List of chapters in Osomatsu-kun

This page is perpetually incomplete as a better table coding may be needed; bear with it.

This page catalogues all chapters of Osomatsu-kun that were serialized through its different periods.

In addition to providing the original release dates and titles, the chapters' contents and notable aspects such as character debuts are described where known. As a note, some stories ran without titles in their original printings, or may have conflicting titles between editions. The more recent digital edition by eBookJapan (34 volumes) may also have differences in the amount of chapters collected compared to the 2004 Takeshobo print edition (22 volumes), as well as other previous printings; Akebono Publishing's "Osomatsu-kun Complete Works" (31), Kodansha KC Comics' 1980s reprints (34), and so on.

Weekly Shonen Sunday

(週刊少年サンデー)

Publisher: Shogakukan

Reprint status: Nearly complete

The original run of the manga was mainly published from 1962 to 1969, but was only a weekly series up to August 13, 1967 (#33), upon where it switched to a monthly-to-irregular feature with more pages. Most of its chapters have been reprinted, with the exceptions of some stories that were missed out or that were crossover features (eg: "Gyahaha, the Three Musketeers!" and "Keketaro the Ghost"). Chapters may also be represented out of order, with incorrect afterword dates listed.

It is important to note that some frontispieces and pages were originally in full-color in their magazine release, but had their colors removed for tankobon reprints (the color manuscripts are either lost or have been withheld from further reprinting). There are also cases where spreads or frontispieces for a story will go missing either due to the factor of a lost manuscript, or also owing to how they were initially reprinted to start.

Starting most significantly with Takeshobo's bunko edition but sometimes earlier on as well, the titles and dialogue of stories began to be modified to remove any language deemed to be discriminatory, or in some cases to modify dated pop-cultural references (such as the celebrity Matsuyo likes in "Get that Esper Kitty!"). These practices have been met with debate by readers, as it is seen as inauthentic to the original work even if it is to try to make it seem more respectful for the modern day. To avoid confusion, the most recent titles of chapters are given, followed by any notes on any different titles in original printings or other releases.

Unlike the case of The Genius Bakabon, where an instance of a cannibalism dream was censored and redrawn during its 1994 Takeshobo re-release, there are no notable artwork edits made to -kun, even in cases with depictions of other races that may be discriminatory; the Amazon native in "A Visitor from a Hot Country", or the instances of African or islander cannibals.

One reason for the lack of modern redraws is believed to be due to the fact that the full Takeshobo re-release of -kun finally happened in 2004, two years after Akatsuka had been in his vegetative state. Thus, it was seen to be inauthentic if Katta Yoshi redrew any of the manga without the man's permission as he and the other assistants had done back in the 1990s. Even so, some chapters that had lost manuscripts were traced by him for the re-release.

