Chikkun Takkun (manga)

Chikkun Takkun (チックンタックン), originally known by its previous names of Tick-Tock Big Adventure (チクタク大冒険) and Chikkun's Big Adventure (チックン大冒険), was an educational manga by Shotaro Ishinomori that was serialized in various Gakken grade school Science magazines from 1978 to 1985, along with having versions in Learning from 1984 to 1985.
== Overview ==
Long before this series was adapted as an anime, it was known as one of a few different educational, sci-fi related works that would teach children about science. Its first incarnation came in Gakken's Science magazines in 1978, as Tick-Tock Big Adventure.
Although Ishinomori was the original creator, he only was responsible for the works that were serialized in 1st Grade Science" and 5th Grade Science". His minimal involvement was a pattern that already occurred with his other science and learning manga; though he would sometimes write and illustrate more than one version of a series, other manga-ka would be more often responsible for the parallel versions (and were usually his assistants at Ishimori Pro).
As with the eventual animated adaptation, the basic setting of the series involves the aliens Chikkun and Takkun having come from Star R and becoming acquainted with the Earth girl Miko. Each grade-school year's run would have its own differences in the setting, however, along with the types of stories that would occur. In fact, there are some instances where a girl named Shizuka would be the Earth companion of Chikkun and Takkun, with this character coming from Ishinomori's previous sci-fi work SP Halley. The continuation of characters from that series could also be witnessed when its villains Dr. Bell and Giji-Giji became prominent in Tick-Tock stories from 1982 and on.
In the mid-1980s, the title changed to Chikkun's Big Adventure, and then to Chikkun Takkun in order to tie in with the then-recent Pierrot adaptation. Gakken's grade school Learning magazines would also serialize this newest incarnation of the manga, with the Learning versions being more comedic and gag-oriented than the informational Science runs that continued on. Though Miko received an updated design for the 1980s and the new character of Jitabata Mechatan was introduced, various anime-introduced elements did not find themselves imported back by Ishinomori. 
While the anime was short-lived, the Science and Learning runs of the series carried on slightly longer, wrapping up in the spring of 1985, with there being no further installments or revamping of the concept. Outside of the manga, the characters would show up in various Gakken "Why Why? 110" (なぜなぜ110番) educational books of the 1980s, to introduce the readers to various scientific themes and phenomena.
Chikkun and Takkun's earliest appearances, pre-series, had them debut at the end of some versions of SP Halley as a way of marking their feature being its successor. However, Ishinomori's succeeding feature to Chikkun Takkun, Guchoki Pakkon (later adapted for anime as Wonder Bevil-kun), did not have its protagonist make any early crossovers in such a way.
=== Title ===
It and the characters' names are meant to be a pun on the "tick" and "tock" of a clock, however this has fallen by the wayside in some modern English notations of the series; Kadokawa's official English title of the original run was "Tick Tack Adventure" and the 1984-1985 run was labeled "Tickn Tackn".
Studio Pierrot had also produced an English logo for the anime version with the title of "Tick'n Tock'n", but this has long since reverted to the notation of "Chikkun Takkun" in their overseas catalog.
== Characters ==
As a general note, each new year of the series (starting in April to coincide with the school year) would tend to reset some settings and general backstory for the characters as a way to make for a "fresh start" for new students that would be following along.
There may also be further differences depending on who is writing and drawing the feature, as each person would put their own mark on the character designs; Miko in particular could have quite the variation even before Ishinomori's widespread redesign.
==== Prince Chikkun ====
The Prince of Star R. He resembles a bird-like creature, such as a duck (as with his name) or a penguin. He takes a great curiosity about learning different subjects to do with Earth. In some versions of the manga, he can also show off the ability to transform parts of his body by pressing his navel.
The early colored manga and illustrations for the franchise were often done in a limited color process that rendered Chikkun in a palette of red, black, and yellow. This continued to straightforward illustrations for some time, until he was given a color palette overhaul to go along with the anime.
