Bonobono

Aired: 1993

The first theatrical anime adaptation of Mikio Igarashi's beloved four-panel manga, written and directed by Igarashi himself. The hapless sea-otter boy Bonobono and his forest friends Shimarisu-kun and Araiguma-kun meander through a deep, watercolor-tinted woodland, voicing the manga's trademark mix of dazed humor and sudden, surprisingly profound observations on life. Backed by lush ambient sound design and hand-painted backgrounds, the film fully captures the manga's gently melancholic atmosphere, with Yoko Yamada's airy theme 'Saa Miyou' carrying the closing notes of its quiet, contemplative little journey.