1962

1. "Burglars Startled by Sextuplets!" (あきすびっくり　六つ子がでたよ, #16/April 15): First appearances of The Sextuplets and their Mom and Dad. Their father at this point is set as working out of a shop in their house called "Mimatsuya" (三松屋), and referred to as "Mimatsuya-san" (三松屋さん). Adapted as part of episode 1 of the 1988 anime.
2. "Our Heads are Shaved, Let's Run Away from Home" (あたまをまるめて家出をしよう, #17/April 22): The brothers' facial features start to be changed. First appearance of a prototypical Chibita, unnamed in the actual strip and seen with an older brother.
3. "A Laughable Abduction" (ウヒョホとわらってゆうかいだ, #18/April 29): Adapted into the B segment of episode 41 of the 1966 anime.
4. "I Now Have Seven Sons!" (わしのむすこが７人もいるーっ！！, #19/May 6): The debut of Ponta, a tanuki who impersonates Osomatsu in revenge for being mocked. Adapted into the A segment of episode 29 of the 1966 anime. Some earlier editions such as Akebono and Kodansha put this chapter third, but it was actually serialized as the fourth in line. -kun's success lead to the following chapter as a sequel, along with more stories.
5. "The Tanuki's Revenge, Tanuki Soba" (たぬきのあだうち　たぬきそば, #20/May 13). Ponta and father return for more revenge on the family, this time impersonating the sextuplets' parents. Adapted into the B segment of episode 36 of the 1966 anime.
6. "The Bearded Baby Gang Plan" (ひげづらベビーギャング作戦, #21/May 20)
7. "Osomatsu is the Prince and the Pauper?" (おそ松のこじき王子？,#22/May 27): Originally titled "The Bataya Prince" (バタ屋の王子さま) when serialized, but it was retitled starting with the Takeshobo reprints due to the discriminatory connotations of the word bataya (lit. "waste collector") .
8. "The Master of Right and Left" (みぎや　ひだりの　だんなさま, #23/June 3): The sextuplets' surname is given as Yamano in this chapter (山野), and they are depicted with separate teachers. An extra brother is mistakenly drawn with the group in a panel.
9. "Hustle in the Country" (いなかでハッスル, #24/June 10)
10. "We'll Do Anything in 6 Rounds" (なんでもやるよ６回戦, #25/June 17): First appearance of Totoko Yowai, first mention of Fighting Yowai. Adapted into the B segment of episode 26 of the 1966 anime.
11. "Spoil Yourself at the Department Store!" (デパートでにげまわれ!, #26/June 24): Chibita is now seen with his single hair.
12. "Gaki 564's Election Campaign" (賀木五六四の選挙運動, #27/July 1)
13. "An Easily-Given Summer Gift" (チョロまかしましたお中元, #28/July 8)
14. "A Cruel Tanabata Story" (たなばたざんこく物語, #29/July 15): Totoko is depicted with a variation of her design, in having a third hairbow.
15. "Being a Father is a Pitiful Thing" (かわいそうなのはとうちゃんでござい,#30/July 22): The overall gag from this was adapted as part of episode 68 of the 1988 anime.
16. "Osomatsu's Kappa Friend" (おそ松はかっぱのおともだち, #31/July 29): Adapted into the B segment of episode 31 of the 1966 anime.
17. "Despondent Camping" (しょぼくれキャンプ, #32/August 5): Adapted in the A segment of episode 28 of the 1966 anime. This chapter ends eBook volume 1.
18. "A Part-Time Job of Misery" (うらめしや～のアルバイト, #33/August 12): This chapter opens eBook volume 2.
19. "A Bearish Mountain Climb" (ほんとにクマった山のぼり, #34/August 19): Adapted into the A segment of episode 30 of the 1966 anime.
20. "It's a Hard Time to Sell Bananas" (バナナをうるのはくろうするぜ, #35/August 26): Chibita (with hair making him resemble Sansuke from O-chan's Eleven Friends/Choromatsu from Jinx-kun) is depicted with parents.
21. "Deceiving Totoko-chan!" (トト子ちゃんをだまそ!, #36/September 2): This chapter ends Takeshobo volume 1.
22. "The Sextuplets Get Adopted" (六つ子は養子にまいります, #37/September 9): This chapter opens Takeshobo volume 2.
23. "The Weather Forecast Authority" (天気予報の大先生, #38/September 16): Adapted into the A segment of episode 31 of the 1966 anime, with the owner of the cat changed to be Chibita.
24. "Let's Face Off Against the Weak and Old" (相手はヨボヨボだるんでいこう, #39/September 23): A grandfather for Totoko is briefly seen, although a different character and design from a later grandfather that appears in the series.
25. "The Nonsensical Town Sports Festival" (むちゃくちゃ町内運動会, #40/September 30): The frontispiece depicts seven brothers taking part in the events, perhaps for the sake of a gag (with one being tripped by an old man's cane). One gag in the chapter features all six dressed as "a man's stages of life" (baby, schoolboy, teenager, salaryman, old man, and corpse/ghoul).
26. "Good Morning Medicine and Good Night Medicine" (オハヨウ製薬とオヤスミ製薬, #41/October 7): The design of Matsuyo's boss is later re-used for the wife in the rich Kansai couple. Adapted into the B segment of episode 29 of the 1966 anime.
27. "I Want a Handsome Face!" (いかした顔になりたいよ): #42 (October 14): Totoko is depicted without her headband in this chapter.
28. "Extra! High Production!" (エキストラよ！ハイ本番よ!, #43/October 21)
29. "Industrial Spying for 10 Yen" (10円もらって産業スパイだ, #44/October 28): Adapted in the B segment of episode 28 of the 1966 anime, with the Asedac duo changed to be Iyami and Chibita.
30. "Go For It, Little Teacher!" (がんばれチビッ子先生, #45/November 4): Chibita is re-used in the role of Mr. Wakasugi.
31. "Autumn Fever" (いかれちゃう秋, #46/November 11)
32. "Papa's Monthly Salary is 400,000 Yen" (パパの月給40万円, #47/November 18): Adapted into the B segment of episode 8 of the 1966 anime, with the son changed to be Chibita.
33. "Everyone Hates Osomatsu" (おそ松ばかりがなぜきらわれる, #48/November 25)
34. "We Have Our Own Rooms" (われらにへやを, #49/December 2): First appearance of the individual sextuplet rooms (with doors labeled with their names). This chapter ends eBook volume 2.
35. "Tonkachibi Talent" (トンカチビタレント, #50/December 9): First appearance of Totoko's mother, while Chibita's father is depicted as the school principal. This chapter opens eBook volume 3.
36. "Fire! It's a Writer! A Pyromaniac!" (火事だ！ライターだ！放火魔だ!, #51/December 16)
37. "The Relationship between Cake and Dentures" (ケーキと入れ歯の関係, #52/December 23)

