World Masterpiece Theater

World Masterpiece Theater (世界名作劇場, Sekai Meisaku Gekijō) was a Japanese TV Anime staple that showcased an animated version of a different classical book or story each year on 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. It originally aired from 1969 to 1997 and from 2007 to 2009.

Anne of Green Gables (1979), the first release under the World Masterpiece Theater title.

The first several series were produced by Mushi Production and then by Zuiyo Eizo, and then by Zuiyo's successor Nippon Animation, which was officially established in June 1975 during the run of A Dog of Flanders. In both cases, the series originally aired primarily on Fuji Television. Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata both worked on several of the series. World Masterpiece Theater as produced by Nippon Animation lasted for 23 seasons, from A Dog of Flanders in 1975 to Remi, Nobody's Girl (家なき子レミ, Ie Naki Ko Remi, Sans Famille) in 1997. Nippon Animation restarted the series in 2007 with the release of Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette, which premiered on BS Fuji on January 7, 2007, with Porufi no Nagai Tabi (The Long Journey of Porphy) subsequently airing on the same network beginning on January 6, 2008, making it the 25th World Masterpiece Theater series. The most recent and 26th series is Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables (lit. Hello Anne ~ Before Green Gables).

To date, only seven series were ever dubbed in English for the North American market: Fables of the Green Forest (1973), Tom Sawyer (1980), Swiss Family Robinson (1981), Little Women (1987), The Adventures of Peter Pan (1989), The Bush Baby (1992), and Tico & Friends (1994). The anime satellite television network, Animax, who also aired numerous installments of the series across Japan, later translated and dubbed many of the series' installments into English for broadcast across its English-language networks in Southeast Asia and South Asia, such as Princess Sarah (小公女セーラ, Shōkōjo Sēra), Remi, Nobody's Girl (家なき子レミ, Ie Naki Ko Remi), Little Women (愛の若草物語, Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari), and others. The serials also found success in Europe, with Anne of Green Gables (1979), Miyazaki's last work for Nippon Animation before leaving the studio), Heidi, Girl of the Alps, as well as the aforementioned Princess Sarah.

The series has been known by various names over the years (as shown below), but "World Masterpiece Theater" is the name most commonly used by viewers. Nippon Animation's official English name for the series is "The Classic Family Theater Series".[1]

Starting in 2017 Amazon Prime Video made various series available in HD quality, but cropped for 16:9 displays[2][3][4] in the US and UK markets. However Amazon did not utilize the "World Masterpiece Theater" label and only kept the subtitle for each series.

Productions

Before Nippon Animation - Calpis Comic Theater (1969–1974)

• Dororo/Dororo and Hyakkimaru (どろろと百鬼丸, Dororo to Hyakimaru, 1969)
• Moomin (ムーミン, Mūmin, 1969 - 1970)
• Andersen Stories (アンデルセン物語, Anderusen Monogatari, 1971)： Adapted from several stories by Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish fairy tale writer.
• New Moomin (新 ムーミン, Shin Mūmin, 1972)
• Fables of the Green Forest (山ねずみ ロッキーチャック, Yama Nezumi Rokkī Chakku, 1973)： Adapted from the stories of animal-themed children's writer, Thornton Burgess.
• Heidi, Girl of the Alps (アルプスの少女ハイジ, Arupusu no Shōjo Haiji, 1974)： Adapted from Heidi by Johanna Spyri.

Nippon Animation - Calpis Children's Theater (1975–1977)

• A Dog of Flanders (フランダースの犬, Furandāsu no Inu, 1975)： Adapted from the novel of the same name by Maria Louise Ramé (aka Ouida).
• Marco, 3000 Leagues in Search for Mother (母をたずねて三千里, Haha o Tazunete Sanzen Ri, 1976)： Adapted from a small part of Heart, the chapter named From the Apennines to the Andes, written by Italian author Edmondo De Amicis.
• Rascal the Raccoon (あらいぐまラスカル, Araiguma Rasukaru, 1977)： Adapted from Rascal by Sterling North.

Calpis Family Theater (1978)

• The Story of Perrine (ペリーヌ物語, Perīnu Monogatari, 1978)： Adapted from En Famille by Hector Malot.

