The Adventures of Piccolino: A deep look into the fascinating story and characters

The Adventures of Piccolino - Looking back at classic anime

"The Adventures of Piccolino", which aired from 1976 to 1977, is a TV anime series based on Carlo Collodi's fairy tale "The Adventures of Pinocchio". Although based on the original story, this work captivated viewers with its original characters and developments. Here, we will take a closer look at its appeal, production background, cast and staff, and recommended points for viewers.

story

The kind-hearted old man Zebra, who lives with his cat Julietta and woodpecker Rocco, carved a wooden puppet out of his desire to have a child. However, to his surprise, the puppet started to move on its own. Zebra named the puppet Piccolino and raised it with care, but Piccolino was a mischievous and troublesome boy. Dino the ragged fox and Witch the wild cat tricked him and sold him to a playhouse. Piccolino began a journey with Gina the duck to return to Zebra's home.

Commentary

"The Adventures of Piccolino" is based on the fairy tale "The Adventures of Pinocchio", written by 19th century Italian author Carlo Collodi when he was around 50 years old. In terms of being animated, it was preceded by "Oak Tree Mock" produced by Tatsunoko Productions in 1972, but this Piccolino succeeded in creating a unique character that was unique to this work by including many animal characters that were not in the original work. Furthermore, it is worth noting that it was exported to Italy, where merchandising using Japanese products was also carried out there.

This work not only gives children hope and dreams, but also contains moral lessons. Every time Piccolino tells a lie, his nose grows, teaching the audience the importance of honesty. Also, the way Piccolino grows throughout his journey teaches children the value of hard work and friendship.

cast

The voice actors were Masako Nozawa as Piccolino, Junji Chiba as Zebeto, Kazuko Sugiyama as Gina, Kenta Kimotsuki as Rocco, Miyoko Aso as Julietta, Osamu Hase as Boro Kitsune, Ichiro Nagai as Dora Neko, Kazuhiko Kishino as Manchero, Haru Endo as the Grandmother, Minoru Midorikawa as the Boss, and Miyoko Aso as the Narrator. These voice actors express the individuality of the characters richly, enhancing the charm of the work.

Main Staff

Based on Carlo Collodi's "The Adventures of Pinocchio," the film is produced by Koichi Motohashi, production manager Mitsuru Takakuwa, planning director Shoji Sato, music by Yasushi Nakamura, directors Hiroshi Saito and Masashi Endo, producers Ihiro Oba and Tadami Watanabe, screenplays by Masao Maruyama, Iwao Yamazaki, Yutaka Kaneko, Shuji Yamazaki, and Yumeji Asagi, and character designs by Takao Ogawa and Shun Nobe. The animation directors are Takao Ogawa, Michiyo Sakurai, Koichi Murata, and Toshio Nobe, the art director is Masahiro Ioka, the art assistant is Goichi Kudo, the director of photography is Keiichi Kuroki, the sound director is Yasuo Urakami, the color design is Kaoru Uno, the animation directors are Masashi Kato, Kazuko Hirose, Issei Takematsu, Setsu Yoshihashi, Yasuo Mori, OH Production, Joji Manabe, Kenichi Okamoto, Yutaka Oka, and Nishi The production team included Sumie Tono and Yoko Tomizawa, with finishing touches by Studio Killy and Studio Furumi, background design by Atelier Roku 69's Goichi Kudo, Seihei Kawamoto, Taizaburo Abe, and Nobuo Numai, photography by Trans Arts, Tetsuro Kumase, and Yukio Okazaki, editing by Hajime Okayasu, mixer (sound editing) by Tsugio Nakatogawa, effects by Mitsuru Kashiwabara, recording studio by Shinsaka Studio, developing lab by Tokyo Developing Lab, titles by Akira Michikawa, storyboards by Seiji Okuda, Hiroshi Saito, Fumio Ikeno, Masaharu Endo, Masami Hatano, Kunihiko Okazaki, Shigeo Koshi, Kiyomi Oka, and Hiroshi Fuji, assistant directors were Shigeo Koshi and Tsunehisa Osonoi, production desk was Shigeo Endo, and production was by Nippon Animation, Asahi Broadcasting, and Apollo Films.

The opening theme "I'm Piccolino" was written by Kazuko Katagiri, composed by Yasushi Nakamura, arranged by Kensuke Kyo, and sung by Kumiko Osugi and Young Fresh, while the ending theme "Shade of the Olive" was also written by Kazuko Katagiri, composed by Yasushi Nakamura, arranged by Kensuke Kyo, and sung by Kumiko Osugi and Young Fresh. These songs, with their familiar melodies and lyrics, further deepen the worldview of the work.