Separate Edition Shonen Sunday

This serialization was a parallel, monthly feature with the characters. It eventually ceased for the most part when Weekly Shonen Sunday switched to the monthly -kun feature, but did produce one last story.

1964

1. "Osomatsu Western Oden Duel" (おそ松ウェスタンおでんの決闘, April 1 1964/Spring special): This chapter falls in eBook volume 7 and Takeshobo volume 8.
2. "The Sextuplets Go to Africa" (六つ子のアフリカ旅行, August 1 1964/Summer special): The sextuplets' birthday is established as May 24th in an accompanying column to the original magazine, where it also states that Matsuzo used to own a liquor shop named "Mimatsuya" before their birth. This chapter falls in volume 8 of both the eBooks and Takeshobo.
3. "Osomatsu-kun Goes to the Stone Age" (おそ松くん　石器時代へいく,October 1 1964/Autumn special): Adapted into the A segment of episode 16 of the 1966 anime. This chapters fall in volume 9 of the eBooks, but volume 8 of the Takeshobo edition.
4. "The Morning Game of Dekapan Castle" (デカパン城の午前試合, November 1 1964): Adapted into episode 35 of the 1988 anime. This chapter falls in volume 9 of the eBooks and volume 8 of Takeshobo. It is also known in some editions as "The Story of Totoko-dono"
5. "A Trip to Space on an Empty Stomach" (腹がへる宇宙への旅, December 1 1964): A seventh brother is seen as a brief error in one panel. This chapter ends eBook volume 9, but falls in volume 8 of Takeshobo.

Boys' Life

Shogakukan also serialized -kun in its Boys' Life magazine for a brief period in 1966.

The fourth chapter is usually excluded from reprints due to the Batman parody, but is included in the eBookJapan edition. The fifth and sixth chapters have never seen reprint possibly due to being more of Kunio Nagatani's idea.

