She said some of little Maruko's classmates, like Hamaji, are based on real childhood friends. She said thinking about what the character Nagasawa might say, she would only have to ask herself ...

Chibi Maruko chan is the nickname of a sweetly obnoxious 9-year-old girl. She tricks her grandfather, ponders for hours over how to spend her allowance, and hates sitting next to ugly boys.