The appeal and reviews of "Blinky the Mysterious Koala": An anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults

Blinky the Mysterious Koala - A look back at nostalgic 80s cartoons

Broadcast as a TV anime series in 1984, "Blinky the Mysterious Koala" is an original work by Nippon Animation that was produced to capitalize on the koala boom at the time. This anime offers children dreams and adventure, depicting a world where fantasy and everyday life intersect. Here, we will take a closer look at its appeal, the background of its production, and the points that make it enjoyable to watch even today.

■Overview of the work

"Blinky the Mysterious Koala" was broadcast on Fuji TV from July 7 to December 28, 1984. It consisted of 26 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and was originally broadcast on Saturdays from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., but was later changed to Fridays from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m., with the final episode being broadcast on Mondays from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. The series was co-produced by Nippon Animation and Fuji TV, and was directed by Taku Sugiyama.

■ Story

One day, the main character, Sandy, is given a stuffed koala as a gift. When the stuffed animal puts nose to nose with the koala, it comes to life and introduces itself as Blinky. Blinky has special abilities such as teleportation and time travel, but has a weakness: if he gets wet, he turns back into a stuffed animal. Along with Blinky, a story unfolds in which unique characters such as the mischievous Printy and the frilled lizard enjoy the fantasy that lurks in everyday life.

■ Characters

Blinky (voice: Keiko Toda): The main character, a koala. She can teleport and time travel, but if she gets splashed with water she turns back into a stuffed animal.
Printy (voiced by Masako Miura): A mischievous girl. Blinky's friend.
Sandy (voiced by Arisa Ando): Blinky's owner. Enjoys adventures with Blinky.
Mama (voiced by Munega Tomoko): Sandy's mother.
Frilled Lizard (voiced by Akio Nojima): Blinky's friend. Has a calm personality.
Grandma (voiced by: Kitagawa Chie): Sandy's grandmother.
Mark (voiced by TARAKO): Sandy's friend.

■Production Background

In the early 1980s, koalas became popular in Japan, and Nippon Animation produced "Blinky the Mysterious Koala" to ride that wave. Taking advantage of this boom, Nippon Animation aimed to provide children with dreams and adventure. Director Taku Sugiyama developed the story with an emphasis on balancing fantasy and everyday life that children can enjoy. Kumada Isamu was in charge of character design, and created a cast of adorable characters.

■Broadcast Schedule

Broadcast period: July 7, 1984 to December 28, 1984 Broadcast time:
- July 7, 1984 to September 29, 1984 (episodes 1 to 13): Every Saturday from 18:00 to 18:30
- October 5, 1984 to December 21, 1984 (episodes 14-25): Every Friday from 17:00 to 17:30
- December 31, 1984 (26 episodes): Monday 7:00-8:00
Broadcasting station: Fuji TV Running time: 30 minutes Number of episodes: 26

■ Main staff

Original Story: Original Production: Koichi Motohashi Production Management: Mitsuru Takakuwa Planning: Shoji Sato Music: Reijiro Koroku Director: Taku Sugiyama Direction, Storyboard: Taku Sugiyama, Katsumi Endo, Noboru Ishiguro, Masayuki Hayashi, Kazuyoshi Katayama, Fumio Kurokawa, Eiji Okabe, Kenji Miyashita Producer: Eiko Tanaka, Shigeo Endo Screenplay: Taku Sugiyama, Nobuyuki Isshiki, Akiaki Nakano, Keiko Mukuroji, Mitsuru Tanabe Character Design: Isamu Kumada Layout Supervision: Koji Mori Animation directors: Hidemi Maeda, Takao Ogawa, Masami Abe, Kiyotoshi Aoi Art director: Masamichi Takano Art setting: Goichi Kudo Director of photography: Toshiaki Morita Sound director: Hideyuki Tanaka Color design: Akiko Koyama Key animation: Teruo Handa, Tsugio Sakamoto, Kei Takeuchi, Anime Spot, Masami Abe, Kei Hattori, Yoshiro Yabuzaki, Office Sugar, Yukio Omori, Artland, Yoko Kadokami, Toru Iwataki, Oh Production, Shunji Saito, Junko Ikeda Others: Animation: Anime Spot, Kusama Art, Office Sugar, Takeshi Toji, Masako Nakamura, Teruo Handa, Tsugio Sakamoto, Masami Abe, Yoshio Yabezaki, Hisashi Hattori Finishing touches: Studio Killy Backgrounds: Atelier Rourke, Studio Aqua, Yumiko Saito, Michiyo Fujii, Kenichi Ishibashi, Kazuhiko Tamari Cinematography: Trans Arts Sound production: Audio-Visual Systems Sound mixing (mixer): Mamoru Sato Effects: Yasufumi Yoda Recording studio: Taihei Studio Development lab: Tokyo Development Lab Title: Akira Michikawa Editing: Takeshi Seyama, Yoshihiro Kasahara Negative editing: Hidetoshi Kamitano Storyboards: Taku Sugiyama, Noboru Ishiguro, Katsumi Endo Assistant directors: Shinichi Matsumi, Tatsuya Hirakawa Production desk: Shinya Chiba Assistant production: Yasunori Tsukamoto Production progress: Toshiyuki Kawabata, Toichi Komura, Katsutoshi Hirose, Hiroyuki Sakai Production: Nippon Animation, Fuji TV

