A brand-new ad series, "Premium Maruko-chan" (プレモル子ちゃん), takes inspiration from the timeless classic, Chibi Maruko-chan. This live-action campaign, launched by Suntory Beer's "The Premium Malt's," imagines the world 20 years after Maruko and her friends grew up. It stars Suzu Hirose as the "Premium Maruko-chan," Sairi Ito as the "Premium Tama-chan," and Joe Odagiri transforming into the "Premium Hanawa-kun." The ads have already generated a massive buzz!
The series is supervised by Sakura Production, the team behind Chibi Maruko-chan. It draws inspiration from the classic Chibi Maruko-chan manga story, "Tama-chan, I Love You Most," with a fresh, adapted storyline. The production team stated, "This challenge has been incredibly exciting. We hope fans can enjoy a different perspective of Maruko-chan through this ad."
These ads fast-forward the Chibi Maruko-chan universe 20 years, reuniting the grown-up gang in a New York bar. In the first episode, "The Reunion," Maruko and Tama-chan meet up at a bar, happily reminiscing about their childhood. But then, a luxury car pulls up to the bar, and the incredibly charismatic Hanawa-kun makes a grand entrance!
Check out "Premium Maruko-chan: The Reunion" below!
The second episode, "The Letter," released yesterday (Feb 10), continues the story. Maruko and Tama-chan, surprised to find themselves drinking beer in New York, happily chat about their childhood memories of ramune at the candy store. Then, they open a time capsule buried 20 years ago, reading letters they wrote to their future selves and feeling their unchanging friendship.
Here's "Premium Maruko-chan: The Letter"!
These ads not only give fans a glimpse of Maruko and her friends as grown-ups, played by real actors, but also introduce a completely new story setting. The official word is that this series will continue, with new videos dropping by the end of March. What do you think of these live-action portrayals?
