Kikanpo Gen-chan

The cover to the first Akebono kashihon.

**Kikanpo Gen-chan** (キカンポ元ちゃん, alternatively きかんぽ元ちゃん) was a gag manga series by Fujio Akatsuka and Fujio Pro which ran in four of Shogakukan's grade school learning magazines through 1967.

## Overview

The series revolves around the young boy Genki, who discovers that he has the ability to summon a transforming tanuki-like creature named Kikanpo into existence by sneezing.

Kikanpo can use several different types of magic to help out Genki when he's in need, and the series revolves around their adventures. In some ways, it can be thought of Akatsuka's own take on what would be later known as the "Doraemon" formula by Fujiko F Fujio, in which a mysterious creature helps out a lonely or unlucky child.

As a successor series to the grade school runs of Osomatsu-kun, it might have been that *Gen-chan* was positioned to be a work that could be a "new hit" for Akatsuka in the same way he had wanted Extraordinary Ataro to later take off. However, all runs of the series were short-term and it slipped into obscurity afterwards; its successor in the 1st Grade magazine would be Tamanegi Tama-chan.

Although *Gen-chan* itself was never adapted to animation, Sakura did manage to get a recurring role in the 1971 Genius Bakabon anime as Bakabon's girlfriend. She also appeared in animation once more, via an adaptation of her sole *Bakabon* manga guest appearance in Rerere's Genius Bakabon.

## Characters

### Genki

A shy and friendly young boy. He accidentally summoned Kikanpo through his sneeze, and relies on such to call upon the creature.

### Kikanpo

An unusual alien from outer space. He can use different types of magic, with his best-used ability being transformation which he performs with the spell ***"Panpukintan, Panpushimai, Pon!"***

However, if he sneezes, his transformations will be undone.

### Sakura

A young girl that Genki has a crush on. She later winds up learning of Kikanpo, and accompanies him and Genki in situations.

She would be used outside the title as well; one instance was in The Genius Bakabon, as a neighborhood girl that Bakabon wishes to learn calligraphy from. In another appearance occuring in the 1967 relaunch of Otasuke-kun, she is the catalyst for Ichiro trying to alter his appearance.

### Piyo-Piyo Ojisan

A middle-aged sailor that lets Genki ride on his boat. He has a face similar to Dekapan, but with a bow-tie shaped mustache.

### Papa and Mama

Genki's parents, who initially do not know of Kikanpo's existence.

## Serialization

The title ran through these magazines for these periods, marking at least 31 chapters total:

* 2nd Grade: January to September 1967
* 3rd Grade: January to September 1967
* 4th Grade: January to August 1967
* 1st Grade: April to August 1967

## Reprints

* Akebono: A 2 volume kashihon of the series was released in late 1967, collecting several of the runs. 8 chapters were later reprinted as extra content in the "Good Morning with Mi-tan" volume of "Fujio Akatsuka Complete Works".
* Shogakukan: The "Good Morning with Mi-tan" volume is digitized for the Fujio Akatsuka DVD-ROM collection and contains the aforementioned 8 chapters.

The series has yet to receive a modern reprint or full release via books or eBookJapan.

## External Links

* Archived "Kikanpo Gen-chan" kashihon listing, Mandarake Auctions (Japanese)