World Masterpiece Theater (1979–1985; no title sponsor)

• Anne of Green Gables (赤毛のアン, Akage no An, 1979)： Adapted from the novel of the same name by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (トム・ソーヤーの冒険, Tomu Sōyā no Bōken, 1980)： Adapted from the novel of the same name by Mark Twain.
• The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island (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)： Adapted from The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss.
• Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow (南の虹のルーシー, Minami no Niji no Rūshī, 1982)： Adapted from the Australian novel Southern Rainbow by Phyllis Piddington.
• Story of the Alps: My Annette (わたしのアンネット, Watashi no Annetto, 1983)： Adapted from the English children book, Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John.
• Katri, Girl of the Meadows (牧場の少女カトリ, Makiba no Shōjo Katori, 1984)： Adapted from the Finnish novel Paimen, piika ja emäntä by Auni Nuolivaara.
• Princess Sarah (小公女セーラ, Shōkōjo Sēra, 1985)： Adapted from A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

House Foods World Masterpiece Theater (1986–1993)

• The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love (愛少女ポリアンナ物語, Ai Shōjo Porianna Monogatari, 1986)： Adapted from Pollyanna and Pollyanna Grows Up, by Eleanor H. Porter.
• Tales of Little Women (愛の若草物語, Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari, 1987)： Adapted from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
• Little Prince Cedie (小公子セディ, Shōkōshi Sedi, 1988)： Adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, Little Lord Fauntleroy.
• The Adventures of Peter Pan (ピーターパンの冒険, Pītā Pan no Bōken, 1989)： Adapted from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.
• My Daddy Long Legs (私のあしながおじさん, Watashi no Ashinaga Ojisan, 1990)： Adapted from Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster.
• Trapp Family Story (トラップ一家物語, Torappu Ikka Monogatari, 1991)： Adapted from The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta von Trapp, which also inspired the musical The Sound of Music and its film version.
• The Bush Baby (大草原の小さな天使 ブッシュベイビー, Daisōgen no Chiisana Tenshi Busshu Beibī, 1992)： Adapted from The Bushbabies by William Stevenson.
• Little Women II: Jo's Boys (Tale of Young Grass: Nan and Miss Jo) (若草物語 ナンとジョー先生, Wakakusa Monogatari: Nan to Jōsensei, 1993)： Adapted from Little Women's sequel, Little Men by Louisa May Alcott.

World Masterpiece Theater (1994–1997; no title sponsor)

• Tico of the Seven Seas (七つの海のティコ, Nanatsu no Umi no Tiko, 1994)
• Romeo's Blue Skies (ロミオの青い空, Romio no Aoi Sora, 1995)： Adapted from Die schwarzen Brüder by Kurt Held (published under the name of his wife Lisa Tetzner).
• Famous Dog Lassie (名犬ラッシー, Meiken Rasshī, 1996)： Adapted from the short story Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight.
• Remi, Nobody's Girl (家なき子レミ, Ie Naki Ko Remi, 1996 - 1997)： Adapted from Sans Famille by Hector Malot.

House Foods World Masterpiece Theater (2007–2009)

• Les Misérables: Little Girl Cosette (レ・ミゼラブル 少女コゼット, Re Mizeraburu Shōjo Kozetto, 2007)：Adapted from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.
• The Long Journey of Porphy (ポルフィの長い旅, Porufi no Nagai Tabi, 2008): Adapted from The Orphans of Simitra by Paul-Jacques Bonzon.
• Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables (こんにちは アン, lit. Hello Anne ~ Before Green Gables, 2009)：Adapted from the Anne of Green Gables prequel, Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson.

Series length

• Dororo - 26 episodes
• Moomin - 65 episodes
• Andersen Monogatari - 52 episodes
• New Moomin - 52 episodes
• Fables of the Green Forest - 52 episodes
• Heidi, Girl of the Alps - 52 episodes
• Dog of Flanders - 52 episodes
• 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother - 52 episodes
• Rascal the Raccoon - 52 episodes
• The Story of Perrine - 53 episodes
• Anne of Green Gables - 50 episodes
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 49 episodes
• The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island - 50 episodes
• Lucy of the Southern Rainbow - 50 episodes
• Story of the Alps: My Annette - 48 episodes
• Katri, Girl of the Meadows - 49 episodes
• Princess Sarah - 46 episodes
• The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love - 51 episodes
• Little Women - 48 episodes
• Little Lord Fauntleroy - 43 episodes
• The Adventures of Peter Pan - 41 episodes
• My Daddy Long Legs - 40 episodes
• Trapp Family Story - 40 episodes
• The Bush Baby - 40 episodes
• Little Women II: Jo's Boys - 40 episodes
• Tico of the Seven Seas - 39 episodes
• Romeo's Blue Skies - 33 episodes
• Famous Dog Lassie - 26 episodes
• Remi, Nobody's Girl - 26 episodes
• Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette - 52 episodes
• Porphy no Nagai Tabi - 52 episodes
• Hello Anne - Before Green Gables - 39 episodes

See also

• Animated Classics of Japanese Literature
• Hallmark Hall of Fame

References

1. "Program|NIPPON ANIMATION CO., LTD". www.nipponanimation.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
2. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
3. "Tales of Little Women". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
4. "Swiss Family Robinson". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-05-16.

External links

• World Masterpiece Theater (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Official Facebook Page