Shounen Ashibe

Aired: 1991

A heartwarming comedy anime adapted from Hiromi Morishita's popular four-panel manga, broadcast as part of TBS's late-evening anthology Gimia Break. Cheerful and easygoing elementary schooler Ashibe Ashiya is unexpectedly given a baby spotted seal he names Goma-chan, and the show's tenderly observed episodes track their everyday adventures with family and friends. Goma-chan's irresistibly cute mannerisms became a genuine social phenomenon, sparking widespread merchandising and laying the groundwork for later OVAs and NHK Educational TV revival series years afterward. Hikaru Kusaka's bright opening and Eriko Tamura's ending Little Darlin' wrap the show in the warm, family-friendly mood that made it a long-running favorite.