The appeal and reviews of "Jolie": A moving story and deep characters

All-round evaluation and recommendation of Meiken Jolly - Meiken Jolly -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

novel

■ Broadcast period

April 7, 1981 - June 22, 1982
April 7, 1981 - June 22, 1982 Every Tuesday 19:30-20:00
52 episodes, 30 minutes each

■Broadcasting station

NHK

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 52

■Original Story

・Cécile Aubry

■ Director

・Chief Director: Keiji Hayakawa

■ Production

・Production: Toho Co., Ltd. ・Production cooperation: Visual 80

■ Story

Sebastian, an orphan who grew up on a farm in the Pyrenees, encounters Jolly, a big, white wild dog that the villagers fear as a "demon dog." However, Sebastian likes Jolly and protects her from the villagers, and Jolly eventually opens up to him. Sebastian and Jolly, who have become close friends, set out on a journey across the Pyrenees to find each other's mothers.

■Explanation

This anime is based on the French animal novel "A Dog and a Boy in an Alpine Village." In the original work, the main character's dog is named "Belle," but in this animated version, he is renamed "Jolie." While faithfully recreating the moving story of the original, the anime draws viewers in with its unique visual expression. In particular, the beautiful scenery of the Pyrenees Mountains and the adventures of Sebastian and Jolie are depicted realistically, making this a work that is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults.

■Cast

・Sebastian/Noriko Obara ・Narrator/Hiroko Suzuki

■ Main staff

・Production: Toho Co., Ltd. ・Production cooperation: Visual 80
・Planning / Ohashi Yukichi, Watanabe Tadami ・Producers / Kato Yoshio, Hosoda Nobuaki ・Planning and setting / Okuda Seiji ・Adaptation / Nakatani Kunio ・Chief director / Hayakawa Keiji ・Character design / Seki Shuichi ・Music / Titine Scavens, Komori Akihiro ・Opening animation / Sakai Shunichi ・Ending animation / Kikuta Takekatsu, Kitajima Nobuyuki, Kikuta Masakatsu ・Title / Michikawa Akira ・Setting / Miyagawa Kazuo, Matsumoto Tsuyoshi, Nakamura Mitsuki, Miyamoto Seiji ・Layout / Iimura Kazuo ・Art directors / Hando Katsumi, Nishi Yoshikuni, Nakamura Mitsuki ・Art setting / Uchida Yoshiyuki, Tojo Toshitoshi, Hando Katsumi ・Directors of photography / Kaneko Jin, Misawa Katsuji, Bando Akio ・Sound recording directors / Urakami Yasuo, Yamada Etsuji

■ Main Characters

Jolly: A stray dog ​​(Great Pyrenees) who ran away after being treated badly by her owner. She is big enough to carry Sebastian.
Sebastian: A mischievous boy. An orphan, he sets off on a journey with Jolly to find his mother.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Run! Towards the Pyrenees (1981/04/07)
Episode 2: The Mystery of the Shelter Episode 3: A Night on the Rocky Mountain Episode 4: The Fateful Leap Episode 5: Escape from the Smuggler's Hut Episode 6: The Small Hand that Saves the Day Episode 7: The Dog-Hating Detective Episode 8: Descent from a Waterfall in the Sunset Episode 9: A Farewell Gift Episode 10: Getting Rid of the Burglars on the Farm Episode 11: An Adventure in the Ruined Castle Episode 12: The Substitute Mission Episode 13: The Starry Night Chandelier Episode 14: Episode 15: A courageous search; Episode 16: Grandpa's sea; Episode 17: The ghost ship comes ashore; Episode 18: Escape on the maiden voyage; Episode 19: The ghostly castle; Episode 20: The ghost's revenge; Episode 21: The kidnapper's trap; Episode 22: A desperate attempt to break through the cordon; Episode 23: The famous judge's plan; Episode 24: The magician who knows Mama; Episode 25: Run! Back to Mama・Episode 26/A reunion entrusted to the scarf・Episode 27/The demon dog in the flames・Episode 28/The little boss's big success・Episode 29/The fateful single-track train・Episode 30/Escape on chains・Episode 31/Crossing the muddy waters・Episode 32/A photo of Mama・Episode 33/Jolly who was betrayed・Episode 34/In my hands・Episode 35/The wicked inspector and the beautiful pilot・Episode 36/The cave lurking with deadly poison・Episode 37/Fly! To the Sky of Hope・Episode 38/Mama is so wonderful after all・Episode 39/The bad water of the Sierra Nevada・Episode 40/The horror of Bohemia・Episode 41/Operation to retrieve Jolly・Episode 42/Resurrected friendship・Episode 43/The Pyrenean super express・Episode 44/Operation of the strange train・Episode 45/Operation to escape at the birthday party・Episode 46/The great cliffs of the Pyrenean・Episode 47/Premonition of the big storm・Episode 48/Reunion in the storm・Episode 49/The big avalanche in the devil's corridor・Episode 50/The doubts are clear・Episode 51/Mama's decision・Episode 52/The blue sky of the Pyrenean (1982/06/22)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
Run Jolly Lyrics: Kazuko Wakatani Music: Titine Scavens Arrangement: Shinichi Tanabe Vocals: Mitsuko Horie and Titine & Children's Chorus