1. "Our Class Has Two Teachers" (ぼくらのクラスは先生がふたり, April 1966): This chapter falls in eBook volume 16, but in Takeshobo volume 18. It is also known as "Which is a Fine Educator?" (どちらがりっぱな教育者) in its Takeshobo printing.
2. "Me is Everyone's Toxin" (ミーはみんなのお毒見係, May 1966): This chapter falls in eBook volume 16, but appears in Takeshobo volume 21.
3. "Iyami's Phantom Business" (イヤミのいんちき商売, June 1966): This chapter falls in eBook volume 16, but appears in Takeshobo volume 21.
4. "BAD MAN (Iyami's Miserable Day)" (BAD MAN (イヤミのいやみな一日), July 1966): Both stories from this month are unavailable in earlier editions likely due to the "Batman" parody, but appear in eBook volume 17.
5. (August 1966- UNREPRINTED): Akatsuka only credited as author for this supplemental story, with Kunio Nagatani as artist.
6. (September 1966- UNREPRINTED): Another pictorial story by Kunio Nagatani.
7. "An Aerial Swing of Friendship" (友情　空中ブランコ, October 1966): This chapter appears in eBook volume 18, but in Takeshobo volume 22.
8. "I'd Love to Be Friends with You" (友だちがほしいやあい, November 1966): One of two stories merged and adapted as episode 61 of the 1988 anime. This chapter appears in both volume 18 of the eBooks and Takeshobo.
9. "The Seat of Shigetaro Iyami" (講談井矢見重太郎の一席, December 1966): This chapter appears in eBook 19, but is placed in Takeshobo volume 22.

Monthly Shogakukan Book

Another parallel feature ran from July 1966 to March 1967, although only two of the chapters have appeared in reprints up to the eBookJapan release.

1. "An Autographed Picture, Merci Merci" (メルシメルシのにがお絵ざんす, July 1966): Reprinted in Akebono volume 17/Kodansha volume /eBook 17, as well as appearing in "Cute Osomatsu-kun" volume 2.
2. "Iyami, a Shark, and a Rubber Raft" (イヤミとサメとゴムボート, August 1966): The raft gag was adapted as part of episode 68 of the 1988 anime. Reprinted in Akebono volume 17/Kodansha volume /eBook 17.

Shogakukan Grade School Magazines

Through 1966 to 1967, these grade school learning magazines serialized their own parallel versions of Osomatsu-kun for students of each elementary year.

3rd Grade would also later serialize republished chapters from the Shonen Sunday and Boys' Life runs, as a way for readers to see chapters they might have missed from those magazines (see below).

Kindergarten

Original run: April 1966 to March 1967

Since these stories were for kindergartners, the vocabulary complexity is much more simplistic than the original manga. This also applies to other lower grade-serialized versions of -kun.

The chapters have yet to ever be reprinted and full details are unknown, though many can be seen to have been in full color (or a limited color process) with larger panel sizes in some cases.

1. (April 1966): Chibita and Osomatsu go picking off branches of sakura in an attempt to impress Totoko with flowers, but she gets angry at them for mutilating the tree and makes them apologize to it.

1st Grade

Original run: May 1966 to March 1967

2nd Grade

Original run: April to December 1966

A 1965 appendix booklet involving a beach story is also confirmed to be the earliest unreprinted story Akatsuka had done for the magazine before the regular run below.

There were also "Fun Quiz Manga" published as the appendix books for some months during the 1966 features, with Kunio Nagatani and Mitsutoshi Furuya alternating on the story and art duties. The Osomatsu-kun cast would later appear in the June 1968 "Osomatsu’s Obake Island Exploration" (おそまつくんのおばけじまたんけん), as well as in the August 1968 short "Meanness Contest" (いじわるコンクール).

1. "Take Care of Mother" (かあさんをだいじに, May 1966): Reprinted in Akebono volume 20 and Kodansha volume 24. Originally serialized with a colored frontispiece.
2. (June 1966): Title and contents currently unknown. Originally serialized with a colored frontispiece.
3. "Unpleasant Word Play" (いやしいことばあそび, July 1966): Originally serialized with 1 page in color. Reprinted in Akebono volume 22/Kodansha volume 25.
4. (August 1966): A 64-page "Fun Quiz Manga" is included, centered around the sextuplets' trip to the beach. Mitsutoshi Furuya is seen credited for the art in the opening page.
5. (September 1966): A "Fun Quiz Manga" with a hiking-themed story is included, also attributed to being Furuya's work.

