Baby & Me

Baby & Me (Japanese: 赤ちゃんと僕, Hepburn: Aka-chan to Boku, Indonesian:Bayi Dan Aku) is a shōjo manga by Marimo Ragawa. It was originally published in Japan by Hakusensha, and was published in English by Viz Media, serialized in the magazine Shojo Beat. It received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo in 1995. The series was adapted as an anime television series in 1996.[1]

For the South Korean film, see Baby and I.
Baby & Me
Cover of Japanese volume 1
赤ちゃんと僕
(Aka-chan to Boku)
GenreSlice of life
Manga
Written byMarimo Ragawa
Published byHakusensha
English publisher
MagazineHana to Yume
English magazine
DemographicShōjo
Original run1991 – 1997
Volumes18
Anime television series
Directed byTakahiro Omori
Produced byGope T. Samtani
Written bySukehiro Tomita
Music byKenji Kawai
StudioStudio Pierrot
Rapi Films
Licensed byStudio Pierrot (Indonesia)
Original networkTV Tokyo
Spacetoon Indonesia
Original run 11 July 1996 – 26 March 1997
Episodes35

Plot

Takuya Enoki loses his mother, Yukako, when she dies in a car accident. Takuya now lives with his father, Harumi, and his baby brother, Minoru. Takuya's baby brother is only two years old and requires much care. Although Takuya is only a fifth grader, he cooks, cleans, sews, scolds, and does everything that is normally a mother's job. Between his housework and looking after his baby brother, Takuya begins to feel a helpless gap between his friends who have fun every day after school. The Kimura family blame him for Minoru's constant crying. His stress gradually builds up and bursts at a point. Because of a mistake Minoru made, Takuya reacts violently. He cannot help feeling upset over Minoru, who is stressing him and taking up all his time.

One day, when Takuya picks Minoru up from preschool, he starts to walk faster imagining what it would be like to leave his little brother behind him. But soon, Takuya realizes what he has done and runs back. He finds Minoru with his eyes full of tears and a brutal dog is blocking Minoru's way. Takuya dashes in full speed and saves his little brother. After coming home and seeing Minoru sobbing, Takuya realizes that Minoru cries because he is just lonely and becomes ashamed of himself. From then on, Takuya learns to love his little brother as family and his long life story of being a mother and a brother at once begins.

Characters

Enoki family
Takuya Enoki (榎木 拓也, Enoki Takuya)
Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi
The elder brother. 12 years old. Has taken up the burden of mothering his younger brother, Minoru. Due to his gentle, calm demeanor, good look and good grade, he is popular with the girls at school. Most likely to be mad when someone hurts or scares Minoru.
He is kind, caring, hard working, responsible and sensitive though oblivious of the girls' feelings towards him.
He is also good at short distance run. However, he's really bad at long running and handicraft.
In Valentine day, he receives 9 boxes of chocolate. In the long run, he comes up at 3rd place thanks to his extreme effort.
Minoru Enoki (榎木 実, Enoki Minoru)
Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto
starring Indonesian by: Putra Dinata
Baby of the family. Super cute. Loved and over protected by his older brother, Takuya. Loves to wear a bear hat. His favorite character is Zap, a superhero from a laundry detergent commercial. His hero in life is Takuya.
He is of the same class as Hiro. Both Hiro and Ichika loves him.
Harumi Enoki (榎木 春美, Enoki Harumi)
Voiced by: Mitsuru Miyamoto
The father of Takuya and Minoru. He works hard to feed his family. He is a system engineer. He is really handsome and is popular in his company.
He deeply cares for his two sons.
Yukako Enoki (榎木 由加子, Enoki Yukako)
Voiced by: Misa Watanabe
Deceased mother of Takuya and Minoru. Married Harumi against her family's wishes, and escaped her family in doing so.
She first met her husband when she was working part-time at a bento shop.
Her parents died in an accident since she was 10.

Friends
Tadashi Gotoh (後藤 正, Gotō Tadashi)
Voiced by: Yoshiko Kamei
Classmate of Takuya's. Nicknamed Gon. Is the older brother in his family, with Hiroko (Hiro), his younger sister. Is the opposite of Takuya in many ways, especially his care towards Hiro and his look. Greedy and lazy. His family opens a grocery store, and he often works there. Though Gon's crush likes Takuya, he still likes Takuya as a friend.

He often thinks he's handsome. He loves silly dance.

Hiroko "Hiro" Gotoh (後藤 浩子, Gotō Hiroko, ヒロ Hiro)
Voiced by: Yumi Kuroda
Younger sister of Tadashi. Has the exact same face as her brother. Same class as Minoru. She has a crush on Minoru after he saves her from a dog.
She often fights with love rival, Ichika. Was first thought to be a boy. She sees Minoru as brave and handsome. Plays roughly.
Tokio Tamadate (玉館 時男, Tamadate Tokio)
Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto
Rich classmate of Takuya's. Stuck up because he is rich. Wears expensive designer clothes. He often ridicules Takuya and fights with Gon (whom he dislikes). His grandmother Hanae considers Gon's granma her love rival in the past (and vice versa).

