Papuwa

Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun (南国少年パプワくん) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Ami Shibata and serialized in Square Enix's manga magazine Monthly Shōnen Gangan from April 1991 to June 1995. The series follows Kotaro who is stranded on an uncharted island inhabited by strange talking animals hand has memory of his past. The series was adapted into an 42-episode anime television series which aired on TV Tokyo from 10 October 1992 to June 1995. Both the manga and anime series were followed by a sequel Papuwa (パプワ).

Story
Once, on an unknown southern island, a battle was waged over two mysterious stones, one red and one blue. The blue stone controls desire, and its power created the blue clan. And the red clan that inherited the power of the red stone was filled with the light of hope. Finally, the battle came to an end, and the young one who possessed the power of the blue stone fell into a deep sleep. The one with the power of the red stone flew off far across the sky. Desire and hope... until the day these two powers meet each other again...

Main characters

 * Papuwa: (パプワ) Papuwa is a short boy in a grass skirt. He has unparalleled strength as well as an assortment of other extraordinary abilities such as being able to breathe underwater for 3 hours. He was found washed up on shore of the first Papuwa Island, along with a young Chappy, by Kamui the owl, and was adopted by him. Papuwa is also, so far, the only known heir to the red stone, the stone of hope. Voiced by: Mayumi Tanaka (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Chappy: (チャッピー) Chappy is Papuwa's dog/cat and they've been together all their lives. The blue stone around Chappy's neck is actually the stone of desire, given to him by Papuwa who stole it from Shintaro early on in the first series. For the most part he is the only animal on the island who doesn't speak, however he has on few occasions using the power of the stone of desire. Voiced by: Hiroshi Masuoka (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Kotaro/Rotaro: (コタロー/ロタロー) Kotaro is an effeminate young boy, even going so far as to refer to himself as "delicate", and is the strongest member of the blue clan. Because of this power he could not control, he spent most of his life locked away in his room, and for four years prior to the start of PAPUWA, was in a coma. He has the bearing of a spoiled, pampered child, and believes he is above everyone. Somewhere between waking from his coma and arriving on the island, he became amnesiac. Liquid, fearing that remembering his own name would bring back his memories and cause his power to go out of control, changed his name to Rotaro by adding a line to the kana changing "ko" to "ro". Voiced by: Ikue Ohtani (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Liquid: (リッキド) Liquid, who once (albeit unwillingly) served in the Ganma army's elite battle unit, now lives on Papuwa Island as Papuwa's housemaid. Though he seems forced at times, and though the others don't seem to care for him much more than a maid, deep down they really do respect each other (even so far as promoting his status to "Papa" for Father's Day). Once the Shinsengumi are introduced, he is constantly hounded by Umako, the only woman on the island and quite possibly the most manliest looking character in the show. for Papuwa TV series.

The Ganma Army (ガンマ団)
The Ganma army is run by the Ganma family, who possess the power of the stone of desire. This power come in the form of what is called secret stone eyes (hisekigan, 秘石眼). The army itself works as a group of mercenaries, originally ruthless and seemingly taking control of the world, but since Shintaro's takeover the group now fights for "justice" (basically only assassinating people they believe are bad).


 * Magic Sōsui: (マジック) Magic is Kotaro's father and former commander-in-chief of the Ganma army, and oldest of four brothers. In the four year lapse between the first and second series, he's since retired the position to his oldest son Shintaro. Out of all of the family, only he and Kotaro possess two hisekigan eyes, something which grants them immense power. Voiced by: Shō Hayami (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Luzar: (ルーザー) One of Magic's younger brothers, very close in age. He was killed in battle 25 years prior to Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun.


 * Servis: (サービス) The youngest Ganma brother and Harlem's twin. Unlike Magic and Harlem, Servis was very fond of Luzar. Like Takamatsu, he blames Magic for Luzar's death. He was Shintaro's fighting master, and now trains Kotaro to control his hisekigan. He once lost control of the power of his hisekigan, and blamed that incident for the death of someone close to him. In his anguish over this, he tore out his own right eye, which was his hisekigan. Voiced by: Kōsuke Meguro (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series.


