The appeal and evaluation of Bonobono (2016 version): Reevaluating a healing and profound story

Bonobono (2016 version) - Bonobono - Detailed review and recommendation

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

Broadcast every Saturday from 4:52 to 5:00 from April 2, 2016 to January 1, 0000. *Broadcast every Saturday from 5:22 to 5:30 until #102 on March 31, 2018. *From #103 on April 7, 2018.

■Broadcasting station

Fuji Television

■Frequencies

8 mins

■Original Story

Mikio Igarashi (Takeshobo "Manga Life" and "Manga Life Original")

■ Director

Hidenori Yamaguchi

■ Production

Fuji TV Aiken

■Works

©Mikio Igarashi/Takeshobo, Fuji Television, Eiken

■ Story

Bonobono is a baby sea otter who lives a peaceful life with his forest friends. To solve problems that arise in daily life, he wanders through the forest and visits his friends, the chipmunk and the raccoon.
Bonobono, who displays a rich imagination and delusions, often causes trouble for the forest's inhabitants... The conclusion of the turmoil that breaks out one after another in the forest often makes you think about the way you live your life.

■Explanation

A television anime based on the four-panel comic strip by Igarashi Mikio, which began serialization in 1986.
The stories woven by the animals of the forest are not only heartwarming but also contain philosophical essences about living things, making them extremely profound. They also depict family ties from various perspectives with plenty of humor.
"Bono-chan," which depicts the main character Bonobono's childhood and his father's struggles raising him, also appears in the story.

■Cast

Fukuko Yukimiyama, Aya Ogata, Shinpei Takano, Yukito Kurofuji, Takaaki Ito, Takatsugu Awazu, Tomo Shigematsu, Shizuka Arai, and Takuya Kotegawa.

■ Main staff

・Original story: Igarashi Mikio (Takeshobo "Manga Life" and "Manga Life Original")
Producers: Keiichiro Oguro (Fuji Television Network), Takahito Kaida Director: Hidenori Yamaguchi Series Composition: Mitsuki Hirota Character Design: Yuka Sekiguchi Animation Director: Machiko Negishi Art Director: Noriko Kohinata Color Design: Saiko Iida Director of Photography: Yuichi Sakamoto Sound Director: Chikako Yokota Sound Effects: Yasuyuki Konno Sound Production: Glowvision Production: Fuji Television Network Eiken

■ Main Characters

・Bonobono is a baby sea otter with a laid-back personality. He is very curious and reacts quickly to strange things.
Chipmunk-kun is a baby chipmunk who often plays with Bonobono. He is often bullied by Raccoon-kun.
・Raccoon-kun A baby raccoon and Bonobono's friend. He is a bully in the forest and a violent person who gets angry easily.
・The Uncle Who Locks Him A man who appears in Bonobono's delusions. He locks him away in a rock.
・Snatcher-san A calm, collected, expressionless, solitary figure. He is loved by Bonobono.
・Fennec-kun A cheerful, fun-loving fennec fox baby.
・Badger-kun is an oddball whose facial expression never changes and it's hard to tell what he's thinking.
・Bonobono's father has a laid-back personality and speaks slowly. He likes making funny poses.
Raccoon-kun's father is a stubborn old man who is constantly fighting with his son. He hates fishing cats.
・Dai-neechan Chipmunk-kun's older sister is elegant and has beautiful eyebrows.
- Sister Shaw: A short-tempered older sister who is strict with her younger brother, Chipmunk.

■ Theme songs and music

・ED
・"To do something like that"
Lyrics: Yosuke Momono Composition: Yosuke Momono Singer: Monobright 2020/12/26 #240 OP, ED
・"Bonobono Rock'n'Roll"
Lyrics: Hirono; Composition: Akira Sekiguchi; Arrangement: Akira Sekiguchi; Singer: MASOCHISTIC BONO BAND (Nippon Cultural Broadcasting Extend)
・2021/1/9 #241 and later

・Music: Takatsugu Wakabayashi

■Detailed evaluation

Bonobono (2016 version) is a television anime series based on the original work by Igarashi Mikio, an animated version of a four-panel comic that began serialization in 1986. The anime skillfully mixes humor and philosophical questions while depicting the daily lives of forest animals. The main character, Bonobono, is a baby sea otter who is inquisitive and quick to respond to strange things. The world seen from his perspective is deeply moving for children and adults alike.

