Baikinman

Anpanman
Cover of the First Book, released under the "Kinder Ohanashi Ehon Masterpiece Selection" imprint
アンパンマン
Manga
Written by	Takashi Yanase
Published by	Froebel-kan
Demographic	Kodomo
Original run	1973 – 2013
Anime television series
Soreike! Anpanman
Directed by	Akinori Nagaoka Shunji Ôga
Music by	Hiroaki Kondo Taku Izumi
Studio	TMS Entertainment
Original network	NTV
Original run	October 3, 1988 – present
Episodes	1,320 (List of episodes)

Anpanman (アンパンマン) is a Japanese picture book series written by Takashi Yanase, running from 1973 until the creator died in 2013. The series has been adapted into an anime entitled Soreike! Anpanman (それいけ!アンパンマン, Let's Go! Anpanman), which is one of the most popular anime series among young children in Japan. The series follows the adventures of Anpanman, a superhero with an anpan (a bean-jam filled pastry) for a head, who protects the world from an evil anthropomorphic germ named Baikinman.

Heavily merchandised, the Anpanman characters appear on virtually every imaginable children's product in Japan, ranging from clothes to video games to toys to snack foods.

The series spawned a short-lived spin-off show featuring one of the popular recurring characters on the show, Omusubiman.

During the Second World War, Takashi Yanase faced starvation countless times, which made him dream about eating anpan. This inspired the creation of Anpanman.

In each episode, Anpanman fights with Baikinman and saves people. He goes on daily patrols around the house of Uncle Jam. He is a symbol of justice, fighting for good every day. Anpanman has a long history and new characters are frequently introduced, keeping the series fresh. In 2009, Anpanman was verified as a Guinness World Record Holder for the highest number of characters in an animated franchise, with a total of 1,768 characters appearing in the first 980 episodes of the TV series and the first 20 films.

The Anpanman picture book series debuted in October 1973. Frobel-kan has published over 150 picture books under different series labels consisting of a varying amount of picture books. Takashi Yanase wrote and illustrated the picture books until 2013, following his retirement from his career and eventual death.

The first anime adaptation of Anpanman, consisting of a single episode, aired during Spring Break Children's Hiroba - Picture Book on NHK General TV on March 13, 1979. Like the early picture books, Anpanman's name in the title was written in hiragana (あんぱんまん) instead of katakana. The anime was narrated by Meiko Nakamura. Although the character designs were closer to the picture books released under the Kinder Picture Books label, the story and the world view were almost the same as the second anime adaptation.