December 1987, Takeshobo *, , December 1987, Takeshobo *, , June 1988, Takeshobo *, , May 1989, Takeshobo *, , November 1998, Takeshobo *, , November 1993, Takeshobo *, , December 1993, Takeshobo *, , July 2006, Takeshobo

Anime

1993 film

The first theatrical release, titled ''Bonobono'', opened in theaters on 1993-11-13. The film has since been broadcast on domestic television in Japan, including on

broadcast satellite Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting bega ...

channels such as NHK BS-2. The film has been released on VHS and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

in Japan, including in a "no cut" edition.

Staff

*Director:

*Screenplay: Mikio Igarashi *Animation directors: Yūji Mutō,

Tameo Kohanawa was a Japanese football player. He played for Japan national team. Club career Ide was born in Shizuoka on November 27, 1908. He played Tokyo OB Club. He won 1933 Emperor's Cup with Shiro Teshima and Teiichi Matsumaru at the club. National ...

*Producer: Atsushi Tashiro *Planning: Ippei Takahashi,

Masayuki Miyashita Masayuki (written: , ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese animator and director *, Japanese actor *, Japanese baseball player and manager *, Japanese politician *, ...

, Shin Unosawa, Atsushi Tashiro, Naomasa Tsuruta *Art director: Atsushi Ioki *Music:

Gontiti is a Japanese acoustic guitar duo formed in 1978 by and .GONTITI official website
(English version). Ac ...

*Distribution:

Gaga Communications Gaga ( he, גע גע literally 'touch touch') (also: ga-ga, gaga ball, or ga-ga ball) is a variant of dodgeball that is played in a gaga "pit". The game combines dodging, striking, running, and jumping, with the objective of being the last perso ...

*Theme song: ''Hatsukoi'' **Lyrics: Kanata Asamizu **Composition, Vocals: Yoshiyuki Ōsawa

Cast

*Bonobono:

Toshiko Fujita was a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer and narrator. She was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of her death. Biography Since the age of 8 in 1958, Fujita worked in radio and television as an actress, singer and comedian. In ...

* Shimarisu-kun:

Sumie Baba Sumie or Sumi-e or Sumi e or ''variation'', may also refer to: People Sumie is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese long jumper * Sumie Baba (born 1967), a Japanese voice actor * Sumie Ishitaka, women ...

* Araiguma-kun:

Yūsaku Yara is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Vi-Vo. His real name is , and his former stage name was . He is best known for his roles in ''Saint Seiya'' as Sagittarius Aiolos, ''Chibi Maruko-chan'' as Hi ...

*Araiguma-kun's father:

Chikao Ōtsuka was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He was most known for the roles of Captain Hook (''Peter Pan no Bōken & Disney's Peter Pan''), Dick Dastardly (''Wacky Races'' & ''Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines''), Goemon Ishikaw ...

*Kuzuri-kun's father:

Kazuo Kumakura was a Japanese actor, voice actor, and theatre director. He was the head of the Theatre Echo agency at the time of his death. Biography Kazuo Kumakura was born in the Azabu district of Minato, Tokyo on January 30, 1927. In 1956, he joined the T ...

* Kuzuri-kun: Sakiko Uran * Higuma-san: Yūko Sasaki *Kohiguma-kun: Mayumi Kumagai *Bonobono's father: Mikio Igarashi *Shō Nee-chan:

Mayumi Tanaka (born January 15, 1955) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She voiced Monkey D. Luffy in ''One Piece'', Ryunosuke Fujinami in ''Urusei Yatsura'', Koenma in ''Yu Yu Hakusho'', Pazu in '' Laputa: Castle in the Sky'', Krillin, Yajir ...

*Dai Nee-chan: Manami Sasaki *Higuma no Taishō:

Tesshō Genda is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Gend ...

* Sunadorineko-san:

Hōchū Ōtsuka is a Japanese voice actor and narrator affiliated with the talent management firm Crazy Box. He is best known for his roles as the voices of Kyao Mirao in ''Heavy Metal L-Gaim''; Mont Blanc Noland in ''One Piece''; Yazan Gable in ''Mobile Suit ...

