The series follows five families whose lives are closely intertwined, forming a surrogate family over time. Anchored by a young author and an eccentric family support group, the narrative captures moments of humour, vulnerability, and collective resilience as the characters navigate life’s everyday challenges together.
The concept of the show is like a Mary Poppins set in modern Japan, with Mama Shingo entering a client's home and resolving family discord. In the first episode, Shingo Mama visits the Nagashima family and the client is the mother, Sayuri. The family here was not on good terms, with the father, eldest daughter Hikaru and eldest son Ken having various problems, including Sayuri, who is in the last month of pregnancy and is very depressed. In addition, the wandering student Dekouchi-kun has lingering feelings for his girlfriend, whose heart has already left him. Shingo Mama is a story about the Nagashima family and the people around them who struggle to smile and make them happy so that they can say "oh-ha!" with a smile.
Urmel plays in the castle - There is still a rumor in King Pumponell's kingdom that talking animals and Urmel live on a lonely, remote island. Museum and zoo director Dr. Zwengelmann will not rest until he has seen with his own eyes what he considers to be pure "fantasy". His niece Naftaline, who is keen to write a big report for her newspaper, also wants to know more about this mysterious island, the talking pig Wutz and the sensational Urmel. But if people found out about the talking animals from the newspaper, the island would soon be visited by many curious people. This must be prevented. Meanwhile, Urmel and Wutz hide out in King Pumponell's castle.