The Story of Hutch the Orphan - A thorough analysis of a touching story of adventure and growth

The Story of Hutch the Orphan - A moving journey and the bond between mother and child

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 7, 1970 - December 28, 1971 Every Tuesday 19:00-19:30

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV Network

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 91

■Original Story

Tatsuo Yoshida

■ Director

General Director: Ippei Kuri

■ Production

Tatsunoko Productions

■Works

©Tatsunoko Productions

■ Story

One day, the peaceful bee castle was attacked by a swarm of ferocious hornets. The only surviving egg was picked up by the aunt of the striped bee, and the baby was named Hatch and raised by her. However, when Hatch found out that his real mother was still alive, he set off on a journey alone, wanting to meet his mother.

■Explanation

This is a fantasy adventure about a baby bee named Hutch who travels in search of his long-lost mother. It depicts the bonds and friendships he forms with the insects he meets on his journey, while also portraying the wonders of nature and the ecology of creatures living in a world of ruthless competition for survival in sometimes harsh terms. This is a timeless and moving story that deeply depicts the love between a mother and child who continue to care for each other even during this difficult journey.

■Cast

・Hatch / Yoko Kuri・Mama / Haruko Kitahama・Aya / Yoshiko Yamamoto・Shimako Bee Lady / Nobuko Terashima・Kamakichi / Shozo Iizuka・Narrator / Toshiko Maeda

■ Main staff

・Original Story: Tatsuo Yoshida・Planning: Jinzo Toriumi・Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe, Music Planning Center・Sound Effects: Ishida Sound Pro・Sound Recording Producer: Yasunori Honda・Sound Recording Director: Kan Mizumoto, Omnibus Pro・Producer: Kenji Yoshida・General Director: Ippei Kuri・Production: Tatsunoko Productions

■ Main Characters

Hatch: Prince of the bees. He travels in search of his long-lost mother.
- Mama Hatch's mother and the queen of the bee kingdom.
- Hatch's younger sister, born when he was separated from Ayamama.
- He picked up the eggs of the striped bee's aunt Hatch and raised them as his own.

■Subtitle

Episode 1 / Don't give up, Hatch. Episode 2 / Go, Go, Hatch. Episode 3 / Sad showdown. Episode 4 / Attack of the samurai ants. Episode 5 / Fly, Read, Hateful Angel. Episode 6 / Don't cry, Hatch. Episode 7 / I want to call you Mama. Episode 8 / The scarred ballerina. Episode 9 / Fight, Coward, Part 1. Episode 10 / Fight, Coward, Part 2・Episode 11/Don't cry, boy・Episode 12/The gentle eyebrow girl・Episode 13/The light is forever・Episode 14/Hold back the tears・Episode 15/The flower bee girl・Episode 16/The wild one in the flower garden・Episode 17/The bell that rings in the sunset・Episode 18/The lullaby of reunion・Episode 19/I'm not the bad guy・Episode 20/The adventures of the big talker・Episode 21/Honey's sword・Episode 22/Goodbye hatred・Episode Episode 23/Mama in the Glass・Episode 24/Mayfly that saw the sea・Episode 25/Old Hornet・Episode 26/The hornet no longer sings・Episode 27/The Stolen Prince・Episode 28/Don't cry, Arlin・Episode 29/Somewhere in this sky・Episode 30/Mama of the Sun・Episode 31/The wide world is calling・Episode 32/The lonely bear king・Episode 33/Life in the flames・Episode 34/The glorious anthill Part 1・Episode 35/The Glorious Anthill Part 2・Episode 36/Concert of Love・Episode 37/Goodbye Children・Episode 38/The Song of Yuzuriha・Episode 39/The Truth About Mommy and Daddy・Episode 40/Stand Up with Cheer・Episode 41/Twelve Children・Episode 42/Still Fly・Episode 43/Only Mommy Feels Sad・Episode 44/Otama Pond in the Rain・Episode 45/Friendship in the Storm・Episode 46/Fly, Hatch・Episode 47/Castle on the Farm・Episode 48/Tears Shining in the Darkness・Episode 49/Beyond the Snowy Mountains・Episode 50/Ninja Bugs of the Forest Part 1・Episode 51/Ninja Bugs of the Forest Part 2・Episode 52/The Insects in the Shade・Episode 53/The Demonic Insect-Eating Grass・Episode 54/Mama is Beyond the Sea・Episode 55/The Three Lonely Animals・Episode 56/The Sun on the Snowy Mountain・Episode 57/A Lullaby from the Southern Lands・Episode 58/Father's Star, Mother's Star・Episode 59/Sad Friendship・Episode 60/A Leaf in the Ocean・Episode 61/Beautiful Life・Episode 62/Happiness is Mama's Wish・Episode 63/The Three Bottomless Insects・Episode 64/Another Mama・Episode 65/Burning in the Morning Glow・Episode 66/Sad Mother and Child Grass・Episode 67/The Garden of Lies・Episode Episode 68: The Phantom Vampire・Episode 69: Love's Traitor・Episode 70: The Beautiful Sacrifice・Episode 71: Love's Showdown・Episode 72: Hatch Returns Home・Episode 73: Siblings at Sunset・Episode 74: Wishing on the Forget-Me-Not・Episode 75: Love at the End of the Battle・Episode 76: The Forest is Calling・Episode 77: Fly, Mother and Child Butterflies・Episode 78: Escape from the Pond of Death・Episode 79: A Shining Life・Episode 80: Daddy's Alone・Episode 81: Mama in Flames・Episode 82: Thank You Amidst Tears・Episode 83: Fly! Believe in Mommy・Episode 84 / Five Hornets・Episode 85 / Arrow of Rage・Episode 86 / Follow the Hatch・Episode 87 / Strong Mother's Love・Episode 88 / Mommy is Beyond Tears Part 1・Episode 89 / Mommy is Beyond Tears Part 2・Episode 90 / In Mommy's Arms Part 1・Episode 91 / In Mommy's Arms Part 2