*Shimarisu-kun's father: Kazuyuki Sekiguchi *Shimarisu-kun's mother: Yukiko Shibata * Fennec Kitsune-kun: Kanako Tanaka *Fennec Kitsune-kun's father: Takahiro Fujita Sources:

1995 TV series

The ''Bonobono'' anime television series ran from April 20, 1995 through March 28, 1996 as part of the series on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm on

. Each episode was 15 minutes long, and was paired with an episode of ''

Bit the Cupid The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented a ...

'' to fill out the 30-minute timeslot. The series has been rebroadcast on several different channels and networks, including

Animax , stylized as ANIMAX, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. The channel also dubbed other cartoons in Japanese language. A subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, it is headq ...

and the on-demand

internet streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content it ...

service

GyaO is a Japanese internet company originally formed as a joint venture between the American internet company Yahoo! (later divested by Verizon into Altaba) and the Japanese company SoftBank. It is headquartered at Kioi Tower in the Tokyo Garden Terr ...

. The entire TV series was released as two

box sets on April 20, 2007.

Staff

*Planning:

Takashi Sakurai is a former Japanese Association football, football player. Playing career Sakurai was born in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 4, 1977. After graduating from Shizuoka Gakuen High School, he joined J1 League club Yokohama Flügels in 1996. He also pla ...

, Atsushi Tashiro *Director:

Hitoshi Nanba is a Japanese anime director. Nanba started working in the anime industry in 1982 and directed his first full series in 1989. Since then, some of the series he has directed include ''Heroman'', ''Gosick'', and ''Golden Kamuy''. Biography Hitoshi ...

*Series Director:

Tetsuo Yasumi Tetsuo may refer to: *Tetsuo (given name) *'' Tetsuo: The Iron Man'' *'' Tetsuo II: Body Hammer'' *'' Tetsuo: The Bullet Man'' * Tetsuo, a character in ''Akira (manga) is a Japanese cyberpunk post-apocalyptic manga series written and illust ...

*Character Design: Yūka Hotani *Chief Animation Director: Yūka Hotani *Writers: Tetsuo Yasumi, Yasuhiro Komatsuzaki,

Satoru Nishizono is a Japanese language, Japanese verb meaning "to know" or "understand". It is a common masculine Japanese given name. Satoru is the root of the Zen Buddhist word . Possible writings ''Satoru'' can be written using different kanji characters ...

Shōji Yonemura is a Japanese writer from Fukuoka Prefecture. He is known mainly for his work in anime and tokusatsu. After having graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, he worked as a freelance writer in Arakawa and would attend various film festivals. Then, ...

Kazuhiko Gōdo Kazuhiko ( or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * , politician * , a video game producer * Kazuhiko Chiba, Japanese footballer * Kazuhiko Hasegawa, film director * Kazuhiko Hosokawa, professional golfer * ...

, Chinatsu Hōjō *Episode Directors: Kiyotaka Ōhata, Takashi Ikebata,

Shinichi Watanabe is a Japanese anime director and voice actor. He is best known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi's ''Excel Saga'', in which he appears as the character Nabeshin. Watanabe stated that the nickname Nabeshin (a name blending of ...

Takashi Yamazaki is a Japanese visual effects artist, television producer, director, screenwriter, and actor. He won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Director of the Year, Director of the Year and Japan Academy Film Prize for Screenplay of the Year, Screenplay o ...

, Daiji Suzuki, Kiyoshi Fukumoto,

Kiyoko Sayama is a Japanese animator and director. She was born in Saitama Prefecture. Her name is sometimes misromanized as Seiko Sayama. Works TV Anime *'' Nintama Rantarou'' (1993–1994) - Storyboard, Episode Director *''Tama & Friends'' (1994) - Storyboa ...

, Tetsuya Watanabe,

Takashi Asami is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings The name Takashi can have multiple different meanings depending on which kanji is used to write it. Some possible writings of the name include: *江詩 - "estuary , inlet, poem" *隆 - "prospe ...

