Osomatsu Matsuno

**Osomatsu Matsuno** (松野 おそ松 *Matsuno Osomatsu),* created by Fujio Akatsuka, is the titular character of the series Osomatsu-kun. He is also sometimes used outside the series, as part of Akatsuka's Star System.

## Overview

As the title character and eldest of the sextuplets, Osomatsu is the one often used to represent them with the others not necessarily needing to show up with him. He is usually portrayed as a cheeky, fight-happy young boy who is described as a "hooligan, yet personable", and who may give trouble to a younger child.

He is usually set at the age of 10 and in the fifth grade, though this may be sometimes blurred or different for a setting where he may be needed to play an older child or an adult; indeed, there is an early occurrence where he and his brothers are 12 and the earliest *Koredeiinoda* -kun profiles acknowledged that he can either be an "elementary student or junior high student".

At times, if Osomatsu himself is not simply used to represent the series and there is no need for the full group of sextuplets, a few other unnamed brothers may be seen with him.

## Physical Appearance

Osomatsu is initially depicted as a small boy with a large, dumpling-like round and upturned nose, small eyes, a long hanging mouth, and with freckles in the initial frontispiece artwork. But as early as the second chapter, his facial features were altered to give a cuter impression, with his eyes becoming larger and having softer features. As the series evolved to more familiar settings, Osomatsu became iconic as a taller boy with large eyes, and an angular body shape contrasting against the roundness of his face.

These rounded facial features and his dark bowlcut-style (botchan) hair are his notable characteristics, along with him most often wearing a deep blue uniform coat with its three large buttons. This outfit and others are identical among the six, adding to them being confused for each other by their parents and those around them.

Over time, the presence of different assistants and Akatsuka simplifying his drafts lead to Osomatsu being drawn as a shorter child, sometimes with different facial proportions or a smaller, rounder body. This is evident with some later Shonen Sunday chapters, as well as the fleeting appearances of the Matsunos in the Shonen King run. The 1988 anime adaptation similarly has him start out alternatively taller or with a short and soft appearance, only to wind up becoming much smaller and chubbier with wide limbs and much more super-deformed facial features by the end (his cowlicks also become more antennae-esque).

### Settings as an adult

The first manga scenario depicting him as an adult occurs in the 1965 "Osomatsu-kun after 30 Years". In the chapter, the 40-year old Osomatsu is the object of jealousy to the other five brothers as he has retained the most youthful looks. Indeed, Osomatsu still has a full head of hair (unlike Karamatsu and Choromatsu) and is simply taller with a mustache. He is proud of this, and jabs the others for their own shortcomings, pointing out Karamatsu and Choromatsu's baldness and Ichimatsu's need for glasses.

The 1988 anime adaptation loosely sourced this story for its "Iyami in 40 Years" episode, but the settings are considerably changed; the sextuplets were made to be 50-year olds and all looking identical except for a bald Choromatsu. In this design, Osomatsu is a short, chubby middle-aged man with facial wrinkles and his hair worn in a pompadour style.

An alternative 50-year old Osomatsu does appear in the manga in "Osomatsu-kun after 40 Years" in the 1989 TV Magazine run, though his full appearance cannot be certain as he is dressed as if he were Robinson Crusoe (due to being stranded and lost for 40 years) to the confusion of his family.

In the 1993 beer ad "Osomatsu-kun Grows Up", the 35-year old Osomatsu is already going bald due to the stress of living with his mom and having to take care of her (as he claims). He exhibits the characteristic "bar-code" style of balding that was seen on Karamatsu in *"30 Years"*.

## Personality

As the apparent eldest, Osomatsu acts as if he were the leader and commands and rules over the other five. However, he is also notoriously unreliable, and will cheat and go against his brothers or leave them vulnerable, which will cost him trust and admiration. This can also happen if he fails in a scheme. But it is also easy for him to win his brothers back over, and they tend to rely on him most for an idea.

When it comes down to fighting, he is the best and strongest of the six brothers. He is greedy and opportunistic when it comes to money and food, or the attention of a cute girl, and as mentioned before may sabotage his brothers for such a purpose or have them work with him for that goal.

In the manga and the 1966 anime, Osomatsu can be seen at times to foolishly run to and from school with his bookbag strap worn around his head, differentiating him from the other five in that sense (Akatsuka even noted this in the earliest profile circulated on Koredeiinoda, prior to his hospitalization). This detail is sometimes not present, however, leaving him as interchangeable as the rest are.

His most favorite things are said to be Totoko, bullying Chibita, and getting an allowance. In contrast, he hates having to do homework or cleaning around the house. He claims his favorite type of language is "Unity", although that is a lie as he can find his brothers his worst enemies as much as they are his best friends.

## Relationships with Other Characters

### Karamatsu

Very little interaction between them exists in the original manga. However, Osomatsu does set up Karamatsu for trouble at the end of "Hustle in the Country" when he tricks him into staying behind to eat rice balls, and Karamatsu winds up captured and punished in Osomatsu's place.

In another notable instance, Osomatsu does attempt to come to Karamatsu's aid when he sees him having his teeth messed with by Chibita, and learns that Chibita had done the same to Ichiro earlier.

The two are seen sparring in a junkyard in the 1976 "Return of Osomatsu-kun" one-shot, being cheered on by their brothers. This seems to emulate an anime-original scene in the 1966 series' adaptation of the watermelon bomb story, where the two are in a similar fight before noticing Chibita's mosquito barrel.

