Kibimama-chan

Frontispiece featuring the cast.

**Kibimama-chan** (キビママちゃん) is a shojo work by Fujio Akatsuka and Fujio Pro. It succeeded the original run of Akko-chan's Got a Secret! in *Ribon*, running as a nearly year-long serial.

## Overview

Loosely inspired by *Mary Poppins* but without any magic elements, this series focuses on a young woman named Kimiko Haruno who happens to become the housekeeper to the Okawa family.

Momotaro Okawa is a widower who needs someone to keep his four rowdy children in line, and Kimiko steps up to the challenge, using her bright and energetic personality to help better the kids.

This work was a revamp of Akatsuka's earlier one-shot, "The Replacement Housekeeper"; the lead character was redesigned, and the two children were increased to four. As with *Akko-chan*, Akatsuka's first wife Tomoko was responsible for drafting possible looks for Kimiko until he settled upon a design he liked for the character.

As *Akko-chan* focused more on the magic blended with daily life, *Kibimama-chan* would be more of a humanity tale focused on the importance of bonds and respect. *Mary Poppins* would appear to be another very inspirational film for Akatsuka, as besides this work and its prototype, Iyami would also later act out the role in a chapter of Osomatsu-kun.

## Characters

### Kimiko Haruno, aka "Kibimama-chan"

The lead character. She becomes employed by the Okawa family, and although the older children are initially more resistant to her, she is patient and helps them out as she can.

However, it is her strictness that first earns her the nickname of "Kibimama", for she is *kibishi* (harsh) and can easily order the children to do housekeeping while still keeping a cheerful, gentle persona. The "mama" part comes from the fact that the children are reminded of their dead mother's looks when seeing her, particularly Toko. Through the series, she comes to be seen as a valued part of the Okawa family and responsible for building relationships with the children.

### Momotaro Okawa

A wealthy businessman who lost his wife a while ago. He has been kept busy by his disorderly children, but he loves them all and wants the best for them even though he has a lack of time to take care of them while at his job. After his salaryman employee Noda has trouble caring for the four, Kibimama is called in to be the new housekeeper.

He is a re-use of Ichiro's father from Otasuke-kun.

### Tetsuko

The headstrong eldest daughter, who is a bit tomboyish and aloof. Though her room is considered to be more like that of a boy's when Kibimama sees it, she is into fashion as well and the "Burnt Dress" story revolves around her guilt over damaging a dress and having to learn about responsibility over clothing. She is touched by Kibimama's lesson and regrets being selfish.

She is a re-use of Keiko from the prototype one-shot.

### Kaoru

The nerdy but mischievous elder son, who has a bit of a timid side over scary things. He is shown to be more tidy and effeminate in comparison to Tetsuko, as Kibimama initially mistakes his bedroom for being that of a girl's.

His design is similar but slightly different to the son of Giant Mama, with both characters embodying the "nerdy, effeminate and weak boy" archetype Akatsuka had wanted to convey.

### Kankichi

The younger son, not yet ready for school. He likes to bring home frogs and other wild critters to keep as pets, and shows a gentle side when taking care of the animals.

He is indeed the same Kankichi from *Akko-chan,* but re-used as a star for this family setting.

### Toko

The youngest daughter, a toddler. She is the most receptive to Kibimama, and is occasionally tearful at the memories of her own dead mother.

## Serialization

* Ribon (Shueisha): October 1965 to August 1966

The series ran for these chapters:

1. "**Kibimama Has Arrived**" (キビママがきました, October 1965)
2. "**Discipline and Judo**" (しつけと柔道, November 1965)
3. **"A Burnt Dress"** (こげたドレス, December 1965)
4. **"Good Night Kibimama"** (キビママのおやすみ, January 1966)
5. **"Our Neighbor is a Ghost"** (となりはおばけやしき, February 1966)
6. **"Noda-san Caught a Cold"** (ノダさんのカゼひき, March 1966)
7. **"A Picnic and Guests"** ( ピクニックとお客さん, April 1966)
8. **"Baseball Captain"** ( 野球のキャプテン, May 1966)
9. **"Kibimama and the Restaurant"** (キビママとレストラン, June 1966)
10. "**Kibimama's Matchmaking Meeting"** (キビママのお見合, July 1966) - *Re-ordered to be the final chapter in reprints*
11. **"Kibimama's Secret Diary"** (キビママちゃんのひみつの日記, August 1966) - *Put as penultimate chapter in reprints, with 3 pages added to take it from a 2 page special to a 5 page short chapter.*

## Reprints

* Akebono: 2 volume kashihon (1966), "Phantom Thief 1/2 Face" reprinted as extra content. It was later reprinted in 1 volume for Akebono's "Fujio Akatsuka Complete Works" in 1969, with "The Replacement Housekeeper" included as an extra.
* Shogakukan: The 1-volume Akebono version was digitized as part of the Fujio Akatsuka DVD-ROM set in 2002. It can be ordered from within Japan in print form through the website Comic Park.

Although *Kibimama-chan* is not yet reprinted on eBookJapan, the one-shot that inspired it can be found in the "1960s" eBook anthologies.

## Trivia

Even as one of Akatsuka's lesser-exposed shojo works, this series has managed to get some minor bits of exposure via some tributes:

* It was first referenced briefly by way of the 1991 Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun TV Special Bakabon: The 3000 Mile Quest For Osomatsu's Curry. Totoko is seen reading the Akebono volume of Kibimama-chan in her castle.
* Kibimama herself is also present in Kimi Izumihara's tribute manga "Fujio Akatsuka Dream Times", as a supporting cast member. It can be bought on eBookJapan, although no further volumes of the manga were made.

Tetsuko would also be re-used as a character for her own mini-series, "Tecchan is Back to Fighting", which ran for four chapters in Shojo Friend. Though her family situation is different, she is still clearly the same young girl.

## External Links

* A brief summary of Kibimama-chan in a page of influential girls' works, Koredeiinoda (Japanese)
* Kibimama-chan write-up at the Fujio Akatsuka Preservation Society (Japanese)