Bonobono

Bonobono
Cover of manga volume 29
ぼのぼの
Manga
Written byMikio Igarashi
Published byTakeshobo
Magazine
  • Manga Club (1986–2020)
  • Manga Life (1986–2022)
  • Manga Life Original (2022–present)
Original runMarch 1986 – present
Volumes50
Manga
Bono-chan
Written byMikio Igarashi
Published byTakeshobo
MagazineManga Life
Original runApril 2016 – April 2020
Volumes8
Anime film
Directed byMikio Igarashi
Produced byAtsushi Tashiro
Written byMikio Igarashi
Music byGontiti
StudioGroup TAC
ReleasedNovember 13, 1993
Runtime103 minutes
Anime television series
Directed byHitoshi Nanba
Produced by
  • Keisuke Iwata
  • Katsutoshi Kanesaka
Written byTetsuo Yasumi
Music byKazunori Miyake
StudioGroup TAC
Original networkTXN (TV Tokyo)
Original run April 20, 1995 – March 28, 1996
Episodes48
Video game
Bonogurashi
DeveloperAmuse, Bandai Visual
PublisherAmuse, Bandai Visual
GenreSimulation
Platform3DO
ReleasedApril 21, 1995
Video game
Bonogurashi: Kore de Kanpeki Disu
DeveloperAmuse
PublisherAmuse
GenreAdventure
PlatformSony PlayStation
ReleasedJune 7, 1996
Anime film
Bonobono: Kumomo no Ki no Koto
Directed byKōki Kumagai
Produced byAkihiro Itō
Written by
  • Mikio Igarashi
  • Kōki Kumagai
Music byGontiti
StudioAmuse Pictures
ReleasedAugust 10, 2002
Runtime61 minutes
Anime television series
Directed byHidenori Yamaguchi
Produced by
  • Daisuke Hara
  • Yasunari Maeda
  • Yōko Matsushita
Written byMitsutaka Hirota
Music byTakatsugu Wakabayashi
StudioEiken
Original networkFuji TV
Original run April 2, 2016 – present
Episodes535

Bonobono (ぼのぼの) is a Japanese yonkoma manga series written and illustrated by Mikio Igarashi. From March 1986 to March 1987, the series ran in the Takeshobo manga magazine Tensai Club before the magazine was replaced with Manga Club, where it had been serialized from April 1987 to April 2020. It had also been serialized in Manga Life from April 1986 to July 2022. In July 2022, the series moved to Manga Life Original after Manga Life folded. It has been adapted into an anime television series, as well as two anime films and two video games.

While the series is considered a yonkoma manga, most of the "stories" use eight panels. The series follows the main character, a young sea otter 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, and to films such as Forrest Gump.

In 1988, Bonobono won the Kodansha Manga Award 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 from April 20, 1995, through March 28, 1996. One day after the TV series began, a simulation game was released on the 3DO system. The following June, an adventure game was released on the PlayStation. Several ehon—or "picture books"—have been released since the manga series was first introduced over 30 years ago.

Characters

Books

In addition to the original tankōbon 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—volume and a set of four film comics have been released.

Manga

Tankōbon

Takeshobo released all the volumes of manga listed below.

Bunkoban

Takeshobo released all the volumes of manga listed below.

Film comics

These books contain scenes from the first Bonobono film laid out in comic book format. All were released by Takeshobo.

Storyboards

This book contains the storyboards for the first Bonobono film.

  • Bonobono no Ekonteshū (ぼのぼの絵コンテ集), ISBN 4-88475-254-6, November 1993, Takeshobo

Picture books

Various Bonobono picture books have been released, including the following. Titles are listed chronologically.

  • Kawaisō no Koto (かわいそうのこと), ISBN 4-88475-027-6, December 1987, Takeshobo
  • Shimarisu-kun Daikatsuyaku!! Gō (シマリスくん大活躍!!号), ISBN 4-88475-027-6, December 1987, Takeshobo
  • Ōkii no Koto Chiisai no Koto (大きいのこと 小さいのこと), ISBN 4-88475-033-0, June 1988, Takeshobo
  • Megane Yamane-kun no Koto (メガネヤマネくんのこと), ISBN 4-88475-041-1, May 1989, Takeshobo
  • Kurisumasu no Koto (クリスマスのこと), ISBN 4-8124-0421-5, November 1998, Takeshobo
  • Minna Omoide na no Darō: Bonobono no Kagashū (みんな思い出なのだろう―ぼのぼの詩画集), ISBN 4-88475-253-8, November 1993, Takeshobo
  • Bonobono (ぼのぼの), ISBN 4-88475-255-4, December 1993, Takeshobo
  • Tsuwaio no Koto (ツワイオのこと), ISBN 4-8124-2761-4, 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 channels such as NHK BS-2. The film has been released on VHS and DVD in Japan, including in a "no cut" edition.

