Hamtaro
| Hamtaro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Cover of the first book featuring the titular protagonist, Hamtaro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| とっとこハム太郎 (Tottoko Hamutarō) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Genre | Adventure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manga | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by | Ritsuko Kawai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Published by | Shogakukan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Magazine | Shogakukan Learning Magazine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Original run | 1997 – 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Volumes | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hamtaro, known in Japan as Trotting Hamtaro (とっとこハム太郎, Tottoko Hamutarō), is a Japanese multimedia franchise created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai. It was first published as a manga in Shogakukan's Shōgaku Ninensei (lit. 'Second Grade') magazine in April 1997. Hamtaro was later serialized in other magazines, including Ciao. It focuses on a hamster named Hamtaro, who has a variety of adventures with other hamsters known as the "Ham-Hams" ("Hamuchans" in the Japanese version). Viz Media published the Hamtaro books in English.
Multiple anime adaptations aired on TV Tokyo and were produced by TMS Entertainment. The first anime was dubbed in English by The Ocean Group.
Plot
The series revolves around a hamster named Hamtaro who is owned by a young girl named Laura Haruna (known as Hiroko Haruna in the original Japanese version). Curious, he ventures out each day to make friends and go on adventures with a clan of fellow hamster friends known as The Ham-Hams. They meet in an underground gathering hangout called the Ham-Ham Clubhouse built by Boss with the help of the other hamsters.
Media
Manga
There are three manga about Hamtaro, A Home for Hamtaro, Hamtaro Gets Lost, and Jealous Hamtaro. In the first two, Hamtaro's owner is named Yukari while in the latter, her name is Amy.
Anime
In Japan, Hamtaro aired three anime television series as well as released four films, several specials, video game/DVD releases, and merchandise. By 2002, the franchise had generated $2.5 billion in merchandise sales. The success was not paralleled in the United States, however, with only the first series, some special episodes, three video games (though two others were released in Europe), and limited merchandise. On 23 February 2011, it was announced that Hamtaro received a series titled Hamtaro Dechu!.
Games
The Hamtaro franchise has multiple video game titles with independent storylines. They include adventure and educational games released for PC, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance (GBA), and the Nintendo DS consoles.
| Title | Platform | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| Tottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu | Game Boy Color | JP: 8 September 2000 |
| Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! | Game Boy Color | JP: 21 April 2001 NA: 28 October 2002 |
| Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak | Game Boy Advance | JP: 3 May 2002 NA: 7 April 2003 |
| Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer! | PC/Mac | 1 October 2003 |
| Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue | Game Boy Advance | 22 May 2003 |
| Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games | Game Boy Advance | 26 July 2004 |
| Tottoko Hamtaro: Nazo Nazo Q Kumonoue no ? Jou | Nintendo DS | 1 December 2005 |
| Hi Hamtaro! Ham-Ham Training | Nintendo DS | JP: 15 March 2007
NA: 23 September 2008 |
| Hi Hamtaro! Little Hamsters Big Adventures | iOS | 12 April 2011 |
In popular culture
On 26 July 2020, a group of more than 2,000 protesters in Bangkok called the Free Youth Movement led a protest against the government of Thailand which involved singing the theme song for Hamtaro with modified lyrics to say "The most delicious food is taxpayers' money. [...]Dissolve the parliament! Dissolve the parliament! Dissolve the parliament!" Other student protests during the same week continued to use Hamtaro as a symbol for the government's "feasting on taxpayer's money", and have involved groups running in circles, as if in hamster wheels, while singing the modified version of the jingle.
Reception
According to Sean Atkins of Cartoon Network, the anime is targeted towards audiences aged 5 to 11. In TV Asahi's poll of the Top 100 Anime, Hamtaro came in 68th.
