History Manga / ChibiMarukoChan

''Chibi Maruko-chan'' is a popular {{Shoujo}} manga and anime series in Japan about a 9-year-old girl who lives with her family in pre-Internet era Shimizu (which is today part of Shizuoka). The main character is Momoko Sakura, named after the author's pen name, whose nickname is Maruko or Maruchan. She lives with her family of 6, including her big sister, father, mother, and paternal grandfather and grandmother, in old Shimizu-shi, today part of Shizuoka-shi.

* MysteriousWatcher: Downplayed with Noguchi, a girl in Maruko's class. She is often seen watching whatever happens to Maruko and her friends throughout an episode. One moment in the live-action special going down on a slide, spying on her with a pair of binoculars. She even shows up in on of the intro, laughing.

* HairDecorations: When Maruko dresses up, she usually goes out either with a ribbon tied into a bow or with her hair arranged like Mickey Mouse ears.

* TheIllegible: Hanawa (the rich boy) and Yamada (the ADHD boy) in Maruko's class both have pretty bad handwriting.
* TheMovie:
** ''Oono-kun and Sugiyama-kun'' (1990), about 2 boisterous classmates of Maruko who love to play sports.
** ''My Favorite Songs'' (1992), about a young woman artist with quite a few music videos. She serves as a role model for Maruko.
** ''The Boy From Italy'' (2015), about a boy from Italy who does homestay at Maruko's house and develops a crush on Maruko.

* SpoiledSweet: Hanawa. He's the richest kid in Maruko's class, but he's an all-around nice kid.

-> ''Odoru, odoru, singing happily!''
-> ''Odoru, odoru, dancing happily!''
-> ''Odoru, odoru, my best friend for life!''
-->- '''Opening theme'''

%* TheShortGuyWithGlasses: Nagayama.

** Maruko's friend Noguchi.
** Noguchi's grandfather.

* DeadpanSnarker:
** The narrator Creator/KeatonYamada, particularly when commenting on one of Maruko and her grandpa's wild schemes.
** Maruko herself also counts, though she keeps her comments to herself.

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: Maruko and Sakiko, respectively.

* {{Housewife}}: Maruko's mother, Sumire.

* LemonyNarrator: Creator/KeatonYamada for the win.
* MellowFellow: Maruko's dad, Hiroshi.

* SliceOfLife

* TheShortGuyWithGlasses: Nagayama.

''Definitely'' not to be confused with ''Manga/CrayonShinChan'' ''or'' ''Manga/CyborgKuroChan''

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1688221_7.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:"Hi everyone, gather around! ''Chibi Maruko-chan'' is about to start!"]]

-> ''Odoru, Odoru, singing happily!''
-> ''Odoru, Odoru, dancing happily!''
-> ''Odoru, Odoru, my best friend for life!''

-> ''Ondoru, Ondoru, singing happily!''
-> ''Ondoru, Ondoru, dancing happily!''
-> ''Ondoru, Ondoru, my best friend for life!''

-> "Hi everyone, gather around! ''Chibi Maruko-chan'' is about to start!"
-->- '''Momoko Sakura''', before the start of each episode.

A new American English dub can be found on the [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWHgQAAsB6LyYQhIm-IeJ5w official channel]] on Website/YouTube. The English dub is very faithful to the original Japanese version and changes almost no names or cultural aspects.

* FatBitch: Borderline example with Migiwa. She's the female class representative who doesn't like Maruko because Hanawa likes hanging out with her more. Otherwise, she is nice enough.

In Japan, it is broadcast weekly on Sundays at 6:00PM on Creator/FujiTV. In the United States and Canada, starting January 8, 2012, it is broadcast weekly (in Japanese) on Sundays at 6:45PM Eastern Time on Creator/TVJapan.

In Japan, it is broadcast weekly on Sundays at 6:00PM on Fuji TV. In the United States and Canada, starting January 8, 2012, it is broadcast weekly (in Japanese) on Sundays at 6:45PM Eastern Time on TV Japan, which you can get on Dish Network in the U.S. and on certain local cable services in both the U.S. and Canada. In other countries in Asia, the show airs several times a day on Animax.

A Western English dub is being uploaded to the [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWHgQAAsB6LyYQhIm-IeJ5w official channel]] on Website/YouTube. The English dub is very faithful to the original Japanese version and changes almost no names or cultural aspects.

* CloudCuckoolander: Tomozou, Maruko's doting grandfather. He can sometimes do weird things that nobody understands, like imitate Maruko or that one time when he wrote "Work hard Japan!" on the flag Maruko was making for the white team for her school's sports day. There are times like when Maruko's sister was saying she doesn't use her head in class, Tomozou responded saying that when he puts on a "hachimaki" (Japanese bandana), he uses his head. Maruko seems to have inherited it to a lesser extent, with her strong tendency to daydream or to even go into a daze. There was one episode about how Maruko could be absent-minded and showed that Maruko doesn't know what she thinks about when she goes into a daze. Also, her friend Noguchi and definitely Noguchi's grandfather.