Main Characters

Piccolino is a wooden puppet that can move on its own with its own will. He loves to play puppets, and is under a spell that makes his nose grow whenever he tells a lie. Gebeto is the kind-hearted grandfather who created Piccolino, and Gina is a sensible duck who travels with Piccolino and acts as a scolding agent. Rocco is a woodpecker who lives with Geppetto, Julietta is a cat who lives with Geppetto, and Raglan Fox and Doraemon are villains who always act together and sell Piccolino to a playhouse. The story woven by these characters provides viewers with both emotion and laughter.

subtitle

The subtitles for all 52 episodes are as follows:

• Episode 1: The Birth of Piccolino (1976/04/27)
• Episode 2: The Town is in an Uproar (May 4, 1976)
• Episode 3: Let's go to the puppet theater (1976/05/11)
• Episode 4: I'm a Big Star (1976/05/18)
• Episode 5: The Terrifying Red Shrimp Shop (1976/05/25)
• Episode 6: The Girl with the Blue Hair (1976/06/01)
• Episode 7: I'll Be a Good Boy (08/06/1976)
• Episode 8: The Mysterious Field (1976/06/15)
• Episode 9: The Fairy's Little White House (1976/06/22)
• Episode 10: I'm going to study! (1976/06/29)
• Episode 11: The Fake Trial (1976/07/06)
• Episode 12: What is the town of fools? (1976/07/27)
• Episode 13: Nightlife is fun (1976/08/03)
• Episode 14: Piccolino Becomes a Watchdog (Part 1) (1976/08/10)
• Episode 15: Piccolino Becomes a Watchdog (Part 2) (1976/08/17)
• Episode 16: The Laughing Snake (1976/08/24)
• Episode 17: The Fairy Has Disappeared (1976/08/31)
• Episode 18: Sky Travel (September 7, 1976)
• Episode 19: Gina Fell from the Sky (1976/09/14)
• Episode 20: There Was Old Man Zebet! (1976/09/28)
• Episode 21: Dolphin's Seaside Town (1976/10/05)
• Episode 22: Dolphin's Friends (1976/10/12)
• Episode 23: Alidoro the Stray Dog (1976/10/19)
• Episode 24: I'm Going to Work! (1976/10/26)
• Episode 25: Defeating the Thief (1976/11/02)
• Episode 26: A Promise with Mr. Sea Turtle (1976/11/09)
• Episode 27: Old Django the Shoemaker (1976/11/16)
• Episode 28: Piccolino's Marathon (1976/11/23)
• Episode 29: Donkey the Donkey (November 30, 1976)
• Episode 30: The Inn Robbery (1976/12/07)
• Episode 31: Reunion with Rocco (1976/12/14)
• Episode 32: The Mysterious Snail (1976/12/21)
• Episode 33: Balloon Trip (1976/12/28)
• Episode 34: Piccolino Becomes a Scarecrow (1977/01/04)
• Episode 35: The Stolen Gold Watch (1977/01/11)
• Episode 36: My Treasure (1977/01/18)
• Episode 37: A Boy Called Romeo (1977/01/25)
• Episode 38: The Carriage to Toyland (1977/02/01)
• Episode 39: Wonderful Toyland (1977/02/08)
• Episode 40: Piccolino turns into a donkey (1977/02/15)
• Episode 41: Friends of the Circus Troupe (1977/02/22)
• Episode 42: Gina's Treasure (1977/03/01)
• Episode 43: Donkey Tricks (1977/03/08)
• Episode 44: Granny Rosetta (1977/03/15)
• Episode 45: Grandmother's Son (1977/03/29)
• Episode 46: The Gorilla's House (1977/04/12)
• Episode 47: The Secret Cave (1977/04/19)
• Episode 48: Squirrels and Their Babies (1977/04/26)
• Episode 49: I Want to See My Grandpa (1977/05/03)
• Episode 50: The Belly of a Whale (1977/05/17)
• Episode 51: Let's go home (1977/05/24)
• Episode 52: Forever and Forever (1977/05/31)

Theme songs and music

The opening theme "I'm Piccolino" was written by Kazuko Katagiri, composed by Yasushi Nakamura, arranged by Kensuke Kyo, and sung by Kumiko Osugi and Young Fresh, while the ending theme "Shade of the Olive" was also written by Kazuko Katagiri, composed by Yasushi Nakamura, arranged by Kensuke Kyo, and sung by Kumiko Osugi and Young Fresh. These songs, with their familiar melodies and lyrics, further deepen the worldview of the work.

Recommended points

"The Adventures of Piccolino" is a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. In particular, the following points make it worthy of recommendation:

• Educational Value : Every time Piccolino lies his nose grows, teaching children the importance of honesty, while his journey to adulthood teaches the value of hard work and friendship.
• The appeal of the characters : The characters, including Piccolino, are all unique and beloved by the viewers. In particular, the friendship between Piccolino and Gina is touching and leaves a deep impression on the viewers.
• Story development : The story is based on the original but has its own unique development, so viewers will not get bored. Each episode has different adventures and encounters, which will keep viewers interested.
• Musical appeal : The opening and ending songs have familiar melodies and lyrics that further deepen the worldview of the work. These songs also serve as a trigger for viewers to remember the work.

"The Adventures of Piccolino" is a work that combines nostalgia and freshness. Please watch it and experience its charm.