The cartoon (shojo genre) Hello Spank! (original title Ohayoo! Spank) arrives for the first time in Italy in 1982 (broadcast on Italia Uno), enjoying great success thanks to the plot with funny and engaging tones. Spank is a decidedly out of the ordinary little dog, as he has typically human feelings and habits: he often wears a blue denim jumpsuit, hat, sunglasses; sometimes he gets angry, but he can be tender, nice, responsible and very intelligent. Spank becomes part of the life of the young Aika (Aiko Morimura), in a very sad and delicate moment for her. In fact, Aika has recently lost her beloved father (who, being a sailor, mysteriously disappeared on one of his trips aboard the boat "Il Gabbiano"), but rather than following her mother to Paris she decides to stay in Japan as a guest of the uncle Fujnami.

As the days go by, the girl feels more and more alone and lost, so she receives as a gift a pretty dog, Papy, with whom she spends tender and happy moments, but unfortunately dies soon, hit by a truck. Therefore Aika finds herself alone and distraught, until she meets the funny Spank, who after some hesitation decides to keep with her. A friendship is born between the two, destined to consolidate more and more every day, to the point of becoming inseparable. In fact, Spank defends and protects his "Iaia" in many ways and in different circumstances: think that he will also go to school for him. Other characters in the story are: Serina (Serino), a snobbish girl who owns a cat, Miccia as haughty as the mistress Spank falls in love with (perhaps precisely because she ignores him, but in the end his attention pleases her). Serina does not miss an opportunity to put sweet Aika in difficulty, with whom she competes in love. Pure Spank has a rival, the cat Torikiki: their frequent challenges (demonstrations of strength, skill or other) to conquer Miccia, are really hilarious (even if on time the two end up making a fool of themselves in the eyes of the beautiful and superb kitten) . Still there is Rey, a free and lonely spirit, who loves taking long walks on the beach, with whom Aika lives a beautiful but troubled love story. Finally, how can we forget the housekeeper Saki ?!

The latter, in fact, whenever she finds Spank under her eyes, she becomes terrified and faints: who knows why?
The manga Ohayoooo! Spank, was made in 1978 by Shunichi Yukimuro and designed by Shizue Takanashi. In Italy it was published for the first time in the 80s by the newspaper "Corriere dei Piccoli", in a recolored and re-adapted version and a second time in the 90s by Play Press, according to the original version. While they dealt with the animated series Shigetsuga Yoshida and Takao Korai, basically respecting the spirit of the comic. However, the differences between the two genres are not negligible, especially as regards the adaptations in the different editions (including the Italian one). In the manga, for example, Aika lives in Japan with her mother. Rey, who in the cartoon is the rightful owner of Spank, in the comic is the one who hit Papy. Furthermore, there is a very strong link between Spank and the mysterious disappearance of Aika's father (on which she will try to shed some light), which instead is made marginal in the TV series.
A note of merit goes to the drawings, which, despite their simplicity, perfectly convey the inner complexity of the characters - in particular Spank's - and the depth of their sentimental and emotional baggage (joys, small and large pains and 'other). Taken together, they contribute to making us appreciate a cartoon (and a comic), which while raising rather tragic adolescent problems, takes place within a background, even more than melancholy, full of moments of tenderness, humor, friendship and confidence in a better tomorrow.

by Helga Corpino