■ Episode

1. Strange Friends (1984/07/07)
2. Aliens?! (1984/07/14)
3. The Disappearing Daddy (1984/07/21)
4. A Rival Appears (1984/07/28)
5. Three Requests (1984/08/04)
6. Great Adventure! (1984/08/11)
7. The Great Chase (1984/08/18)
8. Phantom Painting (1984/08/25)
9. I am beautiful (1984/09/01)
10. Troublesome Kindness (1984/09/08)
11. I'm a Strong Child (1984/09/15)
12. Journey to the Past (1984/09/22)
13. The Country of Another Dimension (1984/09/29)
14. Drow and Poe (1984/10/05)
15. Mysteries, Puzzles, and Enigmas! (1984/10/12)
16. Return to Another Dimension (1984/10/19)
17. Circle of Friendship (1984/10/26)
18. Glass Slippers (1984/11/02)
19. Happy Holidays (1984/11/09)
20. Philosopher's Stone (1984/11/16)
21. Running Away (1984/11/23)
22. Proposal (1984/11/30)
23. S・O・S? (1984/12/07)
24. I'm the Star (1984/12/14)
25. The Great Catastrophe (1984/12/21)
26. Memories (1984/12/28)

■ Theme songs and music

Opening theme:
- Title: Mysterious Ufufu
- Lyrics: Shinichi Ishihara
- Composer: Shunichi Makaino
- Vocals: TARAKO (Canyon Records)
Ending theme:
- Title: It's Shabadaba
- Lyrics: Shinichi Ishihara
- Composer: Shunichi Makaino
- Vocals: Toshio Furukawa (Canyon Records)

■The appeal of the work

The greatest appeal of "Blinky the Magical Koala" is the fantasy and adventure hidden in everyday life. The story, which makes use of Blinky's special abilities, stimulated children's imaginations and made them engrossed in watching. The characters also have rich personalities, making them beloved by viewers. In particular, the scene where Blinky transforms from a stuffed toy into a living creature surprised and delighted children.

Furthermore, this work showcases the technical capabilities and creative ideas of Japanese animation in the 1980s. The character designs, background art, music, and more all come together to liven up the story. In particular, the opening theme "Fushigi Ufufu" and the ending theme "Shabadaba Dakedo" were very popular among children at the time.

■ Points that can still be enjoyed today

"Blinky the Koala" is a work that gives you a sense of nostalgia and freshness at the same time. You can experience the adventures of Blinky, Printy and his friends again while enjoying the atmosphere of the 80s. The story is simple yet deep, so even adults will find something new in the story. The episodes that depict friendship and family love are particularly heartwarming.

Although this work was created as a children's animation, its universal theme still resonates with many people today. Through Blinky's adventures, you can reaffirm the importance of dreams, hopes, and friendship. In addition, you can enjoy the animation techniques and music of the 1980s, making it a nostalgic and fresh experience at the same time.

■Recommendation

"Blinky the Wonderful Koala" is recommended not only for fans of 80s animation, but also for people who want to enjoy a story where fantasy and everyday life intersect. It is especially suitable for parents who want to provide their children with dreams and adventure, and for adults who want to rediscover nostalgic animation. Blinky's cute character and unique friends are sure to bring smiles and excitement to viewers.

This film is available on DVD and streaming services, so be sure to check it out. Blinky's adventures will surely add new color to your everyday life.