Crayon Shin-chan Anime Franchise Overview
Anime Series Overview:
Crayon Shin-chan is a long-running comedy anime that began airing on TV Asahi in Japan on April 13, 1992en.wikipedia.org. Produced by Shin-Ei Animation, the series is still ongoing over 30 years later. It has amassed well over 1,200 episodes (on the order of ~1,250 by early 2025), making it one of Japan’s longest-running anime. The show has no formal “seasons” in the Western sense; it continues continuously with episodes divided into short segments (early episodes had three mini-stories per episode, later switching to two segments per episode). Shin-Ei Animation (with TV Asahi and ADK Asatsu as partners) has produced every episode, and Toho distributes the theatrical films.
Key cast members have remained mostly consistent. The Nohara family voices include Akiko Yajima (Shinnosuke “Shin-chan” Nohara, 1992–2018), Miki Narahashi (Misae Nohara), Toshiyuki Morikawa (Hiroshi Nohara), Satomi Kōrogi (Himawari Nohara), and Mari Mashiba (Tōru Kazama and Shiro the dog). In 2018, the lead voice role of Shinnosuke was recast: Yumiko Kobayashi succeeded Akiko Yajima as Shin-chan’s voice beginning with the July 6, 2018 episodeen.wikipedia.org. Other main characters’ voices have remained unchanged. Over time, the animation style has been updated (modern episodes are produced in widescreen HD, whereas early 1990s episodes were standard-definition), though the series retains its signature simple, caricatured art style. The writing and humor have also evolved; for example, some episodes have been edited or localized differently for international broadcast to remove nudity or profanity.
International Releases:
Crayon Shin-chan has been dubbed or subtitled in dozens of countries. For example:
- India: The series debuted in India on June 19, 2006 with a Hindi dub on Hungama TVen.wikipedia.org. (It is titled Shin Chan (शिन चैन) locally.) Tamil and Telugu dubs were introduced later. In 2024 the show was relaunched on Sony YAY! in Hindi (and additional regional dubs: Bengali, Tamil, Telugu)en.wikipedia.org.
- Spain: Shin-chan is known simply as Shin Chan in Spain. It first aired in 2000 on Spanish children’s TV (starting on Cartoon Network Spain in late 2000, after initial broadcasts in Catalan/Basque). A Castilian Spanish dub and regional Catalan/Basque/Galician dubs were produced.
- Other countries: The English-dubbed series has aired widely: on Fox Kids/Jetix (now Disney XD) in the UK and Australia, and on RTÉ2 in Irelanden.wikipedia.org. Singapore aired Shin-chan on Channel i (English subtitles)en.wikipedia.org. Subtitled versions were shown on Stöð 2 in Iceland and on Israel’s Arutz HaYeladimen.wikipedia.org. In the Middle East and North Africa, an Arabic dub has been broadcast on children’s channels (e.g. Spacetoon). In the Philippines, a Tagalog dub ran on IBC-13 in the early 2000sen.wikipedia.org. (The series has also been dubbed in many other languages, including Portuguese for Brazil, various European languages, and others, airing across Asia, Europe, and Latin America.)
The table below highlights key localized releases:
| Country/Region | Local Title / Language | Debut (Year) | Dub Language(s) | Network(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Crayon Shin-chan | 1992 | Japanese | TV Asahi (Friday 7:30pm) |
| India | Shin Chan (शिन चैन) | 2006 (Hindi), 2008 (Tamil), 2011 (Telugu)en.wikipedia.org | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu (also Bengali) | Hungama TV (Hindi), Sony YAY! (multi-), others (regional)en.wikipedia.org |
| Spain | Shin Chan | 2000 | Spanish (Castilian) (also Catalan, Basque) | Cartoon Network Spain (2000), later Spanish channels (Antena 3) |
| UK / Australia | Shin-chan | 2002 | English | Fox Kids/Jetix (UK), Fox Kids (Aus)en.wikipedia.org |
| Ireland | Shin-chan | 2002 | English | RTÉ Twoen.wikipedia.org |
| Singapore | Shin-chan | 2002 | English (subtitled) | Channel ien.wikipedia.org |
| Philippines | Shin-chan | ~2003 | Tagalog | IBC-13en.wikipedia.org |
| Israel | Shin Chan | ~2004 | Hebrew (subtitled) | Arutz HaYeladimen.wikipedia.org |
| Arab Region | Shin-chan (Arabic dub) | Mid-2000s | Arabic | Spacetoon (ME/NA) |
| Brazil | Shin Chan | 2005? | Portuguese (Brazil) | Fox Kids Latin America, Animax BR |
| Mexico | Shin-chan | 2008? | Spanish | Cartoon Network Latin America |
| … (and many others) | … | … | … |
Sources: The above details are compiled from official broadcast info and anime databasesen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org.
