The appeal and evaluation of The Genie Family: A masterpiece of anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults

The Genie Family: The Charm of the Eternal Slapstick Comedy Anime

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

October 5, 1969 - September 27, 1970 Every Sunday 18:00-18:30

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV Network

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 104

■Original Story

Tatsuo Yoshida

■ Director

General Director: Hiroshi Sasagawa

■ Production

Tatsunoko Productions

■Works

©Tatsunoko Productions

■ Story

One day, a boy named Kan-chan, an elementary school student, finds a magic jar in the attic of his house. When the jar sneezes, a demon named The Genie Family will pop out and grant any wish of the person who summons it. However, the demon family is incredibly clumsy and fails at everything they do. When the demon family gets involved, Akubi, the mischievous daughter of the demon family, who pops out of the jar when the person yawns, joins in, causing a strange commotion in the town.

■Explanation

A slapstick comedy about a clumsy genie who pops out of a magic jar when you sneeze and causes all sorts of trouble. The unique setting of being summoned by sneezing and the unique characters left a strong impression, making this a representative work of Tatsunoko's comedy animations that are still popular today.

■Cast

・The Genie Family / Toru Ohira・Kan-chan / Midori Kato・Akubi / Douko Takaya・Papa / Isamu Tanonaka・Mama / Mitsuko Aso・Duke Bull / Takeshi Sagami・And Then the Uncle / Kin'ya Aikawa

■ Main staff

・Original story by Tatsuo Yoshida ・Planning by Jinzo Toriumi ・Producer by Kenji Yoshida ・Art director by Mitsuki Nakamura ・Art setting by Kazusuke Yoshihara ・Music by Akito Wakatsuki (Music Planning Center)
・General Director: Hiroshi Sasagawa ・Production: Tatsunoko Productions

