The appeal and evaluation of "Comet-san": A new standard for soothing anime

Comet-san - A nostalgic magical girl and her adventures on Earth

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

July 3, 1967 - December 30, 1968

■Broadcasting station

TBS

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 79

■Original Story

Mitsuteru Yokoyama

■ Production

International Broadcasting, TBS

■Works

© International Broadcasting

■ Story

Comet is a young magician who lives on the planet Peter. She is a mischievous and troublesome child on the planet, and one day, the principal banishes her to Earth along with the monster Betan. On Earth, she meets the brothers Take and Koji, and lives in their house as a housekeeper, but the mischievous brothers cause trouble every day. Comet solves their problems one by one with the magic baton given to her by the principal.

■Explanation

This is a live-action drama adaptation of a sitcom manga serialized in "Weekly Margaret" (Shueisha) by Yokoyama Mitsuteru. It was broadcast in the "Brother Theatre" slot on the TBS network. A distinctive feature of the series is that in addition to the opening, each episode has a 4-5 minute mix of anime and live action. When adapted for video and other media, it is written as "Kokonoe Yumiko's Comet-san." It was later remade starring Oba Kumiko.

■Cast

・Comet-san / Yumiko Kokonoe・Junichiro Kawagoe / Hiroshi Ashino・Saburo Ishihara / Juzo Itami・Take / Tadayoshi Kura・Koji / Akito Kawashima・Midori / Midori Nishizaki・Comet-san's grandmother / Hisako Hara・Ryuko Kawagoe / Haruko Mabuchi・Sumiko Ishihara / Sumiko Sakamoto・Voice of Betan / Yukari Asai, Sachiko Chijimatsu・Voice of the star principal / Mitsuo Yagi

■ Main staff

・Planning: Yoji Hashimoto (TBS Film Department)
・Screenplays: Mamoru Sasaki, Yukie Yoshihara, Morikazu Ichikawa, Takato Ishikawa ・Directors: Eizo Yamagiwa, Nobuo Nakagawa ・Special effects: Yonezaburo Tsukiji ・Animation: Tadao Nagahama, Tsutomu Shibayama, Daikichirou Kusube, Yoshio Kabashima (Tokyo Movie, A Production)
・Puppet animation / Magari Takeo ・Puppet production / Komuro Ichiro ・Art / Ogumi Akira ・Cinematography / Omori Jiro, Akimoto Shigeru ・Lighting / Uemura Kazuo, Yaguchi Akira ・Editing / Ikezuki Tadashi ・Music / Yuasa Joji, Tashiro Masashi ・Sound recording / Sakata Michitoshi ・Production / Kokusai Housou, TBS


・Theme song
OP1
"Comet-san"
Lyrics by Shuji Terayama Music by Joji Yuasa Vocals by Yumiko Kokonoe

ED1
"Since Comet-san came."
Lyrics by Shuji Terayama Music by Joji Yuasa Vocals by Hiroshi Ashino

OP2
"Comet-san (new)"
Lyrics by Hiroshi Kawasaki, Music by Hachidai Nakamura, Sung by Yumiko Kokonoe

ED2
"Poloron Waltz"
Lyrics by Toshio Kagawa, Music by Shuzo Asai, Vocals by Yumiko Kokonoe

ED3
"I love flowers and I love dreams."
Lyrics by Takashi Yanase Music by Hachidai Nakamura Sung by Yumiko Kokonoe

ED4
"My heart is very small"
Lyrics by Takashi Yanase Music by Hachidai Nakamura Sung by Yumiko Kokonoe

■ Main Characters

Comet-san: A magician from the planet Peter. She was banished to Earth after playing too many pranks. She became the housekeeper for the Kawagoe family and solved many of their troubles with magic.

A monster from the planet Betampeter, Comet's partner. He has the appearance of a small dragon. He is sent to Earth with Comet.

・The principal of the star school, Comet-san, is sent to Earth in a small rocket to punish her for her mischief. She is given a magic baton.

