Jungle Kurobee: Reevaluating a nostalgic anime classic

Jungle Kurobee - Looking back on classic anime

The TV anime series "Jungle Kurobee", which aired in 1973, was based on an original story by Fujiko Fujio and produced by Tokyo Movie. This anime has an unusual history, as Tokyo Movie, which had worked on Fujiko Fujio's works, asked Fujiko to create a story for it. It was broadcast from March 23rd to September 28th, 1973, with a total of 31 episodes. It was broadcast on NET TV (now TV Asahi) and aired for 30 minutes every week.

story

The Pirimini are an indigenous people living in the jungle. One day, Kurobee, the son of the chief, tries to catch an airplane passing over the jungle and ends up in Japan. When Kurobee arrives in Japan, he meets Shishio by chance and is saved by him. Kurobee decides not to leave Japan until he has properly repaid Shishio's kindness. He struggles to help Shishio using the magical powers passed down among the Pirimini, but Kurobee, who is still inexperienced, keeps failing...

Commentary

Although "Jungle Kurobee" is based on an original work by Fujiko Fujio, Fujiko himself later wrote the original manga version. However, the story develops differently between the anime and manga, and the rival character Gack is an original character who appears only in the anime. Furthermore, the character design for the main character Kurobee was not created by Fujiko, but by Miyazaki Hayao. This is what sets it apart from other Fujiko Fujio works.

The animation was produced by Tokyo Movie and directed by Osamu Dezaki. The animation directors were Yoshio Kabashima, Takeo Kitahara, and Akio Sugino, the art director was Noboru Tatsuchi, the cinematographer was Katsuji Misawa, the sound director was Koichi Chiba, and the music was by Go Misawa. The editor was Kazuo Inoue, the sound engineer was Toshiaki Hoshino, the sound effects were by Yozo Kataoka, and the assistant directors were Hideo Takayashiki and Hiroo Takeuchi. The key animators were Sadayoshi Tominaga, Yoshitaka Hirajo, Nobuyoshi Sasakado, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Toshio Nitta, Takeshi Tamazawa, and Seiichi Nodate, and the animation directors were Akio Sakai, Tatsuo Yatabe, Junzaburo Takabatake, Shintaro Horikoshi, Jyushiki Yoshida, Sachiko Sugino, Fumio Horiguchi, Emiko Akiyama, Fumiko Ichino, and Sumie Nishito. The production was led by Nagayama Kuniaki, Yamada Eizo, Takanezawa Kiyoshi, Ikeda Yoichi, and Hatano Tsunemasa, while Yamana Kimie and Anaida Eiko participated in the finishing inspection. The planning and producing teams included Kusube Sankichirō, Hikino Yoshiteru, and Ishii Teruko, while Fukuda Naoro, Tatsuike Noboru, and Kobayashi Shichirō participated in the art direction. A Production, E-On, Tokyo Animation Film, and Toyo Developing Laboratory were involved in the production, while Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Movie participated in the production.

cast

The voice cast includes Kaneta Kimotsuki as Kurobee, Kazuko Sugiyama as Sararishi the Lion Man, Tetsuo Mizutori as Paopao, Reiko Katsura as Akabee, Yoshiko Yamamoto as Gakku, Keisuke Yamashita as Tiger, Ayako Hori as Okara, Masako Ebisu as Fujino Takane, and Joji Yanagi as the cranky old man.

Main Characters

Kurobee is the prince of the Pirimy tribe, a mythical tribe, and comes to Japan on a hunting trip. He claims to be good at magic, but he often fails, which often causes trouble. Sara Toshishio is a boy who accidentally saves Kurobee and they become friends. He has a timid personality, but he also has a kind and loyal side. He is always involved in the troubles that Kurobee causes. Paopao is a two-legged, winged elephant and Kurobee's pet. His body is lighter than you would imagine for his large size, and he can jump and glide freely through the air. Akabee is Kurobee's younger brother, whose trademark is his red beard. Because he is too young to use magic or speak properly, he is a skilled spearman and can be called an expert. Gakku is Kurobee's rival who came from the jungle, and in addition to being a master of hypnotism, he has a variety of special abilities, such as being able to summon various rare animals from the jungle.

