Oyako Club: A thorough review of a touching story about family ties

"Oyako Club": A heartwarming anime about visitors from outer space and Japanese life skills

Overview

"Oyako Club" is a long-running anime series that aired from 1994 to 2013, with a total of 1,667 episodes and 1,818 episodes in total. It was broadcast on Fuji TV every Saturday morning from 4:52 to 5:00. The original story was written by Eiken, and it was produced jointly by Fuji TV and Eiken. The anime revolves around the story of Ronpapa and Runchan, a father and son from outer space who stay with the Hanasaki family to learn about life on Earth. The anime was broadcast as a mini-program in an 8-minute slot, but its content is deep and teaches the viewer a lot.

■ Story

One morning, the Hanasaki family wakes up to find a strange creature sleeping next to their house. It turns out to be alien father and son Ronpapa and Runchan. The father and son say they came from space to learn everything there is to know about Earth, and ask to stay with the Hanasaki family. The Hanasaki family treats Ronpapa and Runchan as if they were real family, teaching them many things. The curious alien father and son are confused by the cultural gap, but they do their best to learn. This story depicts the importance of family ties and cross-cultural understanding, and leaves a deep impression on viewers.

■Explanation

"Oyako Club" is a mini-program that uses a mix of animation, illustrations and live action to introduce the wisdom of our ancestors that Japanese people have almost forgotten. The alien father and son Ronpapa and Run learn the meaning of proverbs, cooking tips, cleaning tips and other wisdom for life, and grow as a person. The fact that the main characters are characters from different cultural spheres seems to anticipate the aspects of modern Japan that are attracting attention from overseas. This animation contains many educational elements, and is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults.

■Cast

・Ronpapa/Hikiji Nobuyuki・Run-chan/Kanda Himawari (now Hinata Himawari), Watanabe Mami・Hanasaki Hana (Grandma)/Hisamatsu Yuko, Yamamoto Yoshie, Yamazaki Setsuko・Hanasaki Miyuki (Mom)/Sano Miyuki・Hanasaki Kihachi (Dad)/Uemura Kihachiro・Hanasaki Ichiro/Oki Megumi・Hanasaki Yuri/Sato Yuri

The cast captivates viewers with their performances that make the most of each character's individuality. In particular, the humorous performance of Hikiji Nobuyuki as Ronpapa and the adorable voices of Kanda Himawari and Watanabe Mami as Run-chan further enhance the charm of the anime. The voice actors who play the members of the Hanasaki family also touch viewers with their performances that convey the warmth of a family.

■ Main staff

・Original story by Eiken ・Character design and illustration by Tadao Wakabayashi ・Animation (first half) and drawing (second half) by Tadao Wakabayashi and Shozo Kubota ・Screenplay by Setsuko Seriguchi, Marie Terunuma, Motoko Misawa, Tomoko Yamada, Junko Nozawa, Sayase Yuki, Tokiko Makioka and others ・Storyboard by Hiroshi Yoshida, Hidenori Yamaguchi and others ・Art setting and art by Moritoshi Endo

The staff was made up of a diverse range of talents to support the long-term production. In particular, the unique touch of character designer and illustrator Tadao Wakabayashi enriched the worldview of the anime. In addition, the multiple writers who wrote the scripts depicted different themes in each episode, giving viewers fresh impressions.

■ Main Characters

A giant greedy alien who can transform into many things.
・Lun-chan is Ronpapa's cheerful and serious son. He also has a slightly lonely side.
Hanasaki Hana is a grandmother whose trademark is her apron. She is knowledgeable and reliable.
Miyuki Hanasaki is Kihachi's wife. She is a full-time housewife and is learning cooking from Hana.
Hanasaki Kihachi is Hana's son. He is an office worker and has a kind personality.
Ichiro Hanasaki is the son of Miyuki and Kihachi and Hana's grandson. He is interested in soccer.
Yuri Hanasaki is the daughter of Miyuki and Kihachi. She is the youngest child and is loved by everyone.

Each character has their own unique personality, but they also share a family bond. Ronpapa's humorous behavior, Run-chan's seriousness, Hanasaki Hana's wisdom, Hanasaki Miyuki's kindness, Hanasaki Kihachi's warmth, Hanasaki Ichiro's energy, and Hanasaki Yuri's cuteness add color to the entire anime.

■ Evaluation and impact

"Oyako Club" established itself as a long-running series and was loved by many viewers. In particular, since it contained many educational elements, it was also used as a learning opportunity for children. In addition, the storyline, which focused on intercultural understanding, attracted attention overseas and was broadcast in many countries. The anime had a great influence, receiving a lot of impressions and feedback from viewers and becoming a social topic.

■ Recommendation points

"Oyako Club" is a heartwarming anime that depicts family ties and intercultural understanding. The following points are especially recommended:

• Educational element : There are many episodes that teach practical wisdom for everyday life, such as proverbs and tips on cooking and cleaning, making it useful for a wide range of people, from children to adults.
• Family ties : Through the interactions between the Hanasaki family, Ronpapa, and Run-chan, you can feel the warmth of family and the importance of bonds.
• Intercultural understanding : The story of a parent and child from space learning about life on Earth teaches us the importance of intercultural understanding.
• Humor : Ronpapa's humorous behavior and the unique interactions between the characters entertain viewers.
• Long-running series : It was a long-running series that aired from 1994 to 2013, and there are many lessons to be learned from each episode.

■How to watch

"Oyako Club" is now available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray. Some episodes are also available to watch on video streaming services, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out.

■ Summary

"Oyako Club" is a heartwarming anime about a parent and child from outer space learning about life on Earth. The story, which depicts educational elements, family ties, and intercultural understanding, touches many viewers. As a long-running series with many episodes produced, this anime has been loved by viewers and can be recommended to a wide range of people, from children to adults. Please give it a watch and experience its charm.