Tensai Bakabon

• Name — Tensai Bakabon • Ja Kanji — 天才バカボン • Genre — Comedy

• Type — manga • Author — Fujio Akatsuka • Publisher — * Kodansha • Shogakukan • Magazine — * Weekly Shōnen Magazine • (April 9, 1967–February 23, 1969, June 27, 1971–January 12, 1975, October 26, 1975–December 5, 1976) • Monthly Shōnen Magazine • (August 1967–January 1969, August 1974–December 1978) • Weekly Shōnen Sunday • (August 24, 1969–April 5, 1970) • Shōnen Sunday Deluxe • (September 1969–June 1970) • Weekly Bokura Magazine • Monthly TV Magazine • (December 1971–August 1977) • Comic BonBon • (October 1987–October 1991) • Hero Magazine • (October 1989–January 1991) • Bom Bom Deluxe • (November 1991–December 1992) • First — April 9, 1967 • Last — December 5, 1976 (Shōnen Magazine version) • Volumes — 38

• Type — tv series • Director — Hiroshi Saito • Music — Takeo Watanabe • Studio — Tokyo Movie • Network — NNS (YTV) • First — September 25, 1971 • Last — June 24, 1972 • Episodes — 40

• Type — tv series • Title — Ganso Tensai Bakabon • Director — * Yoshio Takeuchi • Makura Saki • Shigetsugu Yoshida • Hideo Takayashiki • Writer — * Yutaka Kaneko • Noboru Shiroyama • Haruya Yamazaki • Atsushi Yamatoya • Music — Takeo Watanabe • Studio — Tokyo Movie • Network — NNS (NTV) • First — October 6, 1975 • Last — September 26, 1977 • Episodes — 103

• Type — tv series • Title — Heisei Tensai Bakabon • Director — Hiroshi Sasagawa • Studio — Studio Pierrot • Network — FNS (Fuji TV) • First — January 6, 1990 • Last — December 29, 1990 • Episodes — 46

• Type — tv series • Title — Rerere no Tensai Bakabon • Director — Hayato Date • Studio — Studio Pierrot • Network — TXN (TV Tokyo) • First — October 19, 1999 • Last — March 21, 2000 • Episodes — 24

• Type — tv series • Title — Shinya! Tensai Bakabon • Director — Horu Tokozawa • Writer — Horu Tokozawa • Producer — * Koji Fuji • Kazuyoshi Ozawa • Makoto Hijikata • Genta Ozaki • Takayoshi Minematsu • Izumi Furusawa • Tomoyuki Saito (producer) • Music — * Kenichiro Suehiro • Akihiro Manebe • Studio — Studio Pierrot+ • Licensee — Crunchyroll • Network — TV Tokyo, TVO, TVA, BS TV Tokyo • First — July 11, 2018 • Last — September 26, 2018 • Episodes — 12 Tensai Bakabon is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujio Akatsuka, which began publication on April 9, 1967, in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. It is about the misadventures of a dim-witted boy (Bakabon) and his idiotic father, the latter of whom eventually becomes the central character. It has been adapted into five anime television series. The first two series produced by Tokyo Movie were broadcast in the 1970s for 40 and 103 episodes respectively. The third and fourth series were produced by Studio Pierrot and broadcast in 1990 and 1999–2000, for 46 and 24 episodes respectively. The fifth series was produced by Pierrot+ and broadcast for 12 episodes in 2018.

