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Chibi Maruko-chan Anime Film's Trailer Previews Film's Story
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The official website for Eiga Chibi Maruko-chan, the first new anime film for Momoko Sakura's Chibi Maruko-chan manga in 23 years, began streaming the film's first trailer on Friday.
The video previews the film's story, in which six children from around the world visit Maruko's town. One of them, an Italian boy, confesses his love to Maruko and tries to court her. The film will also follow Maruko and her classmates as they travel to Kyoto and Osaka.
Sakura herself is in charge of the film's script. Jun Takagi (Chibi Maruko-chan television anime, Legend of the Condor Hero), will direct the film at Nippon Animation, and Fuji Television is producing the film. TOHO will distribute the film.
The film will open on December 23, and it is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the television anime's broadcast.
The previous film in the franchise, Chibi Maruko-chan: Watashi no Suki na Uta (Chibi Maruko-chan: My Favorite Song) opened in Japan in December 1992.
Sakura serialized the original manga in Ribon from 1986 to 1996. She launched a four-panel version in a Japanese newspaper in 2007, and she ended that version in 2011.
The original manga inspired the Chibi Maruko-chan 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. The 1,000th television anime episode aired in 2012.
The manga has also inspired several live-action specials and television series.
