Anpanman

Anpanman is a Japanese children's superhero franchise created by Takashi Yanase, beginning as a picture book series in 1973 and continuing until the author's death in 2013. It centers on a superhero whose head is made of anpan, a sweet bread filled with red bean paste, who fights hunger and battles a recurring anthropomorphic germ villain, sharing pieces of his own head to feed those in need. Originally a modest picture book property, Anpanman grew enormously in popularity after its 1988 anime adaptation and has become one of the highest grossing media franchises in the world, consistently ranked as Japan's top grossing character through extensive merchandise, films, and other media.