The duo enrol for music club, only to find that they have to bash a wooden block with iron rods for hours, week after week. This is a TV series for young children, with a quirky and non-realistic animation design. Maruko's Grandfather lives with her and her family, and joins in some of her pranks. One suspects that this would be very funny if one understood the dialogue. In one episode, Maruko is caught out by an April Fool trick and then proceeds to hoax one of her more slow-witted little friends.
Grandfather brings sweeties to make all well.
Worth a look. This the OVA of a TV series, about a girl, Sana, who is a juvenile actress, and about a disturbed boy in her class whom she tries to help and befriend. It's funny, well-characterized, and the most heartwarming piece of anime I have seen for many a day. In a typically Japanese way the story celebrates intelligence and caring. This has basically the same story as the OVA, but is rather different in tone, being a frenzied farcial comedy.