Bikkuriman

**Bikkuriman** (ビックリマン, lit. "Surprise Man") is a Japanese chocolate confectionery of Lotte, which has been released since 1977. They contains seals (stickers) as bonus content, the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal (悪魔VS天使シール, "Devil vs. Angel Seal") series being a big boom during the 1980s and early 1990s in Japan, resulting in the production of a variety of related products, such as animations and video games.

## Chocolate

*Main article: Bikkuriman Choco*
* First released in October 1977 as **Bikkuriman Choco** (ビックリマンチョコ), containing a Dokkiri Seal ("candid sticker"). Sale price is 30 yen, and seal size is 48x48mm. The product is a wafer filled with chocolate and almond crunch.
* In 1979, the almond crunch in replaced by peanuts.
* In August 1985, it began releasing the **Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal** series, which would start a boom in Japan.
* In 1987, the Akuma vs. Tenshi series continue in the new products **Bikkuriman Ice** (ビックリマンアイス) and **Bikkuriman Snack** (ビックリマンスナック, with curry and chicken flavors). Sale price is 50 yen.
* In 1988 the value and mixing ratio of the seals are changed to follow the Fair Trade Commission.
* In August 1991 it became the **Shin Kessen Super Bikkuriman Choco** (新決戦 スーパービックリマンチョコ), containing **Shin Kessen Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal** series. Price was changed to 50 yen, and the seal size increased to 52mm.
* In July 1998 the "Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal" series is reprinted in the **Bikkuriman Choco Densetsu Fukkoku-ban** (ビックリマンチョコ 伝説復刻版, roughly "Bikkuriman Choco Legend Reprint"). Price is changed to 60 yen.
* In December 2001, the **Bikkuriman Special Selection 2** (ビックリマン スペシャルセレクション2) is released with a reprint of the "Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal" series. The contents of the chocolate are changed. In 2002, Bikkuriman 2000 seals are included.
* In July 2005, **Bikkuriman 20th Anniversary** (ビックリマン 20th ANNIVERSARY) is released, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series. Price is changed to 80 yen, and the size of seals return to 48mm.
* In March 2007, the **Bikkuriman Holo Selection** (ビックリマンホロセレクション) is released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Bikkuriman chocolate. Includes holographic seals of the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series. Price of this series is 180 yen.
* In August 2010, **Bikkuriman Kanjuku Haoh** (ビックリマン 漢熟覇王) is released. Since its launch, the almonds in the chocolate are changed by a cookie crunch.
* In August 2014, **Bikkuriman All-Star Selection** (ビックリマン オールスターセレクション) is released, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series. Although named All-Star, the selection actually only includes the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series.

As of 2015, the price of a package is 80¥, the seal size is 48x48mm, and the basic content is a cookie crunch wafer filled with chocolate.

## Seal

**Seal** (シール) is the Japanese name for stickers. Each Bikkuriman Choco includes one.

### Early years

When first released in 1977, Bikkuriman contained "Dokkiri Seals" (roughly "Candid Seals") with the concept of using the seals to make mischief. Their background is transparent, and the pictures resemble realistic electrical outlets, such as kisses. In 1985 the seals had repeated minor changes such as Rittai Dokkiri Seal (立体ドッキリシール, "Stereoscopic Candid Seal"), UsshisSeal (ウッシッシール), Mangya Seal (マンギャシール), and Majarinko Seal (まじゃりんこシール).

### Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal

The **Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal** series started in 1985. The seals present in the chocolate changed every two months. One box of Bikkuriman Choco contained 40 chocolate packs, each with a seal. The seals became a big boom between elementary school students in 1986, the monthly number of sales amounted to millions, and the shipment value was billions of yen. Other companies tried to release similar products in large numbers, but weren't as successful. The factor of the success is believed that each seal incorporates an attractive story, and the name of each character was seemingly a pun to myths, was attractive. As the series progress, the characters powered up. In addition, the back of the seals has a variety of sentences written, in spite of the absence of a character in other media, such as anime and manga, it had its own story present only in the seals. Occasionally seals also had something cryptic written.

### The spread of the boom and social issues

*Bikkuriman* was first taken up by Kodansha's Comic BomBom to have a manga, then by Shogakukan's CoroCoro Comic. The series later gained an anime. Since then, Bikkuriman was present in multiple media, also including video games, toys and events.

The only withdraw of its popularity is that there was many cases of people buying the products in large quantities only for the seals (specially the scarce Head type seals), discarding the food and leaving stores without stock. The waste of food became a national issue, and to avoid it people were limited to buy a certain amount of products, like three chocolates per person. Large amounts of money being use for the products was also an issue.

Based on these issues, Lotte provided a "Bikkuriman Constituition" (ビックリマン憲章) in their products with three recommendations:

1. Don't buy or sell seals
2. Eat the chocolate
3. Trade seals to deepen fellowships

Discussions for the seals and even theft also seemed to be high, and also imitators selling counterfeit Bikkuriman products, the most known being Cosmos, with Lotte (ロッテ *Rotte*) replaced by the similar "ロッチ" (*Rocchi*), causing a lawsuit from Lotte in 1987.

Due to many complains from the Parent-Teacher Association, in 1988 the Fair Trade Commission made Lotte balance the price of their products and have a uniform mixing ratio for the seals. As a result, the value of Head type seals was reduced, and thus the entire series.This caused the boom to start to wane. Although the Fair Trade Commission has issued a recommendation with the intention of wanting a quality-oriented fair competition rather than a "try to fish the bonus", Lotte's spokesman saw it as a pressure for regulating the seals.

