The appeal and reputation of "Shounen Ashibe": A deep look into the penguin friendship story

Shonen Ashibe OVA review and details

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

January 21, 1991

■Release and sales

Pony Canyon

■Frequencies

25 min

■Original Story

・Original work by Hiromi Morishita

■ Director

・Director: Noboru Ishiguro

■ Production

・Production cooperation: Nippon Animation

■Works

© Hiromi Morishita, OOP/Shueisha, Nippon Eizo, Nichiei Agency 1991

■ Story

Ashibe Ashiya, a lively elementary school student, lives with his carpenter father and cheerful mother. One day, Ashibe finds a baby spotted seal that fell off a fishmonger's truck. He names it Goma-chan and welcomes it into his family. This is a hilarious story about the people around Ashibe and Goma-chan.

■Explanation

This is an OVA version of the popular four-panel manga by Hiromi Morishita. The OVA was released in three volumes prior to the TV series, which began airing in April 1991. Different voice actors were used than in the later TV series.

■Cast

・Ashibe/Takayama Minami ・Goma/Koorogi Satomi ・Father/Ishimaru Hiroya ・Mother/Takamori Yoshino ・Minami Sensei/Mizutani Yuko

■ Main staff

・Original story by Hiromi Morishita・Director by Noboru Ishiguro・Storytelling by Masato Kitagawa・Chief animation director, character designer by Kiyotoshi Aoi・Art director by Mieko Chijinami and Keiko Tamura・Music by Toshiyuki Arakawa・Production cooperation by Nippon Animation

■ Main Characters

・Ashibe A boy in the first grade at Ashiya Elementary School. He is energetic and has a loud voice. He is Goma-chan's owner.

Goma-chan is a baby spotted seal. He is everyone's favorite, but his father treats him roughly.

Dad: Ashibe's father. A carpenter who works for a construction company. He is known for his rough manner of speech.

・Mother Ashibe's mother. A common housewife.

・Minami Sensei Ashibe's homeroom teacher.

■Subtitle

Part 1 (1991/01/21)
・Episode 1/The day Goma-chan came to my house ・Episode 2/A letter from Ashibe ・Episode 3/Grandpa likes lots

Part 2 (1991/01/21)
・Episode 1 / Ryo's Dad ・Episode 2 / Ashibe's Life ・Episode 3 / The Pool Opens

Part 3 (1991/01/21)
・Episode 1 / Sugao-kun goes to Nepal ・Episode 2 / Goma-chan's worries ・Episode 3 / Dad's hobby

■ Related works

・"Shounen Ashibe 2" (OVA)
・"Ashibe" (TV anime)
・"Ashibe 2" (TV anime)

■Review

"Shounen Ashibe" is an OVA based on the popular four-panel manga by Hiromi Morishita, and was released in 1991 in three volumes. This work is special to fans because it was released before the TV series. The OVA version uses different voice actors from the TV series, bringing out the charm of each character from a new angle.

The story begins when the main character, Ashibe, is a lively first grader who welcomes a baby spotted seal named Goma-chan into his family. This work, which depicts the daily lives of Ashibe and Goma-chan, is full of humor and warmth. In particular, Goma-chan's cuteness and Ashibe's innocence are perfectly matched, making your heart warm just by watching.

Each episode of the OVA story has a different theme, and it humorously depicts universal themes such as family, friendship, and growth. For example, "The Day Goma-chan Came Home" begins with Goma-chan arriving at Ashibe's house, and depicts the joy and confusion of the family welcoming a new member. "Letter from Ashibe" also conveys the importance of friendship through an episode in which Ashibe writes a letter to a friend.

The charm of the characters is also a big point. Ashibe's energy and purity, Goma-chan's cuteness, Dad's rough-talking manner and craftsmanship as a carpenter, Mom's down-to-earth warmth, and Minami-sensei's kindness and strictness are all exquisitely blended. Dad's character in particular is both strict and kind, and you can't help but laugh when watching it.

The voice actors are also wonderful, with the lively voice of Takayama Minami as Ashibe, the cute voice of Koorogi Satomi as Goma-chan, the rough-talking tone of Ishimaru Hiroya as Dad, the warm voice of Takamori Yoshino as Mom, and the gentle voice of Mizutani Yuko as Minami-sensei, bringing each character to life. The performances of these voice actors further enhance the appeal of the work.

The production staff is also impressive, with a gathering of industry-leading creators, including director Noboru Ishiguro, director Masato Kitagawa, animation director and character designer Kiyotoshi Aoi, art directors Mieko Chijinami and Keiko Tamura, and music composer Toshiyuki Arakawa. Through their efforts, the worldview of the original work has been faithfully reproduced, adding even more depth.

Don't miss the beauty of the OVA. The character designs by Kiyotoshi Aoi are so familiar that they seem as if they were animated directly from the original illustrations, and the backgrounds by art directors Mieko Chijinami and Keiko Tamura exude a nostalgic Showa-era atmosphere. Toshiyuki Arakawa's music also perfectly matches the atmosphere of the work, and just watching it soothes the soul.

The OVA version of "Boy Ashibe" is also recommended as a work that the whole family can enjoy. Children will be fascinated by the adventures of Ashibe and Goma-chan, and adults will be soothed by the nostalgia and humor. In addition, the OVA version uses different voice actors from the TV series, so fans will surely find something new to discover.

There are also related works such as the OVA version of "Shounen Ashibe 2" and the TV series, but the OVA version of "Shounen Ashibe" can be said to be the origin of the series. It brings out the charm of the original to the fullest, and adds new charm with the unique expressions of anime. Please watch the OVA version of "Shounen Ashibe" and feel its warmth and humor.

■Recommendation details

After enjoying the OVA version of "Shounen Ashibe", be sure to check out the related works. The OVA version of "Shounen Ashibe 2" depicts an even deeper story and character growth. In addition, the TV series "Shounen Ashibe" and "Shounen Ashibe 2" offer new interpretations by different voice actors from the OVA version.

In addition, we also recommend other works by Hiromi Morishita. Her four-panel comics are full of humor and warmth, and just reading them will soothe your heart. In particular, fans of her works such as "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo" and "Dr. Slump" should not miss them.

If you are interested in spotted seals, we also recommend animal documentaries and nature programs. Learning about the ecology and habitat of spotted seals will give you a deeper understanding of the world of "Boy Ashibe."

Finally, the OVA version of "Boy Ashibe" is even more appealing when you watch it with your family and friends. Please gather together and enjoy this work. I'm sure you will have a great time laughing and being touched.