■ Main Characters

A genie who is summoned from a magic jar by sneezing. His role is to serve the person who summoned him and grant their wishes with magic, but he is clumsy and always fails.
Kang-chan is an elementary school boy who accidentally gets his hands on a magic jar. He hates studying and is a bit lazy. He summons the Demon King and tries to make various wishes come true.
・She is the daughter of the Demon King Akubi, and is summoned from the jar when she yawns. She is cute but mischievous.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1-1/The story of the Great Demon King・Episode 1-2/The story of Duke Fierce・Episode 2-1/The story of Math is Impossible・Episode 2-2/The story of My Master is a Big Thief・Episode 3-1/The story of the Beard Cat・Episode 3-2/The story of the maid who will make you cry・Episode 4-1/The story of the genius who will make you cry・Episode 4-2/The story of the Junkyard・Episode 5-1/The story of the Stupid Magician・Episode 5-2/The story of Gejigon Boss・Episode 6-1/The story of Kang-chan who is not popular・Episode 6-2/The story of the Toy Demon King・Episode 7-1/The story of Two Great Demon Kings・Episode 7-2/Operation Hakushon・Episode 8-1/The story of the Great Bancho War ・Episode 8-2/The story of the Great Demon King ・Episode 9-1/A story that will make you cry ・Episode 9-2/The story of the pot that daddy likes ・Episode 10-1/The story of Duke Bull's serious illness ・Episode 10-2/The story of my cute master ・Episode 11-1/The story of how fishing is impossible ・Episode 11-2/The story of the lost pest yay ・Episode 12-1/The story of the swordsman ・Episode 12-2/The story of my master who won't stop me ・Episode 13-1/The story of the 30 masters ・Episode 13-2/The story of the popular jungle king ・Episode 14-1/The story of the super-buff old woman ・Episode 1 Episode 4-2: The story of "Kattobuse Daimaozu" Episode 15-1: The story of the great present battle Episode 15-2: The story of "Everyone, hide in the pot" Episode 16-1: The test is the beginning of the fight Episode 16-2: The story of the great prank plan Episode 17-1: The story of "Akbiatsuatsu" Episode 17-2: The story of "Arabin's Lullaby" Episode 18-1: The story of the big popularity quiz trip Episode 18-2: The story of "Hakkeyoi Daimaou" Episode 19-1: The story of "Hello, Magical Land" Episode 19-2: The story of "Goodbye, Math Monster" Episode 20-1: The story of the carpet airplane Episode 20-2: "Sorry, little pig" The story of "Chan", episode 21-1 / The story of "Akubi Cinderella", episode 21-2 / The story of "Daddy's masturbation", episode 22-1 / The story of the hamburger sale, episode 22-2 / The story of "Hakushon Circus", episode 23-1 / The story of "Hakushon troupe", episode 23-2 / The story of "Hakushon Guardman", episode 24-1 / The story of "Woof Woof Contest", episode 24-2 / ​​The story of "The moon is impossible to conquer", episode 25-1 / The story of "I'm a TV star", episode 25-2 / The story of "I'm a professional wrestler", episode 26-1 / The story of "The plan to drive out Bull", episode 26-2 / The "Akubi Super Strategy"・Episode 27-1/The story of the magic hand・Episode 27-2/The story of whose pot it is・Episode 28-1/The story of Akubi's weakness to Kagami・Episode 28-2/The story of Duke Bull's wedding・Episode 29-1/The story of the skinny horse, go for it・Episode 29-2/The story of whose child Akubi is・Episode 30-1/The story of Duke Bull being completely defeated・Episode 30-2/The story of the aerial battle of Buru Buru・Episode 31-1/The story of the yeti who is a civilized man・Episode 31-2/The story of the three villains in the haunted house・Episode 32-1/The story of Kan-chan the saury and the pufferfish demon king・Episode 32-2/The story of Dr. Gariben, get rid of him・Episode 33-1/The story of the cowardly mask for sale・Episode 33-2/The story of the Great Demon King, Cuckoo ・Episode 34-1/The story of the Arabin going to the Antarctic ・Episode 34-2/The story of the Meta-Meta Magic Test ・Episode 35-1/The story of the Western Gunman Gojaru ・Episode 35-2/The story of the prince who loves secrets ・Episode 36-1/The story of Bull finding treasure if he walks ・Episode 36-2/The story of the Robot Great Demon King ・Episode 37-1/The story of the Lamp Demon Arla ・Episode 37-2/The story of the Hakuon Camera operation ・Episode 38-1/The story of magic vs. ninja arts ・Episode 38-2/The thing that Bull is most afraid of ・Episode 39-1/The story of the Bubbly Hammer operation ・Episode 39 Episode 2/The story of the Great Pirate, Episode 40-1/The story of the Great Demon King and the Great Teacher, Episode 40-2/The story of the Flying Roller Skates, Episode 41-1/The story of Kan-chan with a tail, Episode 41-2/The story of the Akamurasaki Blue Ageha, Episode 42-1/The story of Her Majesty Queen Akubi, Episode 42-2/The story of Tomorrow's Newspaper, Episode 43-1/The story of the Magic Fashion Show, Episode 43-2/The story of the Extraordinary Bullfighter, Episode 44-1/The story of Saving and Saving, Episode 44-2/The story of Getting Back the Magic Pot, Episode 45-1/The story of Today, Everyone Around the World, Episode 45-2/Hakushon Story of the Magic Pavilion・Episode 46-1／Story of the Demon King's Bride・Episode 46-2／Story of the Honest Demon King and the Loyal Dog Duke Bull・Episode 47-1／Story of Snow Falling in the Summer Sky・Episode 47-2／Story of Witch Maneuver・Episode 48-1／Story of Happy Birthday Akubi・Episode 48-2／Story of Magical Glasses・Episode 49-1／Story of Burp Little Demon King・Episode 49-2／Story of Love Love Baby・Episode 50-1／Story of Cricket Kan-chan・Episode 50-2／Story of Moshi Moshi... Master・Episode 51-1／Story of the Mismatched Parent and Child・Episode 51-2／Story of Who's the Person Next Door?!・Episode 52-1／Story of the Demon King Being the Number 1 in Town・Episode 52-2／Story of Goodbye Great Demon King

■ Related works

Call me and jump away! Akubi-chan Akubi-girl

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Song of the Genie Family・Lyrics by Toshio Oka・Music by Shosuke Ichikawa・Singer by Yuri Shimazaki・Ending Theme
・Akubi Musume no Uta ・Lyrics by Toshio Oka ・Music by Kanae Wada ・Singer by Mitsuko Horie

The Genie Family: The Charm of the Eternal Slapstick Comedy Anime

"The Genie Family," which aired from 1969 to 1970, is an original gag comedy anime produced by Tatsunoko Productions. This anime depicts the chaos caused by the clumsy demon, the Genie Family, who pops out of a magic jar when someone sneezes, and his daughter, Akubi, and has continued to fascinate many fans from the time it was aired to the present day. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and background of this work, as well as its subsequent influence.

Background and production of the work

"The Genie Family" was written by Tatsuo Yoshida of Tatsunoko Productions and directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa. Tatsunoko Productions is a studio that produced many popular anime from the 1960s to the 1970s, and "The Genie Family" is one of them. This work was broadcast on Fuji TV every Sunday from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. and became a long-running series with a total of 104 episodes.

