# Maruko TV Drama (櫻桃小丸子)

**Maruko TV Drama** (櫻桃小丸子； Japanese: ちびまる子ちゃん) is a 2017 Taiwanese live-action television series adapted from Momoko Sakura's long-running manga *Chibi Maruko-chan*, directed by Zhang Qin (張欽) and first broadcast on Taiwan's CTV (中視) from March 13, 2017.<sup>[1](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E5%8A%87%E9%9B%86)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup> The 30-episode Mandarin-language series, classified as youth, comedy, drama, and family programming, follows the daily life of the elementary-school girl Maruko, her family, and her classmates, in stories set against the nostalgic atmosphere of 1970s Japan.<sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original work | *Chibi Maruko-chan* (櫻桃小丸子), manga by Momoko Sakura (櫻桃子), serialized from 1986 in Shueisha's *Ribon*; adapted into anime, games, and television dramas<sup>[3](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90)</sup> |
| Format | Taiwanese idol drama, Mandarin, 30 episodes, comedy/drama/family, rated 13+ on iQIYI<sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup> |
| Taiwan premiere | March 13, 2017 on CTV (中視), weekdays at 6 pm; also streamed on Taiwan iQIYI and shown on MOMO channels<sup>[1](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E5%8A%87%E9%9B%86)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLwC9n-qON4)</sup> |
| Director and lead cast | Directed by Zhang Qin; Lin Xinlei (林芯蕾) as Maruko, with Lin Youwei, Yin Fu (茵芙), Wei Man (魏蔓), Gu Baoming (顧寶明), and Tan Aizhen (譚艾珍)<sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup> |
| Rights approval | Every cast member was approved by the original manga artist Momoko Sakura before production was finalized; the rights fee was reported as NT$4 million (about S$168,200)<sup>[5](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)</sup> |
| Japanese predecessors | Fuji TV first adapted the manga into live action in 2006; the first special averaged a 22.8% rating, and later versions followed in 2006, 2007, and 2013<sup>[6](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%A8%B1%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/24070190?fromModule=lemma_inlink)</sup> |
| Age rating in Taiwan | Taiwan's NCC review found the drama suitable for children aged 10–12, while noting mismatches between the elementary-school subject matter and its teen/adult presentation<sup>[7](https://www.ncc.gov.tw/chinese/files/19011/3058_40904_190117_1.pdf)</sup> |

## Spoilers

### The source manga and story

The series adapts *Chibi Maruko-chan*, the manga created by Momoko Sakura, who used her own name for the heroine and based the stories on her childhood in 1974.<sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup> The manga began serialization in 1986 in Shueisha's girls' manga magazine *Ribon* and was collected in 17 volumes, later spawning an anime, video games, and television dramas.<sup>[3](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90)</sup>

Maruko is a third-grade girl living in a household of six: a father who likes beer and television, a mother who complains about her antics, a serious and diligent older sister, a kind grandmother, and a grandfather who adores her. Her classroom holds classmates of widely differing personalities.<sup>[8](https://thetvdb.com/series/maruko-tv-drama)</sup> Classmates such as Maruo, Hanawa, Mika, and Noguchi had already become shared points of reference for audiences before the live-action version was made.<sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup>

## Japanese live-action versions before 2017

**The 2006 specials.** To mark the anime's 15th anniversary, [Fuji Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/fuji-television) decided to make a live-action version, announced in 2005; the open audition for the role of Maruko drew more than 500 child applicants, and the production chose 8-year-old Morisako Ei (森迫永依).<sup>[9](https://yule.sohu.com/20060420/n242906059.shtml)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/j/2006-03-21/00531021843.html)</sup> The first special, broadcast April 18, 2006, was written in three parts from the angles of family, sisters, and friends, with the episode *Maruko's Pleasant Life* scripted by Sakura herself; the narrator was Yamada-kun, who had held that role since the anime era.<sup>[10](https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/j/2006-03-21/00531021843.html)</sup> The premiere averaged a 22% rating and peaked at 27% during a tearful scene between Maruko and her friend Tama, outperforming the 17.7% premiere of Ueto Aya's *Attention Please* that followed it.<sup>[9](https://yule.sohu.com/20060420/n242906059.shtml)</sup> Baidu Baike gives the average rating of this first special as 22.8%, and records a second special broadcast on October 31 of the same year.<sup>[6](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%A8%B1%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/24070190?fromModule=lemma_inlink)</sup>