・ED1
・Futari de hankoru・Lyrics by Kazuko Wakatani・Music by Titine Scavens・Arrangement by Shinichi Tanabe・Singer by Mitsuko Horie and Mamoru Ichiba, Titine & Children's Chorus

■ Evaluation and recommendation

The famous dog Jolie is a 52-episode anime series that aired on NHK from 1981 to 1982. It is based on the French animal novel "A Dog and a Boy from an Alpine Village". This is a touching story about the friendship and adventures of an orphan boy, Sebastian, and a wild dog called Jolie, who is feared as a "demon dog", and it has left a deep impression on viewers.

The original novel, "A Dog and a Boy in an Alpine Village," is a French masterpiece written by Cécile Aubry, and is a story centered on the bond between a dog and a boy. In the animated version, the original dog "Belle" has been renamed to "Jolie," but the essence of the story remains intact. In particular, the deep friendship between Sebastian and Jolie, as well as the thrill and excitement of their adventure across the Pyrenees Mountains, are beautifully depicted, drawing viewers in.

Thanks to the efforts of the staff, including chief director Hayakawa Keiji, the moving story of the original work has been reproduced with visual expression unique to anime. The expressions and movements of Sebastian and Jolly, drawn by character designer Seki Shuichi, have a charm that captures the hearts of viewers. Furthermore, the music by Titine Scavens and Komori Akihiro plays a role in further deepening the moving feeling of the story. In particular, the opening theme "Run Jolly" and the ending theme "Futari de Hanbunko" are masterpieces that will be deeply engraved in the hearts of viewers.

Noriko Obara, who plays Sebastian, also does a superb job as a voice actress, realistically portraying Sebastian's growth and his love for Jolly. Hiroko Suzuki, the narrator, also does a great job of smoothly guiding the story's progress.

As you can see from the subtitles of each episode, Sebastian and Jolie's adventures are diverse, and the show is designed to keep viewers interested. In particular, do not miss the suspenseful episodes such as episode 27, "The Demon Dog in the Flames," and episode 49, "The Avalanche in the Devil's Corridor." In addition, episode 52, "The Blue Sky of the Pyrenees," depicts the end of Sebastian and Jolie's journey and the beginning of a new one, culminating in a moving finale.

This work is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults, and is recommended as a touching story about friendship, adventure, and family ties. It is especially recommended for dog lovers and those looking for a touching story. In addition, the beautiful scenery of the Pyrenees Mountains and the realistic visual depiction of Sebastian and Jolie's adventures are also highlights, making this a work that can be recommended to anime fans as well.

In addition, this work has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, making it easy to watch. It is also available on streaming services, making it easy to enjoy. We hope you will experience this moving story.