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Chibi Maruko-chan Anime Film's Trailer Posted With English Subtitles

Fuji Television began streaming the first trailer on Thursday with English subtitles for Eiga Chibi Maruko-chan, the first new anime film for Momoko Sakura's Chibi Maruko-chan manga in 23 years. The trailer lists the film's working English title as Chibi Maruko Chan -A Boy from Italy-.

The trailer, which is the same as the one Fuji TV posted in July, 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), is directing 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.

The October issue of Shueisha's Ribon magazine debuted the new short manga series Chibi Maruko-chan: Kimi o Wasurenai yo (I Won't Forget You) in September. The manga is based on the upcoming film.

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.