 * Shintaro: (シンタロー) The current commander-in-chief of the Ganma army and main character of the first series, Shintaro has an unhealthy fixation on his little brother Kotaro, which makes him the butt of a lot of "brother complex" jokes. He is also the only member of the Ganma family that does not have blond hair, and the only one to not possess hisekigan, despite his blue eyes. He shares a long and rich history with the first Papuwa Island, and considers Papuwa his best friend. Despite a rather convoluted family history that involves being switched at birth and taking someone else's body, Magic refuses to consider Shintaro as anything but his son. Voiced by: Hikaru Midorikawa (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Gunma: (グンマ) Gunma is a scientist raised by Dr. Takamatsu. He is childish and eccentric and a bit of an airhead, and has a slight obsession with designing his inventions to look like swans. He originally thought his father was Luzar but it turned out to be Magic. He is Kotaro's only biological brother. While technically Magic's eldest son, after it was revealed that he and Shintaro were switched at birth, the idea of Gunma being next in line for commandership of the Ganma Army has never been brought up, and likely never will be, given Gunma's complete lack of interest in the matter. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Kintaro: (キンタロー) Kintaro is the son of Luzar, and cousin to Shintaro, Gunma, and Kotaro. He is also Shintaro's "double" in an odd sense, something which dates back to the original series and involves a long and convoluted family history. While he was depicted at one point in the original series as possessing two hisekigan, at every point since, he has been shown to only have one, his left eye. Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Doctor Takamatsu: (ドクター高松) Takamatsu was Luzar's student, and the one who primarily raised Gunma. Takamatsu (along with Servis) blamed Magic for Luzar's death (since Magic was leader of the army then and sent Luzar out to battle), so as revenge he switched babies Shintaro and Gunma (Gunma being Magic's son and Shintaro being Luzar's son, who were born just a few days apart) so that Magic's "heir" would not be who he thought. Takamatsu specializes in the field of biotechnology, but is also a proficient medical doctor. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Gionkamen Arashiyama: (祗園仮面アラシヤマ) One of Ganma's elite forces (and second only to Shintaro, he claims), Arashiyama is a shy person whose greatest dream is just to make friends, which he fails to do because of his lack of confidence and bad "wisdom" from his former teacher Marker. Arashiyama especially wants to make friends with Shintaro, who was the first person to talk to him at the Ganma Academy, and the first person to offer to be his friend. However, Shintaro's offer to be his friend in the original series was born of desperation, when he needed the help of someone sufficiently strong to put up a fight against his uncle, Servis, and Shintaro typically prefers to ignore his existence entirely. Arashiyama is a highly proficient flame master, and ranks among the most powerful members of the Ganma army not related to the Blue Clan. Voiced by: Yoku Shioya (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Ninja Tottori: (忍者トットリ) Tottori, as his name states, is a ninja, but not a very good one. His special "attack" is kicking his sandal into the air and whatever side it lands on activates a cloud that will attack the enemy with whatever weather he predicts. Some episodes suggest he may have feelings for Miyagi, but this is probably just a running gag. Voiced by: Takayuki Ayanogi (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Tōhoku Miyagi: (東北ミヤギ) In the dub, Miyagi is portrayed as a stereotypical dumb blond. And when it comes to common sense, he is a little bit lacking. But he's also a good strategist and has mastered written Chinese. He has to, because his weapon of choice (Ikijibiki no Fude, 生き字引の筆, lit. "Walking Dictionary Writing Brush", "Brush of Literalization" in the dub) is an oversized calligraphy brush that turns anything into whatever is written on it, but only works using Chinese characters. He and Tottori are best friends. Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Musha Kōji: (武者コージ) When Kōji was 3 years old he fell into a pond and was eaten by a koi fish named Kinugasa. Kinugasa was then caught and sold to a rich couple who found and adopted him. Kouji entered baseball during high school and was scouted that way for the Ganma's army. He is Umako's older brother. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Hakata "Donnie" Donta: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Nagoya Willow: (名古屋ウィロー) Voiced by: Katsumi Suzuki (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Tiramisu and Chocolate Romance: Two member of the Ganma Army.
 * and both for Papuwa TV series.


 * Tsugaru Jocker: for Papuwa TV series.

