Crayon Shin-chan is one of Japan's most famous comedy series and thanks to outlets such as Adult Swim, the series has found a fanbase in America as well. To say that Crayon Shin-chan is popular would be an understatement.
The series has gone on to have over 1000 episodes, several video games, and over 26 feature-length films over the years. The anime has also been dubbed in 30 different languages, so it seems that the world couldn't get enough of the anime.
The Plot of Crayon Shin-chan
Following the misadventures of Shinnosuke "Shin" Nohara, the series focuses on the daily life of this rambunxious and naughty boy as he gets in trouble here and there with his friends. Shin is known to be blunt, ask inappropriate questions, and do whatever he wants, much to the chagrin of authority figures. He is a handful for all of the adults in his life and his friends and has provided countless hours of humorous entertainment for all of his fans. But for such a massive series, where does one begin? Here is a guide for the uninitiated and pretty soon, you too will be joining Shin on his mischievous adventures.
Where to Read the Crayon Shin-chan Manga
Running from 1990 to 2010, Crayon Shin-chan was penned by the late Yoshito Usui and has over 50 volumes of reading material. Unfortunately, collecting all 50 books will not be easy, let alone English versions of the manga. For anyone who can read Japanese, finding all 50 volumes is a snap by utilizing such places as eBay or Amazon. As for the English version, only ten volumes of Shin-chan have been released by a publishing company called ComicsOne. Finding these copies will be a hunt, but places like Amazon and Thriftbooks carry all ten volumes. Also, expect to pay anywhere from $11 to $24 dollars for each used copy since there has been no English re-release of Crayon Shin-chan as of yet.
Where to Watch the Crayon Shin-chan Anime
Many remember watching the English dub version of Crayon Shin-chan on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup for fans in the West. Sadly, those days have passed and it is hard to find any streaming services which play the anime. Initially, the first three seasons of Crayon Shin-chan were available on Amazon Prime, but it has been removed from the streaming service as of the writing of this. So, where can fans watch this anime, let alone any of the feature films? Used box sets of the first three seasons of Crayon Shin-chan can be purchased on websites such as eBay and Amazon, but they do not come at a low price. Fans will have to spend anywhere from $50 to a whopping $200.00 for each season. Why so expensive? These are the limited-run Funimation dub copies that have been out of print for a long time.
While on the pricier side to enjoy this series, fans of the series might find the childish and outlandish antics of Shin Nohara worth the effort. Crayon Shin-chan is the kind of series that allows fans to enjoy a simpler time, where fart jokes, slapstick humor, and childish adventures were the top priority of every kid. After all, considering how hectic the adult world can be, sometimes we all need to get in touch with our childish side.