Rascal the Raccoon

Rascal the Raccoon (あらいぐまラスカル, Araiguma Rasukaru, literally Raccoon Rascal, with the Japanese word for raccoon meaning "washing bear") is a Japanese animated series by Nippon Animation.[1] It is based on the 1963 autobiographical novel Rascal, A Memoir of a Better Era by Sterling North.

Rascal the Raccoon
Screenshot of the opening logo of Araiguma Rascal
あらいぐまラスカル
(Araiguma Rasukaru)
GenreDrama
Anime television series
Directed byMasaharu Endō
Hiroshi Saitō (1-33)
Shigeo Koshi (34-52)
Produced byJunzō Nakajima
Yoshio Katō
Written byAkira Miyazaki
Shōgo Ōta
Kasuke Satō
Music byTakeo Watanabe
StudioNippon Animation
Original networkFuji TV
Original run 2 January 1977 – 25 December 1977
Episodes52

Japanese cast
  • Masako Nozawa as Rascal
  • Toshihiko Utsumi as Sterling North
  • Yoshiko Matsuo as Theodora "Theo" North
  • Michiru Haga as Jessica North
  • Masato Yamanouchi as Willard North
  • Kuniko Kashii as Elisabeth North
  • Yūji Shikamata as Oscar Sunderland
  • Akio Nojima as Carl
  • Eken Mine as Federiko
  • Hisako Kyouda as Clarissa
  • Ichirô Nagai as Thurman
  • Kazuko Sugiyama as Sensei
  • Masahiko Murase as Conway
  • Masako Nozawa as Greta Sunderland
  • Masaya Taki as Slammy
  • Miina Tominaga as Alice
  • Mikio Terashima as Doctor Michel
  • Miyoko Asou as Hacket
  • Takako Sasuga as Martha
  • Takeshi Kuwabara as Arthur
  • Tohru Furuya as Tom
  • Toshiya Ueda as Futon

Music

The series uses two pieces of theme music for the opening theme and the ending theme. The opening theme song is called "Rock River e" (ロックリバーヘ, Rokku Ribâ e, lit. "To Rock River"), and the ending theme is "Oide Rascal" (おいでラスカル, Oide Rasukaru, lit. "Rascal Come"), both sung by the Japanese vocalist by Kumiko Oosugi. The opening theme was later used as the main gameplay theme for the 1981 arcade game Frogger. The show's music was composed by Takeo Watanabe, who worked on many anime of the 1970s and 80s.

Impact
Main article: Raccoon § Distribution in Japan

In Japan, up to 1,500 raccoons were imported as pets each year after the success of Rascal the Raccoon. In 2004, the descendants of discarded or escaped animals lived in 42 of 47 prefectures and then to all 47 prefectures by 2008.[2][3] It has been claimed that Rascal was actually more popular than Mickey Mouse in Japan.[4] These raccoons are now a pest in Japan and imports of raccoons are now banned. Over 80% of Japanese temples suffer from damages caused by raccoons.[5][6]

Rascal appearances

Rascal appeared in commercials, games and anime.

Video games
  • Araiguma Rascal: Raccoon Rascal, puzzle game developed by J-Force and published by Masaya on 25 March 1994 for the Super Famicom.
  • Oide Rascal, action game developed by Agatsuma Entertainment and published by Tam on 25 April 2001 for the Game Boy Color.

References
  1. "Araiguma rasukaru" (1977) Internet Movie Database (Retrieved 3 October 2009)
  2. Yoshida, Reiji (2004-09-16). "Raccoons – new foreign menace?". The Japan Times Online. The Japan Times Ltd. Retrieved 2008-12-07.
  3. 山﨑晃司・佐伯緑・竹内正彦・及川ひろみ (2009). 茨城県でのアライグマの生息動向と今後の管理課題について (PDF). 県自然博物館研究報告 (in Japanese). 12: 41–49. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 29, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  4. Rascal Retrieved February 13, 2017
  5. "No Such Thing as a Fish - Episode 294: No Such Thing As A 15-Hour Working Week". Audioboom (Podcast). November 8, 2019. Event occurs at 29:42. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  6. Clark, Laura. "The Children's Book That Caused Japan's Raccoon Problem". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
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