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Nippon Animation

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Nippon Animation (日本アニメーション) is a Japanese animation studio. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district and production facilities in Tama City.

File:Nippon.png
Nippon Animation logo.

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

The World Masterpiece Theater lasted for 23 seasons, from A Dog of Flanders in 1975 to Remi the Homeless Child (家なき子レミ, Ie Naki Ko Remi, Sans Famille) in 1997. Only a few WMT series were ever dubbed in English for the American market, including Tom Sawyer (1980), Swiss Family Robinson (家族ロビンソン漂流記ふしぎな島のフローネ, Kazoku Robinson Hyōryūki: Fushigi na Shima no Furōne) (1981), and Little Women (愛の若草物語, Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari, 1987). The WMT serials found much more success in Europe, with among the most popular including Anne of Green Gables (赤毛のアン, Akage no An, 1979, which was Hayao Miyazaki's last work for Nippon Animation before leaving the studio), and Little Princess Sarah (小公女セーラ, Shōkōjo Sēra, an adaptation of A Little Princess, 1985).

Nippon Animation has also produced many other series based on Western works of literature which were not part of the World Masterpiece Theater, 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

World Masterpiece Theater (Sekai Meisaku Gekijo) productions:

  • A Dog of Flanders (フランダースの犬, Furandasu no Inu) - 1975
  • From the Apennines to the Andes (母をたずねて三千里, Haha o Tazunete Sanzen Ri) - 1976
  • Rascal the Raccoon (あらいぐまラスカル, Araiguma Rascal) - 1977
  • The Story of Perrine (ペリーヌ物語, Perīnu Monogatari) - 1978
  • Anne of Green Gables (赤毛のアン, Akage no An) - 1979
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (トム・ソーヤーの冒険, Tomu Sōyā no Bōken) - 1980
  • Swiss Family Robinson (家族ロビンソン漂流記 ふしぎな島のフローネ, Kazoku Robinson Hyōryūki Fushigi na Shima no Furōne) - 1981
  • Lucy of the Southern Rainbow (南の虹のルーシー, Minami no Niji no Rūshī) - 1982
  • Story of the Alps: My Annette (わたしのアンネット, Watashi no Annetto) - 1983
  • Katri the Milkmaid ( 牧場の少女カトリ, Makiba no Shōjo Katori) - 1984
  • A Little Princess (小公女セーラ, Shōkōjo Sēra) - 1985
  • Pollyanna ( 愛少女ポリアンナ物語, Ai Shōjo Porianna Monogatari) - 1986
  • Little Women (愛の若草物語, Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari) - 1987
  • Little Lord Fauntleroy (小公子セディ, Shōkōshi Sedi) - 1988
  • Peter Pan and Wendy (ピーターパンの冒険, Pītā Pan no Bōken) - 1989
  • Daddy Long-Legs (私のあしながおじさん, Watashi no Ashinaga Ojisan) - 1990
  • The Sound Of Music ( トラップ一家物語, Torappu Ikka Monogatari) - 1991
  • The Bush Baby (大草原の小さな天使 ブッシュベイビー, Daisōgen no Chīsana Tenshi Busshu Beibī) - 1992
  • Little Women II: Jo's Boys (若草物語 ナンとジョー先生, Wakakusa Monogatari Nan to Jōsensei) - 1993
  • Tico of the Seven Seas (七つの海のティコ, Nanatsu no Umi no Tico) - 1994
  • Romeo and the Black Brothers (ロミオの青い空, Romeo no Aoi Sora) - 1995
  • Lassie (名犬ラッシー, Meiken Rasshī) - 1996
  • Sans Famille (家なき子レミ, Ie Naki Ko Remi) - 1996: The final installment in the WMT, derided by fans of the franchise for making drastic changes to the story (including changing the gender of the lead character). It received the lowest ratings ever for a WMT serial and was pulled off the air after only 23 episodes. Lassie had been canceled after only 26 episodes, making 1996 the only calendar year in which there were two WMT serials in their entirety.

Although there were no WMT serials produced after 1996, Nippon Animation did remake A Dog of Flanders and From the Apennines to the Andes as feature-length films, in 1997 and 1999 respectively.

Other TV series

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! Bunboo - 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
  • 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
  • Sango-shō Densetsu: Aoi Umi no Elfie - 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
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