* FatBitch: Borderline example with Migiwa, the female class representative who doesn't like Maruko because Hanawa likes hanging out with her more, but otherwise she is nice enough.

* HairDecorations: When Maruko dresses up, she will usually go out either with a ribbon tied into a bow or with her hair arranged like Mickey Mouse ears.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Maruko. She's lazy and a bit insensitive, but she cares a lot about the people she likes. For example, when the [[JapaneseDelinquents grandson]] of one of her grandpa's friends ruins the dinner by fliping the table (and being an ungrateful {{Jerkass}} the whole time), Maruko calls him out on it, [[WouldHurtAChild even while he tried to attack her]].
* InSeriesNickname: Momoko Sakura is called Maruko, meaning "round child", pretty much to the exclusion of her actual given name.

* OdangoHair: When Maruko dressed up to go to the Momoe-chan concert, she had her mother do her hair in this style.
* RedOniBlueOni: Maruko (red) and her friend Tamae (blue). Maruko is laid back and gets into trouble a lot while Tamae is proper and a stickler for the rules. This is even color-coded for your convenience as Maruko often wears a lot of red and Tamae a lot of blue. Also, Maruko (red) and her sister Sakiko (blue). Maruko is lazy and messy while Sakiko is a hard worker and is often frustrated by her sister not doing what she's supposed to when it affects her.

* StoicSpectacles: Maruko's classmate Nagayama, who wears glasses and is very smart, but well-liked by Maruko and others, calmly explaining various phenomena of the natural world ranging from rainbows to the asteroid that crashed into the Yucatan Peninsula. Inverted with Maruo, another of Maruko's classmates, the neurotic, obsessive class government council member in whose glasses on the anime and manga versions you can see swirls.

* TheMovie: 3 actually: ''Oono-kun and Sugiyama-kun'' (1990), about 2 boisterous classmates of Maruko who love to play sports; ''My Favorite Songs'' (1992), about a young woman artist who serves as a role model for Maruko that has quite a few music videos; and ''The Boy From Italy'' (2015), about a boy from Italy who does homestay at Maruko's house and develops a crush on Maruko.

* SpoiledSweet: Hanawa. He's the richest kid in Maruko's class, but is an all-around nice kid
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Maruko is the tomboy, and her best friend Tamae is the girly girl. Maruko is lazy, talks in a more gender neutral manner, sometimes hangs out with just the boys doing stuff, and does not do a lot to maintain her appearance most of the time. Tamae is proper, punctual, and feminine in her speech and mannerisms. Nevertheless, they are both social people who can be assertive when they need to be.

A Western English dub is being made at the [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWHgQAAsB6LyYQhIm-IeJ5w official channel]] on Website/YouTube. The English dub is very faithful to the original Japanese version and changes almost no names or cultural aspects.

''Chibi Maruko-chan'' is a popular {{Shoujo}} manga and anime series in Japan about a 9-year-old girl that lives with her family in pre-Internet era Shimizu (which is today part of Shizuoka). The main character is Momoko Sakura, named after the author's pen name, whose nickname is Maruko or Maruchan. She lives with her family of 6, to include big sister, father, mother, and paternal grandfather and grandmother, in old Shimizu-shi, today part of Shizuoka-shi.

A Western English dub is being made at the [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWHgQAAsB6LyYQhIm-IeJ5w official channel]] on Website/YouTube. The English dub is very faithful to the original and changes almost no names or cultural aspects.

Watch it in English [[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWHgQAAsB6LyYQhIm-IeJ5w here]].

-> "Hey everyone, gather 'round! Chibi Maruko Chan is about to start!"

In Japan, it is broadcast weekly on Sundays at 1800 on Fuji TV. In the United States and Canada, starting January 8, 2012, it is broadcast weekly (in Japanese) on Sundays at 1845 Eastern Time on TV Japan, which you can get on Dish Network in the U.S. and on certain local cable services in both the U.S. and Canada. In other countries in Asia, the show airs several times a day on Animax.

* FatBitch: Migiwa, who doesn't like Maruko because Hanawa likes hanging out with her more

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Maruko. She's lazy and a bit insensitive, but she cares a lot about the people she likes. For example, when the [[JapaneseDelinquents grandson]] of one of her grandpa's friends ruins the dinner by fliping the table (and being an ungrateful {{Jerkass}}), Maruko calls him out on it, [[WouldHurtAChild even while he tried to attack her]].

* TheMovie: 3 actually: ''Oono-kun and Sugiyama-kun'' (1990), about 2 boisterous classmates of Maruko who love to play sports; ''My Favorite Songs'' (1992), about a young woman artist who serves as a role model for Maruko that has quite a few music videos; and ''The Boy From Italy'' (2015, coming out on December 23), about a boy from Italy who does homestay at Maruko's house and develops a crush on Maruko.