A thorough evaluation of the appeal and educational value of "Manga Japanese History"!

"Manga Japanese History": A time machine for enjoying history

Manga Nihonshi, which aired on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1984, is an anime series that aimed to make learning about Japanese history fun for a wide range of people, from children to adults. The series was produced based on the educational manga Shonen Shojo Nihon no Rekishi (Boys and Girls' History of Japan), and each episode focuses on an important historical event or person, introducing Japanese history in a light-hearted tone that includes humor. Although it is a long-running series with a total of 52 episodes, there are many ingenious ideas that keep the viewers from getting bored.

Broadcast information

"Manga Nihonshi" was broadcast every Sunday from 10:30 to 11:00 from April 3, 1983 to April 8, 1984. It was broadcast by Nippon Television and consisted of 52 episodes, each 30 minutes long. It was produced by Nippon Television and Tsuchida Productions and directed by Kondo Eisuke.

story

"Manga Nihonshi" depicts the history of Japan in chronological order. Each issue covers approximately 2,000 years of history, from the birth of the Japanese archipelago to the Meiji Restoration, focusing on a different historical figure or event. The story follows a boy and girl from the present who travel to the past in a time machine and experience historical scenes. Gags are occasionally inserted to make the serious historical topics feel light-hearted.

Commentary

This anime is based on the educational manga "Boys and Girls' History of Japan" and is designed to allow viewers to learn about Japanese history while having fun. At the end of the show, there is a detailed commentary by a female university student, allowing viewers to gain a deeper understanding of history. In addition, the same character, a boy, appears in each era in a time-appropriate appearance, and by depicting Japanese history through the eyes of ordinary people in an easy-to-understand way, viewers will feel a sense of familiarity with the show.

cast

The main cast is as follows:

• Older sister (Yuko), narrator: Kazuko Sugiyama
• Girl (Love): Tomiko Suzuki
• Boy (Ryota): Seiko Nakano (episodes 1-4), Satomi Mashima (episode 5 onwards)

Main Staff

The main staff involved in the production are as follows:

• Planning/Producer: Minato Sakanashi (Dentsu)
• Producers: Kazuo Nozue (Nippon Television Network), Hiromichi Mogaki (Tsuchida Productions)
• Screenplay: Junji Tashiro
• Chief Director: Eisuke Kondo
• Character design: Yuji Yatabe
• Color designation: Kayoko Nishi
• Director of photography: Kaneko Jin
• Edited by Hajime Okayasu (Okayasu Promotion)
• Sound effects: Noriyoshi Ohira
• Recording adjustment: Hiroyuki Murata
• Music: Takeru Sato
• Sound Director: Hiroshi Yamazaki
• Recording studio: New Japan Studio
• Casting cooperation: Aoni Production
• Developed by Tokyo Developing Laboratory
• Production cooperation: Shogakukan
• Produced by Tsuchida Productions

Main Characters

The main characters are as follows:

