Nippon Animation
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Nippon Animation is famous for producing animated cartoons based on works of literature such as Anne of Green Gables and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, co-founders of the famous Studio Ghibli, directed several episodes in the World Masterpiece Theater series.
Company history
What is now Nippon Animation is descended from Zuiyo Eizo (Zuiyo Enterprises), an animation studio that produced several popular series in the early and mid-1970s, including 1974's Heidi, Girl of the Alps (アルプスの少女ハイジ, Arupusu no Shōjo Haiji), an adaptation of Johanna Spyri's popular children's book. The Heidi anime was enormously popular in Japan (and later in Europe as well, and the feature-length edit of the TV series also saw a U.S. VHS release in 1985), but Zuiyo Eizo soon found itself in financial trouble because of the high production costs of a series it was attempting to sell to the European market. In 1975, Zuiyo Eizo was split into two entities: Zuiyo (not Zuiyo Eizo), which absorbed the debt and the rights to the Heidi anime, and Nippon Animation, which was essentially Zuiyo Eizo's production staff (including Miyazaki and Takahata). Officially, Nippon Animation Co., Ltd. was established in June 1975 by company president Koichi Motohashi. The newly rechristened Nippon Animation found success right away with Maya the Bee (みつばちマーヤの冒険, Mitsubachi Māya no Bōken) and A Dog of Flanders (フランダースの犬, Furandāsu no Inu), which became the first entry in the World Masterpiece Theater series. Hayao Miyazaki left Nippon Animation in 1979 in the middle of the production of Anne of Green Gables to make the Lupin III feature Castle of Cagliostro, but the studio continued on and continued to be successful without him.Body of work
In addition to the World Masterpiece Theater series, Nippon Animation has also produced many other series based on Western works of literature, as well as original works and adaptations of Japanese manga. Many of these are included in the list of the studio's works below.Of the studio's productions not based on Western literature, the most popular is undoubtedly Chibi Maruko-chan (1990), based on the popular manga by Momoko Sakura. At its peak, this slice-of-life anime about an unusually intelligent elementary-school-aged girl and her family and friends managed an audience rating of nearly 40%, making it one of the highest-rated anime series ever (and the highest-rated anime program in Japanese history at the time).
Works adapted from Western literature
World Masterpiece Theatre series
Other TV series
- Maya the Bee (みつばちマーヤの冒険, Mitsubachi Māya no Bōken) - 1975
- Little House on the Prairie (草原の少女ローラ, Sōgen no shōjo Rōra) - 1975
- (Arabian Naitsu: Shinbaddo No Bôken) - 1975
- The Adventures of Pinocchio (Pikorîo no bôken) - 1976; not to be confused with Tatsunoko Productions' 1972 TV series Kashi no Ki Mokku (Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio)
- Little Lulu and Her Little Friends (Little Lulu to Chicchai Nakama) - 1976; based on the popular American comic character
- Monarch: The Big Bear of Tallac (Kuma no Ko Jacky) - 1977; based on one of Seton's Animal Tales
- Future Boy Conan (Mirai Shonen Conan) - 1978; directed chiefly by Hayao Miyazaki and adapted from Alexander Key's The Incredible Tide
- Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel (Risu no Banner) - 1979; another adaptation of one of Seton's Animal Tales
- Heart (Cuore): An Italian Schoolboy's Journal (Ai no Gakko Cuore Monogatari) - 1981; original story by Edmondo de Amicis
- Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds (Wanwan Sanjushi) - 1981; a retelling of the story of The Three Musketeers with canine characters
- The New Adventures of Maya the Bee (Shin Mitsubachi Maaya no Boken) - 1982 (made in 1979 but not aired until 1982)
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Fushigi no Kuni no Arisu) - 1983
