CELLULOID CALORIES: ANPANMAN

Diabetics beware: when it comes to the worship of baked goods, not much can compare to the delerious fervor of Anpanman, Japan's favorite carbohydrate son.

Instead of deriving power from the sun, Anpanman gains his Superman-like strength from using his noggin...of course, it helps if your head is a giant Japanese bun filled with red bean. The hero also has a heart of gold, naturally: if the lads and lasses he saves are hungry, he doesn't think twice about offering bits of his head for sustenance, though ripping off pieces of his head weakens his strength considerably (not even Japanese ingenuity has figured a way around that one). Don't fret: Uncle Jam can bake a new head for Anpanman, post haste.

Baking features large in the world of Anpanman, populated by almost 1,800 characters since the late 80s (garnering an entry into the Guiness Book of Records). There's too many to describe, but here's my other two faves:

There's Currypanman, who pretty much has the same powers as Anpanman. I've never seen him offer up bits of his own head for the greater good, but his head is FILLED WITH CURRY THAT HE SQUIRTS OUT WHEN ATTACKED. Mindblowing.
Every artform needs a touch of narcissism. Shokupanman might spend his days serving lunch to schoolchildren, but he brings sass to the group, despite being white bread (literally).

Here's an episode to get the full flavour of the show, but you'll need to bring your Japanese skills to the table:

Joe.