The appeal and reputation of Koala Boy Kokki: Reevaluating a nostalgic character

Koala Boy Kokki: A look back at nostalgic 80s animation

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

October 4, 1984 - March 28, 1985
October 4, 1984 - March 28, 1985 Every Thursday 19:00-19:30
2 x 30 minute episodes, 52 episodes, 26 episodes

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 26

■ Director

・Series Director: Takashi Tanazawa

■ Production

・Animation production: Topcraft

■ Story

Eucalyptus Village is a small village that is blessed with the bounty of nature, but also enjoys the comfortable life that civilization brings. Koki, a koala boy who lives there, has many good friends. In the midst of these peaceful days, a big incident occurs that keeps Koki excited and thrilled.

■Explanation

This fantasy TV anime depicts the daily life of a village where animals live, centering on a koala boy. In 1984 and 1985, Japan was in the midst of a koala boom after koalas were sent to Japanese zoos from Australia. This work was produced against this backdrop.

■Cast

・Cocky/Toshiko Fujita ・Mrs. Ostow (Bella)/Toshiko Asai ・Mr. Ostow (Mel)/Hachiro Azuma ・Lara/Chisato Nakajima ・Floppy/Kyoko Tonmiya

■ Main staff

Producers: Yoshihiro Nagata (OSADA Co.), Daisaku Shirakawa (Hakuhodo), Toru Hara (Topcraft)
・Series Director / Takashi Tanazawa ・Character Design / Kazuyuki Kobayashi, Shuichi Obara ・Art / Kazuo Okada ・Director of Photography / Takashi Shirakami ・Music / Tsuyoshi Kono ・Sound Director / Hiroshi Yamazaki ・Production Manager / Sumi Sakai ・Supervisor / Kazuyuki Kobayashi ・Animation Production / Topcraft ・Planning and Production / Hakuhodo, OSADA Co.

■ Main Characters

・Kokki A free-spirited, energetic, and athletic koala boy who is popular with his friends.

・Mrs. Ostow (Bella)
Cocchi's mother. She has a gentle and laid-back personality and is very affectionate towards her family.

・Mr. Ostow (Mel)
Kokki's dad, a photographer by profession. He's lazy and always just lolling around, which is a very koala-like trait in a way.

・Lala is a very mischievous girl koala.

An intelligent rabbit boy who loves to wear floppy headphones. Kokki's friend.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: "The Whale Container" and "The Flying Penguin" (1984/10/04)
Episode 2: "My Mom is a Super Mom" ​​and "Protect the Eucalyptus"
Episode 3: "She's the Moon Goddess" "Make Daddy's Belly Flat"
Episode 4: "Hustle in the Circus" and "Find the Exclusive Story"
Episode 5: "The Flew Eucalyptus Tree" and "Dakuby the Seagullbill"
Episode 6: "Bunny Nurse" and "Flying Doctor"
Episode 7: "Lara is going to be a mom" and "Attack on Bread Knife Mountain"
Episode 8: "Dinosaur Eggs" and "Run Wiener"
Episode 9: "Mama's Birthday Present" and "The Vase That Won't Come Out"
Episode 10: "Gift from the Night Sky" "Let's Save the Butterfly"
Episode 11: "Cocky's Babysitting Trouble" and "The Camera is Hard"
・Episode 12: "Daddy's Cooking" and "The Biggest Painting in the World"
Episode 13: "Weather turned into a frog" and "The butterfly that dad found"
Episode 14: "Love makes you hungry" and "A walk in the sky"
Episode 15: "Dagby's Big Discovery" and "Grandpa Mail's Reading Glasses"
Episode 16: "The Ghost Ship Appears" and "Eucalyptus Children's Newspaper"
Episode 17: "Walther's Boomerang" and "Operation Walkie-Talkie"
Episode 18: "Let's Go Orienteering" and "The Amazing Snow White"
Episode 19: "We are great detectives" "I am the king of the castle"
Episode 20: "Sorry Weather" and "Children's Invention Contest"
Episode 21: "Bunny's Big Decision" and "The Clock Tower's Birthday"
Episode 22: "Who is the Flower Queen?" "The Flying Monger"
Episode 23: "Challenging Civilization" "Steam Locomotive Engineer Cocchi"
Episode 24: "Pocket Money Increase" "Who is the culprit?"
Episode 25: "Moa, the Phantom Bird" and "Moa, My New Friend"
Episode 26: "Monger's Great Glide" and "The Phantom UFO" (1985/03/28)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
Koala Boy Kokki Lyrics: Hiro Nagasawa Music: Hiro Nagasawa Arrangement: Hiro Nagasawa Singer: Komachi Akasaka