• Bakabon no Papa • Bakabon's troublemaking idiotic father who eventually steals the show and becomes the central character. His catchphrase is saying "It'll be all right" to someone when trying to get them to go along with one of his stupid plans. A typical episode plot involves Papa either being too stupid to perform a simple task or coming up with some crazy idea to accomplish a simple task, usually asking for his son Bakabon's advice and causing tons of trouble. He was once very smart but became an idiot after an accident. He is known for always wearing his trademark hachimaki and haramaki. His favorite food is octopus. Papa has become an anime icon in Japan and was ranked number 9 in a 2002 TV Asahi Top 100 Anime Characters list. Voiced by Masashi Amenomori (1st-2nd series), Kōsei Tomita (3rd series, pachinko games), Hisahiro Ogura (4th series), Arata Furuta (5th series). • Bakabon • A boy who enjoys causing mischief, especially with his Papa. On the inside, though, he is kind and works a part-time job as a shoeshine boy to buy his mother a birthday present. He is known for not wearing pants underneath his kimono. At the beginning of the series he attends Bokenasu Elementary School, which means Idiot Elementary School, but by the fourth anime it has been renamed Bakada Elementary School, meaning Stupid Elementary School. Voiced by Keiko Yamamoto (1st-2nd series, pachinko), Megumi Hayashibara (3rd series), Yoshiko Kamei (4th series), Miyu Irino (5th series). • Hajime-chan • Bakabon's younger brother. He is a child prodigy, understanding words almost immediately after his birth and being capable of explaining the Pythagorean theorem and Kepler's laws of planetary motion. His name means "beginning". Voiced by Takako Sasuga (1st-2nd series, pachinko), Chika Sakamoto (3rd series), Yukiji (4th series), Ai Nonaka (5th series). • Bakabon no Mama • Bakabon's mother and a graduate of Kuroyuri Women's University (a parody of Shirayuri Women's University). Despite how much trouble and mischief Papa and Bakabon cause, she is a good wife and mother. She is the only family member to have the same voice actress throughout the series. Voiced by Eiko Masuyama (1st-4th series), Haruko Kitahama (1st series, Ep. 35 only), Noriko Hidaka (5th series). • Rerere no Oji-san • The Bakabon family's odd neighbor, named so for his tendency to say "rerere" (rather than are) when confused about the countless shenanigans in the series. He is almost always seen sweeping the street outside of his yard. He is bald, has a moustache but no nose, ears that extend slightly off of his head, and wears a yukata and geta sandals. Voiced by Ryūji Saikachi (1st-2nd series), Shigeru Chiba (3rd-4th series, pachinko), Akira Ishida (5th series). • Omawari-san • The local beat cop, referred to as Mr. Policeman in the anime. He is gluttonous, lecherous, and often fires his pistol at random. He is always wishing for money or a promotion. His notable features include his huge eyes usually drawn as connected into one eyeball, his underbite buck teeth (from the jawbone), and his one nostril in the middle of his nose. His official name from Akatsuka is Officer with the Connected Eyes. Voiced by Isamu Tanonaka (1st series), Kaneta Kimotsuki (2nd series), Shigeru Chiba (3rd-4th series, pachinko), Toshiyuki Morikawa (5th anime). • Unagi-Inu • An unusual animal from the neighborhood who is a cross between an eel and a dog. Voiced by Michihiro Ikemizu (2nd series), Aruno Tahara (3rd series), Kōzō Shioya (4th series), Takahiro Sakurai (5th anime). • Dog of the Night • A goofy dog who shows up during scene changes. • Kumada-kun • Bakabon's classmate who always wears a helmet. For the 4th anime he was renamed "kabuto" means "helmet". Voiced by Rica Matsumoto (3rd series), Kappei Yamaguchi (4th series). • "Stray Horse"/"Wild Horse" • A reckless horse with no owner.

• Honda-sensei • Bakabon's headmaster. Only appears in the first anime. Voiced by Kōichi Kitamura. • Nakamura-kun • Bakabon's ill-tempered classmate. Only appears in the first anime. Voiced by Kaneta Kimotsuki.

• Iyami • Originally from Osomatsu-kun, he only appears in the Rerere no Tensai Bakabon series alongside Chibita. Voiced by Kaneta Kimotsuki (Episodes 1, 4, 16); Kenichi Ogata (Episodes 3, 6, 11, 16, 20-21, 24) (4th series) • Chibita • Originally from Osomatsu-kun, he only appears in the Rerere no Tensai Bakabon series alongside Iyami. • lit. literally "Flag boy" • Originally from Osomatsu-kun, he only appears in the Rerere no Tensai Bakabon series. • Dekapan • Originally from Osomatsu-kun, he only appears in the Rerere no Tensai Bakabon series. • Dayōn • Originally from Osomatsu-kun, he only appears in the Rerere no Tensai Bakabon series. • Sakura-chan • Originally from Kikanpo Gen-chan. Bakabon's girlfriend. Only appears in the first anime. Voiced by Kazuko Sawada.

4 bilingual Japanese-English volumes have been released of the manga as The Genius Bakabon.

Four anime series have been produced, with the first two series produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and the second two produced by Studio Pierrot. Tensai Bakabon aired for 40 episodes on Yomiuri TV from September 25, 1971, to June 24, 1972. Three years later, "Original Genius Bakabon" aired for 103 episodes on NTV from October 6, 1975, to September 26, 1977. In India this show was broadcast by Hungama TV. The original series was heavily rerun on Animax during its first few years on air, as it was centred around classic anime at the time. The two Studio Pierrot series aired nearly nine years apart, with "Heisei period Genius Bakabon" airing on Fuji TV for 46 episodes from January 6 to December 29, 1990, and Rerere no Tensai Bakabon airing on TV Tokyo from October 19, 1999, to March 21, 2000, for 24 episodes. A late night anime titled "Late Night! Genius Bakabon" premiered on July 10, 2018, on TV Tokyo and other channels. It ran for 12 episodes.

A video game based on Tensai Bakabon titled Heisei Tensai Bakabon (平成天才バカボン) was released for the Nintendo Famicom by Namco on December 6, 1991. A Game Boy version was released later on February 28, 1992.