Fujii family
Akemi Fujii (藤井 明美, Fujii Akemi)
Voiced by: Misa Watanabe
Oldest daughter in the family. She is in charge of the other siblings when Parents are at work and looking after the house. She has a boyfriend.
Tomoya Fujii (藤井 友也, Fujii Tomoya)
Voiced by: Mitsuo Iwata
Oldest son, second-oldest child in the Fujii family. 17 years old. Dirty-minded.

He is loud, positive and popular at school.

Asako Fujii (藤井 浅子, Fujii Asako)
Voiced by: Akemi Okamura
Second-oldest daughter, third child in the Fujii family. 15 years old. Has a cold voice and personality. Her crush is Sakamaki, an introverted boy obsessing with audio visual.

She's jealous of Tomoya's cheerful personality.

Akihiro Fujii (藤井 昭広, Fujii Akihiro)
Voiced by: Hiro Yuuki
Classmate of Takuya's. Is the fourth brother in his family of two older sisters, an older brother, a younger sister, and a younger brother. Competitive.
He is deemed "cool" in class, mostly because it is hard to know what he is thinking. Poor because he has to share everything with his other siblings. Often stuck taking care of his younger siblings.

He is good looking and intelligent. He is also good at sports and is popular at school.

In Valentine's Day, he receives 7 box of chocolate. He wins the 1st prize for the long run competition.

Ichika Fujii (藤井 一加, Fujii Ichika)
Voiced by: Mika Kanai
Starring Indonesian by: Putri Titian
Younger sister of Akihiro's. Different class from Minoru. She has a crush on Minoru and often fights (verbal and physically) with love rival, Hiro. She is highly intelligent and sees Minoru as cute. Sharp tongued.
Masaki "Ma-Bo" Fujii (藤井 正樹, Fujii Masaki, マー坊 Mā-bō)
Voiced by: Kazumi Okushima
Youngest son, sixth child, and youngest child in the Fujii family. Though younger than Minoru, his vocabulary is better than Minoru's. Also very intelligent.
Because of his gentle personality, he is often controlled by Ichika.

Neighbors
The Kimuras
Lives across the street from the Enoki's. Though both are old, they are very spirited. Their son recently came home.

Others
Shinako Fukaya (深谷 しな子, Fukaya Shinako)
Voiced by: Michiko Neya
A girl in Takuya's class. She has a quick temper. Her reputation as a liar makes it hard for her to have friends. She often speaks too honestly, and words come out of her mouth before she thinks it through, leading her to hurt other's feelings without meaning to.

(Chapter 14)

Ai Yarimizo (槍溝 愛, Yarimizo Ai)
Voiced by: Hinako Kanamaru
Gon's crush. She is the class representative of Class 6-3. Takuya thinks she is weird. Gon probably likes her because she is pretty. She likes to dress very extravagantly (weird by Takuya's taste). On her date with Gon, she chose to go to the kiddie rides. She sexually harasses Takuya and Gon by patting their behinds. When Takuya asked her to go on a date with Gon (from Gon's orders) she told him that she liked someone else. After her date with Gon, she confesses to him that she liked Takuya. She commented to Takuya that she knew he would not tell Gon because he wants to protect his friends.

(Chapter 20)

Volumes
  1. ISBN 4-592-12241-0 published in March 1992
  2. ISBN 4-592-12242-9 published in August 1992
  3. ISBN 4-592-12243-7 published in December 1992
  4. ISBN 4-592-12244-5 published in February 1993
  5. ISBN 4-592-12245-3 published in June 1993
  6. ISBN 4-592-12246-1 published in November 1993
  7. ISBN 4-592-12247-X published in March 1994
  8. ISBN 4-592-12248-8 published in July 1994
  9. ISBN 4-592-12249-6 published in November 1994
  10. ISBN 4-592-12250-X published in February 1992
  11. ISBN 4-592-12821-4 published in May 1995
  12. ISBN 4-592-12822-2 published in September 1995
  13. ISBN 4-592-12823-0 published in January 1996
  14. ISBN 4-592-12824-9 published in July 1996
  15. ISBN 4-592-12825-7 published in November 1996
  16. ISBN 4-592-12826-5 published in March 1997
  17. ISBN 4-592-12827-3 published in June 1997
  18. ISBN 4-592-12828-1 published in September 1997

Reception

Baby & Me received the 40th Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōjo manga in 1995.[2]

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References
  1. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 144. ISBN 9781476672939.
  2. 小学館漫画賞：歴代受賞者 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
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