Tensai Bakabon
Encyclopedia
is a manga
and anime
series created by Fujio Akatsuka
which began publication on April 9, 1967 in Weekly Shōnen Magazine
. It is about the misadventures of a dim-witted boy (Bakabon) and his insane father, the latter of whom eventually becomes the central character.
and the second two produced by Studio Pierrot
. aired for 40 episodes on Yomiuri TV
from September 25, 1971 to June 24, 1972. Three years later, aired for 103 episodes on NTV
from October 6, 1975 to September 26, 1977.
The two Studio Pierrot series aired nearly nine years apart, with airing on Fuji TV
for 46 episodes from January 6 to December 29, 1990, and airing on TV Tokyo
from October 19, 1999 to March 21, 2000 for 24 episodes.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series created by Fujio Akatsuka
Fujio Akatsuka
was a pioneer Japanese artist of comical manga known as the Gag Manga King. His name at birth is 赤塚 藤雄, whose Japanese pronunciation is the same as 赤塚 不二夫....
which began publication on April 9, 1967 in Weekly Shōnen Magazine
Weekly Shonen Magazine
, also known as Shōnen Magazine, is a shōnen manga magazine published by Kodansha, first published on 17 March 1959. Despite some unusual censorship policies , it's mainly read by an older audience, with a large portion of its readership falling under the male high school or college...
. It is about the misadventures of a dim-witted boy (Bakabon) and his insane father, the latter of whom eventually becomes the central character.
Characters
- Bakabon's troublemaker father who eventually steals the show and becomes the central character. His catchphrase is saying to someone when trying to get them to go along with one of his stupid plans. A typical episode plot involves Papa either being too stupid to perform a simple task or coming up with some crazy idea to accomplish a simple task, usually asking for his son Bakabon's advice and causing tons of trouble in either case. He was once very smart but became an idiot after an accident. He is known for always wearing his trademark hachimakiHachimakiA hachimaki is a stylized headband in Japanese culture, usually made of red or white cloth, worn as a symbol of perseverance or effort by the wearer. These are worn on many occasions, for example, by sports spectators, by women giving birth, students in cram school, office workers, expert...
. His favorite food is octopusOctopusThe octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms...
. Papa has become an anime icon in JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and was even ranked Number 9 in a 2002 TV AsahiTV Asahi, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
Top 100 Anime Characters list. Voiced by: Masashi AmenomoriMasashi Amenomoriwas a Japanese voice actor. Amenomori died of cirrhosis on April 9, 1984. At the time of his death he was represented by Aoni Production.-Notable voice work:*Ai Shite Knight final role*Gatchaman *Time Bokan Series...
(1st-2nd series), Kōsei TomitaKosei Tomitais a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo who is affiliated with Production Baobab. His real name is .- TV :* Matteo in Animation Kikou Marco Polo no Boken* Rumina's grandfather in Tokyo Underground* Bouleuse Gotho in Armored Trooper Votoms* Master in Black Jack...
(3rd series, pachinkoPachinkois a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
games), Hisahiro Ogura (4th series).
- A young boy who enjoys causing mischiefMischiefMischief is a vexatious or annoying action, or, conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance. Young children, when they hear of mischief, think of practical jokes....
, especially with his Papa. On the inside, though, he is a kind boy and works a part-time job as a shoeshineShoeshineShoeshine is a 1946 film and the first major work directed by Vittorio De Sica. In it, two shoeshine boys get into trouble with the police after trying to find the money to buy a horse.-Plot:...
in order to buy his mother a birthday present. He is known for not wearing pants underneath his kimonoKimonoThe is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. The word "kimono", which literally means a "thing to wear" , has come to denote these full-length robes...
. At the beginning of the series he attends , but by the fourth anime it has been renamed . Voiced by: Keiko YamamotoKeiko Yamamoto', born August 7, 1943, is a veteran female voice actor from Osaka Prefecture. Many of her roles have been young boys or tomboyish young girls.-TV Anime:*Akadō Suzunosuke 1972 *Aria the Natural...