**The 2007 serial and 2013 revival.** Because Morisako had grown, she was no longer suitable for the serial version that began in spring 2007, and after screening the role went to 15-year-old Ito Kika; apart from the grandfather and the teacher Tokawa, the rest of the cast was replaced, though the stories remained warm and comic.<sup>[6](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%A8%B1%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/24070190?fromModule=lemma_inlink)</sup> The 2013 revival cast Shida Maki, described by Fuji TV's producers as chosen for her cute performance; she was, according to a 2013 report, the only Maruko actress of the series so far who was the same age as the character, a third-grader, and the production also marked the upcoming 30th anniversary of Sakura's debut.<sup>[11](https://n.yam.com/Article/20130820696620)</sup> The short-drama versions from 2006 onward were typically structured as several independent unit stories per episode, such as "Maruko worries about writing an essay," "Maruko tells a lie," and "Crisis at the Sakura home."<sup>[6](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%A8%B1%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/24070190?fromModule=lemma_inlink)</sup>

## The 2017 Taiwanese production

**Rights and casting.** Taiwanese actor [Jiro Wang](https://www.edgepedia.org/jiro-wang) (汪東城), after holding a *Chibi Maruko-chan* exhibition, moved to realize a live-action drama; a production launch press conference was held on February 29, 2016, at which he was announced as Hanawa while also acting as the project's agent.<sup>[5](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/201602290240.aspx)</sup> The Hong Kong artist Wong Yau-leung (王友良), who brokered the rights agreement, played the classmate Ohno (大野), and the newcomer Lin Xinlei was cast as Maruko.<sup>[5](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)</sup> According to Wong, Sakura had hesitated about licensing a live-action drama until she met Jiro Wang and was surprised that someone really did resemble the character Hanawa, at which point she agreed to sell the rights; the rights fee alone was NT$4 million.<sup>[5](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)</sup> Every actor was finalized only after Sakura's personal approval.<sup>[5](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)</sup>

**The cast.** Lin Youwei and [Yin Fu](https://www.edgepedia.org/yin-fu) played Maruko's parents, Wei Man her older sister, Gu Baoming her grandfather, and Tan Aizhen her grandmother; the classroom cast included Li Chuyeh as Maruo, Wong Yau-leung as Ohno, and Liu Jifan as Mika.<sup>[1](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E5%8A%87%E9%9B%86)</sup> Jiro Wang said he had hoped to play the grandfather, a role that went to Gu Baoming; to reproduce Hanawa's signature fringe he reported spending at least an hour a day on hair and makeup, and cut back on gym training to appear smaller beside his elementary-school classmates.<sup>[5](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)</sup> A CNA report at the launch noted Wang repeatedly touching the Q-shaped tuft of hair on his head, as if the character had possessed him.<sup>[12](https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/201602290240.aspx)</sup>

**Broadcast.** The series premiered on CTV on March 13, 2017, airing weekdays at 6 pm, with simultaneous streaming on Taiwan iQIYI and later showings on MOMO Comprehensive Channel and MOMO Parent-Child Channel.<sup>[1](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E5%8A%87%E9%9B%86)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLwC9n-qON4)</sup> The iQIYI listing records 30 completed episodes, available in resolutions from 360P to 4K.<sup>[2](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)</sup> TheTVDB separately lists a first airing of February 22, 2017 on CTS with 45-minute episodes, a date and network that differ from the Taiwanese sources.<sup>[8](https://thetvdb.com/series/maruko-tv-drama)</sup>

