The Japan premiere of the new anime adaptation of "Obocchama-kun," based on Yoshinori Kobayashi's hit manga that gained popularity in the 1990s, took place on December 14th at the 1st Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF), an international anime film festival being held in Nagoya. The new film has also been attracting attention for being a joint production between Japan and India. Why India? Maiko Sumida of TV Asahi's International Business Development Department and Takanori Okano, producer at Shin-Ei Animation, explained the reason.
◇ A sequel that follows the worldview of the original
"Obocchama-kun" is a comedy manga depicting the daily life of Chama, the only son of the Obo family, one of the world's wealthiest families. It was serialized in "CoroCoro Comic" (Shogakukan) from 1986 to 1994. A TV anime series aired on TV Asahi from 1989 to 1992, and "Chama-go" (language used by Chama) such as "Tomodachi-ko" (Friend's Chinko), "Sonna Banana" (Sorry, 1,000 yen) and "Sumimasa Senen" (Excuse me, 1,000 yen) became popular.
The new series was written by Shin-Ei Animation, the studio behind the Japanese version of "Obocchama-kun," and the animation was produced in India. The series has been popular on Indian kids' channels, and there was a strong demand for a new series. With the kind permission of the original author, Kobayashi, TV Asahi and Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) have teamed up to produce a joint Japan-India series.
Sumida explained how the new film came to be produced, saying, "We received a request to make a sequel that adheres to the worldview of the original. The original was broadcast in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, and became an explosive hit, partly because it was a crazy and fun work set in a dark world. We received requests from people who wanted to see the sequel, and wanted it now, but if we made it in Japan, it wouldn't be ready in time. By creating the story in Japan and producing the animation in India, we can meet the scheduling demands."
Regarding receiving readily accepted approval from the original author, Kobayashi, Sumida said, "The author is my biggest supporter. When I went to him with the plan and told him that there are 400 million children in India, he was delighted that he was loved in a country full of hope and a future, and said, 'Let's do it!'"
A total of 52 parts were produced as a new work. "There are episodes from the original work and original works. The old work mostly used the original work. In the new work, about 10 parts are from the original work, and the rest are original. The teacher supervised it in detail," he said.
◇ I'll leave it in Japanese.
The new work has been produced as a Japanese anime, with signs in Japanese, etc. Sumida said, "We've kept it in Japanese, and people have accepted that. We were told there was no need to rewrite it into Hindi or English," while Okano said, "I did suggest that it might be better to incorporate India, such as an Indian person transferring to the school, but they requested that we depict episodes that are more Japanese. There are scenes where they study about India in social studies class," and it is being produced as an "anime made in Japan."
Due to strict compliance these days, the Chama language "Tomodachimiko" has been banned as it is "a little dangerous," and some places have updated it by creating the greeting "Friendrich."
Okano said, "There is no other work made in this way. Since it is difficult to develop the script in India, it was provided from Japan. We are having Director Yasumi Tetsuo, who worked on the original work, oversee the project. We are using as much of the character and art settings as we can. Video storyboards are sent from India and checked in Japan. There are some unique Indian directing elements, but we are not forcing it to match the original Japanese work, but rather making use of its individuality and ideas. We only changed expressions that clearly detracted from the original. Perhaps they were afraid of having a still image for a long time, but the camera was constantly moving. It made the screen too noisy, so we asked them to stop. Also, the sense of timing is different, so we adjusted the tempo of the jokes. The tempo is slow, but the gaps between lines are tight. Basically, since it will be broadcast in India, it is somewhat fine, but we thought about expanding it globally." As such, the production system is unique.
"The look is different from 35 years ago. This time we're using Flash to move the models. It's perhaps closer to puppetry. It's something different, but we have to carry on the spirit and passion of the jokes from 35 years ago. Compliance is strict, but we asked the writers to come up with bold jokes and made sure to keep it "original,"" he said, showing respect for the original work.
◇Why was it a hit in India?
Sumida analyzed the reason for the series' success in India, saying, "Japanese culture and Indian culture have much in common. Perhaps it's because the setting, with its family love and school life, is easy to relate to. It's also satisfying to see the teacher get screwed in a school that should be solemn. People can also relate to the relationships with parents. I think other countries will find it interesting as well."
Okano said, "The content will resonate with children today. The jokes are excessive and over the top. It's something that isn't done much these days, but it's a straightforward joke. My teacher told me that this can't be achieved by simply using cheap rich jokes, dirty jokes, or puns. I was conscious of Chama driving the jokes and how wild they could get."
Producing the film in India would likely keep production costs down, but Sumida says, "Our initial plan was to make it cheaply, but we're now in an era where it's no longer possible to do it cheaply. It's not an order of magnitude cheaper. In Japan, the workforce is shrinking, but India has a large population. I think that's a big advantage."
TV Asahi has been successful in expanding its anime in India with shows such as "Doraemon," "Ninja Hattori-kun," and "Crayon Shin-chan." Sumida explained about the Indian market, "It's not that TV Asahi is amazing, but rather that we were pioneers, having entered the Indian market 20 years ago with "Doraemon" and "Crayon Shin-chan-chan." We've been able to make a name for ourselves since then. Perhaps it was a big factor that we were on the scene when television was just starting to take root in India. Over the past 20 years, local Indian characters have also appeared. They are also a major rival. India likes action and heroes, and Marvel is also popular."
Okano said, "Anime production will expand in India in the future. We will be selective about the works, but it may be possible to collaborate with India to create one. However, there is a risk that the schedule may be difficult to predict. They are working enthusiastically, so I hope we can continue to do this in the future." He seemed to be pleased with the prospect of a Japan-India joint production.
Sumida expressed his enthusiasm for further development of "Obocchama-kun," saying, "I want him to face off against the Maharaja. I'd also like to make a movie. The author has said he'll write the original story, so I'd love to!"
