Don’t know your Anpanmans from your Dorami-Chans?
Here’s a short intro to some of the kid’s characters that keep popping up in my daily life.
I don’t want any 2 year olds judging you if you don’t know your stuff , ok?
Who have should I have included ? Which characters did you spend the most time thinking “what the hell is that ?”
BTW – no judgement here … I have no idea how I’d even begin to explain Gumby to anyone who’s just laid eyes on him for the first time ….
Starting with my favourite (because its just so random that I love seeing people’s faces when I try to explain…)
ANPANMAN
NAME: Literally means ‘Red Bean Bread Man’ because he is a bread roll stuffed with red bean paste.
(You can sometimes find these in the bakeries and you could gobble one up if you truly want to give your kids nightmares.
OCCUPATION: Superhero (duh! He’s full of red beans and can FLY)
SUPERPOWERS: Super sense of hearing for cries of distress.
Also.. Ability to give the starving bites of his head (Don’t worry. New head replacement can be baked up by his Uncle Jam when required. )
SIGNS THAT A NEW HEAD IS REQUIRED: Eyeballs replaced with an ‘X.’ (Yep.)
ARC NEMISIS: Baikinman (Germ Man) whom Anpanman saves the world from on a regular basis.
WEAKNESSES: Water or anything that might make his head dirty.
OTHER CHARACTERS:
Jyamu Ojisan (Uncle Jam)
Batako-san (Butter Girl, Assistant of Uncle Jam)
Cheese – pet dog of Uncle Jam
Currypanman (Curry Bread Man) Anpanman’s hot headed bestie
Shokupanman (White Bread Man)
ULTRAMAN
NAME: Pronounced closer to ‘OOltraman.’ Not ‘Ultra-man.’
AGE: Just over 20,000 years old
TOP SECRET DETAILS: Ultraman is actually a guy called Hayata who works on the Science Patrol (unbeknownst to his Science Patrol colleagues.) He becomes Ultraman when the Science Patrol’s weaponry fails when attempting to defeat monsters threatening the earth.
“FAMILY”: He is actually one of many Ultra Crusaders.
WEAKNESS: Can only hang around on earth for 3-5 minutes before needing to return to space to recharge himself.
BON BON RIBBON
PERSONAL DREAMS: Becoming a fashion accessory designer but dabbles in song & dance
BESTIES: Her ballet school buds Run Run Lulu & Milky Mimi
DORAEMON
CHARACTER: Am I the only one that didn’t work out right away that he was meant to be a (robotic) cat?
SUPERPOWERS: Time Travel, a magic pocket where he produces gadgets like toys or medicine or a magic door that opens to anywhere you like.
BESTIE: Young boy Nobuta who helps with his studies and frequent bullying.
DORAMI
CLAIM TO FAME: Doraemon’s younger sister. Bear with me but…. they are siblings because they drank from the same oil can… hmm…..
LIKES: Melon Bread, general cleanliness.
DISLIKES: Cockroaches
PERSONALITY: Apparently, much more responsible than her older bro.
RILAKKUMA
NAME: Combo of Relax + Kuma (Bear)
ORIGIN: As a picture book character but now is just as well known for being a soft toy.
FUTURE PLANS: Apparently there will be a specially made Netflix Rilakkuma special in 2019
CLOTHING CHOICES: Costumes. Although, he is often waiting for suits that look just like his current clothing to dry.
GUDETAMA
WHO IS HE? A melancholy cartoon egg yolk who lacks a lust for anything in life (he’s kind of like a cartoon egg version of Grumpy Cat?)
WHEN THINGS FEEL EXTRA HARD HE: Hides his “head” inside an eggshell or covers himself in a slice of bacon
MOST MEMORABLE FEATURE: (Well… for me…. ) He is an egg with a butt crack.
HELLO KITTY
JAPANESE NAME: KITTY CHAN
SIBLINGS: TWIN SISTER CALLED MIMI
SOMETHING THAT BLOWS MY MIND? LACK OF MOUTH
SORRY TO DISCLOSE YOUR WEIGHT, HONEY, BUT..: The weight equivalent of 3 apples ( please don’t ask me for a guestimate of mine in apples, k?)
SHIMAJIRO
FULL NAME: SHIMAJIRO SHIMANO
HIS STORY: So he attends Kindergarten on Challenge Island
TV SHOW: Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirou
If your child really loves Anpanman and you’re driving through Shizuoka Prefecture – I recommend stopping at Hirono Seaside Park for the playground with the Anpanman statues.
There is also an Anpanman Museum in Yokohama and Kobe.
