Hamtaro


Hamtaro, known in Japan as Trotting Hamtaro, is a Japanese manga and storybook series created and illustrated by Ritsuko Kawai. The manga is serialized in Shogakukan's all-girl's magazine Ciao in 1997, focusing on a hamster named Hamtaro who has a variety of adventures with other hamsters, known as "Ham-Hams". Viz Media published the manga adaptations and storybooks in English.
Multiple anime adaptations were produced by TMS Entertainment and aired on TV Tokyo. The first series was dubbed in English by The Ocean Group.

Plot

The series revolves around a hamster named Hamtaro, who is owned by a 10-year-old girl named Hiroko Haruna. Curious by nature, he ventures out each day to make friends and go on adventures with a clan of fellow hamster friends known as The Ham-Hams. The Ham-Hams meet at a special clubhouse built by Boss.

Media

Manga

There are three manga about Hamtaro, A Home for Hamtaro, Hamtaro Gets Lost, and Jealous Hamtaro. In the first two, Hamtaro's owner is named Yukari while in the latter, her name is Amy.

Anime

In Japan, Hamtaro aired three anime series, released four movies, several specials, many video game/DVD releases and merchandise. By 2002, the franchise had generated $2.5 billion in merchandise sales. The success was not paralleled in the United States, however, with only the first series, some special episodes, three video games, and limited merchandise. On 23 February 2011, it was announced that Hamtaro would be receiving a series titled Tottoko Hamtaro Dechu.

Games

The Hamtaro franchise has multiple video game titles with independent storylines. These titles include adventure and educational games that can be found for PC, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and the Nintendo DS consoles.
TitlePlatformRelease Date
Tottoko Hamtaro: Tomodachi Daisakusen DechuGame Boy ColorJP: September 8, 2000
'Game Boy ColorJP: April 21, 2001
NA: October 28, 2002
'Game Boy AdvanceJP: May 3, 2002
NA: April 8, 2003
Hamtaro: Wake Up Snoozer!PC/MacOctober 1, 2003
'Game Boy AdvanceMay 22, 2003
'Game Boy AdvanceJuly 26, 2004
Tottoko Hamtaro: Nazo Nazo Q Kumonoue no ? JouNintendo DSDecember 1, 2005
Hi Hamtaro! Little Hamsters Big AdventureNintendo DSSeptember 23, 2008

In popular culture

On July 26, 2020, a group of more than 2.000 protesters in Bangkok called the Free Youth Movement, led a protest against the government of Thailand which involved singing the theme song for “Hamtaro” with modified lyrics to say “The most delicious food is taxpayers’ money. Dissolve the parliament! Dissolve the parliament! Dissolve the parliament!”