, Kazunari Kume, others *Music:

Kazunori Miyake Kazunori (written: 一慶, 一典, 一則, 一謙, 一徳, 一矩, 一紀, 和典, 和則, 和徳, 和行, 和範 or 和憲) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese footballer *, Ja ...

*Audio Director: Susumu Aketagawa *Music Producer: Sumio Matsuzaki *Art Director: Kō Watanabe *Editor: Masashi Furukawa *Director of Photography: Mitsunobu Yoshida *Producers:

Keisuke Iwata Keisuke (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese general *, Japanese mixed martial artist *, Japanese footballer * ...

(TV Tokyo), Masatoshi Kanesaka *Animation Producer: Kenjirō Kawato *Animation Production:

Group Tac was a Japanese animation and computer graphics studio located in Shibuya, Tokyo, and founded in 1968 from former Mushi Pro staff. They worked on movies, videos, TV shows, and commercials, and contributed to all stages of the process, including p ...

*Production: TV Tokyo,

Amuse, Inc. is a Japanese entertainment company that provides artist management services. The artists include idols, musicians, and so on. Amuse produces TV and radio programs, commercial films, and movies. Other interests are in publication, music software ...

Theme songs

; :Lyrics, Vocals: Kyōko Suga :Composition, Arrangement: Etsuko Yamakawa :Ending theme for episodes 1-23 and 48 ;''Love, Two Love'' :Lyrics, Composition, Vocals: Kyōko Suga :Arrangement:

Ryō Yonemitsu The was a gold currency unit in the shakkanhō system in pre- Meiji Japan. It was eventually replaced with a system based on the ''yen''. Origins The ''ryō'' was originally a unit of weight from China, the ''tael.'' It came into use in Jap ...

:Ending theme for episodes 24-47

Cast

*Bonobono:

Kumiko Watanabe is a Japanese voice actress. She played Sergeant Keroro in '' Sgt. Frog'', Shippō in ''InuYasha'', Mother in ''Atashin'chi'', Klonoa in '' Kaze no Klonoa'', and Regina in '' DokiDoki! PreCure''. She married Kōji Tsujitani in 2012. Filmogra ...

*Shimarisu-kun:

Konami Yoshida Konami Yoshida ( ja, 吉田小南美, Yoshida Konami, formerly ja, 吉田古奈美, born June 6, 1967) is a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. Filmography Television animation *Woman (A) in Armored Police Metal Jack (1991) *Maria Shir ...

*Araiguma-kun:

Keiji Fujiwara was a Japanese actor and voice actor. His best known works are voicing Shinnosuke's father Hiroshi Nohara in the long-running anime series '' Crayon Shin-chan'', Maes Hughes in ''Fullmetal Alchemist'', Holland in ''Eureka Seven'', Axel in '' K ...

*Sunadorineko-san:

Jūrōta Kosugi is a Japanese voice actor. His major roles include Arlong in ''One Piece'', Asuma Sarutobi in ''Naruto'', Akio Ohtori in ''Revolutionary Girl Utena'', Isamu Kenmochi in ''Kindaichi Case Files'', Big Zenki in ''Zenki,'' and Jotaro Kujo in ''JoJ ...

*Araiguma-kun's father:

Hideyuki Umezu is a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with 81 Produce. Biography Filmography Television animation ;1980s *''Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ'' (1986) – Nelmarsen *''Bravoman'' (1988) – Bravoman ;1990s *''Holly the Ghost'' (1991) – Kakaras ...

*Araiguma-kun's mother:

Keiko Han is a Japanese actress, voice actress and western astrologer. She sang the theme songs in productions such as '' Story of the Alps: My Annette'' and '' Kazoku Robinson Hyōryūki Fushigi na Shima no Furōne''. Han is a fortune teller of western ...

*Bonobono's father:

Takashi Nagasako is a Japanese voice actor who is currently affiliated with Arts Vision. He has voiced in a number of video games with roles such as Ganondorf in ''The Legend of Zelda'', Big the Cat in the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series, Cervantes de Leon and R ...

