Aishiteruze Baby is a Japanese romance manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Maki. It was serialized by Shueisha in Ribon from April 2002 and January 2005 and collected in seven bound volumes. It was adapted as a 26-episode anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment and Animax, broadcast in Japan on Animax from April to October 2004. The series is about a teenage boy, Kippei, who becomes the caretaker of his five-year-old cousin, Yuzuyu, after her mother abandons her. Both the manga and anime have been praised for successfully mixing serious issues with a light-hearted tone.
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Kippei Katakura and Yuzuyu Sakashita
Ribon is a monthly Japanese shōjo manga magazine published by Shueisha on the third of each month. First issued in August 1955, its rivals are Nakayoshi and Ciao. It is one of the best-selling shōjo manga magazines, having sold over 590 million copies since 1978. Its circulation was in the millions between 1987 and 2001, peaking at 2.3 million in 1994. In 2009, the magazine's circulation was 274,167. In 2010, the circulation dropped to 243,334.
Cover of the May 2006 issue (featuring Love-Berrish! by Nana Haruta)