3rd Grade

3rd Grade (小学三年生) serialized reprints of select previous Osomatsu-kun stories in its appendix books. Some of these contained special extras like calendar or "how-to-draw" features.

4th Grade

At least five original 4th Grade (小学四年生) stories are known to exist, as well as the January 1967 special "Osomatsu-kun in 20 Years" (20年後のおそ松くん) and the extra June 1966 mini-comic feature "Osomatsu-kun Album" (featuring the sextuplets as babies).

1. "Chibita is a 1st Grader" (チビ太は一年生), April 1966. Reprinted in Akebono volume 15/Kodansha volume 17.
2. "Let's Memorize the Art of Ninja and Defeat the Sextuplets" (忍法おぼえて六つ子に勝とう), May 1966. This was loosely adapted in episode 30 of the 1988 anime. Reprinted in Akebono volume 16/Kodansha volume 19.
3. "This is Osomatsu's Weak Point" (おそ松の弱点はこれだ), June 1966. Reprinted in Akebono volume 16/Kodansha volume 17.
4. "Let's Make a Hollow Watermelon" (スカスカスイカでもうけましょう, ), July 1966. Reprinted in Akebono volume 17/Kodansha volume 19.
5. "Training for the Sports Athletic Meet" (特訓やって運動会), October 1966. Reprinted in Akebono volume 23 and Kodansha volume 26.

The above stories were reprinted in the Akebono "Complete Works" and Kodansha KC Comics reprints, but do not show up at all in the eBookJapan version.

"Osomatsu-kun Album" has only appeared reprinted in Takeshobo's "Completely Osomatsu-kun", and "Osomatsu-kun in 20 Years" has never yet been reprinted.

TV Magazine

Uhaha Appendix Books (May to October 1988)

1. "Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun's Unusual University" (天才バカボン　おそ松くんのいじわる大学, TV Magazine, May 1988- UNREPRINTED): A supplementary activity booklet involving "The Latest Version of Genius Bakabon" and "The Latest Version of Osomatsu-kun".
2. "Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun's Wonderland Zoo" (天才バカボン　おそ松くんの不思議動物園, TV Magazine, June 1988- UNREPRINTED): A second crossover of the titles.
3. "Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun's Uhaha Restaurant" (天才バカボン　おそ松くんのウッハウハレストラン, TV Magazine, July 1988- UNREPRINTED): A third crossover between the titles.
4. "Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun's Summer Vacation Strategy" (天才バカボン　おそ松くんの夏休み大作戦, TV Magazine, August 1988- UNREPRINTED): The fourth crossover, vacation-themed.
5. "Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun's Surprising Museum" (天才バカボン　おそ松くんのびっくりきょうふ館, TV Magazine, September 1988- UNREPRINTED): The fifth in the series of crossovers.
6. "Genius Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun's Ultra Olympics" (天才バカボン　おそ松くんのウルトラオリンピック, TV Magazine, October 1988- UNREPRINTED): The Bakabon and Osomatsu casts compete in sports.

Other Stories, Spinoffs, and Misc.

