Bincho-Tan

(also Binchō-tan) is a mascot character, created by mangaka Takahito Ekusa (江草天仁, Ekusa Takahito^?) and produced by game goods company Alchemist.

The name is a play on words: binchōtan (備長炭, binchōtan^?) is a kind of charcoal, which is mainly used for cooking. However, -tan is a suffix created by the mispronunciation of chan. Relating to this dajare, the main cast is the moe anthropomorphic representations of different types of charcoal.

An anime began airing in February 2006 that was produced by Studio Deen. ^[1] Animax, who have also broadcasted all episodes within respective networks across Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, translating and dubbing the series into English and other languages. The anime is set in Minabe, Wakayama, a location that is the largest producer of binchōtan charcoal in Japan.

Characters

Bincho-tan

Binchō-tan (びんちょうタン, Binchō-tan^?)

• Voiced by: Ai Nonaka

Binchō-tan, the main character in the anime, is a young girl who lives by herself in an old house far from town. As her name suggests, she often wears a piece of charcoal on her head. Each episode depicts a day in the life of Binchō-tan who needs to work in order to buy food and necessities.

She is assumed to be an orphan because she lives by herself, refuses to answer shopkeepers who ask where her mother is and keeps to her habits of greeting and farewelling herself when traveling. She apparently, also possesses the ability to change the size of her body. Normally she is the size of a small child, but in some cases she can shrink herself to for instance fit in a shoe or to ride on the back of a duck.

She also treasures clothing made by her grandmother which becomes a plot point in one episode. Binchō-tan is initially a very lonely person. Her birthday is on May 07.

Kunugi-tan

Kunugi-tan (クヌギたん, Kunugi-tan^?)

• Voiced by: Sakura Nogawa

Kunugi-tan, who is seen many times in the anime before meeting any of the other characters directly, is a rich girl living in a large home with many servants. Kunugi-tan is still very lonely despite being surrounded by many older people as well as her school peers.

Unable to adventure outside her home and school due to her father's strict instructions carried out by her butler, Kunugi-tan often stares into the distance blankly. Kunugi-tan takes a great deal of interest in Bincho-tan and attempts to become better acquainted with her. She is terrified of bugs.

Kunugi-tan wears two pieces of what appears to be charcoal in her hair. Her name comes from the charcoal made from the sawtooth oak tree. Her birthday is on April 01.

Chiku-tan

Chiku-tan (ちくタン, Chiku-tan^?)

• Voiced by: Mai Kadowaki

Chiku-tan is an enthusiastic person who enjoys inventing things and helping others. Her hair is held with a piece of bamboo charcoal and the end moves when she has ideas, usually during problems. The viewer sees that like Binchō-tan, Chiku-tan also lives far from town in an old house but lives with others, her younger sister, Chiku-rin and her grandfather. She is afraid of ghosts.

Chiku-tan often takes on jobs like Binchō-tan and after meeting, they quickly became friends. Chiku and Binchō also begin raising a dog together. She is named after takesumi; bamboo charcoal, as chikurin means 'bamboo grove'. Her birthday is on August 24.

Chiku-rin (ちくリン, Chiku-rin^?)

• Voiced by: Misato Fukuen

Chiku-tan's younger sister. Chiku-rin often mimics Chiku-tan, but is unable to talk fluently due to her age. Her birthday is on August 06.

Aroe

Aroe (あろえ, Aroe^?)

• Voiced by: Momoko Saitō

Aroe is a young girl whose hair is made of Aloe which does not benefit her as she often requires water. Aroe does not often make direct contact with the other characters in the anime and her appearances are often a side story.

Aroe's Aloe made hair, bursts many of her vinyl wading pools due to its sharpness. Aroe is often seen throughout the series in a dizzy state, sometimes due to needing water and on other occasions due to misfortune. Her birthday is on June 15.

Ren-tan

Ren-tan (れんタン, Ren-tan^?)

• Voiced by: Rina Satō

It is explained during the story that Ren-tan is a miko and as such enjoys playing a mokugyo and communicating with spirits. When Ren-tan summons spirits, they often approach Chiku-tan, much to her dismay. She lives at a Buddhist temple with her grandparents and enjoys eating dango. She has amzing luck and always wins raffles. Ren-tan means a charcoal briquette. Her birthday is on February 10.

Abemaki (アベマキ, Abemaki^?)

• Voiced by: Rie Kugimiya

Kunugi-tan's elder maternal cousin. Her birthday is on March 30.

Sudajii (スダじい, Sudajii^?)

• Voiced by: Tomomichi Nishimura

Kunugi-tan's household butler.

Ookushi (オーク氏, Ookushi^?)

• Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki

Kunugi-tan's father. He has an acrophobia.

Pukashuu (プカシュー, Pukashuu^?)

• Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki

Binchō-tan's favorite character in a television show she watches. He appears on merchandise in one of the town's shops.

Yukari-tan (ユーカリたん, Yukari-tan^?)

• Voiced by: Mai Nakahara

Yurio (ゆりお母さん, Yurio^?)

• Voiced by: Seiko Fujiki

Aroe's mother.

Sotetsuo (そてつお父さん, Sotetsuo^?)

Aroe's father.

Saji (さじ, Saji^?)

A Japanese breed of dog called Kishu.

Narrator (ナレーションのおねえタン, Narrator^?)

• Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue

Anime

Nine episodes out of twelve episodes were aired without ending theme on TBS and BS-i. MBS in Kansai broadcasted all epsodes with ending theme. Incidentally, Wakayama in Kansai is famous for the production of binchōtan and Binchō-tan is the mascot of Kishu-Binchōtan Promotion Museum (紀州備長炭振興館, Kishu-Binchōtan Shinkoukan^?) operated by Minabegawa Forestry Society in Minabe, Wakayama.