Nippon Animation

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Nippon Animation logo.
Nippon Animation logo.

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.

Nippon Animation is famous for producing numerous anime series 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.

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[edit] 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 Heidi. 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 The Castle of Cagliostro.

[edit] 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).

[edit] Works adapted from Western literature

[edit] World Masterpiece Theater series

Main article: World Masterpiece Theater

[edit] Other TV series

"The Adventures of Picorino" (1976)
"The Adventures of Picorino" (1976)
"Future Boy Conan" (1978)
"Future Boy Conan" (1978)

[edit] TV specials

  • Anne's Diary: The Story of Anne Frank (Anne no Nikki: Anne Frank Monogatari) - 1979
  • Manxmouse (Tondemo Nezumi Daikatsuyaku) - 1979
  • Jakobus Nimmersatt (Nodoka Mori no Dobutsu Daisakusen, English titles: Peter of Placid Forest, Back to the Forest) - 1980
  • The Story of Fifteen Boys (Hitomi no Naka no Shonen Jugo Shonen Hyoryuki, Two Years' Vacation) - 1987

[edit] Other works

[edit] TV series

Hey! Bumboo (1985)
Hey! Bumboo (1985)
  • Dokaben - 1976
  • Attack on Tomorrow (Ashita e Ataku) - 1977
  • Ginguiser (Chogattai Majutsu Robot Ginguiser) - 1977
  • I'm Teppei (Ore wa Teppei) - 1977
  • Charlotte (Wakakusa no Charlotte) - 1977
  • The Casebook of Charlotte Holmes (Angie Girl, Jouo Heika no Petite Angie) - 1977
  • Song of the Baseball Enthusiasts (Yakukyou no Uta) - 1977
  • Haikara-san ga Tōru (Smart-san, Mademoiselle Anne) - 1978
  • Misha the Bear Cub (Koguma no Misha) - 1979
  • Sanpei the Fisherman (Tsurikichi Sanpei) - 1980
  • The Many Dream Journeys of Meme - 1983
  • Noozles (Fushigi na Koara Burinkii, Blinky and Printy) - 1984
  • Bumpety Boo (Hey! Bumboo) - 1985
  • Spaceship Sagittarius (Uchuusen Sagittarius) - 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 (Chūka 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")
  • Mahōjin Guru Guru - April 2000, TV Tokyo
  • 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
  • Hungry Heart: Wild Striker - 2002-2003, Animax
  • Papuwa - September 2003, TV Tokyo
  • Sore Ike! Zukkoke Sannin Gumi - April 2004, TV Tokyo
  • Fantastic Children - October 2004, TV Tokyo
  • Pokapoka Mori no Rasukaru - 2006
  • Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge - 2006

[edit] 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

[edit] External links