The production staff included top members of Tatsunoko Productions, such as planner Toriumi Jinzo, producer Yoshida Kenji, art director Nakamura Mitsuki, art setting Yoshihara Ichisuke, and music by Wakatsuki Akito. As a result of their combined efforts, "The Genie Family" became a work beloved by viewers.

Story and Characters

The story begins when elementary school student Kan-chan finds a magic jar in the attic of his house. When the person who summoned the jar sneezes, the Genie Family will pop out and grant the wish of the person who summoned it. However, the Genie Family is very clumsy and fails at everything he does. When his daughter Akubi, who pops out of the jar when she yawns, joins in, they cause a strange commotion in the town.

The Genie Family's role is to serve those who are summoned, but due to his clumsy personality, he often ends up causing confusion rather than granting wishes. On the other hand, Akubi, despite her cute appearance, is mischievous, and her actions also provide laughs to the story. Kan-chan hates studying and is a bit lazy, but he summons the Genie Family and tries to grant various wishes.

In addition, other unique characters such as Kan-chan's family and friends, Prince Bull, and the uncle also appear and add excitement to the story. The slapstick comedy woven by these characters is the greatest attraction of "The Genie Family."

Gag and comedy elements

"The Genie Family" is characterized by its unique setting in which the story unfolds when triggered by everyday actions such as sneezing and yawning. This setting makes the viewer feel familiar with the story, while at the same time creating unpredictable developments that elicit laughter.

Each episode also features a theme that kids can relate to, such as math tests, fishing, and becoming a TV star, and the mayhem caused by the Genie Family and Akubi builds up around these themes, making viewers laugh out loud.

Furthermore, the unique actions and lines of supporting characters such as Duke Bull and the uncle are also important elements of the comedy. Their presence adds depth and variety to the story.

Music and theme song

The music for "The Genie Family" was composed by Akito Wakatsuki. His music not only enhances the atmosphere of the story, but also provides viewers with memorable melodies. In particular, the opening theme "The Genie Family's Song" and the ending theme "The Akubi Girl's Song" were loved by many fans.

The lyrics for "The Genie Family Song" were written by Toshio Oka, music by Shosuke Ichikawa, and vocals by Yuri Shimazaki. The song's bright and cheerful melody and lyrics draw the viewer into the world of the story. Meanwhile, the lyrics for "Akubi Girl's Song" were written by Toshio Oka, music by Kanae Wada, and vocals by Mitsuko Horie. The song captures Akubi's cuteness and mischievous personality, and will bring a smile to the viewers' faces.

Impact and Evaluation

"The Genie Family" has been extremely popular since it was first broadcast, and is still loved by many fans today. This work is known as a representative gag anime from Tatsunoko Productions, and has had a major influence on subsequent anime productions. In particular, the style of gags that are triggered by everyday actions such as sneezing and yawning has continued to be seen in later anime works.

In addition, "The Genie Family" spawned related works such as "Call Me, Jump! Akubi-chan" and "Akubi Girl." These works continued the worldview of "The Genie Family" while developing new stories and characters, meeting the expectations of fans.

Furthermore, "The Genie Family" was also broadcast overseas, conveying its appeal to audiences all over the world. It is particularly popular in Asia, where it has spawned many fans. In this way, it can be said that "The Genie Family" is a work that has spread its influence not only in Japan but all over the world.

Recommendation to viewers

"The Genie Family" is a comedy gag anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. The unique setting of sneezing and yawning and the slapstick comedy of the unique characters will have viewers in a whirlwind of laughter. In addition, the themes covered in each episode are often ones that children can relate to, and also contain educational elements.

Furthermore, the music and theme songs of "The Genie Family" also leave a lasting impression on viewers. The opening theme "The Genie Family's Song" and the ending theme "The Akubi Girl's Song" have bright and cheerful melodies and lyrics that draw viewers into the world of the story.

This work is known as a representative gag anime of Tatsunoko Productions, and had a great influence on subsequent anime productions. In particular, the style of gags triggered by everyday actions such as sneezing and yawning has been seen in subsequent anime works. "The Genie Family" also spawned related works such as "Call Me, Fly! Akubi-chan" and "Akubi Girl," living up to the expectations of fans.

"The Genie Family" has been attracting many fans since it was first broadcast. If you are looking for a comedy anime that will bring a smile to your face, we highly recommend "The Genie Family". This work will make you laugh and provide you with a heartwarming time.