To commemorate the 40th anniversary of ‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ and the 35th anniversary of ‘Crayon Shin-chan,’ the official teams of both works jointly announced a collaboration on the 25th. Special collaborative manga stories will be published, allowing readers to see the Nohara family appear in the ‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ manga, while Maruko and her family will show up in the ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ manga.
The late manga artist Momoko Sakura’s ‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ was serialized in Shueisha’s Ribon magazine starting in 1986, and now has more than 35 years of history. Set in Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture (now Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka City), it depicts the everyday life—both ordinary and charming—of its protagonist Maruko, a third-grade elementary schooler, with her family and friends. It is a work filled with joy and warmth.
In this collaborative manga, published in the May issue of Ribon released on April 3, the story spans 16 pages and features the Nohara family visiting Shizuoka, where they meet Maruko by chance. Maruko and Shin-chan even get lost together.
‘Crayon Shin-chan,’ which began serialization in Futabasha’s Weekly Manga Action in 1990 by the late manga artist Yoshito Usui, centers around 5-year-old Shinnosuke Nohara (Shin-chan) in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture. Shin-chan’s mischievous and unconventional antics remain unforgettable to countless readers. His hilarious daily interactions with family and friends have made it a nation-wide favorite across generations.
The collaborative manga for ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ is also published on April 3 on the ‘Crayon Shin-chan Manga Website’, with the story split into two parts—the second installment coming online April 20. Combining both chapters, the manga totals 8 pages and tells the story of the Maruko family visiting Kasukabe. Maruko’s father Hiroshi Sakura and Shin-chan’s father Hiroshi Nohara will appear as a ‘Double Hiroshi’ pair for a burst of laughter-filled content.
In addition to the manga, the collaboration includes a limited-edition illustrated storage pouch bundled with the May issue of Ribon magazine. The official teams also plan to release collaborative merchandise and organize pop-up shops.
‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ began airing as an animated series on Fuji TV on January 7, 1990, and ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ followed on April 13, 1992 on TV Asahi. Both anime are still airing today, representing some of the longest-running franchises in Japanese animation. Although creators Momoko Sakura and Yoshito Usui have passed away, their works continue to warm the hearts of fans everywhere.
‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ production staff expressed their happiness about the collaboration, saying both series value humor and happiness found in daily life with family and friends: ‘For us, this is both interesting and precious. We sincerely hope everyone can enjoy the world where both families meet.’
The ‘New Crayon Shin-chan’ team “Yoshito Usui & UY Studio” also shared that seeing Maruko and Shin-chan living in the same world at first felt a bit surreal, but the interactions between the two families turned out to be even more in sync than expected. They hope readers will find joy in it as well.
In this collaborative manga, published in the May issue of Ribon released on April 3, the story spans 16 pages and features the Nohara family visiting Shizuoka, where they meet Maruko by chance. Maruko and Shin-chan even get lost together.
‘Crayon Shin-chan,’ which began serialization in Futabasha’s Weekly Manga Action in 1990 by the late manga artist Yoshito Usui, centers around 5-year-old Shinnosuke Nohara (Shin-chan) in Kasukabe City, Saitama Prefecture. Shin-chan’s mischievous and unconventional antics remain unforgettable to countless readers. His hilarious daily interactions with family and friends have made it a nation-wide favorite across generations.
The collaborative manga for ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ is also published on April 3 on the ‘Crayon Shin-chan Manga Website’, with the story split into two parts—the second installment coming online April 20. Combining both chapters, the manga totals 8 pages and tells the story of the Maruko family visiting Kasukabe. Maruko’s father Hiroshi Sakura and Shin-chan’s father Hiroshi Nohara will appear as a ‘Double Hiroshi’ pair for a burst of laughter-filled content.
In addition to the manga, the collaboration includes a limited-edition illustrated storage pouch bundled with the May issue of Ribon magazine. The official teams also plan to release collaborative merchandise and organize pop-up shops.
‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ began airing as an animated series on Fuji TV on January 7, 1990, and ‘Crayon Shin-chan’ followed on April 13, 1992 on TV Asahi. Both anime are still airing today, representing some of the longest-running franchises in Japanese animation. Although creators Momoko Sakura and Yoshito Usui have passed away, their works continue to warm the hearts of fans everywhere.
‘Chibi Maruko-chan’ production staff expressed their happiness about the collaboration, saying both series value humor and happiness found in daily life with family and friends: ‘For us, this is both interesting and precious. We sincerely hope everyone can enjoy the world where both families meet.’
The ‘New Crayon Shin-chan’ team “Yoshito Usui & UY Studio” also shared that seeing Maruko and Shin-chan living in the same world at first felt a bit surreal, but the interactions between the two families turned out to be even more in sync than expected. They hope readers will find joy in it as well.