(1st-2nd series, pachinko), Megumi HayashibaraMegumi Hayashibarais a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...
(3rd series), Yoshiko KameiYoshiko Kameiis a Japanese voice actress from Ibaraki Prefecture. She is affiliated with Mausu Promotion.-Animation:*Atashin'chi *Baby and Me *Beyblade *B't X...
(4th series).
- Bakabon's younger brother. He is a child prodigyChild prodigyA child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
, understanding words almost immediately after his birth and being capable of explaining the Pythagorean theoremPythagorean theoremIn mathematics, the Pythagorean theorem or Pythagoras' theorem is a relation in Euclidean geometry among the three sides of a right triangle...
and Kepler's laws of planetary motionKepler's laws of planetary motionIn astronomy, Kepler's laws give a description of the motion of planets around the Sun.Kepler's laws are:#The orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci....
. His name means "beginning". Voiced by: Takako Sasuga (1st-2nd series, pachinko), Chika SakamotoChika Sakamotois a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo affiliated with Arts Vision.-Television animation:*Baby and Me *Ashita no Nadja *Legend of the Mystical Ninja *Fighting Foodons *Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ...
(3rd series), YukijiYukijiAkiko Suzuki is a Japanese seiyū affiliated with 81 Produce. She was born July 22, 1965.-Anime voice roles:*Azuki-chan *Chocotto Sister...
(4th series).
- Bakabon's mother and a graduate of (a parody of Shirayuri Women's UniversityShirayuri Women's Universityis a Catholic Japanese women's university located in Chōfu, Tokyo. The university comprises four Departments of Literature and a graduate school. This all-female institution is well-known as Shirayuri Women's University, although its official name is Shirayuri College. It is a research and liberal...
). Despite how much trouble and mischief Papa and Bakabon cause, she is a good wife and mother. She is the only family member to have the same seiyūSeiyuVoice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
throughout the entire series. Voiced by: Eiko MasuyamaEiko Masuyamais a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She is most known for the roles of Fujiko Mine , Kisaragi Honey , and Bakabon's Mama .-Notable voice roles:...
, Haruko Kitahama (1st series, Ep. 35 only).
- The Bakabon family's odd neighbor, named so for his tendency to say Rerere (rather than ) when confused about the countless shenanigans in the series. He is almost always seen sweeping the street outside of his yard. He is bald, has a moustache but no nose, ears that extend slightly off of his head, and wears a yukataYukataA is a Japanese garment, a casual summer kimono usually made of cotton. People wearing yukata are a common sight in Japan at fireworks displays, bon-odori festivals, and other summer events. The yukata is also frequently worn after bathing at traditional Japanese inns...
and getaGetaGeta may refer to:*Publius Septimius Geta , a Roman emperor*Geta, Åland, a municipality in Finland*Getå, a minor locality in Sweden*Geta, Nepal*Geta , a type of Japanese footwear...
sandals. Voiced by: Ryūji SaikachiRyuji Saikachiis a Japanese voice actor. most known for the roles of Prof. Pat Pending , Rerere no Ojisan , and Grandfather Otonashi .-Filmography:*3x3 Eyes Seima Densetsu as Tinzin...
(1st-2nd series), Shigeru ChibaShigeru Chibais an actor and voice actor. He has also worked as a sound effects director and music director. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce....
(3rd-4th series, pachinko).
- The local beat cop, referred to as in the anime. He is gluttonous, lecherous, and often repeatedly fires his pistol at random. He is also always wishing for money or a promotion. His notable features include his huge eyes usually drawn as connected into one eyeball, his overbiteOverbiteOverbite refers to the extent of vertical overlap of the maxillary central incisors over the mandibular central incisors.Overbite may also refer to:* Overbite , an extension for the Mozilla Firefox web browser....
buck teeth (from the jawbone), and his one nostril in the middle of his nose. His official name from Akatsuka is . Voiced by: Isamu TanonakaIsamu Tanonakawas a Japanese seiyū from Taitō, Tokyo. During his life he has been attached to Gekidan Tōgei and then Theatre Echo; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death...
