Hennako-chan

A cover to the eBookJapan collection of the Weekly Josei version.

**Hennako-chan** (へんな子ちゃん, lit: "Strange Child") is the title of two related yet separate works by Fujio Akatsuka and Fujio Pro. The original ran in *Ribon* magazine from 1967 to 1969, while the more adult-oriented remake and reboot of the concept launched in the *Weekly Josei* magazine, running from 1991 to 1994.

This article will explain both series, as well as go over further media.

## Overview

The original *Hennako-chan* was created as a gag manga feature aimed at young girls, exemplifying the hidden naughtiness and mischief that girls would like to see occur or things that they wished that they themselves could do. This version of Hennako was a simple trickster and brutish young girl who would cause trouble for everyone around her, for her own gratification. The feature, originally aimed for being a one-shot, was inspired by the dark comedy Akatsuka enjoyed in MAD Magazine and furthered the gags he had explored in the Boys' Life series of Mean Professor and Thriller Professor.

The mix of shocking yet clever sadistic gags in a shojo magazine quickly caused the feature to be approved for a serial run, where it ran for nearly two years.

With the launch of the Heisei era, the concept was revived in 1991 but now aimed at a more adult audience who would appreciate lewder humor. The new incarnation of Hennako was given ESP, which she would use to cause trouble, and she was given a much larger supporting cast. However, compared to the original Hennako's more open ways of making terror in situations, the gags in this series come from this Hennako being a bystander to dysfunction which her powers can intensify or resolve in whatever ways. To harken back to some Western inspiration, Hennako was designed as if she were a more wicked version of Ernie Bushmiller's "Nancy" comic strip character, which had experienced import and success in Japan.

## Characters

*For more information, see List of characters in Hennako-chan*

### 1960s edition

* **Hennako**: The protagonist. She was once a perfect, kind little girl until the age of eight, when her mother attempted to sacrifice her to a robber to defend herself. This betrayal caused a drastic change in Hennako's appearance and behavior.
* **Mama**: Hennako's mother, who is the cause of her daughter's problem and is left frustrated by her ways.

### 1990s edition

* **Hennako Hosokawa**: A sly young girl who can cause chaos with a simple stare to inflict her ESP abilities. She will not hesitate to even use it on her own family.
* **Masayoshi Hosokawa**: The father of the family. He looks as if he's an ordinary salaryman, but is sexually harassing to his lady co-workers and a heavy drinker.
* **Fumiyo Hosokawa**: The mother. She is a strong housewife, but is into gambling and seems to have the same lustful ways as her oldest daughter.
* **Akiko Hosokawa**: The elder sister of Hennako. She is a flirtatious and adulterous young woman who brings home many men, having a different suitor each time.
* **Nobita**: A strange stray dog adopted by Hennako as her pet.

## Serialization

*See List of chapters in Hennako-chan*

The original series was a gag a week type of feature, with Hennako causing a different type of calamity each time. Between its main run and two extra number specials (dated for March 15, 1968 and May 1968), there should be at least 26 chapters.

While the mainstream Ribon feature ran from September 1967 to August 1969, Akatsuka's fellow Tokiwa-so associate Tokuo Yokota authored a parallel version of *Hennako-chan* that would run in *Ribon Comic* from January 1969 to December 1970, as well as an earlier one-shot that appeared in a double-sized issue for February/March 1968.

## Reprints

* Akebono: 17 chapters reprinted in "Fujio Akatsuka Complete Works", 1 volume (1970). This volume is reprinted in the DVD-ROM collection as well.
* Shogakukan: "Fujio Akatsuka Complete Works" DVD-ROM set (2002). In addition to the Ribon reprint, 4 volumes of the Weekly Josei run are included.
* eBookJapan: "Hennako-chan: Weekly Josei edition", 3 volumes (2010)

Some chapters of the Tokuo Yokota version appear in the Akebono tankobon for his series "Perfectly Pako-chan", but the series has otherwise not been put back into circulation.

## Media

### Motion Manga Anime Shorts

GONZO adapted the Weekly Josei version for six 3-minute shorts in April 2008. Six selected manga chapters were given the "motion comic" treatment in AfterEffects, and given special effects and voice acting.

These shorts were later released on DVD in October 2008.

### "New Hennako-chan"

After Akatsuka's death in 2008, Fujio Pro put out a short-lived "3rd generation" take on Hennako, written by Rieko Akatsuka and illustrated by Katta Yoshi. Two chapters were released until the magazine it ran in (Kobunsha's Flash EX) was discontinued.

This version of Hennako was significantly redesigned, being a much cuter blonde child and her ESP now coming from her "HEN" hat.

### "Hennako-chan: Private Akafuji High School"

Another short-lived remake and spinoff would launch in HR Magazine in May 2013, written and illustrated by Katta Yoshi. In the series, Hennako is now a teenage girl attending Akafuji High School and still using her ESP.

Although her design still references the Weekly Josei edition, her family and settings have been significantly redesigned. After the series' cancellation in March 2015, this version of the character made a cameo in Katta Yoshi's Boy Bakabon (which itself would be cancelled with the closure of the Dengeki Bazooka magazine). It has not been collected into volumes.

There would be an attempt by HR to broadcast motion comic shorts of the manga, but only two episodes were posted before the project ceased.

## External Links

* Hennako-chan (1960s version) page at Koredeiinoda (Japanese)
* Hennako-chan (1990s version) page at Koredeiinoda (Japanese)
* Hennako-chan (1990s version) eBookJapan page (Japanese)