For 40 years, Bono bono has been teaching generations about life's biggest questions through the eyes of a curious young sea otter. Created by manga artist Mikio Igarashi and first serialized in 1986, this beloved series became a cultural phenomenon that transcends borders.
series follows Bono bono and his friends as they explore everyday experiences and life's quiet questions through warm, thoughtful storytelling. With over 9.5 million copies sold and a long-running television anime produced by Fuji Television and Eiken, Bono bono continues to air in Japan and resonate with a devoted, multi-generational audience.
Through a collaboration with the Bono bono franchise, Rian — an AI-powered dubbing and localization company — supports Bono bono's international localization, using AI-assisted dubbing and neural voice synthesis to expand access to the series while preserving its distinctive tone, gentle storytelling style, and cultural authenticity.
"Marking 40 years of the original manga and 10 years of the television anime — Bono bono speaks to the world."
Manga begins in the magazine "Manga Life"
Wins Kodansha Manga Award
First TV anime (48 episodes)
Anime reboot on Fuji TV (493+ episodes)
Bono bono speaks to the world
Meet the forest's most beloved residents — and hear how our voice actors bring them to life across languages.
Sea Otter • Protagonist
A young sea otter with an abundance of curiosity and a vivid imagination.
Chipmunk • Best Friend
Bonobono's friend. He is often teased by Araiguma.
Raccoon • Best Friend
The biggest bully in the forest. But actually, he might be the most caring one of all.
Each dub is culturally adapted — not just translated. Humor, idioms, and emotional beats are reworked to feel native in every language.
Each character's personality is preserved across all 6 languages.
Bono bono's journey to India has been covered by leading publications worldwide.
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The Bonobono Happy Family Fest brought Pune a day of play, laughter and forest friends.
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