The appeal and reviews of "Rocky Chuck the Mountain Mouse": An anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults

Rocky Chuck the Mountain Mouse - Rocky Chuck the Mountain Mouse

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Fairy tales

■ Broadcast period

January 7, 1973 - December 30, 1973

■Broadcasting station

Fuji Television

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 52

■Original Story

Thornton Burgess (from "Wild Animals")

■ Director

Endo Seiji

■ Production

Fuji Television, Zuiyo Video

■ Story

The forests at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in North America are lush. Rocky, a young mountain mouse, leaves his family and comes to this forest. Rocky meets various animals that live in the forest, sometimes fighting with them and sometimes working together with them to live a tough life.

■Explanation

This work is based on a children's novel published in the United States. It features many different kinds of animals, depicting their habits and principles of behavior. It also features many serious episodes that could occur in human society, such as the commotion surrounding the construction of a dam.

■Cast

・Rocky Chuck/Yuji Yamaga・Polly/Eiko Masuyama・Peter the Rabbit/Ichiro Nagai・Sammy the Squirrel/Shun Yashiro・Chatter the Squirrel/Isamu Tanonaka・Red the Fox/Kei Toyama・Narration/Miyoko Aso

■ Main staff

- Original story by Thornton Burgess (from "Animal Stories")
・Planning/Zuiyo Enterprises・Production/Fuji Television, Zuiyo Eizo・Producers/Takahashi Shigeto, Nishizaki Yoshinobu (uncredited), Nakajima Junzo・Production desk/Sato Shoji・Supervision/Koga Tadamichi・Composition/Tanno Yuji・Director/Endo Seiji・Music/Uno Seiichiro・Key animation/Taniguchi Moriyasu・Animation directors/Okasako Nobuhiro, Mori Yasuji・Background/Mukuo Studio, Atelier Roku・Art director/Ito Kazue・Cinematography/Trans Arts・Director of photography/Kuroki Kei・Editing/Seyama Takeshi・Development/Toyo Development Laboratory・Sound effects/Fujita Nobuo・Sound recording/Tohokushinsha, Tokyo Studio Center (Kumagaya Ryohei)
・Sound Director: Atsumi Tashiro

・Theme song
OP
"Green Sunshine"
Lyrics by Chinatsu Nakayama Composition and Arrangement by Seiichiro Uno Vocals by Mitchie and the Chatterers

ED
"Rocky and Polly"
Lyrics: Morihisa Yamamoto Composition and Arrangement: Seiichiro Uno Vocals: Mitchy and the Chatterers

■ Main Characters

Rocky Chuck: A mountain mouse who moves into the forest alone from his parents. He grows up with his girlfriend and fellow animals.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Spring has come to the green forest. Episode 2: The forest is calling me. Episode 3: Rocky and Polly. Episode 4: Big footprints in the forest. Episode 5: A commotion on the babbling river. Episode 6: The monster of Poplar Hill. Episode 7: The mischievous chatterer. Episode 8: The beaver comes to the forest. Episode 9: The naughty foursome. Episode 10: Bob the quail. Episode 11: Sammy the squirrel's revenge. Episode 12: Rocky's fun house. Episode 13: Red the fox. Episode 14: Peter Rabbit and the Woodsman; Episode 15: What everyone in the woods hates; Episode 16: Bobby wants to go back to the woods; Episode 17: Paddy won't give up; Episode 18: Mrs. Quack the Duck; Episode 19: The Beautiful Friends; Episode 20: Granny and Red; Episode 21: The voice that wakes up the forest; Episode 22: Mocker the Mimic; Episode 23: Buster is the hero of the forest; Episode 24: Green Forest. A Close Call・Episode 25: Skunk Jimmy is in Trouble・Episode 26: Can't Beat the Straw Hat・Episode 27: A Big Black Crow Comes to the Forest・Episode 28: The Secret of Father Condor・Episode 29: Red's House-sitting・Episode 30: Coyote is the Best in the Forest・Episode 31: Long Legs the Blue Heron・Episode 32: Jerry the Muskrat・Episode 33: Bobby the Raccoon's Mistake・Episode 34: Grandfather Frog's Journey・Episode 35: Granny and the Coyote・Episode 36: Danny the Field Mouse's Adventure・Episode 37: Midori is Lost in the Forest・Episode 38: Red the Baby Fox Do and the Sheep・Episode 39: Chatterer, Go for it・Episode 40: Rocky's Adventure・Episode 41: Uncle Billy Regrets・Episode 42: Chatterer the Squirrel Gets Caught・Episode 43: Peter Rabbit Changes His Name・Episode 44: Tom and Bob the Quail・Episode 45: The Big Incident at the Moonlit Party・Episode 46: Sammy the Squirrel is Smart・Episode 47: Buster's Souvenir・Episode 48: Copycat Peter・Episode 49: Danny in the Snow・Episode 50: Peter Rabbit and the Peach Tree・Episode 51: Who's the Other Footprint?・Episode 52: Rocky and the others hibernate

