A thorough analysis of the charm and emotion of Jackie the Bear from Seton's Animal Stories!

Jackie the Bear: Animal Stories from Seton's "The Tale of Jackie the Bear" - A moving animal tale and its charm

■Overview of the work

"Seton Animal Chronicles: Jackie the Little Bear" is a TV anime series produced by Nippon Animation and broadcast on TV Asahi in 1977. It is based on Ernest T. Seton's "Seton Animal Chronicles: The Bear King of Mount Taraku" and aired for a total of 26 episodes from June 7 to December 6, 1977, in a 30-minute slot every Tuesday from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. Directed by Masao Kuroda and character designed by Koji Mori, the series is known for its mix of cute animal characters and a serious storyline.

■ Story

A Native American boy named Ran meets two newborn grizzly bears at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. Ran names the male and female siblings Jackie and Jill, respectively, and they become good friends. However, Ran's father accidentally shoots and kills the mother of the two cubs. Feeling responsible, Ran takes Jackie and Jill back to his home to live with them. This story is depicted as an animal animation with a cute cub as the main character, but it also has deeper content that depicts the harshness of animal life and their relationship with humans.

■Explanation

"Seton Animal Stories: Jackie the Bear Cub" is based on "The Bear King of Mount Taraku," the first in the Seton Animal Stories series. The cute animal characters designed by Koji Mori are appealing, but the content can be a little harsh. By realistically depicting the ecology of animals and their relationships with humans, the show provides viewers with deep emotions and elements that make them think.

■Cast

The main cast is as follows:

• Jackie: Noriko Tsukase
• Jill: Keiko Yokozawa
• Orchid: Yoshiko Matsuo
• Alice: Yo Inoue
• Ellen: Miyoko Aso
• Pinto: Haru Endo
• Elder: Toshiya Sugita
• Grandpa Rocky: Ichiro Nagai
• Seton: Hitoshi Takagi
• Keryan: Jun Hasumi
• Bonamy: Osamu Kato
• Narrator: Hitoshi Takagi

■ Main staff

The main staff are as follows:

• Original story: Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest T. Seton
• Planning: Nippon Animation
• Planning cooperation: Masunosuke Ohashi
• Produced by: Koichi Motohashi
• Production management: Mitsuru Takakuwa
• Planning: Shoji Sato
• Music: Akihiro Komori
• Director: Masao Kuroda
• Producer: Akira Negoro
• Screenplay: Ryuzo Nakanishi, Michio Sato, Yukiko Takayama
• Character design: Yasuji Mori
• Animation director: Takao Ogawa, Shinichi Tsuji
• Art director: Kazue Ito, Nizo Yamamoto
• Director of photography: Keiichi Kuroki
• Recording Director: Koichi Chiba
• Color designation and inspection: Michiyo Yasuda, Kyoko Hamaguchi
• Illustrations: Toshiharu Okada, Kazuo Iimura, Masayoshi Ozaki, Mitsuo Kusakabe, Junsei Jitsugyo, OH Production, Koichi Murata, George Manabe, Shojuro Yamauchi, Sumie Nishito, Kumiko Tsukada, Mitsuo Kimura and others
• Storyboard: Seiji Okuda, Isao Takahata, Fumio Ikeno, Eiji Okabe, Hiroshi Saito, Kazuyoshi Yokota
• Finishing touches: Studio M and Studio Furumi
• Background: Atelier Roku, Taizaburo Abe, Masamichi Takano, Yukiko Hamatani, Goichi Kudo, Nobuo Numai, and others
• Photography: Trans Arts, Toru Hagiwara, Katsuyuki Otaki, Satoshi Ono, Tetsuro Kumase and others
• Mixer: Tsuguo Nakatogawa
• Effects: Ishida Sound
• Recording studio: AVACO Studio
• Photo lab: Tokyo Photo lab
• Edited by: Masuo Warita and Takeshi Seyama
• Finishing inspection: Michiyo Yasuda
• Assistant Directors: Kazuyoshi Yokota, Takayoshi Suzuki
• Production desk: Masuko Sojiro

■ Main Characters

The main characters are as follows:

• Ran: A Native American boy who manages Alice's father's vacation home with his father, Keljan.
• Alice: A white girl who is Ran's friend. She is the daughter of a rancher.
• Jackie: The older brother of the Grizzly Bear siblings. His godfather is Ran.
• Jill: Grizzly Bear's younger sister.
• Pinto: The mother of the brother and sister bears. Shot and killed by Ran's father.
• Grandpa Rocky: Panning for gold in the nearby river. Participated in the Civil War.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• 01: My First Friend (1977/06/07)
• 02: Danger in the Forest (1977/06/14)
• 03: Cute Godmother (1977/06/21)
• 04: Strong Mother (1977/06/28)
• 05: Don't Look (1977/07/05)
• 06: Where is Mommy? (1977/07/12)
• 07: Battle in the Mountains (1977/07/19)
• 08: Good luck, big brother (1977/07/26)
• 09: The role of a difficult mother (1977/08/09)
• 10: Mountain hut festival (1977/08/16)
• 11: Painful Study (1977/08/23)
• 12: Full of Danger (1977/08/30)
• 13: Wasp Trap (1977/09/06)
• 14: Defeat the Dog and the Sheep (1977/09/13)
• 15: Western Town (1977/09/20)
• 16: Great Hospitality (1977/09/27)
• 17: Terrible Plot (1977/10/04)
• 18: Painful Goodbye (1977/10/11)
• 19: Unfortunate Days (1977/10/18)
• 20: New Owner (1977/10/25)
• 21: Where's Jackie? (1977/11/01)
• 22: The Return of the Mountain (1977/11/08)
• 23: Burning Mount Tarak (1977/11/15)
• 24: Winter is Coming (1977/11/22)
• 25: The Big Bear (1977/11/29)
• 26: To the Faraway Mount Tarak (1977/12/06)

■ Related works

"Jackie the Bear" is one of the stories in the Seton Animal Stories series, and other related works include "Banner the Squirrel." These stories are also moving stories that depict the ecology of animals and their relationship with humans.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP: If I become a big bear
• Lyricist: Yoshiko Kayama
• Composer: Akihiro Kobayashi
• Arrangement: Akihiro Kobayashi
• Vocals: Kumiko Osugi
• ED: Ran and Jackie
• Lyricist: Yoshiko Kayama
• Composer: Akihiro Kobayashi
• Arrangement: Akihiro Kobayashi
• Vocals: Kumiko Osugi

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Jackie, the Little Bear" is highly acclaimed for its mix of adorable animal characters and serious storylines. In particular, the realistic portrayal of the ecology of animals and their relationships with humans provides viewers with deep emotions and makes them think. Another appealing feature is the adorable animal characters designed by Koji Mori, making the show loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Jackie the Bear Cub" is a must-see for animal lovers and nature lovers. In particular, the realistic portrayal of the ecology of animals and their relationship with humans provides viewers with deep emotions and elements that make them think. Another attraction is the adorable animal characters designed by Koji Mori, making this a work that is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults. Please watch it and experience its moving and fascinating aspects.