Ojarumaru

Ojarumaru (おじゃる丸) is a Japanese Yonkoma manga series created by Rin Inumaru, serialized in Shogakukan's Shojo magazine Ciao from 1993 until its cancellation in 2006. The manga was republished by Shueisha and re-serialized in Saikyo Jump in 2012 by Tatsuma Ejiri. It was adapted as an ongoing anime series produced by NHK Enterprises, animated by Gallop, and broadcast on NHK Educational TV beginning in October 1998. The story focuses on the adventures of a 5-year-old Heian-era prince named Ojarumaru Sakanoue who accidentally time-warps to modern Japan and lives with Kazuma Tamura and his parents. The prince tries to understand modern Japan's culture, while making many new friends and dodging a trio of young oni who try to get back a scepter that he stole from Great King Enma. It has been released in some countries under the name Prince Mackaroo. The series has been dubbed in Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Tagalog, Thai, Cantonese, Korean, and Malay.

It received an "Excellence Award" for animation at the 1999 Japan Media Arts Festival.^[1]

Plot

Around 1,000 years ago in Fairy World (妖精界 Yōsei-Kai) in the Heian era, a young prince from a noble family named Ojarumaru Sakanoue is bored of his life of privilege. He is later lured into Enma World (エンマ界 Enma-Kai) by the sound of a ukulele played by Great King Enma. Upon arriving, he steals Great King Enma's powerful scepter, which he uses in order to judge the dead. While getting chased by Great King Enma, he accidentally falls into the Moon Hole (月の穴 Tsuki no Ana), which time-warps him to modern Japan through the Full Moon Road (満月ロード Mangetsu Rōdo). The furious Great King Enma sends his three adopted oni children, Aobee, Kisuke, and Akane, who are known as the Oni Child Trio, to pursue Ojarumaru and get the scepter back. At the present time, Ojarumaru befriends a boy named Kazuma Tamura and lives with his family, thanks to his grandfather Tommy. While making many new friends and dodging the Oni Child Trio's efforts to retrieve the scepter, Ojarumaru has many adventures in Moonlight Town and encounters new things he's never seen before in his time period.

Media

Manga

Written by Rin Inumaru, the Ojarumaru manga began serialization in Shogakukan's Ciao magazine as a Yonkoma and ran from 1993 up to its cancellation in 2006. The cancellation of the manga was done by its publisher after Rin Inumaru committed suicide by jumping off the 14th floor of her apartment on September 10, 2006. A suicide note left to her mother indicated she was feeling stress due to her job.^[2] For unknown reasons, none of the chapters were collected into tankōbon volumes in Japan.

An adaptation of the original manga, written and illustrated by Tatsuma Ejiri, was serialized in Shueisha's Saikyo Jump magazine from January 2012 to September 2014. The first tankōbon volume was published in Japan on July 4, 2014^[3] and is currently the only tankōbon release of the manga.

Anime series

An anime adaptation produced by NHK Enterprises and animated by Studio Gallop premiered on NHK Educational TV on October 5, 1998 in Japan. The series has become the second longest-running anime on NHK next to Nintama Rantaro, and the sixth longest-running anime series to date.

Specials

A total of four Ojarumaru specials have aired on NHK Educational TV in Japan. The first special entitled Ojarumaru: A Happy Blue Back (おじゃる丸　しあわせの青いせなか, Ojarumaru: Shiawase no Aoi Senaka) aired on January 1, 2000. The second special aired on May 3, 2007 entitled Ojarumaru: Peril at the Full Moon Road ~A Rare Adventure of Our Prince~ (おじゃる丸　満月ロード危機一髪　～タマにはマロも大冒険～, Ojarumaru: Mangetsu Rōdo Kiki Ippatsu ~Tama ni wa Maro mo Dai Bōken~). The third special aired on March 20, 2012 entitled Ojarumaru Special: My Galaxy is Calling ~The Two Wishing Stars~ (おじゃる丸スペシャル　銀河がマロを呼んでいる　～ふたりのねがい星～, Ojarumaru Supesharu: Ginga ga Maro o Yonde iru ~Futari no Negai Boshi~). The fourth special aired on August 14, 2015 entitled Ojarumaru Special: Hinata in the Forgotten Forest (おじゃる丸 スペシャル　わすれた森のヒナタ, Ojarumaru Supesharu: Wasureta Mori no Hinata).^[4]

Anime film

An anime film based on the Ojarumaru anime series entitled Ojarumaru the Movie: The Promised Summer - Ojaru and Semira was released by Toei on July 15, 2000 in Japan.