In the 1988 anime adaptation, Karamatsu inexplicably takes Choromatsu's place in the "Prince Chibita" plot, but little changes with the character dynamic. In an earlier instance of interaction, Karamatsu is shown to be concerned for Osomatsu's condition when he's deathly ill, and later becomes overjoyed and hugs him when he sees he has recovered.

### Choromatsu

As early as the chapter "Everyone Hates Osomatsu", the two are shown to be a common duo, often getting along very well and relying on one another in adventures and schemes. When asked about why the two were seen together most by a fan, Fujio Pro offered the joke answer of "Choromatsu always happens to be next to him (Osomatsu)".

But in that first instance, the two are at odds due to Osomatsu giving away the others' imagawayaki to the bully and being forced to get persimmons for him. Choromatsu attempts to go off on his own with the bully, but is tricked by Osomatsu switching out his persimmon for a fake one, causing the bully to break a tooth and to make Choromatsu's own teeth get chipped when the bully forces him to bite it in turn. Despite all that Osomatsu put him through, Choromatsu can't bring himself to make him bite the fake persimmon in revenge, and switches them out again. When the others refuse to help Osomatsu get revenge, Choromatsu attempts to persuade them to give him a chance, to no avail.

Out of the brothers, the two can be said to have the most characterization and screentime, however limited their personalities may come off as in comparison to their better-developed side cast. There are times when the other four brothers will deliberately leave them behind, or when they will be separated from the group by abduction or becoming trapped.

When Osomatsu was adopted by rich relatives, Choromatsu won the chance to be leader in his place and went power-hungry, whipping and pushing around the other brothers and even attempting to punish his father. He winds up running away to the relatives' house when Osomatsu returns, to take the chance to be their child and to also flee his punishment. But when he too can't handle being separated from his family, he is easily forgiven by Osomatsu.

#### 1988 anime

In comparison in the 1988 adaptation, Choromatsu becomes jealous of Osomatsu getting to live with Dekapan in the "rich adoption" plot and gets the other brothers to abduct him so that he can go in his place to get the allowance.

Choromatsu may be either portrayed as the comparatively sensible one of the two, trying to get Osomatsu out of trouble or telling him to not do something foolish, or he may have his own wilder streak and be shown to be particularly violent and hot-headed.

## History

###

## Appearances in other works

*See also: Akatsuka's Star System*

Appears alongside his brothers in:

* *Akko-chan's Got a Secret!*
* *Songo-kun*
* *Gyahaha, the Three Musketeers!*
* *Extraordinary Ataro*
* *The Genius Bakabon* (Five depicted as illustrations in a manga titled "Usomatsu-kun", then all six in the chapter "It's the Chanchakachan". He and an unidentified brother then pop up in a Deluxe BomBom chapter)
* *The Monkey's Foolish Guardmen* (Four brothers)
* *There's no Wonderful Business like that of a Gag!*
* *Nyarome's World Expo Surprise Surprise Surprise Guide*
* *Let's La Gon* (seven brothers' faces appear in a letter/intro)
* *Unkor Wat*
* *Wanpei and Mo-chan* (Five brothers visible in a strip)
* *Nyarome's Fun Biology Classroom*
* *Nyarome's Fun Exploration of the Body's Mysteries* (all six in two cameos, then four in their group final cameo)
* *Nyarome's Fun Sexual Education Classroom* (all six in chapter 9, other smaller numbers of brothers at earlier points in the book)
* *Nyarome's Big Blood Type Studies*
* *What Will Fujio Akatsuka Do!?* (All in opening spread)
* *Japan Laughter Story* (Three brothers shown as policemen)
* *Reading Dai-sensei* (Three brothers shown in a sport competition)
* *Hana-chan Sleeps* (Two unidentified brothers, as adults in the seventh chapter)
* *Sheeh! Comeback* (all six in "Ajapaa!" spread)
* *Collapse of the Sheeh! Religion*

He appears solo in:

* *Ken-chan*
* *Chibita Banzai*
* *The Genius Bakabon*
* *Let's La Gon*
* *Wanpei and Mo-chan*
* *Nyarome's Fun Computer Exploration*
* *Nyarome's Fun Exploration of the Body's Mysteries* (1 lesson segment, and in the final chapter on his own)
* *Nyarome's Fun Sexual Education Classroom* (Main sextuplet focused on by default, appearing in most chapters on own)
* *Fujio's Waru Waru World*
* *Comedy is Coming Now*
* *Basho Matsuo*
* *MR. Masashi*
* *The Cat House Owner*

## Appearances in Animation

### Osomatsu-san

*For detailed information, see the Osomatsu-kun and Osomatsu-san wiki*

## Portrayals

### Voice Acting

* Osomatsu-kun (1965 sonosheets, #1 and #2)- Minori Matsushima
* Osomatsu-kun (1966)- Midori Kato
* Furious Ataro (1969)- Sachiko Chijimatsu (episode 48), Masako Nozawa (episode 74, voiced all brothers as a unit)
* We are Manga-ka: The Tokiwa-so Story (1981)- He and his brothers are split among Keiko Yamamoto and Kazuko Sugiyama for brief shouts and cheering
* Osomatsu-kun (1988) and related specials- Yo Inoue
* Pachislot Osomatsu-kun (2005 version)- Chihiro Kusaka
* CR Osomatsu-kun- Yui Shoji (all)
* Osomatsu-san- Takahiro Sakurai

### Live Action

In 1985, Osomatsu would be portrayed by the actor Yosuke Nakajima in Fuji TV's Monday Dramaland special.

## External Links

* Osomatsu profile at Koredeiinoda (Japanese)
* Archived 2002 profile at Koredeiinoda (Japanese)