Futako no Monchhichi

ふたごのもんちっち

Aired: 1980

A television anime co-produced by Ashi Productions and Kokusai Eigasha and broadcast as a short-form morning strip on Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo). Based on the Sekiguchi-made plush toy character Monchhichi - a 1974 creation that became a global hit - the series centres on the twin Monchhichis Mon-chan and Kikki, weaving cheerful song-filled vignettes of family, friendship and small adventures into bite-size five-minute episodes. The accessible song-and-story format, anchored by Noriko Ito's bright theme song 'Futago no Monchhichi no Uta,' helped propel the Monchhichi line of toys to even greater popularity among Japanese children of the era.