CineCalidad. Chibi Maruko-chan (Japanese: ちびまる子ちゃん?) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Momoko Sakura. The series depicts the simple, everyday life of Momoko Sakura in the times of when she was a little girl where everyone call her Maruko and her family in suburban Japan in the year 1974. The series is set in the former city of Shimizu, now part of Shizuoka City, birthplace of its author.