Rocky Chuck the Mountain Rat - Detailed Review and Recommendation

"Rocky Chuck the Mountain Mouse," which aired in 1973, is a TV animation series based on Thornton Burgess's fairy tale "Animals in the Wild." Set in the forests of the Rocky Mountains in North America, the story of Rocky the mountain mouse growing up with his friends teaches children the importance of coexisting with nature. This work is loved not only by children at the time, but by many fans even today.

Story and Themes

Rocky leaves his family and goes into the forest alone. There he meets various animals, including Chattering the squirrel, Peter the rabbit, and Red the fox. Rocky develops friendships with them and, although they sometimes clash, he finds his own way of life. The story depicts the importance of friendship and cooperation, as well as the struggle for survival in nature, and encourages children to understand and respect the natural environment.

One particularly memorable episode is the commotion surrounding the construction of a dam. This episode depicts the impact of human development on the natural environment, providing an opportunity for children to think about environmental issues. In addition, by depicting in detail the individual habits and behavioral principles of the animals, viewers can learn about the ecology of each animal.

character

RockyChuck is a brave and curious mountain mouse. His coming-of-age story resonates with the audience. Polly is Rocky's girlfriend and supports him. Peter the rabbit is mischievous, Sammy the squirrel is clever and resourceful, Chattering the squirrel is talkative, and Red the fox is cunning but sometimes kind. Each of these characters has their own unique personality and leaves a deep impression on the audience.

Production and staff

This work was created as a joint production between Zuiyo Eizou and Fuji Television under the direction of Masashi Endo. The music was composed by Seiichiro Uno, and the theme song "Green Sunshine" and the ending theme "Rocky and Polly" were sung by Mitchie and the Chatterers. The animation directors were Nobuhiro Okasako and Yasuji Mori, the backgrounds were done by Mukuo Studio and Atelier Roku, and the art direction was Kazue Ito. Thanks to the cooperation of these staff members, the beautiful natural scenery and the expressions of the animals are depicted realistically.

Broadcast and influence

"Rocky Chuck the Mountain Mouse" was broadcast weekly on Fuji TV from January 7 to December 30, 1973. It was a long-running series of 52 episodes and was extremely popular among children. The show raised interest in the natural environment and provided an opportunity to learn about the ecology and behavior of animals. It also provided viewers with deep insight into the problems of human society by depicting them from the perspective of animals.

Recommendation

"Rocky Chuck the Mountain Mouse" is a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It is especially recommended for those who are interested in the natural environment and animal ecology. It is also perfect for children who want to learn the importance of friendship and cooperation. The story is simple yet profound, giving the viewer a lot to think about. The beautiful natural scenery and unique characters have the power to draw the viewer in. Watching this work will help you to reaffirm the importance of coexisting with nature and provide an opportunity to think about environmental issues.

Supplementary Information

This work has been re-released on DVD and Blu-ray, and can still be viewed today. In addition, many reviews and impressions by fans have been posted online, allowing you to rediscover the charm of the work. Furthermore, the original "Animal Stories" has been translated into many languages ​​and is loved all over the world. Relive the adventures of Rocky Chuck and experience the beautiful world of nature and animals.