CoroCoro Comic


CoroCoro Comic is a Japanese children's manga magazine published by Shogakukan. It was established in 1977 and several of its properties, like Doraemon and the Pokémon series of games, have gone on to be cultural phenomena in Japan.
The name comes from a phenomime which means "rolling" and also represents something spherical, fat, or small, because children supposedly like such things. The magazine is A5-sized, about 6 cm thick, and each issue is 750 pages long. CoroCoro Comic is released monthly with new issues on the 15th of each month. CoroCoro Comic sold 400million copies as of April 2017, making it one of the best-selling comic/manga magazines.
The magazine has three sisters: Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic, CoroCoro Ichiban! and CoroCoro Aniki. Bessatsu and Ichiban! are published bi-monthly, while Aniki, which targeted an older audience, was released quarterly. On November 20, 2020, CoroCoro Comic cover designer Tariji Sasaki was recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest-running cover designer for a children's magazine. CoroCoro Aniki ended publication in March 2021.

History

The magazine was launched in 1977 as a magazine for Doraemon, which is one of the most popular manga in Japan. Before then Doraemon had been serialized in 6 Shogakukan magazines targeted at students in elementary school, that target audience has now increased. It collected stories of Doraemon from these magazines. It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2007 with an exhibition at the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

Tie-ins

CoroCoro regularly promotes toys and video games related to their manga franchises, releasing stories and articles featuring them. Pocket Monsters/''Pokémons big success in Japan owes to this in a way; the Game Boy game Pocket Monsters Blue was sold exclusively through the magazine at first, which helped CoroCoros sales as well. CoroCoro is also often a source of information about upcoming Pokémon games and movies.
Other successful tie-ins include:

Manga titles currently serialized in ''Monthly CoroCoro Comic''

  • Super Mario-kun
  • Pocket Monsters / Pocket Monsters SPECIAL
  • CoroCoro Manga College
  • Fujiko F. Fujio Masterpiece Theater Doraemon
  • Denjyarasu Jiisan Jya!
  • Danball Senki Wars
  • Danchi Tomoo 4-koma Park
  • 100% Pascal-sensei
  • Splatoon
  • Maizen Sisters
  • Ace Angler: Fishing Spirits
  • Beyblade X
  • Fate Rewinder
  • ''Sonic and the Blade of Courage''

    Manga titles currently serialized in ''Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic''

  • Super Mario-kun
  • Pokémon Pocket Monsters
  • Denjyarasu Jiisan Jya!
  • Duel Masters Victory
  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf
  • Lapis Lazuli
  • '
  • Pokémon Torretta
  • A Penguin's Troubles Plus
  • Friendship Attached! Foot Burst
  • Nyaemon
  • Really!! Majime-kun!
  • '
  • Story of Duel Masters: Outrage
  • Cosmos Stamp
  • ''Puniru Is a Cute Slime''

    Manga titles currently serialized in ''CoroCoro Ichiban''

  • Super Refreshing TV Life: Oha Suta Boy
  • Pokémon 4-koma Gag Picture book
  • Detective Conan Special
  • Super Mario-kun Theater
  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf
  • Yo-kai Watch Yoncoma Pun Club
  • Secret Society Eagle Talon
  • Chibi Kasu-kun
  • Hoshi no Kirby Everything on Today's Diary
  • Pokémon Special Sun•Moon Saga
  • Pokémon TCG Sun•Moon Saga
  • ''Star Kirby Puzzle Planet''

    Formerly serialized manga

This is a list of all manga that had been serialized by CoroCoro Comic at one point, but currently no longer.

1960s

  • Kaibutsu-kun
  • ''Doraemon''

    1970s

  • ''Game Center Arashi''

    1980s

  • Bikkuriman
  • Oyaji-chan
  • Dash! Yonkuro
  • Ganbare, Kickers!
  • Honō no Dōkyūji: Dodge Danpei
  • Perman
  • ''Mashin Hero Wataru''

    1990s

  • Saru Get You
  • Beyblade
  • Crash Bandicoot
  • Donkey Kong
  • DoReMi Fantasy
  • Duel Masters
  • Honō no Tōkyūji: Dodge Danpei
  • Kirby of the Stars: The Story of Dedede Who Lives in Pupupu
  • Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!
  • Ore wa Otoko da! Kunio-kun
  • Pokémon Blue
  • Small Soldiers
  • Spyro The Dragon
  • Speed Racer
  • Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
  • Super B-Daman
  • Super Bomberman
  • Super Mario-kun
  • Tamagotchi
  • ''Zoids''

    2000s

  • Battle B-Daman
  • Bomberman Jetters
  • Crash B-Daman
  • Croket!
  • Dorabase
  • Denjyarasu Jiisan
  • - Adapted into the anime Forza! Hidemaru
  • Inazuma Eleven
  • Jak x Daxter ~Itachi de Waruika!!~
  • Keshikasu-kun
  • Kiyohara-kun
  • Mushiking: The King of Beetles
  • Rockman EXE
  • Solar Boy Django
  • Pokémon Diamond and Pearl
  • Ratchet & Clank – Gagaga! Ginga no Gakeppuchi Densetsu
  • Shooting Star Rockman
  • Shippuu Tengoku Kaze no Klonoa
  • Sonic! Dash & Spin
  • I'm Galileo!
  • Kirby of the Stars
  • Kirby of the Stars! Moretsu Pupupu Hour!
  • Metal Fight Beyblade
  • Pokémon Platinum
  • Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver
  • Pokémon Colosseum
  • Sap-kun
  • ''Mysterious Joker''

    2010s

  • Baku Tech! Bakugan
  • Cross Fight B-daman
  • Danball Senki
  • Denjyarasu Jiisan Jya!
  • Future Card Buddyfight
  • Hero Bank
  • Inazuma Eleven: Ares no Tenbin
  • Metal Fight Beyblade ZeroG
  • Pokémon Black and White
  • Pokémon Black and White 2
  • Pokémon X and Y
  • Puzzle & Dragons
  • Kamiwaza Wanda
  • Splatoon
  • Minions
  • Rich Police Cash!
  • ''Yōkai Watch''

    2020s

  • Doraemon
  • Schau Lof
  • Hagemaru Reboot
  • Makycu N-Zoch
  • Zip Zap
  • Pokémon
  • Black Channel
  • ''Shikkoku no Harinezumi: Shadow the Hedgehog''

    Circulation

Rivals

Corocoro has had many rival magazines in the past, with one of them, Comic Bom Bom, closing down due to declining sales. The current competition includes V Jump and Saikyo Jump.

Past rivals

  • '
  • '
  • Comic Bom Bom
  • '
  • '
  • ''Kerokero Ace''

    Current rivals

  • V Jump
  • Monthly Shōnen Ace
  • ''Saikyō Jump''

    Foreign adaptations

  • CO-CO!
  • CoroCoro Monthly
  • ''Dragon Comic CORO-CORO''