It has been announced that a one-hour special of the TV anime "Chibi Maruko-chan" (Fuji TV, Sunday 6pm), based on the popular manga by Momoko Sakura, entitled "Thank you Chibi Maruko-chan ! 35th Anniversary of the Anime: Laugh, Sing and Bring Good Fortune - New Year's One-Hour Special" will be broadcast from 6pm on January 5th, 2025. To mark the 35th anniversary of the anime adaptation in 2025, the series will be broadcast as a one-hour special at the start of the new year.
The one-hour special features three episodes: "Maruko Becomes a Drifter," "Tama-chan's Father's First Dream," and "Singing Passionately! Chibi Maruko-chan Song Festival." As the title suggests, in "Maruko Becomes a Drifter," Maruko and her friends try their hand at "Drifting." Maruko, Hamaji, Kosugi, Fujiki, and Ohno decide to form the 3-of-4 (Class 3-4) Drifters in preparation for the party, and begin special training, but things don't go as planned... That's the story.
In "Chibi Maruko-chan Singing Festival,"Chibi Maruko-chan and her friends will perform a fun song show. Maruko and Tomozo will sing "Ladybird Samba," as well as a number of nostalgic hits from the 1970s.
◇Comment from Kokoro Kikuchi, who plays Maruko
(After finishing the recording) It was quite difficult to sing "Ladybird Samba" in Maruko's high voice in the song show... Everyone was able to sing it well in the character's voice, and I thought it was amazing! I really like the interaction between Ikariya Chosuke and Fujiki-kun in "Maruko Becomes a Drifter", so I hope you'll pay attention when watching it. This one-hour special will be the first broadcast in the 35th anniversary, so please enjoy it!
◇Comment from Shimada Bin, who plays the grandfather
(After finishing the recording) It's full of Showa era pop songs, and I think it's a really fun hour-long special. There are songs about Maruko and Tomozo, as well as many songs about their friends. There's also a story about the first dream of the year and the world of the Drifters, so I think it's an hour of Maruko world that is truly fitting for the 35th anniversary, so please be sure to check it out. Here's a haiku.
Please grant me my first dream of the year. I will be rejuvenated.
Tomozo: Heartfelt Haiku Wishing for the New Year