- Manga Aesop's Fables - 1983
- Around the World in 80 Days (Anime 80 Sekai Isshu) - 1987
- Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics (Grimm Meisaku Gekijo) - 1987
- The Jungle Book (Jungle Book Shonen Mowgli) - 1989
- Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (Kaze no Naka no Shojo Kinptasu no Jeannie) - 1992; based on the popular song by Stephen Foster
TV specials
- Anne's Diary: The Story of Anne Frank (Anne no Nikki: Anne Frank Monogatari) - 1979
- Manxmouse (Tondemo Nezumi Daikatsuyaku) - 1979; based on the 1968 book by Paul Gallico
- Peter of Placid Forest (Nodoka Mori no Dobutsu Daisakusen) - 1980; also known in English as Back to the Forest; based on Boy Lorenzen's Jakobus Nimmersatt
- The Story of Fifteen Boys (Hitomi no Naka no Shonen Jugo Shonen Hyoryuki) - TV special, 1987; based on Two Years Vacation by Jules Verne
Other works
TV series
- Dokaben ("Lunchbox") - 1976
- Attack on Tomorrow (Ashita e Attack) - 1977
- Ginguiser (Chogattai Majutsu Robot Ginguiser) - 1977
- I'm Teppei (Ore wa Teppei) - 1977
- Charlotte (Wakakusa no Charlotte) - 1977
- Angie Girl (Jouo Heika no Petite Angie) - 1977; released in a feature-length compilation in the U.S. titled The Casebook of Charlotte Holmes
- Song of the Baseball Enthusiasts (Yakukyou no Uta) - 1977
- Haikara-san ga Tooru ("Here Comes the Modern Girl") - 1978; from the popular manga by Waki Yamato
- Misha the Bear Cub (Koguma no Misha) - 1979
- Sanpei the Fisherman (Tsurikichi Sanpei) - 1980
- Meme - 1983
- Noozles (Fushigi na Koara Burinkii, Blinky and Printy) - 1984
- Hey! Bumboo - 1985
- Spaceship Sagittarius (Uchuusen Sagittarius) - 1986
- The Adventures of Bosco (Bosco Daiboken) - 1986
- Animated Classics of Japanese Literature (Seishun Anime Zenshu) - 1986
- Topo Gigio - 1988
- Chibi Maruko-chan - 1990
- Pygmalio - 1990
- Top Striker (Moero! Top Striker) - 1991
- Christopher Columbus - 1992
- Mikan's Picture Diary (Mikan Enikki) - 1992
- Papuwa-kun (Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun) - 1992
- Bow: Modern Dog Tales (Heisei Inu Monogatari Bow) - 1993
- Dragon League - 1993
- Muka Muka Paradise - 1993
- Captain Tsubasa J - 1994
- Mahojin Guru Guru - 1994
- Super Pig (Ai to Yuki no Pig Girl Tonde Burin) - 1994
- Yamato Takeru - 1994
- Mama Loves the Poyopoyo-Saurus - 1995
- Grander Musashi - 1997
- Cooking Master Boy (Chuuka Ichiban!) - 1997
- Coji-Coji (Sakura Momoko Gekijo: Koji-Koji) - 1997; from the creator of Chibi Maruko-chan, Momoko Sakura
- Ten-Ten-Kun (Hanasaki Tenshi Ten-Ten-kun) - 1998
- Inventor Boy Kanipan (Hatsumei Boy Kanipan) - 1998
- Hunter x Hunter - 1999
- Corrector Yui - 1999
- Bikkuriman 2000 - 1999
- Taiga Adventure (Mirai Shonen Conan II: Taiga no Daiboken) - 1999; a remake of Future Boy Conan directed by Hayao Miyazaki's former assistant, Keiji Hayakawa, but featuring a new cast of characters
- Marcelino Pan y Vino - 2000 (Japan-Spain co-production; title is Spanish for "Marcelino, bread and wine")
- Princess Comet (Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san) - 2001; based on a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, creator of Gigantor and Sally, the Witch
- Webdiver (Dennou Boukenki Webdiver) - 2001
- - 2002-2003
- Fantastic Children - 2004
- Ginban Kaleidoscope - 2005 (co-production with Aniplex)
TV specials, movies and OAVs
- King Fang (Oyuki Yama no Yuusha Haou) - TV special, 1978
- Our Hit and Run - TV special, 1979
- Maegami Taro - TV special, 1979
- Locke the Superman (Chojin Rokku) - movie, 1984; OAV sequels, 1989, 1991 and 2000
- Future Boy Conan (Mirai Shonen Conan Tokubetsu Hen-Kyodaiki Gigant no Fukkatsu) (movie) - 1984
- - TV special, 1986; seemingly inspired heavily by Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa
- Chibi Maruko-chan (movie) - 1990
- Tottoi (The Secret of the Seal) - 1992, movie
- Bow (movie) - 1993
- Mahojin Guru Guru (movie) - 1996
- Hunter x Hunter (OAV) - 2002
External links
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