Crayon Shin-chan Theatrical Movies
Since 1993, every year a Shin-chan movie has been released theatrically in Japan (distributed by Toho)en.wikipedia.org. Below is a complete list of theatrical films (1993–2024), with Japanese titles, English titles (if used), release dates, and brief plot premises. (All films were produced by Shin-Ei Animation; Toho holds distribution rightsen.wikipedia.org.)
| No. | Japanese Title (英語タイトル) | Release Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | クレヨンしんちゃん アクション仮面VSハイグレ魔王 Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask vs. Leotard Devil | 24 July 1993en.wikipedia.org Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask vs. Leotard Devil | Premise: Action Mask’s magical “Action Stone” is stolen by the evil Leotard Devil (Higure). To retrieve it, Action Mask sends Shinnosuke (Shin-chan) and his family on a mission to recover a special Choco Chip card. The Nohara family ends up in a parallel world overrun by Higure’s minions, and Shin-chan must help save the day with the help of Action Mask’s allies. |
| 2 | クレヨンしんちゃん ブリブリ王国の秘宝 Crayon Shin-chan: The Hidden Treasure of the Buri Buri Kingdom | 23 April 1994en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan and the Kindergartners win a vacation in a contest, but it’s a trap by the sinister Tenkū Palace. The group must retrieve a royal treasure, a silver flute, to save the kidnapped Queen of the Buri Buri Kingdom. Adventures abound in the jungle as Shin-chan and friends outwit jungle monsters and the palace’s evil minions. |
| 3 | クレヨンしんちゃん 雲黒斎の野望 Crayon Shin-chan: Unkokusai’s Ambition | 15 April 1995en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A mysterious time-traveling bandit named Unkokusai appears, and Shinnosuke inadvertently becomes his partner. The plot follows Unkokusai’s plan to change history and overthrow the government. Shin-chan and his friends must travel through time with the fortuitous help of Action Mask to stop Unkokusai’s evil scheme. |
| 4 | クレヨンしんちゃん ヘンダーランドの大冒険 Crayon Shin-chan: Great Adventure in Henderland | 13 April 1996en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Futaba Kindergarten goes on a field trip to “Henderland” theme park. A doll named Mimiko and her twin Ririko are involved in a scheme where visitors are turned into dolls. When Shinnosuke’s parents are captured by the park’s evil queen, Shin-chan (with Action Mask’s help) must battle giant toys and magical creatures to rescue them and save the park. |
| 5 | クレヨンしんちゃん 暗黒タマタマ大追跡 Crayon Shin-chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness | 19 April 1997en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan and friends stay overnight at the Sugiyama family’s resort. The Sugiyamas harbor an alien power source called the “Black Tama.” When Shin-chan accidentally swallows one of these alien eggs, chaos ensues as the family kidnaps Shinnosuke to recover it. Shin-chan must fight off mutant creatures and escape with the help of Action Mask. |
| 6 | クレヨンしんちゃん 電撃！ブタのヒヅメ大作戦 Crayon Shin-chan: Blitzkrieg! Pig’s Hoof’s Secret Mission | 18 April 1998en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shinnosuke’s classmate Masao is revealed to have been kidnapped by Pig-nosed thieves because he unknowingly has a Pig’s Claw gem. The Nohara family and friends embark on a mission to rescue Masao, battling animal-themed villains and solving mysteries in a secret base to foil the pig-shaped villains’ plan. |
| 7 | クレヨンしんちゃん 爆発！温泉わくわく大決戦 Crayon Shin-chan: The Hot Spring’s Feel Good Final Battle | 17 April 1999en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shinnosuke’s teacher Ume Matsuzaka is acting strangely on a school trip to a hot spring resort. It turns out a gang of female ninja henshin-zombies have invaded the spa. Shin-chan teams up with Action Mask and a new heroine, Hydro-Pina, to battle the ninja clan and uncover their leader’s plan to take over the resort with cursed hot spring water. |