Junichiro Kawagoe's sons Takeshi and Koji get to know Comet and hire her as a housekeeper. A university professor specializing in theoretical physics.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Helper from the stars Episode 2: Mom has a dream Episode 3: I pick up balls Episode 4: Defeating the thief Drogon Episode 5: Chomping on numbers, plagiarizing kanji Episode 6: Earthlings don't understand Episode 7: Hooray for dogs!
Episode 8/I'm not scared of ghosts Episode 9/A silly helper Episode 10/A parasol flies in the sky Episode 11/A strange, strange girl Episode 12/Yes, yes to everything Episode 13/SOS crisis Episode 14/Go go on a yacht Episode 15/I found a golden egg Episode 16/We built our own house Episode 17/A strong enemy appears!!
・Episode 18/Just wait and see ・Episode 19/Don't lie!!
Episode 20: Toy Rebellion Episode 21: It's hard to be a champion of justice Episode 22: I'm not a kid anymore Episode 23: I'm scared of the dentist Episode 24: I don't want to be a slave Episode 25: Cast your honest vote!
・Episode 26 / Come, Santa Claus ・Episode 27 / Fly a kite on New Year's Day ・Episode 28 / Our secret ・Episode 29 / Don't get angry ・Episode 30 / Big brother is tough!
・Episode 31: Good Luck, Little 007
・Episode 32/Leave the house-sitting to me・Episode 33/The mean battle・Episode 34/I don't want to be a mom・Episode 35/The old lady from the stars・Episode 36/The snow ghost has appeared・Episode 37/The little war・Episode 38/Spring Christmas・Episode 39/The dream of crayons・Episode 40/Hurray for running away from home・Episode 41/Who is the egg thief?・Episode 42/The ducks march・Episode 43/The battle to help each other・Episode 44/Run! Merry-go-round・Episode 45/Jump out, carp streamer・Episode 46/You're a sloth・Episode 47/Catch Check Man!!
Episode 48: A monster appeared!
Episode 49: The Car that Flies into the Sky Episode 50: An Exploration Trip to Ant Country Episode 51: The Mysterious Bamboo Boat Episode 52: The Teru Teru Bouzu Attacks Episode 53: Defeat the Monsters!
・Episode 54/Microman SOS!!
・Episode 55: Here Comes the Little Gang! ・Episode 56: Thunder Kong's Revenge - Defeat the Burglars -
・Episode 57: Devil Knock Down - Defeat the Tooth Decay!
・Episode 58: Betan Rescue Mission - Defeat the Kidnapper!
・Episode 59: Get your homework done!!
Episode 60: Great Yokai ParadeEpisode 61: Nyantaro's Three-cornered HatEpisode 62: The Great Matchmaking MissionEpisode 63: The Yokai ForestEpisode 64: The Duel at the Skeleton FortressEpisode 65: Save the Hachinohe BeeChildEpisode 66: A Critical U-TurnEpisode 67: The Speed ​​Race of the CenturyEpisode 68: A Shopping JourneyEpisode 69: Love Letters and Gappo Gappo!
・Episode 70/Aim for the chance!
・Episode 71 / A wonderful, wonderful adventure ・Episode 72 / I am a challenger ・Episode 73 / What is filial piety?
・Episode 74 / The silly uncle ・Episode 75 / The mischievous student ・Episode 76 / The soul of the small things ・Episode 77 / Bye-bye Fallen Leaves ・Episode 78 / The snowy town I once passed through ・Episode 79 / A big big present

Comet-san - A nostalgic magical girl and her adventures on Earth

Broadcast in the late 1960s, when TV animation was just beginning to spread across Japan, "Comet-san" is a sitcom based on the original work by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, and can be considered a pioneer of the magical girl genre. The series aired a total of 79 episodes from July 3, 1967 to December 30, 1968 on the TBS affiliate's "Brother Theater" slot. At the time of broadcast, each episode featured a combination of animation and live action, giving viewers a fresh surprise.

Story and Characters

The story of "Comet-san" begins when Comet-san, a young magical girl living on the planet Peter, is banished to Earth by her school principal after being labeled a problem child for the planet due to her mischievous personality. On Earth, she meets two brothers, Take and Koji, and ends up living in their home as a housekeeper. Using a magic baton bestowed upon her by the principal, Comet-san solves the troubles caused by the mischievous brothers.

Comet has a bright and cheerful personality, and is charming in the way she solves various problems using magic. Her partner, Betan, is a monster in the shape of a small dragon, who is sent to Earth with Comet. Betan is Comet's good partner and supports her magic. The principal of the star school also sends Comet to Earth to punish her for her mischief, and plays an important role in bestowing the magic baton to her. Kawagoe Junichiro is Take and Koji's father, and is a university professor majoring in theoretical physics. He welcomes Comet as a housekeeper, and although he is surprised by her magical powers, he accepts her as a member of the family.

