There was a time when coming home from school meant throwing aside our backpack, indulging in a bowl of maggi and tuning into Shinchan on television. For many who grew up in the early 2000s, Shinchan was a world filled with mischief, laughter and bittersweet life lessons — through the eyes of a five-year-old boy from Kasukabe, Japan, who never really grows up.
The nostalgic charm of Shinchan has transcended generations, still continuing to bring comfort to fans — both young and old — around the globe. As the mischievous Nohara boy prepares for a new adventure in India in the upcoming film The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers, The Telegraph Online caught up with fans to reflect on what the anime means to them — now that they've grown up, but didn’t quite outgrow the little boy.
For 21-year-old journalist Yashna Kumar, based out of Delhi, Shinchan still remains a source of comfort. “I sometimes willingly put on the show when I am doing a task on the weekends to help me feel good and comfortable,” she said.
Like many dedicated fans, Yashna finds the latest episodes a little underwhelming when compared to the older ones. She and her college roommate used to watch the horror episodes of the anime in their hostel. “It was a bonding activity, pulling up episodes that had not been released yet in India, ones that were never shown on TV, and some that got banned.”
What forms the emotional core of Shinchan is not the character’s hilarious antics but the way he shared a relatable childhood with us. Ashwin Bhat, a working professional from Mumbai, fondly remembers running home from school to watch the show while eating noodles, trying to mimic Action Kamen poses and breaking a flower pot in the process.
“I got scolded pretty badly but even my mom couldn’t stop laughing after a point,” Ashwin recalls, adding that he cannot help but smile whenever he comes across clips of the anime series on social media even today.
Many fans recalled the deep connection they felt with the show as children. For Trambak Bhattacharjee, a 21-year-old MA student in Kolkata, Shinchan movies Bungle in the Jungle and The Treasures of the Buri Buri Kingdom are all-time favourites.
“These movies bring out Shinchan’s love for his family, and while I didn’t realise it as a child, I appreciate them more now because of my interest in literature and cinema,” says Trambak.
The mischievous grin, the bizarre songs, and Shinchan’s innocent trouble-making brought an oddly comforting sense of joy to Unnati Mishra, a PR professional.
“No matter how exhausting school was, Shinchan’s antics made us laugh out loud and helped us forget about the Math test we totally bombed,” Unnati said. “In his own silly, playful way, Shinchan taught us something important: just be who you are.”
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As a child, 19-year-old Ahana Bagchi’s favourite show was Shinchan, and she still watches it during meals. During school days, she’d be completely absorbed in the show while her mother cleverly snuck vegetables into her food, she recalled.
Currently gearing up for college, Ahana admits to comparing real-life people to the characters in the show. “If I saw a woman excited about a discount, I’d think of her as Misae,” she said.
“I remember how Crayon Shinchan looked much cuter than the remastered version. The animation style looked really old but was cool too. Back then, the show was twice as funny as now,” Ahana added.
Shinchan’s brand of humour, often outrageous and absurd, was once considered inappropriate for Indian audiences as the show was mainly intended for adults in Japan. The original series, Crayon Shinchan, adapted from Yoshito Usui’s manga, followed the daily life of the beloved five-year-old boy albeit with coarse language, adult humour and sexual innuendo.
Following its release in India in 2006, the show was banned for a few years due to its explicit content. However, a remastered, heavily censored version of the anime was made available to the Indian audience in 2009.
Aditya Sharma, 23, took a stroll down memory lane, recalling the childhood memories he has with his pet dog Shiro, named after Shinchan’s loyal pup. “He wasn't any special breed, just a desi puppy we had adopted when my dad saw him being chased by other street dogs. He was with us for several years as we moved from one city to another,” he said.
Even those who discovered the anime later in their lives hold it close to their hearts. “I started watching it as a teenager when it aired on Hungama TV,” says Shobhita Narayan, now in her 30s. Her favourite episode is a horror-themed one titled Jack the Doll. “It’s a clever, funny twist on the horror genre. I still watch it when I need a pick-me-up,” she said.
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Riding on the success of Our Dinosaur Diary movie, released in May, another adventure awaits the little boy who gave us countless memories. A new film, Shin Chan: The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers, will bring the Kasukabe Defence Force to India, where they put on their best kurtas, groove to Hindi songs and bask in Indian culture. Marking the 33rd movie in the franchise, the film will hit theatres in October.