Anpanman

Anpanman (アンパンマン^?) is a Japanese picture book series written by Takashi Yanase since 1973. In its anime adaptation Soreike! Anpanman (それいけ!アンパンマン Go! Anpanman^?), Anpanman is one of the most popular anime cartoon series for young children in Japan. The show has been on the air in Japan since 1988 and is still continuing to this day. As of 2011, the titular Anpanman is the most popular fictional character among people age 0 to 12 years in Japan in 10 consecutive years, according to research by Bandai.^[1]

The Anpanman character was inspired by Yanase's struggles to survive as a soldier in World War II. Many times, he became faced with the prospect of starvation, which made him dream about eating Anpan (a bean-jam filled pastry).

• In South Korea, it is known as “Narara Hoppangmaen” (hangul: 날아라 호빵맨).
• In China, it is known as "面包超人(miànbâochâorén)".