*Dai Nee-chan:

Miki Narahashi , professionally using the Hiragana , is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress who works for Arts Vision. She was born in Tokyo. Notable voice roles *Masao Tachibana in Captain Tsubasa (1983) *Misae Nohara in Crayon Shin-chan (1992–p ...

*Shō Nee-chan:

*Shimarisu-kun's father:

Chafurin , better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who is affiliated with Office Osawa. After graduating from Toyo University is a university with several branches in Japan, including Hakusan, Asaka, Kawagoe, Ita ...

*Shimarisu-kun's mother:

*Kuzuri-kun: Sakiko Uran *Tamago no Kimi-kun: Sakiko Uran *Kuzuri-kun's father: Sakiko Uran *Fennec Kitsune-kun:

Michiyo Yanagisawa (born July 26, 1960) is a Japanese voice actress best known for her voice work on ''Soreike! Anpanman''. Anime roles *''Bonobono'' (TV) as Fennec Kitsune-kun *''Detective Conan'' (TV) as Kaneda Kanami (ep. 214) *''Mobile Fighter G Gundam'' (TV) a ...

*Fennec Kitsune-kun's father:

Keaton Yamada is a Japanese former actor, voice actor and narrator from Mikasa, Hokkaidō. He switched from going by his real name, Shunji Yamada, to going by Keaton Yamada in the 1980s. He is currently represented by Remax. On December 5, 2020, it was annou ...

*Bōzu-kun: Midori Nakazawa *Beaver-san:

Masahiro Anzai Masahiro Anzai ( ja, 安西正弘; ''Anzai Masahiro'') (26 November 1954 – 15 March 2021) was a Japanese voice actor and actor. Biography Anzai graduated from the . He retired from acting in 1997 due to his treatment for diabetes, which caused ...

*Bōzu-kun's mother:

Rin Mizuhara , also known as Ako Mayama (真山亜子), is a Japanese voice actress who is known for playing young boys or scruffy old ladies. She is best known for playing Sugiyama-kun in the TV series Chibi Maruko-chan. Life Ako Mayama is a native of Gifu ...

*Kohiguma-kun:

Aya Ishizu is a Japanese voice actress who works for Theater Echo. Notable filmography *Tomomi Mizuno in Dokyusei 2 * Barry the Chopper (female disguise) in Fullmetal Alchemist *Miyuki/Mrs. One in Magical Girl Pretty Sammy TV *Nikita in Romeo no Aoi Sora ...

*Kokujira-kun: Aya Ishizu *Higuma no Taishō:

Kiyoyuki Yanada was a Japanese freelance voice actor who was formerly affiliated with Kyu Production, 81 Produce, and D-COLOR.「人気声優にがぶりより! 第32回梁田清之さん」, Animedia February 1990, Gakken, February 1, 1990, magazine 01579-2, ...

*Higuma-san: Junko Hagimori *Hae: Kōji Tobe *Shimatchū Oji-san, others:

Nobuo Tobita is a Japanese voice actor and narrator from Ibaraki Prefecture. He is represented by Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of Kamille Bidan (''Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam''), Albert Heinrich/004 (''Cyborg 009'' (2001)), and Sueo Maruo (''Chibi ...

*Yama-Ō, others:

Yūji Ueda is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He is best known for voicing the roles of Sagara Sanosuke in ''Rurouni Kenshin'', Akito Tenkawa in ''Martian Successor Nadesico'', Takeshi/Brock and Sonansu/Wobbuffet ...

*Ki no Obake:

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*Min Min:

Akiko Yajima is a Japanese voice actress from Kashiwazaki, Niigata. Her best-known role is as the title character Shinnosuke Nohara in the long-running anime series '' Crayon Shin-chan''. She also voices Mipple in the original ''Futari wa Pretty Cure'', S ...

*Nan Nan:

Kōji Yusa is a freelance Japanese voice actor and narrator, born and raised in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto. He is best known for his roles in ''Choja Raideen'' (as Raideen Owl), the ''Sonic'' series (as Shadow the Hedgehog), ''Bleach'' (as Gin Ichimaru), ''Battle V ...