■ Related works

The New Insect Story: Hutch the Orphan The Insect Story: Hutch the Orphan The Insect Story: Hutch the Honeybee - Melody of Courage

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Orphan Hatch・Lyrics by Toshio Oka・Music by Nobuyoshi Koshibe・Singer by Yuri Shimazaki・Ending theme
・Lyrics by Toshio Oka・Music by Kanae Wada・Singer by Yuri Shimazaki

The Story of Hutch the Orphan - A moving journey and the bond between mother and child

In the world of Japanese animation in the 1970s, "The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee," produced by Tatsunoko Productions, is still loved today as a work that touched many viewers. This work is an adventure fantasy that depicts friendship, love, and the harshness of nature through the journey of the honeybee prince Hutch in search of his mother. 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 Story of the Honeybee: Hutch the Orphan" was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 7, 1970 to December 28, 1971, every Tuesday from 7:00 to 7:30 PM. It was a long-running series of 91 episodes, written by Tatsuo Yoshida of Tatsunoko Productions, and directed by Ippei Kuri. Music was provided by Nobuyoshi Koshibe and the Music Planning Center, and sound effects were provided by Ishida Sound Pro. The recording producer was Yasunori Honda, the recording directors were Kan Mizumoto and Omnibus Pro, and the producer was Kenji Yoshida.

This work is an original anime, and there is no original novel or manga. Therefore, the story and character settings were all created by the anime production team. This is a sign of the creative power that Tatsunoko Productions had at the time, and their desire to provide new stories to the audience.

Story Summary

The story begins with a peaceful bee castle being attacked by a swarm of hornets. The only surviving egg is picked up by Auntie Striped Bee, who names the baby Hatch. Hatch is raised by her aunt, but when he finds out that his real mother is still alive, he decides to go on a journey to find her. During his journey, Hatch meets many different insects and deepens his friendships and bonds with them, but he also faces the harshness of nature and the reality of the struggle for survival. Despite all of this, he continues on his journey refusing to give up, with his love for his mother in his heart.

Character Introduction

・Hatch: The prince of the bees and the protagonist of the story. He faces many obstacles on his journey to find his mother. Voiced by Kurihako, his purity and strong will have captured the hearts of viewers.
・Mama: Hatch's mother and the queen of the bee kingdom. Voiced by Haruko Kitahama, she expresses a mother's deep love.
・Arya: Hatch's younger sister, born when she was separated from her mother. Voiced by Yoshiko Yamamoto, she portrays the bond between her and Hatch.
・Auntie Shimakobee: A kind-hearted auntie who found Hatch's eggs and raised them as her own. Voiced by Nobuko Terashima, she is portrayed as a character full of maternal love.
・Kamakichi: A friend that Hatch meets during his journey. Voiced by Shozo Iizuka, he is an important character who supports Hatch.
・Narrator: Toshiko Maeda plays the role of narrator, who helps progress the story.

Appeal and evaluation of the work

The greatest appeal of "The Adventures of Hutch the Orphan" is undoubtedly the touching story and bond between mother and son depicted through Hutch's journey to find his mother. The sight of Hutch facing various difficulties but continuing his journey with his love for his mother in his heart struck a deep chord with viewers. In addition, by depicting the harshness of nature and the reality of the struggle for survival, the film also contains an educational element that teaches children the meaning and importance of life.

Furthermore, the show's realistic depiction of insects' ecology and behavior helped spark children's interest in nature. A different insect appeared in each episode, and the scenes introducing its ecology and habits were fresh and interesting for viewers.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of this work. The opening theme "Orphan Hatch" and the ending theme "Ask for Mama" have left a deep impression on viewers, along with Yuri Shimazaki's singing voice. The ending theme in particular played a role in further enhancing the emotion of Hatch's journey.

Influences and related works

"The Adventures of Hutch the Orphan" was loved by many viewers for its touching story and educational content. It was especially popular with children, and was rebroadcast and made into videos after it had finished airing. The success of this work also led to the production of sequels and remakes.

Related works include "The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee: New Orphan," "The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee: Melody of Courage," and others. These works continue the original storyline, but add new perspectives and characters to create a deeper story.

Recommendation to viewers

"The Story of Hutch the Orphan" is a work that can be enjoyed by a wide range of generations, from children to adults. In particular, the moving story that depicts the bond and friendship between mother and child, and the harshness of nature will deeply move viewers. In addition, the scenes that realistically depict the ecology and behavior of insects will surely spark children's interest in nature.

When watching this work, pay attention to the subtitles for each episode. Each episode has a different theme and message, and by understanding them, you can feel the depth of the story even more. Also, the opening and ending theme songs are important elements that enhance the emotion of the story, so be sure to listen carefully.

"The Adventures of Hutch the Orphan" is a masterpiece animation that is both moving and educational. Please watch it and experience its charm for yourself.