Chikkun's bird-like appearance is shown to be only one tentative form in some later incarnations of the manga, with such runs ending in him being revealed to evolve to a more humanoid appearance:
*Takkun watering Chikkun at the end of the 1st Grade Science Chikkun Takkun run results in him becoming a more humanoid adult version of himself.
*The end of the 3rd Grade Learning Chikkun Takkun run revolves around the life cycles and puberty in animals, which Takkun demonstrates on Chikkun in the punchline by using a special ray to evolve him to an adult. As with the 1st Grade Science instance, Chikkun retains some alien features but trades out his beak for a human's nose and mouth, and gains a tuxedo-like suit.
*The end of the 6th Grade Learning run has Chikkun, in response to being mocked for his short height by Dr. Bell, suddenly evolve into a taller, somewhat more humanoid figure with the appearance of a gakuran-type uniform. Chikkun and Takkun proceed to depart for outer space.
As seen in the Shotaro Ishinomori Original Anime Works setting booklet, Chikkun's evolution ability was originally considered to be reflected in the animated adaptation, where his humanoid form was to be a tall, handsome young adult man (when compared to the more gag-like design seen in the manga).
With the evolution twist in mind (despite the earlier and anime appearances of Chikkun's parents as bird-like creatures), it could be said that Ishinomori had ultimately recycled the setting of his Star Child Chobin character, in having Chikkun's more avian appearance be the result of him being a "larval" version of his alien species but then becoming somewhat more humanoid after puberty. It is worth to note, however, that viewers never got to ultimately see Chobin's grown form, unlike the different variations on Chikkun here.
==== Takkun Hat ====
A top hat-shaped robot who serves as Chikkun's teacher, and can serve as his means of flight. As mentioned above, he is also responsible in some endings of the series, in being able to evolve Chikkun into his more humanoid adult form.
Takkun was originally colored black with a red ribbon, and was even intended to be depicted as such within the manga itself; his change in color was made key in a story where he was inspired by the beauty of a red sunset.
==== Miko ====
An elementary school-aged girl that Chikkun and Takkun come to live with. Her initial character design in the Tick-Tock version of the manga has her depicted with brown (sometimes blonde) bobbed hair with a headband. Miko's age depends on the grade year of each run (eg; she is a first grader in 1st Grade Science, and so on), leading to different possible variations of the character. Her parents are rarely seen, but when they do appear are a taller woman and a shorter man with glasses.
By the time the manga became Chikkun Takkun, most Science and Learning runs switched to updating Miko's design to have short, wilder red hair (although some continued to use her original standard hair style at first) and giving her a sportier look in general.
The anime adaptation expands more on Miko's home life, and sets her as a sixth grader with the surname "Nanda".
==== Jitabata Mechatan ====
Chikkun's bodyguard, who shows up briefly in some of the final incarnations of the manga, not having a significant part to play beyond some cameos in lower grade-aimed stories.
==== Dr. Bell ====
A recurring villain character in the manga from 1982 to 1985, debuting first in the 1982 1st Grade Science run. He is Chikkun's rival from R, but often fails in his attempts to best the young prince. In runs made for lower grades, his schemes may be more simple and child-friendly, extending to being mere silly pranks.
==== Giji-Giji ====
A six-legged robot that is the henchman of Dr. Bell. Originally he had a black body with red feet, as seen in SP Halley and in his earlier Tick Tock appearances, but eventually became depicted as entirely red.
==== Chikkun's Parents ====
Two bird-like aliens who debut at the start of the 1st Grade Science run of the series, having been left vague and unseen in the 5th Grade Science stories. They see Chikkun off as he embarks on his mission to Earth.
They are not seen in the later Chikkun Takkun manga incarnation (at least not in the versions authored by Ishinomori), providing some mystery as to how other Star R inhabitants may look there beyond what we see of Chikkun, Takkun, Dr. Bell, and Giji-Giji.
==== Nyako ====
Miko's cat, seen in the very first chapter of 5th Grade Science. She attempts to take a photo of her cat, only to be surprised by the sudden appearance of Chikkun and Takkun. Unlike the Niko of the later anime, this cat is small and white.