(1st series), Kaneta KimotsukiKaneta Kimotsukiis a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kagoshima.He is most known for the roles of Suneo Honekawa , Dracula , Pāyan , Iyami , Tom , Benzou Karino , Horrorman , Conductor and Jiminy Cricket is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kagoshima.He is most known for the roles of Suneo Honekawa...
(2nd series), Shigeru Chiba (3rd-4th series, pachinko).
- An unusual animal from the neighborhood who is a cross between an eelEelEels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
and a dog. Voiced by: Michihiro IkemizuMichihiro Ikemizuis a Japanese voice actor from Kanagawa Prefecture and a graduate of Waseda University who works for Aoni Production.Among his other roles, he has performed the characters Onsen-Mark , Isao Ohta and Kinnikuman Super Phoenix .-TV anime:*Ashita no Joe 2 *Attacker You!...
(2nd series), Aruno TaharaAruno Taharais a Japanese voice actor.-Television Animation:*Mahōjin Guru Guru *Dai no Daibouken *Death Note *Hikaru no Go *One Piece *The Story of Saiunkoku is a Japanese voice actor.-Television Animation:*Mahōjin Guru Guru (Bajāni)*Dai no Daibouken (Badak)*Death Note (David Hoope)*Hikaru no Go (Mr. Shu)*One...
(3rd series), Kōzō ShioyaKozo ShioyaKōzō Shioya is a veteran seiyū born in Kagoshima Prefecture. He is currently represented by Aoni Production...
(4th series).
- A goofy dog who shows up during scene changes.
- Bakabon's classmate who always wears a helmet. For the 4th anime he was renamed . Voiced by: Rica MatsumotoRica Matsumotois a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer who was born in Yokohama, Japan. Her name is also sometimes romanized as Rika Matsumoto. She was one of the original members of the popular vocal group JAM Project. After the way of the stage, she embarked on voice acting and a singing career...
(3rd series), Kappei YamaguchiKappei Yamaguchi, better known by his stage name of , is a Japanese voice actor and actor from Fukuoka, affiliated with Gokū and 21st Century Fox.He is best known for the roles of Ranma Saotome , Jackson Neil , Tombo , Yattaro , InuYasha , Ryuichi Sakuma , L , Usopp...
(4th series).
- Bakabon's headmaster. Only appears in the first anime. Voiced by: Kōichi KitamuraKoichi Kitamura, real name was a Japanese voice actor born in Osaka, Japan. Kitamura was employed by the talent management agency Mausu Promotion. He died on October 2, 2007 of pneumonia.-TV:*April to Sandman *Dragon Ball GT *Esper Mami...
.
- Bakabon's ill-tempered classmate. Only appears in the first anime. Voiced by: Kaneta Kimotsuki.
- Bakabon's girlfriend. Only appears in the first anime. Voiced by: Kazuko Sawada.
Anime
Four anime series have been produced, with the first two series produced by Tokyo Movie ShinshaTokyo Movie Shinsha
, formerly known as , is a Japanese animation studio, founded on October 1946. One of the oldest and most prominent anime studios in Japan, it has also produced numerous animated series airing in other countries such as France, the United States, and Italy. The company currently uses "TMS...
and the second two produced by Studio Pierrot
Studio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
. aired for 40 episodes on Yomiuri TV
Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation
is a TV station joining Nippon News Network and Nippon Television Network System in Osaka Business Park, Osaka, Japan founded as "" on February 13, 1958...
from September 25, 1971 to June 24, 1972. Three years later, aired for 103 episodes on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
from October 6, 1975 to September 26, 1977.
The two Studio Pierrot series aired nearly nine years apart, with airing on Fuji TV
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
for 46 episodes from January 6 to December 29, 1990, and airing on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
from October 19, 1999 to March 21, 2000 for 24 episodes.
External links
- Tensai Bakabon Official Site (Japanese)
- Heisei Tensai Bakabon - Studio PierrotStudio Pierrotis a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
- Heisei Tensai Bakabon - Studio PierrotStudio Pierrotis a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
(Japanese)