*Ōsanshōuo-san:

Toshiya Ueda was a Japanese voice actor who worked for 81 Produce. He died on February 8, 2022, at the age of 88. Filmography Television animation *''Jungle Emperor'' (1965) (Lion A) *''Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae'' (1968) (Rihei) *'' Andersen Stories'' (1 ...

*Kaeru-kun: Toshiya Ueda *Kokujira-kun's mother:

Mari Mashiba is a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Production Baobab. Her best-known role is voice acting a major character from Crayon Shin-Chan, Kazama Tōru. Voice roles Anime television series *Osomatsu-kun (1988) (Hata-bou, Karamatsu) Unknown d ...

*Nagareboshi-kun:

Hiromi Ishikawa is a Japanese actress and voice actress from Tokyo. She is represented by two talent agencies: 81 Produce and Caramel Box, and was formerly represented as a stage actor by Theatre Echo. Filmography Television animation *''Bonobono'' (Nagarebos ...

*Rabi Nii-chan:

Nobuyuki Hiyama is a Japanese Voice acting, voice actor, Narration, narrator, and radio personality currently affiliated with Arts Vision. His vocal register is described as a Tenor#Lyric, metallic lyric tenor suitable to voice a mature variation of coming of a ...

*Chirabi-chan:

Kae Araki is a Japanese voice actress from Osaka, Japan. After standing in for Kotono Mitsuishi, the voice of Usagi Tsukino in the series '' Sailor Moon'', when she had appendicitis, Araki was given the role of Chibiusa in the same series. While training ...

*Chibisuke to Okera-kun:

Fujiko Takimoto is a Japanese voice actress from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. On February 2, 2014, she married fellow voice actor and her ''Mahoromatic'' co-star Hideki Ogihara. Filmography Anime *''Mahoujin Guru Guru'' (1994) (Nike) *'' Captain Tsubasa J'' (199 ...

*Kashira to Gonzo:

Kōji Ishii is a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Vi-Vo. His major roles include: Koutaro Taiga in ''The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'', Giovanni Bertuccio in '' Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo'', Shigematsu in ''Toriko'', and Prime Minist ...

Sources:

TV specials

Following the anime television series, nine specials were aired on

. At the beginning of each special, the next special was also introduced and showed some animation from it. The specials used a lot of animation from the series, and while the content fit the season in which the special was broadcast, the music, scripts, and jokes were changed for each of the specials. The

voice actors Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

from the TV series were used for the specials. * ''Oshōgatsu Da yo: Bonobono no World'' (January 2, 1997) * ''Kodomo no Hi Da yo: Bonobono no World'' (May 5, 1997) * ''Natsu Yasumi Da yo: Bonobono no World'' (July 21, 1997) * ''Taiiku no Hi Da yo: Bonobono no World!'' (October 10, 1997) * ''Oshōgatsu Da yo: Bonobono no World!'' (January 1, 1998) * ''Kodomo wa Kaze no Ko: Bonobono no World!'' (February 1, 1998) * ''Kodomo no Hi Da yo: Bonobono no World'' (May 5, 1998) * ''Shokuyoku no Aki Da yo: Bonobono no World!'' (September 23, 1998) * ''Oyako Anime Gekijō Bonobono: Jōji Namahage'' (December 23, 1998)

2002 film

was the second theatrical ''Bonobono'' movie, released by Amuse Pictures in theaters in Japan on August 10, 2002. It was done completely in 3D.

Staff

*Original Story:

*Director: Kōki Kumagai *Producer : Akihiro Itō *Screenplay Supervisor: Mikio Igarashi *Screenplay: Mikio Igarashi, Kōki Kumagai *Planning:

Kiyoshi Tsuji Kiyoshi, (きよし or キヨシ), is a Japanese given name, also spelled Kyoshi. Possible meanings *'' Kyōshi'', a form of Japanese poetry *Kyōshi, a Japanese honorific Possible writings *清, "cleanse" *淳, "pure" *潔, "undefiled" *清志, ...

, Akihiro Itō *Music:

Gontiti is a Japanese acoustic guitar duo formed in 1978 by and .GONTITI official website
(English version). Ac ...

