Onigiri

Onigiri (Also known as Riceballs in the US) is a Japanese Entertainment, Merchandising and Media Franchise based on the 1951-2001 Manga series created by Waku Yaniko and published by Takara (later Onigiri Productions). The first anime series based on Onigirl, Nao and Toro (Nao to Toro) aired on Tokyo Channel 12 from 1977-1989 alongside 2 American show The Nao and Toro Show and Riceballs. The Onigiri and Riceballs names are rarely seen in any promotional markets due to Waku hating the names, considering them "the worst name for a franchise".

Plot
This anime centers around 14 9 year old children and Toro, Pino, Nekī and Nobaya, Nao, Zuro, Taka, Tingo, Tongo, Mike, Kanto, Tarako, Yuna, Maruko, Tama, Hata, Kana and Wanda as they go through their daily lives with no adults to be seen or heard.

Nao and Toro
Junko Hori: Nao

Noriko Ohara: Zuro

Masako Nozawa: Taka

Michie Tomizawa: Tingo

Taeko Kawata: Tongo

Haco: Mike

Keiko Toda: Kanto

Tarako: Tarako

Sakiko Tamagawa: Yuna

Sanae Kobiyashi: Maruko

Masako Katsuki: Tama

Yūko Mita: Hata

Fumi Hirano: Kana

Reiko Hayama: Wanda

Kaneta Kimotsuki: Toro

Kazue Takahashi: Nekī

Sumiko Shirakawa: Nobaya

Katsuji Mori: Pino

Trivia

 * United Media (then US owner of the Onigiri (known as Riceballs) franchise) originally intended to do a crossover series with Charles Schulz's Peanuts titled Charlie Brown and Young Nao. While Waku and Charles were pleased with this concept, they both chose not to greenlit this series.