・ED1
・A Road Not on the Map・Lyrics by Hisayoshi Onda・Composition by Hisayoshi Onda・Arrangement by Hiro Nagasawa・Singer by Komachi Akasaka

Koala Boy Kokki: A look back at nostalgic 80s animation

"Kokki the Koala Boy," which aired from 1984 to 1985, was one of the animated series beloved by children at the time. The series depicts the adventures of a koala boy named Kokki and his friends in Eucalyptus Village, a small village where abundant nature and civilized society coexist in harmony. The series was aired during the koala boom of the time, and captivated many viewers.

Background and production of the work

"Koala Boy Kokki" was produced by the animation production company Topcraft. Takashi Tanazawa served as series director, and Kazuyuki Kobayashi and Shuichi Obara were in charge of character design. Tsuyoshi Kono and Hiroshi Yamazaki were in charge of music and sound direction, respectively.

The background to the creation of this work is that koalas were given to Japanese zoos from Australia between 1984 and 1985. This sparked a koala boom throughout Japan, and many people became familiar with koalas. "Kokki the Koala Boy" was produced riding the wave of this koala boom.

Story and Characters

Koki, a boy koala who lives in Eucalyptus Village, is a free-spirited, energetic and athletic character. He is surrounded by a group of unique friends, including his kind and laid-back mother Bella, his lazy father Mel, the mischievous girl koala Laala, and the intellectual rabbit boy Floppy.

Cocchi and his friends take on various adventures and incidents that occur in Eucalyptus Village. Each episode features a unique story, such as a whale container, a flying penguin, a dinosaur egg, and the mythical bird Moa. Through these episodes, important messages such as friendship, family love, and respect for nature are conveyed to children.

Music and theme song

The opening theme of "Koala Boy Cocchi", "Koala Boy Cocchi", was written, composed and arranged by Hiro Nagasawa and sung by Komachi Akasaka. This song has a bright and lively melody that livens up Cocchi's adventure. Meanwhile, the ending theme, "A Road Not on the Map", was written and composed by Hisayoshi Onda, arranged by Hiro Nagasawa and sung by Komachi Akasaka. This song has a gentle melody that symbolizes the quiet time after an adventure.

Audience reaction and impact

"Kokki the Koala Boy" was loved by many children when it was broadcast. Kokki's lively character and fun adventures in Eucalyptus Village gave viewers hope and dreams. In addition, due to the koala boom, it also became an opportunity to deepen understanding and love for koalas.

This work was popular with both children and adults, and could be enjoyed by the whole family. In particular, the story, which depicts the harmony between nature and civilization, raised audiences' awareness of environmental issues.

Work evaluation and recommendation

"Kokki the Koala Boy" is highly regarded as an 80's anime. It is an excellent work in every respect, including the uniqueness of the story, the charm of the characters, and the quality of the music. In particular, the message conveyed through Kokki's adventures still resonates with many people today.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

• Excellent children's animation : Cocchi's adventures give children dreams and hope, and teach them the importance of friendship and family love.
• Symbol of the koala boom : This work symbolizes the koala boom of 1984-1985 and is a catalyst for deepening understanding of koalas.
• Harmony between nature and civilization : Through life in Eucalyptus Village, we convey the importance of harmony between nature and civilization. This is an important perspective when considering modern environmental issues.
• Music quality : The opening and ending theme songs not only set the mood of the film, but also leave a lasting impression on the viewer.

"Kokki the Koala Boy" is a work that combines nostalgia and freshness. It is a work that can be enjoyed not only by fans of 80's animation, but also by those who are watching it for the first time. Please watch this work and feel the charm of Kokki's adventure and Eucalyptus Village.