Dororo (1968)
Dororo and Hyakkimaru
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: World Masterpiece Theater
This is probably one of the few privileges (I believe) people born from the mid-70's to the early 90's got: the Golden Age of TV animation, which we owe for a significant part to Japan, and more specifically the ambitious World Masterpiece Theater anthology, a proof, if ever needed, that Japanese animation wasn't just about sport-themed cartoons or interstellar robotic battles.
This ambitious and epic three-decade project from Nippon Animation consisted on adapting every year popular and classic literature children's books from all over the world, which resulted in unforgettable quality anime such as "Heidi", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" or the tear-jerker "Princess Sarah". Many of these stories have been made into movies but movies could never do justice to their richness and density.
Now, which of these animated series would you be the most interested to discover or to watch again?
or
If you think you're too old for cartoons (is anyone?) then which one would you rather show to your kids or younger relatives?
For more information about the World Masterpiece Theater click here, and if I may give a personal opinion, these series were really good, you'd be right to think that watching a cartoon can't replace the experience of reading a book, but have we ever said that about Walt Disney animated features?
Make Your Choice
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Mûmin (1969)
Moomin -
Hans Christian Andersen (1971)
Andersen Stories from several stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish fairy tales writer -
Mûmin (1972)
New Moomin -
Fables of the Green Forest (1973)
Fables of the Green Forest from the stories collection of animal-themed children stories writer, Thornton Burgess -
Heidi: A Girl of the Alps (1974)
Heidi, Girl of the Alps from Johanna Spyri's novel, Heidi -
Furandâsu no inu (1975)
A Dog of Flanders from the novel of the same name by Maria Louise Ramé (aka Ouida) -
3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976)
Marco’s novel 3000 Leagues in Search for Mother from a small part of Heart, the chapter named From the Apennines to the Andes, written by Italian author Edmondo De Amicis -
Araiguma Rasukaru (1977)
Rascal the Raccoon from Sterling North's novel, Rascal -
Periinu monogatari (1978)
The Story of Perrine from Hector Malot's novel, En Famille -
Anne of Green Gables (1979)
Anne of Green Gables from the novel of the same name by Lucy Maud Montgomery -
Tomu Sôyâ no bôken (1980)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer from the novel of the same name by Mark Twain -
Swiss Family Robinson (1981)
The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island from Johann David Wyss's The Swiss Family Robinson -
Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow (1982)
Lucy of the Southern Rainbow from an Australian novel Southern Rainbow by Phyllis Piddingto -
Arupusu monogatari watashi no Annetto (1983)
Story of the Alps: My Annette from the English children book, Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John. -
Makiba no shôjo Katori (1984)
Katri novel’s Girl of the Meadows from the Finnish novel, Paimen, piika ja emäntä, the author is Auni Nuolivaara. -
A Little Princess Sara (1985)
Princess Sarah from Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, A Little Princess. -
Ai shôjo Porianna monogatari (1986)
The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love from Pollyanna and Pollyanna Grows Up, both were written by Eleanor H. Porter. -
Ai no wakakusa monogatari (1987)
Little Women from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. -
Shoukoushi Sedi (1988)
Little Prince Cedie from Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, Little Lord Fauntleroy -
Pîtâ Pan no bôken (1989)
The Adventures of Peter Pan from Peter Pan, the famous story by J. M. Barrie -
My Daddy Long Legs (1990)
My Daddy Long Legs from Jean Webster’s story Daddy-Long-Legs -
Torappu ikka monogatari (1991)
Trapp Family Story from the book 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 -
Sougen no chiisana tenshi busshu beibii (1992)
The Bush Baby from William Stevenson's story The Bushbabies -
Wakakusa monogatari nan to Jô sensei (1993)
Little Women II: Jo's Boys (Tale of Young Grass: Nan and Miss Jo) from Little Women's sequel, Louisa May Alcott's Little Men -
Tico & Friends (1994)
Tico of the Seven Seas -
Romeo and the Black Brothers (1995)
Romeo's Blue Skies from Die schwarzen Brüder by Kurt Held (published under the name of his wife Lisa Tetzner) -
Meiken rasshî (1996)
Famous Dog Lassie from the short story Lassie Come-Home, the author is Eric Knight -
Ie naki ko Remi (1996)
Remi, Nobody's Girl from Hector Malot's novel, Sans Famille -
Les Miserables: Shoujo Cosette (2007)
Les Misérables: Girl Cosette from Victor Hugo's novel, Les Misérables -
Porufi no nagai tabi (2008)
The Long Journey of Porphy from Paul-Jacques Bonzon's The orphans of Simitra. -
Before Green Gables (2009)
Hello Anne ~ Before Green Gables from the Anne of Green Gables prequel, Budge Wilson's Before Green Gables.