Openings and Endings

Opening Themes

1. "Utahito" (詠人)(Series 1-10, Series 16-present) Performer: Saburō Kitajima
2. "Yumehito" (夢人)(Series 11-15) Performer: Saburō Kitajima

Ending Themes

1. "Purin Sanka" (プリン賛歌 The Pudding Anthem)(Series 1) Performer: Sus4
2. "Purin de ojaru" (プリンでおじゃる Pudding)(Series 2) Performer: Yuriko Fuchizaki, Rie Iwatsubo, Hiroko Konishi
3. "Mattari Ondo" (まったり音頭 The Laid-back Ondo)(Special 1) Performer: Yuriko Fuchizaki, Rie Iwatsubo, Hiroko Konishi
4. "Kooni Trio no Theme" (子鬼トリオのテーマ The Theme of the Oni Child Trio)(Series 3) Performer: Kazuya Ichijou, Omi Minami, Yūji Ueda
5. "Koi o Itashi Mashou♪" (恋をいたしましょう♪ Let us Love♪)(Series 4) Performer: Rie Iwatsubo
6. "Acchi Muite Hoi de ojaru" (あっちむいてホイでおじゃる)(Series 5) Performer: Yuriko Fuchizaki, Kazuya Ichijou, Rie Iwatsubo, Omi Miami, Chinami Nishimura, Yūji Ueda
7. "Kono Machi Itsumo ~Bin-chan no Uta~" (この町いつも〜貧ちゃんの歌〜 Always in this Town ~Poverty-chan's Song~)(Series 6) Performer: Ayaka Saitō
8. "Warera Gekkō Machi Chicchai Mono Club" (われら月光町ちっちゃいものクラブ Our Moonlight Town Tiny Things Club)(Series 7) Performer: Rie Iwatsubo, Satomi Kōrogi, Ryō Naitō, Chinami Nishimura, Ayaka Saitō
9. "Gekkō Machi no Uta" (月光町のうた Moonlight Town's Song )(Series 8) Performer: Chinami Nishimura, Yūji Ueda
10. "Denbo no Bunbun Setsu" (電ボのブンブン節 Denbo's Buzzing Melody)(Series 9) Performer: Yuriko Fuchizaki, Chinami Nishimura, Narumi Satō
11. "Sankyukkyu Dancing" (さんきゅっきゅダンシング Squeaking Dancing)(Series 10) Performer: Natsumi
12. "Yumehito" (夢人)(Special 2) Performer: Saburō Kitajima
13. "Bokura no Sekai" (ぼくらの世界 Our World)(Series 11) Performer: Reiko Mizumachi
14. "Ojarumaru Kyōsō Kyoku" (おじゃる丸狂騒曲 The Ojarumaru Prosperous Song)(Series 12) Performer: Kumiko Mori
15. "Katatsumuri" (かたつむり Snails)(Series 13) Performer: Miami Oku
16. "Hatsukoi wa Minora Nai" (初恋は実らない Not My First Love)(Series 14) Performer: Ojarumaru Sisters
17. "Aru Shashō" (ある車掌 The Conductor)(Special 3) Performer: Gen Hoshino
18. "Maro no Sanpo" (マロのさんぽ My Walk)(Series 15, Series 16) Performer: Chopiiin (Series 15), Yuriko Fuchizaki, Chinami Nishimura, Narumi Satō (Series 16)
19. "Da!Da!!Da!!!" (Series 17) Performer: The Collectors
20. "Wakaran" (わからん I Don't Know) (Series 18)^[5] Performer: Zainichi Funk

International versions

North America

• In the United States, Enoki Films has the master license for the series under the title Prince Mackaroo.^[6] Enoki Films has also licensed all the TV specials.^[7] Suggested name changes have been given to most of the characters, such as Ojarumaru becoming "Prince Mackaroo" and Denbo becoming "Cyber-Fly". However, no English version has been released.

Asia

• In Taiwan, it is dubbed in Chinese and aired on CTV under the title Wán Shàoyé (丸少爺) on December 16, 1999.
• In India, it is dubbed in Hindi and aired on Hungama TV in 2009.
• In the Philippines, it is dubbed in Tagalog by Telesuccess Productions, Inc. and aired on QTV Channel 11 and TV5 under the title Prince Mackaroo.
• In Hong Kong, it is dubbed in Cantonese and aired on TVB under the title Fǎn Dòu Xiǎo Wángzǐ (反斗小王子). A separate dub aired on Cable TV under the title Xié Liú Wán Wángzǐ (邪留丸王子).
• In Thailand, it is dubbed in Thai and formally aired on Channel 9.^[8] The series currently airs on Workpoint TV under the title Xocārumāru (โอจารุมารุ).
• In South Korea, it is dubbed in Korean and aired on Tooniverse.^[8]
• In Malaysia, it is dubbed in Malaysian and aired on Astro.^[8]

Europe

• In Spain, it is dubbed in Spanish by Arait Multimedia and aired on Telecinco under the title El príncipe Mackaroo (Mackaroo the Prince).
• In Italy, it is dubbed in Italian by Merak Film and aired on Italia 1 under the title Mack, ma che principe sei? (Mack, what a Prince?) in 2002.

