# Hamtaro

Hamtaro, known in Japan as Trotting Hamtaro (とっとこハム太郎, Tottoko Hamutarō), is a Japanese manga and storybook series created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai about a hamster. The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's Shōgaku Ninensei (Second Grade) magazine in April 1997; more Hamtaro stories would later be added into the other grade-level magazines, as well as in Ciao. The series focuses on a hamster named Hamtaro, who has a variety of adventures with other hamsters known as the "Ham-Hams" ("Hamuchans" in the Japanese version). Viz Media published the manga adaptations and storybooks in English.
Multiple anime adaptations were produced by TMS Entertainment and aired on TV Tokyo. The first series was dubbed in English by The Ocean Group.

## Plot

The series revolves around a hamster named Hamtaro, who is owned by a 10-year-old girl named Laura Haruna (Hiroko Haruna in the Japanese/Original version). Curious by nature, he ventures out each day to make friends and go on adventures with a clan of fellow hamster friends known as The Ham-Hams. The Ham-Hams meet at a special clubhouse built by Boss ("Taisho").

## Media
### Manga

There are three manga about Hamtaro, A Home for Hamtaro, Hamtaro Gets Lost, and Jealous Hamtaro. In the first two, Hamtaro's owner is named Yukari while in the latter, her name is Amy.

### Anime

In Japan, Hamtaro aired three anime series, released four films, several specials, many video game/DVD releases, and merchandise. By 2002, the franchise had generated $2.5 billion in merchandise sales. The success was not paralleled in the United States, however, with only the first series, some special episodes, three video games (though two others were released in Europe), and limited merchandise. On 23 February 2011, it was announced that Hamtaro would be receiving a series titled Trotting Hamtaro Dechu!.

### Games

The Hamtaro franchise has multiple video game titles with independent storylines. These titles include adventure and educational games that can be found for PC, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance (GBA), and the Nintendo DS consoles.
| Title | Platform | Release Date |
| Tottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen Dechu | Game Boy Color | JP: 8 September 2000 |
| Hamtaro: Ham-Hams Unite! | Game Boy Color | JP: 21 April 2001 NA: 28 October 2002 |
| Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak | Game Boy Advance | JP: 3 May 2002 NA: 8 April 2003 |
| Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer! | PC/Mac | 1 October 2003 |
| Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue | Game Boy Advance | 22 May 2003 |
| Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Games | Game Boy Advance | 26 July 2004 |
| Tottoko Hamtaro: Nazo Nazo Q Kumonoue no ? Jou | Nintendo DS | 1 December 2005 |
| Hi Hamtaro! Ham-Ham Training | Nintendo DS | JP: 15 March 2007 NA: 23 September 2008 |
| Hi Hamtaro! Little Hamsters Big Adventures | iOS | 12 April 2011 |

## In popular culture

On 26 July 2020, a group of more than 2,000 protesters in Bangkok called the Free Youth Movement led a protest against the government of Thailand which involved singing the theme song for Hamtaro with modified lyrics to say "The most delicious food is taxpayers' money. [...]Dissolve the parliament! Dissolve the parliament! Dissolve the parliament!" Other student protests during the same week continued to use Hamtaro as a symbol for the government's "feasting on taxpayer's money," and have involved groups running in circles, as if in hamster wheels, while singing the modified version of the jingle.