Chibi Maruko-chan (ちびまる子ちゃん)

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Chibi Maruko-chan

When it comes to fun things, there's lots

When you dream, do it with all your heart

Now, let's change into something stylish

And head out to find our friends!

On a hilltop path, stretching into the blue sky

That girl running, out of breath, who is she?

She's found a long forgotten treasure

The cut-off corner of a long lost time

The scent of a sunset grassland breeze

Teach me the magic behind your smile

When it comes to fun things, there's lots

When you dream, do it with all your heart

Now, let's change into something stylish

And head out to find our friends!

Maru-chan Learns to Ride a Bike! (Part 1)

Currently, riding bicycles is all the rage

with all the children in the neighborhood.

Hmmph.

Maru-chan does not know how.

Why's such a dumb thing popular, anyway?

So annoying!

Hope they all come to their senses and do something else instead!

Aw, I should've never come to the park in the first place!

Might as well go home...

Yo, Maruko!

What, you can't ride a bike?

Freakin' hilarious!

Whatever, who cares!!!

Riding bikes is for losers!!!

Ooh, "ridin' bikes is for losers!"

I'm still way cooler than a dork who can't ride a bike!

HMMMPH!

"Hmmph, hmmph"!

You sound like a dog taking a dump!

"HMMMMPH"!

What the heck!!!

Guess I REALLY should've gone home sooner...

I'm home.

Oh, Maruko...

You're back sooner than expected.

Whatever...

It was boring.

Oh? What's wrong?

All anyone does now is ride their dumb bikes!

I wish they'd do something else...

Then you should be learning how to ride one, too, no?

No way, those things are stupid!!!

The practice you gotta do to learn really hurts!

I won't ride one my whole life!

You really can't stand the slightest hardship...

What kind of adult will you be?

What the heck!

You WANT me to spend my life covered in scars?!

How can you call yourself my mom?!

What a pest...

Go do your homework already!

Maruko...

Your ol' man really thinks you should learn how to ride a bike.

Is that so...

Darn right it's so!

If you give it a shot, you'll see it's pretty easy.

Even your gramps can ride one, y'know!

And so can your grandma.

Now look here, Maruko.

You startin' to get it, yet?

Learnin' how to ride a bike...

That's what it means to become an adult.

Huh?

Uh, dear,

that might be a bit of a stretch...

Uh... a-anyways...

You're comin' out with your ol' man to learn this Sunday.

Got it?

No way! Not in a million years!

It hurts when you fall off!

Fine, look at the TV!

Even a monkey can ride a bike!

Ain't it pathetic if a human can't?

That's right, a monkey's beating you!

Good for the monkey...

Maruko!

It feels so nice to ride a bike!

Feeling the wind rushing through your hair...

Sakiko, you fell on your butt like 154 times when you were learning.

Man, this is tough...

Family members know all your deep, dark secrets...

Whatever!

I've never gonna learn how to ride a bike!

The fortress of her refusal to learn was unbreachable.

Yet back at school, bicycles still dominated the conversation.

Once the flames of excitement are lit, they remain lit to the bitter end.

Ridin' one-handed is a breeze for me, guys!

Wow, so cool!

And as for me,

my parents just bought me a brand new 5-speed the other day.

Woah, that's so rad!

Yeah, but you know,

Hanawa gets all the new things, he's so spoiled!

That's so true...

Man, ridin' bikes is so easy!

I can even do it with my eyes closed!

C'mon, Sekiguchi!

Don't exaggerate!

Yeah, could you not?!

But hey, it's a big world...

There's SOME losers who can't do something as EASY as ridin' a bike!

Ain't that right, Maruko?

That's sad!

Totally!

Won't say who they are, but it's pretty unbelievable, right?

Grrr, what a jerk!

Why, Sakura!

It appears you're becoming extremely angry!

Decisively true, is it not?

Wh-why?!

Why does this kid always show up to get on my last nerve?!

All anyone talks about is bikes!

Nobody's playing with dolls, nobody's playing house anymore...

Isn't there anyone in this whole class who doesn't care about bikes?

There was,

but despite her lack of interest in bikes,

their interests did not overlap.

Princess Story

Lacking options, Maru-chan went ahead with her proposal.

Hey, Migiwa!

You wanna play?

Very well.

I shall play the role of Snow White!

Sure, and I'll be Cinderella --

Silence!

YOU can be the magic mirror.

The mirror?!

Is there a problem?

Suit yourself...

N-no, it's fine!

I'll do it!

Mirror mirror, on the wall,

who's the fairest of them all?

It is you, my master...

Oh, you...

I... I don't wanna play this badly...

Wonderful!

Now you'll play the old hag who sells the poison apple!

You simply must eat this delicious apple, my pretty!

Why am I such a pushover?!

Maru-chan!

Maru-chan, hurry up and learn to ride a bike already!

That's kinda impossible...

No, it's not at all!

The two of us will show you how!

We still really wanna play with you, Maru-chan!

So c'mon, let's do it!

Please?

Really? Yay!

That's awesome!

H-huh?

Before she had realized it,

Maru-chan had been drawn into bicycle practice

by being swept away on a wave of friendship.

Hey mom!

Looks like I'm gonna learn how to ride a bike after all!

Oh, really!

Work hard, now!

And don't lose heart half-way!

Okay!

That's great news, Maruko!

Go give it your all!

Yeah!

Oh, by the way, Dad...

Ah!

Hey, Dad!!!

Pleeeease...

C'mon, Dad...

Please, Daddy, buy me a bike!

You must be dreamin' if you think that'll work...

You can get by usin' your sister's bike, right?

C'mon, pleeeease!

I want one like Mari-chan's!

She's talking about Mari Amachi, a pop singer from the early 70s.

Buy it, buy it!

Buy it...

Don't need it,

Don't need it,

And Daddy, he don't care...

While their interaction began rather playfully...

BUY IT! BUY IT!

BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT!

Buy it...

Fool!

If I gotta put up with this,

I don't care if you EVER ride a bike!

WAAH! BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT!

BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT...

...it became all too real by the end.

Buy it...

And thus her practice was conducted with her sister's borrowed bicycle.

Okay, Maru-chan!

All you gotta do is sit down and push down on the pedals!