Production and staff

"Comet-san" was produced by Kokusai Hoso and TBS. It was based on the original story by Yokoyama Mitsuteru, and his sitcom worldview is expressed through a mix of animation and live action. The screenplay was written by Sasaki Mamoru, Yoshihara Yukie, Ichikawa Morikazu, and Ishikawa Takato, and the directors were Yamagiwa Eizo and Nakagawa Nobuo. Special effects were handled by Tsukiji Yonezaburo, animation by Nagahama Tadao, Shibayama Tsutomu, Kusube Daikichirō, and Kabashima Yoshio (Tokyo Movie, A Production), puppet animation by Magari Takeo, and puppet construction by Komuro Ichiro. Art direction was by Ogumi Akira, cinematography by Omori Jiro and Akimoto Shigeru, lighting by Kamimura Kazuo and Yaguchi Akira, editing by Ikezuki Tadashi, music by Yuasa Joji and Tashiro Masashi, and sound by Sakata Michitoshi.

Several theme songs were used for the opening and ending themes. The opening song "Comet-san" was written by Terayama Shuji, composed by Yuasa Joji, and sung by Kokonoe Yumiko. The ending song "After Comet-san Comes" was also written by Terayama Shuji, composed by Yuasa Joji, and sung by Ashino Hiroshi. The later opening song "Comet-san (New)" was written by Kawasaki Hiroshi, composed by Nakamura Hachidai, and sung by Kokonoe Yumiko. The ending song "Poloron Waltz" was written by Kagawa Toshio, composed by Asai Shuzo, and sung by Kokonoe Yumiko. Other songs by the duo Yanase Takashi and Nakamura Hachidai, such as "I Love Flowers, I Love Dreams" and "My Heart is So Small," were used.

Episodes and subtitles

"Mr. Comet" is a series of 79 episodes, each with a different subtitle. Starting with episode 1, "The Helper from the Stars," and ending with episode 79, "A Big, Big Present," the series features a variety of episodes. Each episode depicts Mr. Comet using magic to solve Takeru and Koji's problems, providing laughter and emotion to viewers. Particularly memorable episodes include episode 4, "Defeating the Phantom Thief Drogon," episode 26, "Come, Santa Claus," and episode 58, "Operation to Rescue Betan." These episodes tested Mr. Comet's magical powers and courage, leaving a strong impression on viewers.

Evaluation and impact

"Comet-san" was popular with children when it was first broadcast, and was praised as a pioneer of the magical girl genre. In particular, the parts where anime and live-action were mixed gave viewers a fresh surprise, and gained many fans. Yumiko Kokonoe's performance as Comet-san was also highly praised, and her bright and energetic character captured the hearts of viewers.

This work had a major influence on later magical girl anime. For example, a series of works were created with girls who solve problems using magic as the protagonist, such as "Sally the Witch" and "Himitsu no Akko-chan." The success of "Comet-san" also contributed to increasing the popularity of TBS's "Brother Theater" slot, and influenced the production of later anime.

Remakes and media adaptations

"Comet-san" has been developed in various media since then. When it was released on video and DVD, it was released under the title "Yumiko Kokonoe's Comet-san." It was also remade in the 1980s starring Kumiko Oba, appealing to a new audience. This remake followed the original storyline but added new characters and episodes, making it an even more appealing work.

Recommendations and how to watch

"Comet-san" is still loved by many fans as a nostalgic magical girl anime. It is especially recommended for those who want to experience the atmosphere of 1960s TV anime and those who want to know the history of the magical girl genre. It is also an excellent sitcom that the whole family can enjoy, and can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

You can purchase the series on DVD or video. Some episodes may also be available online, so check those out. You can also watch the remakes and compare them with the original.

summary

"Comet-san" is a magical girl anime based on the original work by Yokoyama Mitsuteru, and is regarded as a pioneer of TV anime in the late 1960s. Comet-san's bright and energetic character and the way she solves problems using magic brought laughter and emotion to viewers. In addition, the combination of animation and live action scenes provided fresh surprises and won many fans. This work had a major influence on magical girl anime in later years, leading to media adaptations and remakes. Be sure to check out "Comet-san," a nostalgic magical girl anime that is still loved by many fans today.