Anpanman is a Japanese children's superhero picturebook series written by Takashi Yanase. It ran from 1973 until the author's death in 2013. The series follows the adventures of Anpanman, a superhero with an anpan (a red bean paste filled pastry) for a head, who protects the world from an evil anthropomorphic germ named Baikinman. Heavily merchandised, the Anpanman characters appear on virtually every imaginable children's product in Japan, ranging from clothes and video games to toys and snack foods. (Wikipedia)