| 8 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶジャングル Crayon Shin-chan: Jungle That Invites Storm | 22 April 2000en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Futaba Kindergarten goes on a jungle camping trip. A video gamer named Tororo appears and summons fierce bull enemies from his video game into the real jungle. After the children are kidnapped to clear land for factories, Shin-chan ventures into the wild to rescue his friends, facing giant robot bulls and cyber-tigers along the way. |
| 9 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ モーレツ！オトナ帝国の逆襲 Crayon Shin-chan: The Adult Empire Strikes Back | 21 April 2001en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Misae wins a trip to a retro-theme park called “World 20th Century,” where she and Hiroshi get brainwashed into reliving their youth, neglecting Shin. Shin-chan escapes the park and must rescue his parents by confronting their nostalgic captors. Along the way, he battles a mecha robot and learns the value of family amid comedy and action. (This film is highly acclaimed and often regarded as one of the best in the series.) |
| 10 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ アッパレ！戦国大合戦 Crayon Shin-chan: The Battle of the Warring States | 20 April 2002en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A corrupt land developer travels back to Japan’s Warring States era. Shin-chan and his family follow him through a time warp and end up in feudal Japan. Mistaken for royalty, Shin-chan encounters famous warlords and samurai. The film humorously reenvisions history as Shin-chan teams up with real historical figures to thwart the villain’s scheme. |
| 11 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ 栄光のヤキニクロード Crayon Shin-chan: Yakiniku Road of Glory | 19 April 2003en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan’s mother Misae’s parents are missing in China. Shin-chan travels to China to find them and uncovers a plot involving martial arts grandmasters and a mysterious beefy recipe book. A ninja clan tries to stop them. Shin-chan must fight ninjas using a special “glorious yakiniku (barbecue) sauce” in this action-comedy adventure. |
| 12 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ！夕陽のカスカベボーイズ Crayon Shin-chan: The Kasukabe Boys of the Evening Sun | 17 April 2004en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Three former five-year-old friends (reminiscent of Shin-chan’s trio) run an amusement park called “Kasukabe Boys.” When the park is threatened, the boys use a time-travel device to shrink themselves back to childhood. Shin-chan meets their younger selves (the Kasukabe Boys) and together they fight a Kaiju (giant monster) rampaging through the park. |
| 13 | クレヨンしんちゃん 伝説を呼ぶブリブリ 3分ポッキリ大進撃 Crayon Shin-chan: Buri Buri 3 Minutes Charge | 16 April 2005en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A mad scientist kidnaps Action Mask and demands Shin-chan to power a giant robot with a battery of pure courage (derived from children’s energy). Shin-chan and his friends engage in a showdown with the villain and his robot, using humor and “courage points” to try to save Action Mask. |
| 14 | クレヨンしんちゃん 伝説を呼ぶ 踊れ！アミーゴ！ Crayon Shin-chan: Dance! Amigo! | 15 April 2006en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan and his friends travel to Mexico after a rumor that a Spanish-speaking friend from kindergarten is an alien. There they encounter the space princess Amigo, who needs Earth’s dance music to revive her dying planet. An evil alien also arrives to harvest the music. Shin-chan uses his “shock nose” and unpredictable dance moves to save Amigo and defeat the villain. |
| 15 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ 歌うケツだけ爆弾！ Crayon Shin-chan: Singing Buttocks Bomb | 21 April 2007en.wikipedia.org | Premise: An unusually shaped orb crashes to Earth, attaching to Shin-chan’s butt and granting it the power to explode with a musical beat. A crime lord seeks to capture Shin-chan for this unique bomb. As his backside becomes a literal weapon, Shin-chan and his friends must escape gangsters and scientists to deactivate the “bomb.” (The film features many music and performance sequences.) |