• Older Sister (Yuko): A modern woman who appears from time to time, pretending to explain history to children.
• Girl (Ai): A modern girl who is being taught history by her older sister.
• Boy (Ryota): A boy from the present day. He is being taught history together with Ai, but he is a bit irresponsible.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: The Birth of Japan - Life in the Primitive Age (1983/04/03)
• Episode 2: The Mysterious Yamatai Kingdom - Queen Himiko - (1983/04/10)
• Episode 3: The Establishment of the Yamato Court - Burial Mounds and the Great Kings (1983/04/17)
• Episode 4: Prince Shotoku's Ideals - The Introduction of Chinese Culture and Buddhism (1983/04/24)
• Episode 5: The Taika Reforms - Prince Nakano Oe and Fujiwara no Kamatari (1983/05/01)
• Episode 6: The Jinshin Rebellion: The Birth of a New Nation (1983/05/08)
• Episode 7: The Great Buddha's Eye-Opening - Buddhist Culture and the Nara Period (1983/05/15)
• Episode 8: The Arrival of Monk Ganjin in Japan - Japanese Envoys to the Tang Dynasty and Chinese Culture (1983/05/22)
• Episode 9: Dokyo's Ambition - The Battle Between Nobles and Monks (1983/05/29)
• Episode 10: Emperor Kanmu and Heian-kyo: Tamuramaro Sakanoue's subjugation of the Emishi (1983/06/05)
• Episode 11: The Beginning of the Regency Politics - Burning Otenmon Gate (1983/06/12)
• Episode 12: The Dictatorship of the Fujiwara Clan - The Vengeful Spirit of Sugawara no Michizane (1983/06/19)
• Episode 13: The Taira no Masakado Rebellion: The Rise of Local Warlords (1983/06/26)
• Episode 14: The Blooming Imperial Culture - Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu - (1983/07/03)
• Episode 15: The Rise of the Samurai: The Decline of Manors and the Fujiwara Clan (1983/07/10)
• Episode 16: The Hogen and Heiji Rebellions: Conflict between Aristocrats and Samurai (1983/07/17)
• Episode 17: The Prosperity of the Taira Clan - Emperor Goshirakawa and Taira no Kiyomori (1983/07/24)
• Episode 18: The Raising of the Minamoto Clan - Minamoto no Yoritomo and the Eastern Samurai (1983/07/31)
• Episode 19: The Genpei War - Yoshitsune's brave fight and the downfall of the Taira clan (1983/08/07)
• Episode 20: The Establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate - Samurai Politics and the Feudal System (1983/08/14)
• Episode 21: The Fall of the Genji - Hojo Masako and the Jōkyū War (1983/08/28)
• Episode 22: The Mongol Invasion - National Crisis and Hojo Tokimune (1983/09/04)
• Episode 23: The collapse of the Kamakura Shogunate: Discontent among the vassals and the spread of civil war (1983/09/11)
• Episode 24: Kenmu Restoration - Emperor Godaigo's Ideals (1983/09/18)
• Episode 25: Conflict between the Southern and Northern Courts - Ashikaga Takauji establishes the Shogunate - (1983/09/25)
• Episode 26: Unification of the Northern and Southern Courts - The foundation of the Muromachi Shogunate is established (1983/10/02)
• Episode 27: The Prosperity of the Muromachi Shogunate - Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and the Kitayama Culture - (1983/10/09)
• Episode 28: The Shaking Muromachi Shogunate - The Shocho Soil Rebellion (1983/10/16)
• Episode 29: The Onin War - Civil War and the Rise of the Powers (1983/10/23)
• Episode 30: The People Rise Up - The Brilliance of Higashiyama Culture (1983/10/30)
• Episode 31: The Beginning of the Warring States Period - Hojo Soun and Mori Motonari - (1983/11/06)
• Episode 32: The Introduction of Firearms - Christianity and Western Technology (1983/11/13)
• Episode 33: Warring States: Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin (1983/11/20)
• Episode 34: The Battle of Okehazama - Oda Nobunaga and Kinoshita Tokichirō - (1983/11/27)
• Episode 35: The Revolutionary Oda Nobunaga - The Ikko Ikki Rebellion and the Burning of Mount Hiei (1983/12/04)
• Episode 36: The Honnoji Incident - The End of a Hero (1983/12/11)
• Episode 37: The Road to National Unification - Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu - (1983/12/18)
• Episode 38: Hideyoshi finally takes control of the country - Establishment of the feudal system - (1983/12/25)
• Episode 39: Toyotomi Hideyoshi's Ambitions - The Korean Expedition and the Culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1984/01/08)
• Episode 40: The Battle of Sekigahara - The Confrontation Between Ieyasu and Mitsunari Ishida (1984/01/15)
• Episode 41: Ieyasu Establishes the Edo Shogunate - The Summer Siege of Osaka and the Fall of the Toyotomi Clan (1984/01/22)
• Episode 42: Tokugawa Ieyasu's Politics - The Foundation of the Edo Shogunate is Established (1984/01/29)
• Episode 43: Persecution of Christians - Shimabara Rebellion and National Isolation (1984/02/05)
• Episode 44: Shi, Farmers, Artisans, and Merchants - The Establishment of the Class System and Genroku Culture (1984/02/12)
• Episode 45: The Shaking Feudal System: The Kyoho Reforms and the Tanuma Era (1984/02/19)
• Episode 46: The Blooming of Edo Townspeople Culture: Dutch Studies and Japanese Studies (1984/02/26)
• Episode 47: The Shogunate in Disarray - Northern Expeditions and the Oshio Heihachiro Rebellion (1984/03/04)
• Episode 48: The Black Ships Arrive - Naosuke Ii and the Ansei Purge (1984/03/11)
• Episode 49: Sonno Joi (Revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians) - Patriots of the late Edo period (1984/03/18)
• Episode 50: From expulsion of foreigners to overthrowing the shogunate - The Satsuma-Choshu alliance and Ryoma Sakamoto - (1984/03/25)
• Episode 51: The Collapse of the Edo Shogunate - The Restoration of Imperial Rule and the Boshin War (1984/04/01)
• Episode 52: The Meiji Restoration: The Start of a New Government (1984/04/08)

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP1: "Distant Earth" (Instrumental)
  • Composer: Takeru Sato
  • Arrangement: Takeru Sato
• ED1: "Wind Fairy Tale"
  • Lyricist: Keisuke Yamakawa
  • Composer: Takeru Sato
  • Arrangement: Eiji Kawamura
  • Song: Circus

Ratings and Recommendations

"Manga Nihonshi" is an excellent piece of entertainment for learning history. It is especially valuable in getting children interested in history. The light-hearted tone, interspersed with humor, makes the heavy historical topics fun and keeps viewers from getting bored. Also, the commentary section by a female university student at the end of each episode helps viewers to gain a deeper understanding of history.

This anime offers viewers a new perspective by depicting history from the perspective of ordinary people, which is difficult to convey in history textbooks. For example, it not only depicts the exploits of warlords in the Sengoku period, but also the lives and culture of ordinary people, encouraging a multifaceted understanding of history. In addition, the format of using a time machine to let modern boys and girls experience historical events makes viewers feel more familiar with history.

In addition, this anime depicts Japanese history in chronological order, making it easier for viewers to grasp the big picture. Each episode focuses on a different historical event or person, allowing viewers to naturally understand the flow of Japanese history. This is an experience that viewers cannot get by simply reading a history textbook, and is extremely beneficial for viewers.

"Manga Nihonshi" is an excellent anime series that allows a wide range of people, from children to adults, to learn about Japanese history in a fun way. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in history, wants to learn about history, or wants to enjoy it as entertainment. Please feel the depth and interest of Japanese history through this anime.