The charm of this anime lies in its heartwarming gags and deep philosophical essence. Bonobono uses his rich imagination and delusions to try to solve the various events that occur in the forest. In the process, he sometimes confuses the forest residents, but in the end, a conclusion that warms their hearts awaits them. For example, an episode in which Bonobono plays with Chipmunk-kun and Raccoon-kun and makes viewers think about friendship and family ties deeply moves viewers.

Also not to be missed is the depiction of Bonobono's family. In particular, "Bono-chan," which depicts Bonobono's childhood and his father's struggles raising him, depicts the love and hardships of a family with plenty of humor. Bonobono's father is a unique character who has a laid-back personality and speaks slowly, but likes to make funny poses. His struggles provide laughs to viewers while also making them feel the difficulties and joys of raising a child.

The production staff of this anime is also impressive. Director Yamaguchi Hidenori faithfully recreates the worldview of the original work while bringing out new charms with his own unique perspective. Character designer Sekiguchi Yuka brings to life adorable visuals of characters such as Bonobono, Chipmunk-kun, and Raccoon-kun. Sound director Yokota Chikako also brings out the best in the voice actors, successfully capturing the hearts of viewers. In particular, Yukimiyama Fukuko, who plays Bonobono, captivates viewers with her performance that combines childlike innocence with deep insight.

The theme songs also add to the charm of this anime. The ending theme, "Bonobono Suru," is sung by Monobright, and has a memorable gentle melody that symbolizes the world of Bonobono. The opening theme, "Bonobono Rock'n'Roll," is sung by MASOCHISTIC BONO BAND, and its humorous and energetic melody will get the audience excited. These songs will help you understand the contents of the anime more deeply.

Bonobono (2016 version) is an anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. The story skillfully weaves soothing gags and philosophical questions, deeply moving the viewer. In addition, episodes depicting family ties and friendships are sure to warm the hearts of viewers. The brilliant work of the production staff and the charm of the theme song also enhance the value of this anime. Please try experiencing the world of Bonobono at least once.

■Recommendation details

The reason we recommend Bonobono (2016 version) is its soothing humor and deep philosophical essence. This anime skillfully mixes humor with deep questions while depicting the daily lives of forest animals. In particular, viewers are deeply moved by the way Bonobono tries to solve the various events that occur in the forest by making full use of his rich imagination and delusions. Additionally, episodes depicting family ties and friendships are sure to warm the hearts of viewers.

To enjoy this anime, please pay attention to the following points.

• Relaxing Gags : Bonobono's humorous actions and comments provide laughter to the audience. In particular, the scene where Bonobono plays with Chipmunk-kun and Raccoon-kun is a prime example of a relaxing gag.
• Philosophical questions : The deep questions that Bonobono ponders about the events that occur in the forest provide viewers with new perspectives. For example, episodes that make viewers think about friendship and family ties deeply move them.
• Family ties : The depiction of Bonobono's family will warm the hearts of viewers. In particular, "Bono-chan," which depicts Bonobono's childhood and his father's struggles raising him, depicts the love and hardships of a family with plenty of humor.
• The excellent work of the production staff : Director Hidenori Yamaguchi, character designer Yuka Sekiguchi, sound director Chikako Yokota, and other production staff members make this anime worth watching. In particular, the performance of Fukuko Yukimiyama as Bonobo will surely captivate the viewers.
• The charm of the theme song : The ending theme "Bonobono Suru" and the opening theme "Bonobono Rock'n'Roll" enhance the charm of this anime. These songs help you understand the contents of the anime more deeply.

Bonobono (2016 version) is an anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. The story skillfully weaves soothing gags and philosophical questions, deeply moving the viewer. In addition, episodes depicting family ties and friendships are sure to warm the hearts of viewers. The brilliant work of the production staff and the charm of the theme song also enhance the value of this anime. Please try experiencing the world of Bonobono at least once.