## Reception and age classification

Taiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC) reviewed the drama in its 2017 first-half age-appropriateness assessment for children's television and rated it suitable for ages 10 to 12. The review acknowledged that the adaptation presents family affection and friendship through Maruko's daily life, but found the subject matter and presentation mismatched: the characters are elementary-school pupils while the treatment reads as teen and office-worker drama, and the manga's exaggerated gags became overdone in live action, with some implausible messages for children. It recommended casting closer to the original characters' ages and adding parental advisories for incongruous dialogue and plots.<sup>[7](https://www.ncc.gov.tw/chinese/files/19011/3058_40904_190117_1.pdf)</sup>

The Japanese versions left a longer commercial trace. Morisako Ei became a household child star through the 2006 special and continued acting; after graduating from [Sophia University](https://www.edgepedia.org/sophia-university) she formally resumed her career as an entertainer, and later appearances drew renewed attention to her role as the first live-action Maruko.<sup>[11](https://n.yam.com/Article/20130820696620)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2025B14W0206)</sup> In 2024, the Suntory beer campaign "Premium Maruko," a live-action commercial series imagining the characters 20 years later with [Suzu Hirose](https://www.edgepedia.org/suzu-hirose) as an adult Maruko, showed the franchise's characters still carrying advertising value two decades after the first drama adaptation.<sup>[14](https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=280665)</sup>

## References

1. [櫻桃小丸子（台灣真人版電視劇）, 台灣配音維基](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E5%8A%87%E9%9B%86)
2. [櫻桃小丸子（真人版）（2017）劇情介紹, iQIYI Knowledge](https://www.iq.com/wiki/zh_tw/album/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90-%E7%9C%9F%E4%BA%BA%E7%89%88-2017-19rrginwxt)
3. [櫻桃小丸子（動畫劇集系列）, 台灣配音維基](https://vocustaiwan.fandom.com/zh-tw/wiki/%E6%AB%BB%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90)
4. [3/13起中視【櫻桃小丸子 真人版電視劇】三年二班30s, 中視CTV官方頻道, YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLwC9n-qON4)
5. [汪东城太像"花轮" 樱桃子同意卖版权, 联合早报 (2016-03-02)](https://www.zaobao.com.sg/zentertainment/movies-and-tv/story20160302-587758)
6. [樱桃小丸子（日本富士电视台的电视剧）, 百度百科](https://bkso.baidu.com/item/%E6%A8%B1%E6%A1%83%E5%B0%8F%E4%B8%B8%E5%AD%90/24070190?fromModule=lemma_inlink)
7. [106年度上半年適齡兒童電視節目評選適齡理由, 國家通訊傳播委員會 (NCC)](https://www.ncc.gov.tw/chinese/files/19011/3058_40904_190117_1.pdf)
8. [櫻桃小丸子, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/maruko-tv-drama)
9. [上户彩敌不过"小丸子" 新剧开播收视即走低, 搜狐娱乐 (2006-04-20)](https://yule.sohu.com/20060420/n242906059.shtml)
10. [诙谐逗趣真人版《樱桃小丸子》即将在日本播出, 新浪娱乐/东方早报 (2006-03-21)](https://ent.sina.com.cn/v/j/2006-03-21/00531021843.html)
11. [日劇一族／櫻桃小丸子再翻拍 三代丸子星運大不同, 欣傳媒 via 蕃新聞 (2013)](https://n.yam.com/Article/20130820696620)
12. [台版真人小丸子 汪東城花輪上身, 中央社 CNA (2016-02-29)](https://www.cna.com.tw/news/amov/201602290240.aspx)
13. [真人版「櫻桃小丸子」長大了！變身「學霸女神」精通4語言、多益970分, 民視新聞網](https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2025B14W0206)
14. [廣瀨鈴化身「Premium 小丸子」描繪《櫻桃小丸子》20 年後的時尚啤酒廣告亮相, 巴哈姆特 GNN](https://gnn.gamer.com.tw/detail.php?sn=280665)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Hong Kong and Taiwanese serial drama*

*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license