| Synopsis | Chako to Ken-chan (Chako and Ken-chan)This is the sixth and final installment of the Chako-chan Series、 which first began in 1962. It marks the final appearance of Harumi Yomo as Chako、 as well as Hideo Sato and Toshie Takada who had played the parents since the third series. It is a family drama depicting the daily lives of children in a typical 1960s (Showa 40s) salaried worker household. The total of 52 self-contained episodes、 which aired from April 1968 to March 1969、 centers on minor incidents and sibling rivalries that often arise between the boyish older sister、 Chako、 and her mischievous younger brother、 Ken-ichi、 in their daily lives. While the production by TBS and Kokusai Eigasha、 as well as the staff、 remained unchanged from the first Chako-chan series、 this particular series was unique in terms of being adapted into a movie as part of the Toei Manga Matsuri (Toei Manga Festival).This work is sometimes confused with a remake version aired in 1982、 which featured an entirely different cast and setting; however、 it is truly the final installment of the originally created Chako-chan Series. After this work、 Harumi Yomo、 who had long played the role of Chako、 stepped down from the role. From the next installment onward、 the Ken-chan Series was produced、 centering on the younger brother、 Ken-ichi. The family's background also changed from a salaried worker household to a small business owner with their business changed with each series. Since it was filmed in black and white、 very few episodes were ever released on video、 and thus it is now acknowledged that it was a very precious series for children's dramas in the mid-Showa period. |