Special Battle Unit

 * Harlem (ハーレム): Another of Magic's brothers, and older twin brother of Servis. He is the exact opposite of his twin. He leads the Special Battle Unit consisting of Marker, Rod, and G, which Shintaro disbanded when he gained control. He likes to steal money from his subordinates and waste it on gambling. Despite his outward appearance, Harlem is sensitive to the happenings around him, and still looks out for his ex-team member Liquid. He has one hisekigan eye. Voiced by: Hirotaka Suzuoki (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Marker: (マーカー) Marker is a Chinese warrior, very calm and composed. He is especially skilled with a sword, and manipulates fire. He was Arashiyama's former teacher, and instilled in him the impression that he is the best and that everyone else is worthless. This default he falls back on is why Arashiyama can never make friends. Marker is a member of Harlem's Special Battle Unit. His special attack is Flame Serpent. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Rod: (ロッド) Rod is an Italian with a habit for bad jokes. Always cheery, he has the power to manipulate wind. He is a member of Harlem's Special Battle Unit. for Papuwa TV series.


 * G: (ジー) G is of German descent with an odd fondness for bears, and Hokkaidou wood carvings. He is quiet and a bit shy, and often does without speaking. He is a member of Harlem's Special Battle Unit. His actual name is Gustav. for Papuwa TV series.

The Shinsengumi
(心戦組) The Shinsengumi is a mercenary group (based the real life historical group) that consists of multiple branches, two of which are known; the "Main" group and the "True" group.

Main Shinsengumi
(Shinsengumi Hontai, 心戦組本隊)
 * Isami Kondō (近藤イサミ) for Papuwa TV series.
 * Toshizō Hijikata (土方トシゾー)  for Papuwa TV series. The straight-man of the team.
 * Sōji Okita (沖田ソージ)  for Papuwa TV series. a smiling silver-haired man. He unfortunately has Kondo's affections, and returns them by repeatedly stabbing Kondo with his sword.
 * Umako Harada (原田ウマ子)  for Papuwa TV series. The most most masculine character and ironically, the only major female character. She is tall, muscular, battle-scarred, and eventually develops a beard due to a potion. She falls in love with Liquid to his Horror. She is Koji's younger sister.

True Shinsengumi
(Shin Shinsengumi, 真心戦組) 
 * Yamanami Keisuke (山南ケースケ)
 * Yamazaki Susumu (山崎ススム)
 * Itou Kashitaro (伊東カシタロー)
 * Saitou Hajime (斎藤ハジメ)
 * Nagakura Shinpachi (永倉シンパチ)

The Namamonos
(ナマモノ) "Namamono" is the term used to describe the strange talking animal type creatures that live on Papuwa Island. There are countless namamonos that appear throughout the series.


 * Tanno and Itō: (タンノ＆イトウ) Tanno is a transvestite fish who wears fishnet stockings, and Itō is a hermaphroditic pink snail. In the dub they talk like stereotypical gay men. Usually seen together, they are both currently obsessed with Toshizou and pounce on him vehemently on sight. Itō also constantly spawns baby snails which the rest of the cast continuously eat. Tanno is voiced by Tomohiro Nishimura (Japanese) and Itō is voiced by Tesshō Genda (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. and  for Papuwa TV series.


 * Komoro: (コモロ) Komoro is a poisonous mushroom who tries to pass himself off as a safely edible mushroom. He appears at random and can appear to be an annoyance to Papuwa and the others. When breathed in, his poisonous powder is hallucinogenic. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Oshōdani the Sea Otter: (オショウダニ) Oshodani is a sea otter who is searching for the "perfect drum". With an obsession for beating on anything he can find, he always carries with him a pair of drumsticks. He attacks by throwing his drum sticks. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Eguchi and Nakamura: (エグチ＆ナカムラ) A raccoon and a rabbit who are very close friends and always seen together. They give off the resemblance of small children, and seem to enjoy scratching new things with a 10 yen coin. and  for Papuwa TV series.


 * Hayashi: (ハヤシ) A pink Tyrannosaurus rex who became a transvestite by eating Itō's children. His tail is frequently used as food. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Yamagishi: (ヤマギシ) Yamagishi is a wombat who constantly dreams of "a sea of stars". He has a naturally gloomy disposition. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Hanaji Buusuke: (鼻血ブースケ) Buusuke are huge "leaf beetles", who look like purple dinosaur creatures with fairy wings wearing a bathing suit. Buusuke live in the Cocoa Forest, and have chronic nosebleeds due to the copious amounts of cocoa that they eat. This also causes them be to anemic.