| 16 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ 金矛の勇者 Crayon Shin-chan: The Hero of Kinpoko | 19 April 2008en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A children’s TV show called Kinpoko features a magical wand. An alien from the Kinpoko planet comes to Earth and gives Shin-chan a magical golden spear. When real monsters begin attacking the city, Shin-chan and Action Mask team up with Kinpoko’s hero to battle them. Over the course, Shin-chan learns to use the spear to protect his loved ones. |
| 17 | クレヨンしんちゃん オタケベ！カスカベ野生王国 Crayon Shin-chan: Kasukabe Animal Kingdom | 18 April 2009en.wikipedia.org | Premise: The Noharas go on an African safari vacation. The family and friends are hypnotized by a great white gorilla named Gorilla-sama, who declares Kasukabe the new animal kingdom. Shin-chan’s dog Shiro becomes the next king. As the gorilla army takes over Japan, Shin-chan and his friends escape the brainwashing to fight for their city. |
| 18 | クレヨンしんちゃん 超時空！嵐を呼ぶオラの花嫁 Crayon Shin-chan: Super-Dimension! The Storm Called My Bride | 17 April 2010en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A young princess from the far future time-travels to Kasukabe because of a prophecy: she must marry her kingdom’s hero. Mistakenly, Shin-chan is believed to be that hero. In a sci-fi twist on romance, Shin-chan is declared the princess’s fiancé, leading to interdimensional chaos as villains from space try to prevent their “wedding.” (It’s a comedic time-travel adventure.) |
| 19 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ黄金のスパイ大作戦 Crayon Shin-chan: Operation Golden Spy | 16 April 2011en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan meets his future son in the year 2035. They team up to stop a criminal organization called the Golden Spies, who are trying to exploit adults’ nostalgia to control them. Shin-chan sneaks into a corporate headquarters disguised as a “mini-me,” and together with his future son they thwart the company’s villainous plans. (A spy spoof set partly in the future.) |
| 20 | クレヨンしんちゃん 嵐を呼ぶ!オラと宇宙のプリンセス Crayon Shin-chan: Me and the Space Princess | 14 April 2012en.wikipedia.org | Premise: An alien princess named Pao from Planet Ekoda descends to Earth. She needs Shin-chan to steal Earth’s sunlight for her dying world. Using a ray gun she can switch people’s minds, Pao causes mayhem. Shin-chan (with Action Mask) has to free everyone from mind control and send Pao back home before Earth’s light is drained. |
| 21 | クレヨンしんちゃん バカうまっ！ B級グルメサバイバル！！ Crayon Shin-chan: B-class Gourmet Survival!! | 20 April 2013en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A new TV show called “Gourmet Survival” begins airing in Kasukabe, making everyone obsessed with its B-class gourmet (cheap comfort food). When people start disappearing, Shin-chan suspects foul play in the kitchen. He enters the cooking competition himself (mistaken for a contestant) to find the source of the evil and save his friends. |
| 22 | クレヨンしんちゃん ガチンコ!逆襲のロボとーちゃん Crayon Shin-chan: Fierceness That Invites Storm! Robo Dad Strikes Back | 19 April 2014en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Worried his father Hiroshi is working too hard, Shin-chan buys a robot double of Dad so the real Hiroshi can rest. But the robot (Robo-Toh) goes haywire, thinking Shin-chan is its mother. It causes chaos around town and kidnaps Hiroshi to learn “family” values. Shin-chan must confront Robo-Toh and remind him what it means to be part of a family. |
| 23 | クレヨンしんちゃん オラの引越し物語 サボテン大襲撃 Crayon Shin-chan: My Moving Story! Cactus Large Attack! | 18 April 2015en.wikipedia.org | Premise: The Noharas’ house must be demolished and they prepare to move. Shin-chan befriends their old house and its mischievous spirit. Meanwhile, a border crisis arises between Japan and a neighboring country over a cross-border garden. Shin-chan gets caught in the middle of a “cactus” dispute that escalates into chaos. (A comedic take on moving and neighborhood.) |