Middle East

• In Arabia, it is dubbed in Arabic and aired on Spacetoon under the title فارس الحكايا.

Video games

Game Boy Advance

• Ojarumaru: Gekkō Machi Sanpo de Ojaru

Game Boy Color

• Ojarumaru: Mangan Jinja no Ennichi de Ojaru!
• Ojarumaru: Tsukiyo ga Ike no Takaramono

iPhone

• Akihabara Ojaru de Kankō

Mobile Phone

• Ojarumaru: Kaikai! Enma-Kai^[9]
• Ojarumaru: Gattai no Oni^[10]
• Ojarumaru: Ojarumaru Tennis^[11]
• Ojarumaru: Eboshi Collection^[11]
• Ojarumaru: Ojarumaru no Hover Race^[12]
• Ojarumaru: Chicchai Golf^[13]
• Ojarumaru: Nige tetamo^[13]
• Ojarumaru: Logic Puzzle^[14]
• Ojarumaru: Shutsudō! Chicchai Mono Club^[15]

Nintendo DS

• Ojarumaru DS: Ojaru to Okeiko Aiueo

Sega Pico

• Ojarumaru^[16]

See also

• Gag Manga Biyori
• Nintama Rantaro
• Doraemon
• Sazae-san

References

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Peril at the Full Moon Road ~A 'Rare' Adventure of Our Prince~ Official site (Japanese)
• My Galaxy is Calling ~The 2 Wishing Stars~ Official site (Japanese)
• Ojarumaru (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

Gallop
Television series	Touch (1985–1987) High School! Kimengumi (1985–1987) Tekkamen wo oe! Dartanyan Monogatari Yori (1987) The Three Musketeers Anime (1987–1989) Kiteretsu Daihyakka (1988–1996) Gaki Deka (1989–1990) Miracle Giants Dome-kun (1989–1990) Tanken Gobrin Tou (1990–1991) Genji Tsūshin Agedama (1991–1992) Hime-chan's Ribbon (1992–1993) Dragon League (1993–1994) Akazukin Chacha (1994–1995) Sorcerers of the Serenade: Secret of Top Record (1995–1996) Nurse Angel Ririka SOS (1995–1996) Rurouni Kenshin (1996–1997) Kodocha (1996–1998) Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (1996–2004) Anime TV de Hakken! Tamagotchi (1997–1998) Initial D (1998) Ojarumaru (1998–present) Daichi wa Future Blade (2000–2002) Transformers: Car Robots (2000) Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (2000–2004) Forza! Hidemaru (2002) Legendz: Tale of the Dragon Kings (2004–2005) Morizo to Kikkoro (2004–2005) Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (2004–2008) Animal Yokochō (2005–2006) Eyeshield 21 (2005–2008) Hataraki Man (2006) Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's (2008–2011) Mainichi Kaasan (2009–2012) Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal (2011–2014) Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V (2014–present) Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (special) (2016)
OVAs	Prefectural Earth Defense Force (1986) Maps: Densetsu no Samayoeru Seijintachi (1987) To-y (1987) One-pound Gospel (1988) The Three Musketeers Anime: Aramis' Adventure (1989) Akazukin Chacha (1995–1996) Eyeshield 21: Christmas Bowl e no Michi (2005)
Films	Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture (1997) Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo The Movie (1999) Ojarumaru: A Happy Blue Back (2000) Ojarumaru the Movie: The Promised Summer - Ojaru and Semira (2000) Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo The Movie 2: UFO Shūrai! Tornado Daisakusen!! (2003) Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light (2004) Ojarumaru: Peril at the Full Moon Road -A 'Rare' Adventure of Our Prince- (2007) Kawa no Hikari (2009) Yu-Gi-Oh!: Bonds Beyond Time (2010) Ojarumaru Special: My Galaxy is Calling ~The 2 Wishing Stars~ (2012) Ojarumaru Special: Hinata in the Forgotten Forest (2015) Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions (2016)
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