subtitle

Episode 1 "Kurobee's Big Appearance!" "Bekkanko gives back", Episode 2 "A crazy drive", "God stands upside down with Bekkanko", Episode 3 "Paopao arrives", "Leave the house call to me!", Episode 4 "The spear is Kurobee's soul", "My enemy, the pig gorilla", Episode 5 "Daddy's desire to lose weight", "Akabee falls from the sky", Episode 6 "Protect the bread and give back", "Grow tall no matter what!", Episode 7 "The secret of roasted sweet potatoes", "Math is just common sense", Episode 8 "Go! Paopao the car", "Kurobee is mom", Episode 9 "Department store Tenya Episode 10: The Wonderful Koinobori, The Runaway Chimpanzee, Episode 11: Take That Apple, Who's the Man?, Episode 12: Don't Look in the Classroom, I'll Buy It Even If I Don't Want to, Episode 13: A Flower Blooms When Knocked Out, The Great Magical Teacher, Episode 14: Kurobee Appears on TV, Tiger Wets the Bed, Episode 15: We Found a Baby, Fly! The Paopao Plane, Episode 16: The Bulldog in Pants, The Stretching and Shrinking Magic, Episode 17: Takane-chan and Airi Episode 17 "The Igasa" and "Upside-Down Fishing", Episode 18 "Wow! Aerial Shotgun" and "Catch Paopao!", Episode 19 "The Great Chief Arrives" and "The Stars Fall by Magic", Episode 20 "The Strong Enemy Gakku Appears!" and "Kurobee vs. Gakku, a Duel in the Sunset", Episode 21 "The Sea Pirate Shark Marine Arrives" and "The Shinkansen Turns into a Fish", Episode 22 "The Dinosaur Tarupo Comes Back to Life" and "Surprise! The Flying Squirrel", Episode 23 "There It Is! Jungle Dracula" and "The Laughing, Laughing, Laughing Poppo", Episode 24 "The Crybaby Rare Animal Oioi" and "The Eremonkey Camping Incident" ", 25 "Kurobee Goes to Pirimy (Part 1)", "Kurobee Goes to Pirimy (Part 2)", 26 "I'm Going to Eat You! The Munching Pelican", "Kurobee Gets a 0 in Music", 27 "Kurobee's Tears as a Man", "Bakubaku is a Dream Thief", 28 "Defeat the Jungle Thief!", "Everyone Gives Up to the Silly Boy", 29 "Oh No, the Mermaid is Eaten", "The Jungle's Transparent Ninja", 30 "Where's Mommy?! The Tears of Pokopon", "Gakku's Love is Sharabai!", 31 "All the Rare Animals Gather Together", "Making Friendships with Great Magic"

Theme song

The opening theme "Jungle Kurobee no Uta" was written by Fujiko Fujio, composed by Misawa Go, sung by Osugi Kumiko, with interlude lines by Kimotsuki Kaneta. The ending theme "Ura Ura Tam Tam Beccanko" was written by Fujiko Fujio, composed by Misawa Go, sung by Osugi Kumiko, with interlude lines by Kimotsuki Kaneta.

Evaluation and impact

"Jungle Kurobee" has been loved by children since it was first broadcast in 1973, and has garnered many viewers. In particular, the chaos caused by Kurobee's magic, his friendship with Shishio, and his rivalry with Gakku were popular. In addition, Hayao Miyazaki's character designs were a hot topic, and they had a major impact on the anime industry.

The story of the anime revolves around the troubles Kurobee causes in Japan, and many episodes are humorous and touching. In particular, scenes in which Kurobee tries to repay the Lion Man's kindness and uses the magic of the Pirimy tribe left a strong impression on viewers. Other highlights included his showdown with Gakku and his interactions with the unusual animals.

This anime is a fusion of Fujiko Fujio's unique worldview and Tokyo Movie's high production technology, giving hope and dreams to children at the time. The addition of Hayao Miyazaki's character designs made it even more appealing. "Jungle Kurobee" is still loved by many fans as a nostalgic classic anime.

Recommendation

"Jungle Kurobee" is a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It is especially recommended for fans of Fujiko Fujio and those who love classic anime. It is also recommended for those who are interested in Hayao Miyazaki's character designs. This anime is characterized by a story that combines humor and emotion, and attractive character designs, making it a work worth watching. I hope you will watch it at least once and experience its charm.