is a Japanese

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series written and illustrated by . It was serialized in

Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...

's manga magazine ''

Weekly Young Jump is a Japanese manga magazine published by Shueisha. Launched in 1979, it is published under Shueisha's '' Jump'' line of magazines. The chapters of series that run in ''Weekly Young Jump'' are collected and published in volumes under the "Y ...

'' from 1988 to 1994, with its chapters collected in eight volumes. It describes the daily life of Ashibe, an elementary school boy, and his family and friends, including his

spotted seal The spotted seal (''Phoca largha''), also known as the larga seal or largha seal, is a member of the family Phocidae, and is considered a "true seal". It inhabits ice floes and waters of the north Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas. It is primaril ...

pup named Goma-chan. It received a six-episode

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

(OVA) adaptation in 1991, which led to an

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series adaptation aired on TBS in that same year; a second season aired from 1992 to 1993. A second manga series, titled ''ComaGoma'', which depicts Ashibe as a second grade student, was serialized in ''Weekly Young Jump'' from 2000 to 2004, with its chapters collected in six volumes. A second anime television series adaptation, titled ''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan'', was broadcast for four seasons on

NHK Educational TV , abbreviated on-screen as NHK E, is the second television service of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). It is a sister service of NHK General TV, showing programs of a more educational, documentaries, cultural, children's or intellectual n ...

from 2016 to 2019. A manga adaptation of ''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan'', illustrated by Junko Ogino, was published in

Futabasha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in , Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Futabasha is known for its manga works, and its 1967 magazine Manga Action first conceived of the manga category, decades before the other major companies tested th ...

's ''

Monthly Action was a Japanese seinen manga magazine published by Futabasha. History ''Monthly Action'' was launched on May 25, 2013, the anniversary of publisher Futabasha's founding. The magazine was formed from a merging of the editorial departments of the ...

'' and ' from 2016 to 2018, and its chapters were collected in three volumes. Another manga series illustrated by Shōhei, titled ''Seishōnen Ashibe'', was serialized in ''Monthly Action'', and later on the ''Web Action'' website, from 2017 to 2024. It depicts an older Ashibe as a freshman in high school. In 2020, Morishita started another manga series, titled ''Shō 3 Ashibe QQ Goma-chan'', which depicts Ashibe as a third grade student.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by , ''Shōnen Ashibe'' was serialized in

's manga magazine ''

'' from 1988 to 1994. Shueisha collected its chapters in eight volumes, released from April 19, 1989, to March 18, 1994. Shueisha republished the series in four volumes from August 10 to October 18, 2001.

released two volumes, consisting of selected stories, on April 28 and November 12, 2011, and republished the eight volumes from April 1, 2016, to March 28, 2017.

Sequels

A second manga series, titled ''ComaGoma'', following Ashibe as a second grade student, was serialized in ''Weekly Young Jump'' from October 12, 2000, to March 25, 2004. Shueisha collected its chapters in six volumes, released from November 20, 2001, to July 16, 2004. Futabasha republished the six volumes, under the title , from June 12, 2017, to April 12, 2018. A third manga series, titled , following Ashibe as a third grade student, started in ''Manga Action'' on March 17, 2020. Futabasha released the first volume on April 25, 2022. As of August 9, 2023, two volumes have been released.

Other series

A manga adaptation of ''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan'', illustrated by Junko Ogino, was serialized in Futabasha's ''

'' from April 25, 2016, to February 25, 2017, and was later transferred to the publisher's ' starting on May 2 of that same year, and concluded on March 5, 2018. Futabasha collected its chapters in three volumes; the first two volumes were published on September 12, 2016, and January 12, 2017, respectively, and the third volume was published digitally-only on April 12, 2018. Another manga series illustrated by Shōhei, titled , which depicts an older Ashibe as a freshman in high school, started in ''Monthly Action'' on July 25, 2017; the magazine ended in February 2024, and the series moved to the publisher's ''Web Action'' website, where it finished on November 8, 2024. Futabasha released the first volume on April 12, 2018. As of March 12, 2024, eight volumes have been released.

Anime

1991–1994 series

A six-episode

(OVA) adaptation, animated by

Nippon Animation is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with its headquarters in their Tama, Tokyo, Tama City studio and an administrative office in the Ginza district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō. Nippon Animation is known for prod ...

and distributed by

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...

, was released between January 21 and July 21, 1991. A 37-episode

television series, animated by Life Work, was broadcast on TBS from April 11 to December 28, 1991. It was followed by a 25-episode second season broadcast from October 3, 1992, to March 27, 1993.

''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan''

A second anime television series, titled , animated by

Bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

and Husio Studio, directed by Nobuhiro Kondo, with series composition by , was broadcast for 32 episodes on

from April 5, 2016, to February 21, 2017. A second season, animated by the same studios of the first season, was broadcast for 32 episodes from April 4, 2017, to February 13, 2018. A third season, animated by Bridge and

Studio Palette is a Japanese animation studio based in Suginami, Tokyo. Establishment The studio was founded in Suginami, Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in ...

, was broadcast for 32 episodes from April 3, 2018, to February 26, 2019. A fourth season, animated by

Shin-Ei Animation is a Japanese animation studio owned by TV Asahi and founded in Tokyo in 1965 as A Production by Daikichirō Kusube, who was previously an animator for Toei Animation. History Shin-Ei Animation's history begins in December 1965 as by Daiki ...

and Studio Palette, with series composition by , was broadcast for 24 episodes from April 2 to December 17, 2019.

Reception

With its anime adaptation, the manga increased in popularity. The manga has sold 20 million copies.

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{Shin-Ei TV series 1991 anime television series debuts 1992 anime television series debuts 2016 anime television series debuts 2017 anime television series debuts 2018 anime television series debuts 2019 anime television series debuts Anime series based on manga Comedy anime and manga Futabasha manga NHK original programming Seinen manga Shin-Ei Animation Shueisha manga Slice of life anime and manga Studio Palette