1. "Gyahaha, the Three Musketeers!" (ギャハハ三銃士, Weekly Shonen Sunday New Years' special, January 5, 1966): A crossover between Osomatsu-kun and Fujiko Fujio's Q-taro the Ghost, along with Jiro Tsunoda's Black Group. This is not reprinted in Osomatsu-kun collections, but has been reprinted in the Fujiko Fujio Complete Works and in the DVD-ROM of "1960s".
2. "Gyahaha, Osomatsu-kun Social Studies World Trip" (社会科参考　おそ松くんのギャハハ世界旅行, Weekly Shonen Sunday New Years' Special, January 5, 1966- UNREPRINTED): Another special feature excluded from Osomatsu-kun reprints.
3. "Great Car Race of the Century: Sanzan Iyami Strategy" (世紀の珍自動車大レース・さんざんイヤミ作戦, Weekly Shonen Sunday #4, January 30, 1966- UNREPRINTED): Extra story originally printed alongside "Exterminate the Phantom Snow Daruma". Although currently unreprinted, it was adapted into the 1966 anime and did re-appear once in the December 1968 issue appendix of 3rd Grade with the new title of "Osomatsu-kun's Amazing Car Show".
4. "Keke-taro the Ghost" (オハゲのＫＫ太郎, Weekly Shonen Sunday #10, March 13, 1966): A crossover story of Q-taro and Chibita. This is reprinted as an extra at the end of volume 22 of the Takeshobo reprints.
5. "Chibita's Resume, Iyami's Resume" (チビ太の履歴書　ミスター・イヤミの履歴書, Boys' Life, April 1966 - UNREPRINTED): A supplement with the April Boys' Life story.
6. "Searching for Iyami-kun's Mother..." (イヤミくん　母をたずねて…,Weekly Shonen Sunday #19, May 15, 1966): Iyami gets the help of Chibita, Hatabō, Dayōn, Dekapan, and Moguramaru to help him search for his mother. It is reprinted in eBook volume 15 and in Takeshobo volume 9, but its date is mistakenly given as that of Weekly Shonen Sunday #2 for the year.
7. "Akatsuka Extra Edition Monster Comic Special Feature: Dayōn Appears in Tokyo" (増刊アカツカ　怪物まんが特集号　ダヨーン東京に出現, Weekly Shonen Sunday summer vacation special, July 27, 1966- UNREPRINTED): An extra story published with the Watermelon Planet chapter, but left out of reprints.
8. "Special Issue of Akatsuka Spy Manga: Spy vs. Spy " (増刊アカツカ　スパイまんが特集号　スパイ対スパイ, Weekly Shonen Sunday summer vacation special, July 27, 1966*): A parody of MAD Magazine's "Spy vs. Spy". Chibita, Iyami, Dekapan, the sextuplets, Hatabō, and Dayōn compete to outwit and defeat each other. *This chapter is reprinted in the eBooks and Takeshobo, but with an erroneous date of August 1, 1965, along with the claim of it appearing as part of the Shonen Sunday triple-feature for that year. It is also re-titled as "The Grand Spy Strategy" (スパイ大作戦), the Japanese title for Mission: Impossible.
9. "There's No Wonderful Business Like That of a Gag" (ギャグほどステキな商売はない, Monthly Shonen Jump, July 1973)- A feature by Akatsuka recapping his gag manga career, as well as featuring the -kun cast in segments. It appears at the end of Akebono's "Complete Works" volume 31, but is not in later editions.
10. "(The Return of) Osomatsu-kun" (Monthly Shonen Jump, August 1976): A short story published in Shonen Jump, revisiting Iyami and the sextuplets. Iyami attempts to impersonate Dekapan, and has the sextuplets fight Chibita. It is reprinted at the end of eBook volume 31.
11. "Osomatsu-kun" (Penguin Question, May 25, 1983- UNREPRINTED): Another short story revisiting the cast, yet unlike the one above, it has not been collected into any volume editions.
12. "Osomatsu-kun's Big Adventure" (おそ松くんの大冒険, October 1988- UNREPRINTED)- A full-color comic printed as part of the "Burst of Laughter World" book by Kodansha. Osomatsu, Iyami, Chibita, Totoko, Hatabo, and Dayon become lost in the woods while camping far away from Akatsuka District. As they attempt to find their way back, each run into bizarre adventures and fates.
13. "Where are these Famous Characters Now!?" (Weekly Shonen Sunday 30th Anniversary special issue, April 1989): A man in a hospital awakens from a coma after 30 years, and meets Chibita, the only surviving cast member of Osomatsu-kun that's left. The ending tells of the deaths of the rest of the cast, as well as Chibita's very own author. This was done to commemorate the "death" of the Showa era and the move forward to Heisei. Included as an extra in volume 15 of the Takeshobo edition, as well as in the "1980s" DVD-ROM book of Shogakukan's Akatsuka Complete Works.