| 24 | クレヨンしんちゃん 爆睡！ユメミーワールド大突撃！ Crayon Shin-chan: Fast Asleep! The Great Assault on Dreamy World! | 16 April 2016en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A troublemaker named Sleepy-chan attempts to merge the dream world with reality by trapping everyone in dreams. Shin-chan remains awake (after a rain storm) and must enter Dreamland to rescue his friends. In Dreamland he turns into various avatars with special powers and battles villains born from people’s nightmares. |
| 25 | クレヨンしんちゃん 襲来！！宇宙人シリリ Crayon Shin-chan: Invasion!! Alien Shiriri | 15 April 2017en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan meets a mysterious alien baby named Shiriri who is connected to a plot to make Earth’s people act like children again. Together they run from various wacky aliens and defend Kasukabe from an alien invasion. The film is a space-comedy adventure focused on friendship and family as Shin-chan befriends the alien baby. |
| 26 | クレヨンしんちゃん 爆盛！カンフーボーイズ ～拉麺大乱～ Crayon Shin-chan: Kung Fu Boys Ramen Rebellion | 13 April 2018en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan’s karate practice goes wrong when he is transported to 1970s Hong Kong. There, he meets a Kung Fu master and fights against an evil noodle company that is controlling the city. The movie pays homage to martial arts films: Shin-chan learns Kung Fu moves and must defeat the “wonton storm.” |
| 27 | クレヨンしんちゃん 新婚旅行ハリケーン ～失われたひろし～ Crayon Shin-chan: Honeymoon Hurricane – The Lost Hiroshi | 19 April 2019en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Hiroshi wins a honeymoon trip for himself and Misae to Australia. On the way, he is mysteriously taken and loses his memory. To rescue him, Shin-chan and Misae travel to a parallel “Honeymoon World,” a rugged fairy-tale land. Shin-chan must journey through a monster-filled world to bring his father back. |
| 28 | クレヨンしんちゃん 激突！ ラクガキングダムとほぼ四人の勇者 Crayon Shin-chan: Crash! Graffiti Kingdom and Almost Four Heroes | 11 September 2020en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Kasukabe Elementary holds an art contest. A talented boy named Akira Nara is obsessed with drawing a graffiti hero. Shin-chan, frustrated by losing the contest, is inadvertently transported to the Graffiti Kingdom inside the drawing. There, he teams up with “Hiru” (the hero of the drawing) to stop an evil entity called the White Monster that has entered the real world. |
| 29 | クレヨンしんちゃん 謎メキ！花の天カス学園 Crayon Shin-chan: Shrouded in Mystery! The Flowers of Tenkazu Academy | 30 July 2021en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan and his friends visit a prestigious botanical school (Tenkasu Academy) on a field trip. Misae wins a cooking contest, inadvertently making her dishes poisonous to men only. Shin-chan suspects a witch’s curse and enlists Shin’s parents’ alter egos (the Kureshin family). Together they solve the mystery of the “poison flowers” at the academy. |
| 30 | クレヨンしんちゃん もののけニンジャ珍風伝 Crayon Shin-chan: Mononoke Ninja Chinpūden | 22 April 2022en.wikipedia.org | Premise: A ninja named Kumashiro travels to Kasukabe in search of a legendary “Ninja Mirror.” An ancient feud is rekindled. Shin-chan and his family become involved in a ninja war among ghostly ninjas and modern townsfolk. The film follows Shin-chan as he learns ninjutsu to bring peace between the clans. |
| 31 | しん次元! クレヨンしんちゃん THE MOVIE 超能力大決戦 ～とべとべ手巻き寿司～ New Dimension! Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Battle of Supernatural Powers Flying Sushi | 4 August 2023en.wikipedia.org | Premise: In the future, society has lost its imagination. Shin-chan is recruited by a group called the Shinnovisors, who use reanimated crayons to fight against boredom monsters. The adventure spans multiple dimensions. (Notably, this film was CGI-animated.) |
| 32 | クレヨンしんちゃん オラたちの恐竜日記 Crayon Shin-chan: Our Dinosaur Diary | 9 August 2024en.wikipedia.org | Premise: Shin-chan discovers a mysterious egg that hatches into a baby dinosaur he names “Osomatsu.” The dinosaur needs to return to its own time. Shin-chan and family embark on a time-traveling journey to the age of dinosaurs, befriending prehistoric creatures while trying to help Osomatsu get home. |
