ANPANMAN｜Anime

2022.05.21

“ANPANMAN” is an animated television series based on the picture book “Anpanman” by Takashi Yanase.
Several TV stations and animation production companies had previously planned to make an animated version of Anpanman, but they were all dropped in the final stages. In 1985, TMS Entertainment and NTV offered to make an animated version to Yanase almost simultaneously, and in 1988, NTV began broadcasting the series.

In 1988, TMS Entertainment and NTV offered TMS Entertainment and Yanase Takashi to make an animated cartoon at about the same time, and in 1988, NTV began airing the series. The program has been aired for 35 years, reaching 1,000 regular broadcasts in 2009 and celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2018.
It is the third longest-running animated television series currently airing regularly in Japan, following “Sazae-san” (started in 1969) and “Doraemon” (started in 1979; renewed in 2005).

Synopsis

Uncle Jam is a master baker who lives in a bread factory. He has been trying to make “Anpan” (Sweet bean bun) with a heart,” but has been having trouble. One night, a shooting star in the night sky falls on the bread oven at the bread factory. This “star of life” fell on Anpanpan and Anpanman was born.
Anpanman is a hero of justice who flies to any place where people are in trouble and feeds his face to those who are hungry and crying. Baikinman, from the planet “Baikin,” was born to defeat Anpanman.

ANPANMAN | Recommendations

“Anpanman” is a well-known character from TV and picture books. Nowadays, there are many characters and Anpanman is a “friend of justice” who fights against Baikinman, but Anpanman’s origin was simple: he helped hungry and troubled people by giving his face. The touch of the old “Anpanman” drawings is very soft, like the touch of a young child’s hand.
The animated TV series began in 1988, and the lines used to draw the characters became sharper with the animated series. This is not to say that such animated characters are not good, but the soft tone and personality of Anpanman’s early days is the original Anpanman.
If you have a chance to see picture books of Anpanman from those days, you will be able to feel the kind heart of Takashi Yanase, and you will learn more and more about the depth of Anpanman.