==== Chapo ====
Chikkun's childhood friend from Star R. She is a pink, penguin-like alien with a mild personality but an otherwise deep affection for her beloved Chikkun. She does not carry forth to the Chikkun Takkun incarnation of the manga.
The Princess Leah character in the animated adaptation can be seen as her equivalent, though Penko also serves a purpose in being a pink penguin alien (but technically a toy brought to life) in love with Chikkun.
==== Genius ====
A boy in Miko's class, who has a sharp mouth and large forehead. He is a straight-A student who yearns for Miko. As with characters like Chapo, he only exists in the earlier incarnations of the manga and does not figure into the Chikkun Takkun version.
== Serialization ==
=== Tick-Tock Big Adventure (later "Chikkun's Big Adventure") ===
* 1st Grade Science: April 1978 to March 1984 (Story and art by Ishinomori)
* 2nd Grade Science: April 1978 to March 1984
* 3rd Grade Science: April 1978 to March 1984 (Story and art by Sugar Sato)
* 4th Grade Science: April 1978 to March 1984 (Story and art by Masatoshi Nakajima)
* 5th Grade Science: April 1978 to March 1984 (Story and art by Ishinomori)
* 6th Grade Science: April 1978 to March 1984 (Story and art by Gosaku Ota from April 1982 to March 1983)
* Kindergarten Science: September 1983 to February 1984 (Story and art by Ishinomori)
=== Chikkun Takkun ===
* 1st Grade Science: April 1984 to March 1985 (Story and art by Ishinomori)
* 2nd Grade Science: April 1984 to March 1985- missing from the "Chikkun Takkun" Complete Collection, likely due to Ishinomori's lack of involvement
* 3rd Grade Science: April 1984 to March 1985- missing from the "Chikkun Takkun" Complete Collection
* 4th Grade Science: April 1984 to March 1985- missing from the "Chikkun Takkun" Complete Collection 
* 5th Grade Science: April 1984 to March 1985 (Story and art by Ishinomori)
* 6th Grade Science: April 1984 to March 1985- missing from the "Chikkun Takkun" Complete Collection
* 1st Grade Learning: April 1984 to March 1985 (Ishinomori's touch is only in the first two chapters)- missing from the "Chikkun Takkun" Complete Collection
* 2nd Grade Learning: April 1984 to March 1985
* 3rd Grade Learning: April 1984 to March 1985
* 4th Grade Learning: April 1984 to March 1985
* 5th Grade Learning: April 1984 to March 1985
* 6th Grade Learning: April 1984 to March 1985
=== Spinoff: Dr. Bell's Fishing School ===
* 6th Grade Science: October 1982 to March 1983 (by Gosaku Ota, who was also in charge of the Big Adventure feature at the time)- unreprinted
The preceding feature to Big Adventure, SP Halley, had many different Science serializations in itself and ran from April 1976 to March 1978, marking a long delay between the original usage of its villain characters (Dr. Bell, Giji-Giji) and their incorporation into this title.
== Reprints ==
* Ishinomori Shotaro Complete Comic Works: Tick-Tack Adventure (石森章太郎萬画大全集 チクタク大冒険): Released via Kadokawa Shoten through 2006 to 2007, totaling 5 volumes. Currently out of print.
* Ishinomori Shotaro Complete Comic Works: Tickn Tackn (石森章太郎萬画大全集 チックンタックン): Released via Kadokawa Shoten through 2007 to 2008, totaling 2 volumes. It only collects various 1984-1985 Science and Learning serializations released under the "Chikkun Takkun" branding. The first volume contains 1st and 5th Grade Science, while the second contains the Learning serializations from 2nd to 6th Grade. The contents of this release were carried down to the eBook version below.
* The Complete Digital Collection of Ishinomori Shotaro: Chikkun Takkun (石ノ森章太郎デジタル大全 チックンタックン): Released via Kodansha in 2015, totaling 2 volumes.
* Tick-Tock Big Adventure (チクタク大冒険): Released via Gakken Plus in 2019, totaling 1 volume at present. It collects the 1978-1979 5th Grade Science run by Ishinomori, and includes the very first chapter of the 1st Grade Science run as an extra.