*Storyboards: Mikio Igarashi, Kōki Kumagai *Executive Producers: Ippei Takahashi,

Yasumasa Makimura Yasumasa is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yasumasa can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *康正, "healthy, righteous" *康雅, "healthy, elegant" *康政, "healthy, pol ...

Cast

*Bonobono:

Yūto Uemura is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer. He is affiliated with Himawari Theatre Group. Biography Filmography Television drama *''Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger'' (2003), Lad *''Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger'' (2004), Hikaru Hiwatari *'' Fūrin Kaza ...

*Shimarisu-kun:

*Araiguma-kun: Kappei Yamaguchi *Bobo-kun:

Etsuko Kozakura , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese voice actress from Mizuho. She was formerly with Ohsawa Jimusho, but now heads her own agency called Little Portal with husband Jin Domon. Some of her major roles are Ryo-Ohki in the ''Tenchi Muyo ...

*Bobo-kun's father:

Masashi Sugawara is a Japanese voice actor who voiced Vigoro in ''Skies of Arcadia'' and Jean Valjean in '' Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette''. Filmography Television animation *''Aoki Densetsu Shoot!'' (1993) (Tetsuya Sugawara) *''Trigun'' (1998) (Ingway) *''On ...

*Bobo-kun's mother:

Sumi Shimamoto , real name , is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator of film and anime and video games. After graduating from the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, she joined Gekidan Seinenza, a theatrical acting troupe. She is currently indepen ...

*Kuzuri-kun: Yōko Michihira *Kuzuri-kun's father:

Yūichi Nagashima Yūichi, Yuichi, or Yuuichi is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Yūichi can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *勇一, "courage, 1" *祐一, "to help, 1" *祐市, "to help, cit ...

*Sunadorineko-san: Reo Morimoto *Araiguma-kun's father: Danshi Tatekawa Sources:

2016 TV series

A recent anime television adaption started airing on April 2, 2016. Unlike the previous television series, the episode runtime has been cut from 15 minutes to 5 minutes per episode. A

Planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

special ''Bono Bono - Uchū kara Kita Tomodachi'' (Bono Bono - The Friend That Came From Space) was shown at the

Gotanda Cultural Center is a district in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo, Japan. The district straddles the Meguro River, and is located between the Meguro and Ōsaki stations on the JR Yamanote Line. The district is centered on Gotanda Station, which is served by the Toe ...

from September 16 to October 9, 2017.

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...

only simulcasted the first three seasons of the series. On December 21, 2019, the series had a crossover with

Gachapin is a TV character who appeared in the children's program ' and its succeeding series, ' on Fuji TV. He is a green, bucktoothed dinosaur and is usually accompanied by his friend , a red Yeti. Summary Jōji Katakiri (President, Japan Software ...

. The anime was on hiatus 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 ...

from May to June 2020. It resumed on June 20, 2020.

Staff

*Director: Hidenori Yamaguchi

Theme song

; :Lyrics, Vocals: Monobright

Cast

*Bonobono: Fukuko Yukimiyama *Shimarisu-kun: Aya Ogata *Araiguma-kun: Shinpei Takano *Sunadorineko-san: Yūki Kurofuji

Games

Two games based on the ''Bonobono'' series have been released. The first was , a

released on 1995-04-21 for the

3DO Interactive Multiplayer The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, also referred to as simply 3DO, is a home video game console developed by The 3DO Company. Conceived by entrepreneur and Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, the 3DO was not a console manufactured by the company ...

system by Amuse and

Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America. Most of the anime and ...

. The second game was titled , an

released by Amuse for the

system on 1996-06-07.

References

External links

Official site

Official 2016 anime site
{{Group TAC 1986 manga 1993 anime films 1995 anime television series debuts 1996 Japanese television series endings 1997 anime films 1998 anime films 2002 anime films 2016 anime television series debuts 3DO Interactive Multiplayer games Animated films based on manga Anime series based on manga Anime television films Fuji TV original programming Group TAC Manga adapted into films PlayStation (console) games Seinen manga Takeshobo manga TV Tokyo original programming Yonkoma Anime postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic Anime productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic