Shōnen Ashibe

Shōnen Ashibe (少年アシベ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiromi Morishita. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from 1988 to 1994, with its chapters collected in eight  volumes. It describes the daily life of Ashibe, an elementary school boy, and his family and friends, including his spotted seal pup named Goma-chan.

It received a six-episode original video animation (OVA) adaptation in 1991, which led to an anime television series adaptation aired on TBS in that same year; a second season aired from 1992 to 1993. A second manga series, titled ComaGoma, which depicts Ashibe as a second grade student, was serialized in Weekly Young Jump from 2000 to 2004, with its chapters collected in six volumes.

A second anime television series adaptation, titled ''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan'', was broadcast for four seasons on NHK Educational TV from 2016 to 2019. A manga adaptation of ''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan, illustrated by Junko Ogino, was published in Futabasha's Monthly Action'' and Manga Town from 2016 to 2018, and its chapters were collected in three volumes.

Another manga series illustrated by Shōhei, titled Seishōnen Ashibe, started in Monthly Action in 2017. It depicts an older Ashibe as a freshman in high school. In 2020, Morishita started another manga series, titled Shō 3 Ashibe QQ Goma-chan, which depicts Ashibe as a third grade student.

Manga
Written and illustrated by Hiromi Morishita, Shōnen Ashibe was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Young Jump from 1988 to 1994. Shueisha collected its chapters in eight volumes, released from April 19, 1989, to March 18, 1994. Shueisha republished the series in four volumes from August 10 to October 18, 2001. Futabasha released two volumes, consisting of selected stories, on April 28 and November 12, 2011, and republished the eight volumes from April 1, 2016, to March 28, 2017.

Sequels
A second manga series, titled ComaGoma, following Ashibe as a second grade student, was serialized in Weekly Young Jump from October 12, 2000, to March 25, 2004. Shueisha collected its chapters in six volumes, released from November 20, 2001, to July 16, 2004. Futabasha republished the six volumes, under the title ComaGoma Goma-chan (COMAGOMA ゴマちゃん), from June 12, 2017, to April 12, 2018.

A third manga series, titled Shō 3 Ashibe QQ Goma-chan (小3アシベ QQゴマちゃん), following Ashibe as a third grade student, started in Manga Action on March 17, 2020. Futabasha released the first volume on April 25, 2022. As of August 9, 2023, two volumes have been released.

Other series
A manga adaptation of ''Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan, illustrated by Junko Ogino, was serialized in Futabasha's Manga Action from April 25, 2016, to February 25, 2017, and was later transferred to the publisher's Manga Town'' starting on May 2 of that same year. Its last chapter was published on March 5, 2018. Futabasha collected its chapters in three volumes; the first two volumes were published on September 12, 2016, and January 12, 2017, respectively, and the third volume was published digitally-only on April 12, 2018.

Another manga series illustrated by Shōhei, titled Seishōnen Ashibe (青少年アシベ), which depicts an older Ashibe as a freshman in high school, started in Manga Action on July 25, 2017. Futabasha released the first volume on April 12, 2018. As of March 12, 2024, eight volumes have been released.

1991–1994 series
A six-episode original video animation (OVA) adaptation, animated by Nippon Animation and distributed by Pony Canyon, was released between January 21 and July 21, 1991. A 37-episode anime television series, animated by Life Work, was broadcast on TBS from April 11 to December 28, 1991. It was followed by a 25-episode second season broadcast from October 3, 1992, to March 27, 1993.

Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan
A second anime television series, titled Shōnen Ashibe Go! Go! Goma-chan (少年アシベ GO！GO！ゴマちゃん), animated by Bridge and Husio Studio, directed by Nobuhiro Kondo, with series composition by Toshimitsu Takeuchi, was broadcast for 32 episodes on NHK Educational TV from April 5, 2016, to February 21, 2017.

A second season, animated by the same studios of the first season, was broadcast for 32 episodes from April 4, 2017, to February 13, 2018.

A third season, animated by Bridge and Studio Palette, was broadcast for 32 episodes from April 3, 2018, to February 26, 2019. A fourth season, animated by Shin-Ei Animation and Studio Palette, with series composition by Masashi Sogo, was broadcast for 24 episodes from April 2 to December 17, 2019.

Reception
With its anime adaptation, the manga increased in popularity. The manga has sold 20 million copies.