### The end of the boom

The main story of the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series was completed in series 19. Series 20 onward had a new story with "the next generation" of characters (adapted in the Shin Bikkuriman anime). The popularity felt to some extent.

...

## Media

Bikkuriman was released in several media.

### Anime

* Bikkuriman - Based on the first 18 series of stickers from the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series.
	+ Shin Bikkuriman - Based on the Akuma vs. Tenshi Seal series 19 to 24.
* Super Bikkuriman - Super Bikkuriman anime.
* Bikkuriman 2000 - Bikkuriman 2000 anime.
* Happy Lucky Bikkuriman
* Bikkuriman: Daiichiji Seima Taisen
* Bikkuriman: Muen Zone no Hihou

### Books

**Manga:**

* Bikkuriman
* New Bikkuriman (ニュービックリマン)
* Shōnen Bikkuriman Club (少年ビックリマンクラブ)
* Ai no Senshi Head Rokoko (愛の戦士ヘッドロココ)
* Super Bikkuriman (スーパービックリマン)
* Bikkuriman 2000 (ビックリマン2000)

**Novels:**

* Super Bikkuriman: Densetsu no Shisei Senshi (スーパービックリマン VOL.1 伝説の四聖戦士)
* Bikkuriman 2000 Shūchūgōmu-hen (ビックリマン2000 集中豪無編)
* Bikkuriman Kanjuku Haoh (ビックリマン漢熟覇王)

**Gamebooks:**

* Bikkuriman: Wakamiko no Bōken (ビックリマン 若神子の冒険)
* Bikkuriman: Muen Zone no Hihō (ビックリマン 無縁ゾーンの秘宝)
	+ Bikkuriman 2: Tenseimon wo Akero! (ビックリマン2 天聖門を開けろ!)
* Bikkuriman - 7 volumes

**Anime books:**

* Bikkuriman Omoshiro Land (ビックリマン おもしろランド) - 15 volumes
* Bikkuriman Dokkiri Pack (ビックリマン ドッキリパック) - 5 volumes
* Shin Bikkuriman Dai Hyakka (新ビックリマン大百科) - 4 volumes

**Video game guides:**

* Bikkuriman World Kanzen Kōryaku-hō (ビックリマンワールド 完全攻略法)
* Charging Card Game Bikkuriman 2000 Kanzen Kōryaku Book (チャージングカードゲーム ビックリマン2000 完全攻略BOOK)
* Bikkuriman Saikyō Data Book (ビックリマン最強データブック)

### Games

* Bikkuriman World (1987, PC Engine)
* Bikkuriman Daijikai (1988, PC Engine)
* Bikkuriman World: Gekitō Sei Senshi (1990, Famicom)
* Super Bikkuriman: Densetsu no Sekiban (1992, Game Boy)
* Super Bikkuriman (1993, Super Famicom)
* Bikkuriman 2000: Viva! Festival! (2000, Dreamcast)
* Bikkuriman 2000: Viva! Pocket Festival! (2000, Neo Geo Pocket)
* Bikkuriman 2000: Charging Card GB (2000, Game Boy Color)
* Bikkuriman Daijiten (2007, Nintendo DS)
* Bikkuriman Mobile (2007, mobile phones)
* Bikkuriman (2011, mobile phones)
* Bikkuriman Kanjuku Haoh: Sanmi Douran Sensouki (2011, Nintendo 3DS)
* Bikkuriman Collector's Battle (2013, mobile phones)

### Toys

* BikkuriCloth
* Charakobatti
* Bikkuriman Akuma Head

## Collaborations

Besides its own seals, Bikkuriman made collaborations with other companies and made special releases. The seals in the chocolates use the same standard of the Bikkuriman series.

* Bikkuriman Pro Yakyū Choco (ビックリマン プロ野球チョコ) - Pro Yakyū (Professional Baseball)
* Nico Nico Douka (ニコニコ動菓) - Nico Nico Douga
* Hatsune Miku Live Stage Densetsu (初音ミク ライブステージ伝説) and Mikkuriman Choco (ミックリマンチョコ) - Hatsune Miku
* **Bikkariman Choco** (ビッ狩りマンチョコ) - Monster Hunter
* **Momokuroman Choco** (ももクロマンチョコ) - Momoiro Clover Z
* **Hokuto no Man Choco** (北斗のマンチョコ) - Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star)
* **PuzDraMan Choco** (パズドラマンチョコ) - Puzzle & Dragons
* **CapTsubasaMan Choco** (キャプ翼マンチョコ) - Captain Tsubasa
* **Star Wars Bikkuriman Choco** (スターウォーズ ビックリマンチョコ) - Star Wars

Also, although not carrying the name Bikkuriman, Lotte released similar wafer choco products containing a seal or card inside.

## Videos

【CM】丸美屋 ビックリマン ふりかけ＆カレー（1987年）Bikkuriman Furikake and Curry commercial【CM】ニッスイ ビックリマンソーセージ（1988年）Bikkuriman Sausage commercial1988年CM 東京タワービックリマン大会 ナインティーン 少年隊 ムシペール1988 event commercial (mixed with other commercials)【CM】丸美屋 スーパービックリマン ふりかけ（1992年）Super Bikkuriman Furikake commercial【CM】丸美屋 スーパービックリマンカレー（1992年）Super Bikkuriman Curry commercial
## External links

* Bikkuriman official site
* Bikkuriman 30th Anniversary special site
* Bikkuriman page in the Lotte website
* Bikkuriman article in the Japanese Wikipedia