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Chibi Maruko-chan's 30th Anniversary Exhibit Honors Momoko Sakura's Legacy
posted on by Kim Morrissy
An exhibit celebrating the Chibi Maruko-chan anime's 30th anniversary opened in Tokyo's MATSUYA GINZA store on Thursday, and will run until August 26. The exhibit celebrates not only the anime but the life of the late manga creator Momoko Sakura, who passed away last year.
Comedian Miyuki Ōshima, who was on intimate terms with Sakura, commented at the exhibit's opening: "I'm sure that Sakura would have wanted people from all around Japan - no, from all over the world - to come see this exhibit. It shows off everything from the Chibi Maruko-chan anime."
The exhibit contains roughly 350 pieces of artwork from the anime, as well as a "Memories of Momoko Sakura" corner, which shows off various objects and drawings the manga artist kept at her home and work. Many of the objects are hand-made.
The exhibit is on the 8th floor of the MATSUYA GINZA store. It costs 1,000 yen for a same-day adult entry ticket, or 700 yen if the ticket was purchased beforehand from Ticket Pia.
The original Chibi Maruko-chan manga inspired a television anime that is consistently the #2 rated anime series after Sazae-san. The first anime series ran from 1990 to 1992, and the ongoing second series premiered in 1995. Sakura herself composed the theme song "Odoru Ponpokorin."
The 1,000th television anime episode aired in 2012, and the show now has more than 1,100 episodes. The series celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015, and Fuji TV said on Monday that it will continue airing the TV anime for the foreseeable future.
Source: Comic Natalie
