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Chibi Maruko-chan Planetarium Show to Open in Tokyo
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The Konica Minolta "Tenkū" Planetarium in Tokyo Skytree Town will run a Chibi Maruko-chan planetarium show from July 18 to August 31. The show, titled "Planetarium Chibi Maruko-chan, Hoshi ni Negai wo" (Planetarium Chibi Maruko-chan, Wish Upon a Star), celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Chibi Maruko-chan anime since it first aired in January 1990.
The show's story begins when Maruko meets Migiwa on her way to school. Migiwa tells Maruko that her horoscope said that if she dressed nice, good luck would find her. Maruko wonders how the horoscope can tell someone's luck, and joins a stargazing event that Hanawa is hosting. There, they learn about the 12 ecliptical constellations of the Zodiac and the planets in the solar system.
The planetarium show will start at 11:00 a.m. from July 18 to August 31 in the Konica Minolta "Tenkū" Planetarium in Tokyo Skytree Town in Tokyo. Tickets for adults (middle school and older) will cost 1,100 yen (about US$9), while tickets for children (4 years old to elementary school age) will cost 500 yen (US$4). The show will last around 28 minutes, and it will be on a planned tour through various locales in Japan starting in late May.
The planetarium will also hold a preview presentation ahead of the public opening for members of the press and fans, which will take place on June 19 at 6:00 p.m. The fan participants will be drawn from people who have added the official Chibi Maruko-chan LINE account on their LINE messaging app.
Momoko Sakura serialized the original Chibi Maruko-chan manga in Shueisha's Ribon shōjo manga magazine from 1986 to 1996. She launched a four-panel version in Japanese newspaper in 2007, and she ended that version in 2011.
The original manga inspired the Chibi Maruko-chan television anime that is consistently the #2 rated anime series after Sazae-san. The anime series' ratings once peaked at 39.9%, and continues to draw in an average of 12.5% of audiences. The first anime series ran from 1990 to 1992, and the ongoing second series premiered in 1995. The 1,000th television anime episode aired in 2012. The manga has also inspired several live-action series.
Source: animeanime.jp