Staff

Cast

Sources:

1995 TV series

The Bonobono anime television series ran from April 20, 1995, through March 28, 1996, as part of the "Anime Can" (アニメ缶, Anime Kan) series on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm on TV Tokyo. Each episode was 15 minutes long, and was paired with an episode of Bit the Cupid to fill out the 30-minute timeslot. The series has been rebroadcast on several different channels and networks, including Animax and the on-demand internet streaming service GyaO.

The entire TV series was released as two DVD box sets on April 20, 2007.

Staff

Theme songs

Chikamichi Shitai (近道したい)
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
Ending theme for episodes 24–47

Cast

Sources:

TV specials

Following the anime television series, nine specials were aired on TV Tokyo. 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 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

Bonobono: Kumomo no Ki no Koto (ぼのぼの クモモの木のこと) 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

Cast

Sources:

2016 TV series

A 2nd anime television adaptation 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 special Bono Bono - Uchū kara Kita Tomodachi (Bono Bono - The Friend That Came From Space) was shown at the Gotanda Cultural Center from September 16 to October 9, 2017. Crunchyroll only simulcasted the first three seasons of the series and is no longer available. On December 21, 2019, the series had a crossover with Gachapin. The anime was on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic from May to June 2020. It resumed on June 20, 2020. As of October 24, 2026, it has aired 535 episodes.

Staff

Theme song

Bonobono Suru (bonobonoする)
Lyrics, Vocals: Monobright

Cast

Games

Two games based on the Bonobono series have been released. The first was Bonogurashi (ぼのぐらし), a simulation game released on 1995-04-21 for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer system by Amuse and Bandai Visual.

The second game was titled Bonogurashi: Kore de Kanpeki Disu (ぼのぐらし〜これで完璧でぃす〜), an adventure game released by Amuse for the PlayStation system on 1996-06-07.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kindaichi, Wazahiko, ed. (2000-12-01). "3DO". Kōgien (広技苑) (in Japanese) (2000年秋 ed.). Mainichi Communications. pp. 995–996. ISBN 4-8399-0447-2.
  2. 1 2 3 Kindaichi, Wazahiko, ed. (2000-12-01). "プレイステーション". Kōgien (広技苑) (in Japanese) (2000年秋 ed.). Mainichi Communications. p. 1278. ISBN 4-8399-0447-2.
  3. ↑ @BONOBONO_nokoto (June 10, 2022). 『#ぼのぼの 人生相談』最終回が掲載された、#まんがライフオリジナル 7月号が発売中です！ぜひお楽しみください！詳細はこちら (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 ぼのぼの (1995) (in Japanese). AllCinema Online. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  5. ↑ Bryce, Mio. "'School' in Japanese children's lives as depicted in manga" (PDF). p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-08. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  6. ↑ Califf, Jennifer. "Bonobono". Anime Web Turnpike. Archived from the original on 2006-01-18. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  7. ↑ Joel Hahn. "Kodansha Manga Awards". Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  8. ↑ "ぼのぼのプラス (1994)". AllCinema Online. Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  9. ↑ "ぼのぼの (1993)". AllCinema Online. Archived from the original on 2007-03-20. Retrieved 2007-11-24.
  10. ↑ "BS夏休みアニメ特選 | ぼのぼの劇場版". NHK. Archived from the original on 2008-01-02. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  11. ↑ "ぼのぼの クモモの木のこと (2002)". AllCinema Online. Archived from the original on 2004-09-21. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  12. ↑ "Bono bono gag comedy gets tv anime after 2 decades". Anime News Network. December 16, 2015. Archived from the original on December 17, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Bono Bono Planetarium Anime's Video Reveals September Debut". August 17, 2017. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2017.
  14. ↑ "『ぼのぼの×ガチャピン・ムック』キャラクターコラボ決定！！". 2 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2019.