Sakura Momoko Land: Taniguchi Rokuzo Shoten

Meet Maruko, a sweet schoolgirl with a hefty dose of curiosity (and occasional laziness!). She sails through life in a cozy town alongside her loving parents, grandparents, and sister. Maruko has a band of loyal friends, including her closest pal, Tama-chan, but her playful and doting grandpa is at the heart of it all. Life is never dull in this charming series.

Momoko's teacher asks the third grade to draw a picture based on their favorite song, to enter in a contest. She picks a song she's recently become fond of during music class, and is anxious to make a good drawing based on it. On her way to meet relatives in Shizuoka, Momoko meets Shoko Kimura, a university student who occasionally draws portraits and plans to participate in an art contest. Momoko and Shoko become close friends, and end up inspiring each other both in their own ways.

Chibi Maruko chan is the nickname of a sweetly obnoxious 9-year-old girl. She tricks her grandfather, ponders for hours over how to spend her allowance, and hates sitting next to ugly boys. She talks, feels and lives just as real kids do. As the second term commences, Maruko and her classmates return to their small groups. Maruko’s group includes two naughty boys and Maruko is forced to be one of their subordinates. She seems to face a lot of pressure at school.

Students from five different countries arrive in Maruko's town. Maruko and her classmates can barely contain their curiosity, and their new friends are full of surprises. And Maruko's family will house a boy from Italy!

They are neither animals nor humans. They cannot be distinctly categorised as boys or girls. They are also not considered to be Earthlings or space creatures. There are no such specific titles in the world of Coji-Coji. Instead, it boils down to the meaning of "existence", an emphasis on the root of a character. This world hinges on all things natural, the pure existence of life. The protagonist, Coji-Coji, represents a perfect existence where truths of life are constantly being delivered and no words of malice can be spoken.