 * Shimizu: (シミズ) A huge earthworm who's very affectionate. Despite being introduced early on, he has a very small role in the series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Kubota: (クボタ) A large bird that is used as a means of transportation around the island. The cast commonly steals Kubota's eggs for food or other such useful purposes. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Tezuka: (テヅカ) A bat who practices magic to make medicine. He become close friends with Arashiyama on the first Papuwa Island, of which he has completely forgotten. Tezuka was also an apprentice to Nagoya Willow. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Takeuchi: (タケウチ) A chihuahua, and Tezuka's assistant. He acts nice to hide malicious intent and uses his cute appearance to swindle people. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Taco Taguchi and Takeda: (タグチ＆タケダ) A chupacabra and an alien, who often come to brainwash Liquid. and  for Papuwa TV series.


 * Umigishi: (ウミギシ) Umigishi is a half man, half octopus/squid character. A long time ago he was engaged to Tanno, but later married Ifuku. He later returns during the Man's Festival in the second series. Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto (Japanese) in Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun TV series. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Ifuku: (イフク) A talking clam and Umigishi's wife. She has lots of faith in her bumbling husband and often gives him advice. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Kaori: The crabfish beautician of Papuwa island.


 * Miyamo:


 * Kamui the Owl: Papuwa's adoptive grandfather who is deceased prior to the first series. He is the one who first informs Shintaro of the sinking of the first Papuwa Island and Papuwa's past. He appears again in the second series during the second Obon Festival. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Nakai:


 * Nakai Jr.: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Mosa the Mosasaurus: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Great Man-God: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Man-Octopus: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Hoshino: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Kappa:


 * Shrimp Ranger: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Cocoa Queen: A giant cocoa plant. for Papuwa TV series.


 * Sekino the Giant Panda: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Hiroshi: (ヒロシ) Hiroshi is a member of the bat tribe on the "drifting island" (Tadayoijima). Due to a birth defect type mutation, he looks like a human while the rest of his people look like little balls with bat wings. He is thus referred to as a "Happy Child".


 * Kera: (ケラ) From the island of "Beginning's End" (Hajimari no Owari), Kera is a Happy Child of a race of dinosaurs. She's looking for her parents who she was separated from. She only appears in the manga.

Other Miscellaneous Characters

 * Tonkotsumaru: Hakata Donta's pet pig. He is the one who makes the Tonkotsu Ramen to power him up.


 * Kinugasa: for Papuwa TV series.


 * Kuriko: (クリ子) Kuriko is Santa's daughter and apprentice (literally a Santa Claus in training). A long time ago she and Papuwa made a promise that if she could grow to be 156 cm, they would get married.

Anime
Nangoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun was adapted into a 42-episode anime television series in 1992. Produced by Nippon Animation under the direction of Jun Takagi, the series began its broadcast run on TV Tokyo from 10 October 1992 to June 1995. Three pieces of theme music were used for the opening and closing of each episode. The opening them is "Npapa Rap Song" (んばば・ラブソング) performed by Tome. The closing themes are "Shikasutto Nonsense" (しかすっとナンセンス) performed by Daiji Man Brothers Band for the for the first 24 episodes and "Kibun wa Papuwa Hare" (気分はパプワ晴れ) performed by Kouji Tsuno and Pythagoras for the remaining episodes.

The second manga series was also adapted into an anime television series by Nippon Animation. Directed by Kenichi Nishida, the second series began its broadcast run on TV Tokyo from 30 September 2003 to 30 March 2004. Two pieces of theme music are used, one opening and one closing. The opening theme is "Tabibito" (旅人) performed by Loosely, and the closing them is "Yurari Yurari (ゆらりゆらり) performed by Masashi Iino (いいのまさし).

Video games
Two video games entitled Nankoku Shōnen Papuwa-kun (南国少年パプワくん) were released on March 25, 1994 by Enix for the Nintendo's Game Boy and Super Famicom.

Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun

 * 1. んばば!きょうからお前も友達だ
 * 2. 働けシンタロー!食事は命がけだ
 * 3. 生き字引きの筆! 東北ミヤギ登場
 * 4. お帰りじぃちゃ! パプワの秘密
 * 5. 脳天気野郎 忍者トットリくん参上
 * 6. パプワ島の ふしぎな仲間全員集合
 * 7. トン骨パワー! 博多どん太君登場
 * 8. 大決戦だぞ!パプワの森の守り神
 * 9. Merry Christmas! Christmas Eve Papuwa (メリークリスマス! パプワ島聖夜)
 * 10. 爆裂!炎のアラシヤマ おたべ攻撃
 * 11. 復活! ミヤギ・トットリのW攻撃
 * 12. 危機一髪! 記憶をのぞく秘密兵器
 * 13. 探検! パプワ島地底に謎のトビラ
 * 14. Shintaro's Dad? Commander Magic (シンタローのパパ? マジック総帥)
 * 15. 珍プレー対決! 刺客甲子園球児だ
 * 16. 刺客武者のコージ& キヌガサくん
 * 17. めざせ! 願いを叶えるイッポン竹
 * 18. 史上最強! グンマ博士&ロボット
 * 19. イカ男の恐怖! 吹き荒れる愛の嵐
 * 20. ハチャメチャ! パプワ島大運動会
 * 21. 秘石争奪戦! 4人の戦士夢の対決
 * 22. 大騒動! 春のぴきぴきピクニック
 * 23. お花見怪獣 ヨッパライダー出現!
 * 24. 子育てチャッピー! 白熊くん物語
 * 25. 再上陸! 天才グンマ博士の新ロボ
 * 26. ステキに無敵! ドクター高松登場
 * 27. 南国温泉の戦い! 地獄温泉別府丸
 * 28. シンタローの誕生日!パパ再登場
 * 29. Farewell Papuwa Island! Shintaro's Escape (さらばパプワ島! シンタロー脱出)
 * 30. Hypnotist! Meet Jocker Tsugaru! (催眠術師! 津軽ジョッカー見参!)
 * 31. 刺客ウイロー! 名古屋の魔法使い
 * 32. 超人パプワ! 移動遊園地で大暴れ
 * 33. イカ男ウミギシ涙! タンノの秘密
 * 34. 狙われた秘石! 日光猿王とタロー
 * 35. Mirror of the Past: The Mystery of the Magic Family (過去を映す鏡! マジック一族の謎)
 * 36. 謎のサービス! 秘石眼を捨てた男
 * 37. サービス上陸! シンタローの秘策
 * 38. 対決!四人の戦士VS 無敵サービス
 * 39. パプワ島大騒動!オバケが出たぞ
 * 40. ヒグラシの夢! あの空を飛びたい
 * 41. 大統領は誰だ! パプワ島の総選挙
 * 42. さよならパプワ島! みんな友達だ

Papuwa

 * 1. Welcome to Papuwa Island!
 * 2. Caution: Extremely Poisonous? Here Comes Komoro the Destroying Angel Mushroom
 * 3. My Personal Motto is the Power of Friendship. I am Arashimaya
 * 4. Here Comes the Wandering Drummer, Oshōdani the Sea Otter
 * 5. Fancy Yankee?! Liquid's Fabulous Past
 * 6. Even the Zombies Dance?! The Obon Festival on Papuwa Island is Wild and Crazy
 * 7. Deadly Technique! The Brush of Literalization Turns Even Hayashi Pale?!
 * 8. Rotaro Awakens?! Massive Flood in Papuwa's House
 * 9. Here Come the Samurai! Meet the Shinsengumi!!
 * 10. Umako Vision Activated!! Magical Potion Taste Like Love
 * 11. Save Rotaro! Chappy the Errand Boy!
 * 12. Who's the Empress? Fierce! Papuwa Island Hina-King Cup
 * 13. Skin Tight!? Men's Beach Volleyball Competition
 * 14. Kotaro is Stunned!? Here Comes the Super Manly God of the Man Festival!
 * 15. Watch Out for the Fake? Rotaro in the Test of Courageous Manhood
 * 16. What's the Present? Papa Liquid's Longest Day
 * 17. Melancholy Kōji Who Does Umako Belong To?
 * 18. No Need for Liquid? Substitute Maid Championship
 * 19. Catch My Heart!! Sizzling Valentine's Day
 * 20. Arashiyama Reminisces! Unforgettable Ganma Army Military Academy
 * 21. What's Your Wish? Star Festival on Papuwa Island
 * 22. Climb, Liquid! Hang the Charms for Your Life?
 * 23. He's Finally Here!! Shintaro Returns
 * 24. Shintaro & Liquid: Their Own Decisions
 * 25. Save Papuwa Island! Kotaro's Fateful Ganma Cannon
 * 26. Goodbye, Kotaro! You Are My Friend from this Day Forth!