Bobobo-bo Bobo-bo also known as Bo-bobo is a Japanese comedy manga serialized and illustrated by Yoshio Sawai. This manga was also adapted into a 76 episodes Japanese animated cartoon (anime) by Toei Animation. This anime aired from 2003 to 2005 and from 2005 to 2007 in the United States. However, the anime series Bo-bobo was canceled and no new episodes have been aired since. This anime and manga series are quite popular amongst the children of Japan as well as other Asian and Western Countries.
Bo-bobo was canceled because apparently, its “hair-raising” antics were too violent for Japanese parents whose numerous complaints led to the show’s cancellation on all fronts. This is a brilliant example of how a ridiculously amazing off-the-wall comedy was lost and how the Japanese PTA scored a victory against anime. The Japanese PTA, just like any other PTA, aims “to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children”. But this show apparently did not fit into the values that the PTA wants their children to imbibe. Although this anime was too weird even for the Japanese audiences, the PTA especially, were not fond of the Afro-warrior sense of humor that this show presented.
The fans of this show, however, were not satisfied with the abrupt ending of this hysterical anime. This anime was legitimately funny, not only the Japanese version but the English dubbed version too. The creature managed to pull off every joke and have the same impact as the Japanese one. Even the manga was able to spawn a follow-up series for the original manga littered with brilliant outrageous moments so it was not as if the series did not have a decent foundation for the creators of the show to use.
Was this show really violent?
The avid fans of this anime series, however, have a hard time agreeing with the statement that this series was canceled due to the extreme violence that this show depicted. The fans do agree that this show was weird for a “shounen” anime and it had a wacky sense of humor but the series in no way was violent enough that would harm its viewers. The irony about this statement is that a different series that had more gore and violence than Bo-bobo had streamed afterward which probably should have been canceled but was not.
Other possible reasons for the show’s cancellation.
Although this series was quite popular, it was not able to garner as much interest compared to other popular shounen such as “Naruto” or “One Piece”. This lack of audience might have led to the lack of ratings that forced the creators to stop production. Another reason for its lack of audience was the jokes that the show illustrated. Many fans state that the jokes illustrated in this anime were hilarious but these jokes failed to appeal to the masses and were not considered as funny or interesting.
Another reason for the cancellation of the series might be the lack of revenues. Since this series was not able to garner the attention of enough audiences, it failed to generate the income that the company had hoped to do so. As we know money is one of the bottom lines of entertainment and if a show is not able to generate enough revenues that they had hoped for, there is no reason for the creators to continue streaming a series that does not have any hope for generating revenues.
Is it possible that the manga’s creator, Yoshio Sawai, disliked the animated adaptation of his work, which led to its cancellation?
There is no conclusive evidence that states Yoshio Sawai, the “mangaka” of Bo-bobo, was disappointed seeing the animated adaptations for his work. Rather he was exuberant and excited to see this animated version of his work. In an interview, he (Yoshio Sawai) stated that “I watch the animated series every week, and it is really fun.” when asked about the Bo-bobo animated series. We can take this as proof that the show was not canceled because there was some friction between Yoshio Sawai and Toei Animations.
Yoshio Sawai has stated that the gags were “twice or even three times more fun” than he had originally intended them to be in the manga. He even praised that the original jokes in the animation were also as funny as the ones that he had written. So, we can state that the reason for the show’s cancellation was not disagreements between the mangaka and the animators, as is the case for the cancellation of some series.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can state that there is no definitive proof as to why the Bo-bobo anime was canceled after 76 episodes without any conclusion to the series. This is because no official statements have been given by Toei Animations or from the mangaka, Yoshio Sawai himself1. However, the most plausible and widely accepted reason for its cancellation is the apparent violence that was depicted. This alerted the PTA organizations to complain about this violence which led to its cancelation without the storyline being completed.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where can I stream Bo-bobo from?
The series Bo-bobo can be streamed on Netflix as well as on Crunchyroll. However, this series might not be available to some Netflix users from certain parts of the world.
- What happens to Bo-bobo at the end of the series?
Bo-bobo is finally able to bring an end to the nefarious deeds of the Maruhage Empire and stop the Hair Hunt. He then bids goodbye to his companions and prepares to go on another adventure to stop the revolt of the Vegetable Gang.
- Where in the manga does the Bo-bobo anime end?
Unfortunately, for English readers, only five volumes of the manga have been translated into English therefore, they cannot enjoy the manga if they do not understand Japanese. As for Japanese readers, it is advisable to start the manga from the first chapter as the anime and manga are different from each other to a certain extent.
Link to the interviews with Yoshio Sawai, the mangaka of Bobobo-bo Bobo-bo, https://bobobo.fandom.com/wiki/Yoshio_Sawai
