Chinese fans of hit Japanese anime Chibi Maruko-chan grieve creator Momoko Sakura’s death
Millennials look back with love and thanks to one of their best-loved Japanese cartoons
The untimely death of the Japanese artist behind the much-loved manga and anime series Chibi Maruko-chan has unleashed a flood of remembrances on Chinese social media.
Fans have been sharing their childhood memories of the television show created by Miki Mikura, who used the pen name Momoko Sakura, who died on August 15 at the age of 53 from breast cancer, according to a statement published by her company on Monday.
Chibi Maruko-chan, known as “Ying Tao Xiao Wan Zi” or “Little Cherry Maruko” in Chinese, gained international fame after the original manga comics were adapted into a popular anime series shown in various regions worldwide including mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and North America.
The programme was first released in 1990 and has been repeatedly broadcast since then, accompanying Chinese millennials through their childhoods.
News of the artist’s death was widely covered in Chinese media and nostalgic fans took to social media to reminisce over the show.