"Proverb House" Review: A Combination of Educational Value and Entertainment

Proverb House - Kotowaza House

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

April 4, 1987 - September 28, 1994 Every Saturday 15:55-16:00 etc.

■Broadcasting station

Fuji Television

■Frequencies

5 mins

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 775

■Original Story

Eiken Planning and Development Department

■ Production

Fuji TV Aiken

■Works

©Fuji Television Aiken

■ Story

Peta is a joker, but a completely normal office worker, and everything he does always backfires. At times like these, Peta's grandmother quotes proverbs, the wisdom of our ancestors, to scold Peta for his words and actions or show him how to resolve the problem. Sometimes, Grandma shares her proverbs with doctors, nurses, and Peta's beautiful coworker, Saeko. She passes on useful proverbs that can be used in daily life to those around her.

■Explanation

This educational program was broadcast for about seven and a half years as a five-minute animated series, changing the time slot as the show went on. Each episode introduces one proverb, a piece of wisdom for daily life that was born and passed down in everyday life.
The show originally began airing under the title "Proverb House: Health Edition," but was renamed "Proverb House" midway through.

■Cast

Grandma: Masaru Saito Peta, doctor, section chief: Taku Takemura Saeko, nurse: Ai Sato

■ Main staff

・Original story/Eiken Planning and Development Department ・Director (Chief Director)/Yonehiko Watanabe ・Screenplay/Motoko Misawa, Hiroshi Yoshida, Ryuto Mukaiyama, and others ・Storyboard/Hiroshi Yoshida ・Illustration/Tadao Wakabayashi, Shozo Kubota ・Chief animation director/Tadao Wakabayashi ・Art director/Moritoshi Endo (first half), Toshihiro Osumi (second half)

■ Main Characters

・Grandma Peta's grandmother. She is young-minded and knowledgeable despite her age.
・Grandma Peta's grandson, an ordinary office worker. A bit of a joker.
・Saeko is a beautiful office lady who works at the same company as Peta. She is someone Peta admires.
- He is Peta's boss as the section chief and seems to be keeping a close eye on his movements.
・Doctor A doctor whose trademarks are his thick glasses and bright smile.
・Nurse A nurse with a big body and a husky voice.

The appeal and reputation of Kotobaza House

■ Background and history of anime

"Proverb House" is a 5-minute educational anime that aired from 1987 to 1994. This long-running anime aimed to introduce viewers to traditional Japanese proverbs and impart wisdom that can be used in everyday life. It first started as "Proverb House Health Edition" and was later renamed "Proverb House". This anime aired every Saturday afternoon and was loved by many children and families.

■ Story and Characters

The main character, Peta, is an ordinary office worker who is a bit of a joker and everything he does backfires. Peta's grandmother appears to help him solve his problems. Using proverbs, the wisdom of our ancestors, Peta's grandmother scolds him for his words and actions and shows him how to solve his problems. Grandma's proverbs are useful not only to Peta, but also to those around him. In particular, various characters appear, such as Saeko, a beautiful office worker who Peta admires, Peta's section chief who is his boss, doctors and nurses, and proverbs are used in each situation.

■Cast and crew

The cast of this anime includes Saito Masaru as the grandmother, Takemura Taku as Peta, the doctor, and the section chief, and Sato Ai as Saeko and the nurse. In terms of staff, Eiken Planning and Development Department was in charge of the original concept, and Watanabe Yonehiko was in charge of direction as chief director. The script was written by Misawa Motoko, Yoshida Hiroshi, Mukaiyama Tatsuto, and others, with Yoshida Hiroshi also in charge of storyboards. The illustration and animation director was Wakabayashi Tadao, and the art director was Endo Moritoshi in the first half and Osumi Toshihiro in the second half. The cooperation of these staff members resulted in the production of a high-quality anime.

■ The appeal of anime

The greatest appeal of "Proverb House" is the proverbs that are introduced in each episode. By introducing proverbs that are useful in daily life through humorous stories and characters, viewers can learn while having fun. In addition, because they are compactly summarized in a short time slot of five minutes, even busy modern people can watch it easily. Furthermore, the characters such as Peta, Grandma, and Saeko are unique and charming, making them easy for viewers to relate to.

■ Evaluation and impact

"Proverb House" was well-received by many viewers, as can be seen from the long period it was broadcast. It was especially praised for its educational role in teaching children traditional Japanese proverbs. The humorous story and characters were also loved by viewers, and it was popular as an anime that the whole family could enjoy. It can be said that this anime played an important role in passing on Japanese culture and traditions to the next generation.

■ Recommendations and how to watch

"Proverb House" is an anime that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It is especially recommended for those who want to learn proverbs that are useful in everyday life and those who are interested in traditional Japanese wisdom. Also, watching it with the whole family can be an opportunity to talk about proverbs between parents and children. Currently, it is available to watch on DVD or through online video distribution services, so please give it a try.

More information on Proverb House

■ Episode list

"Proverb House" is a long series with 775 episodes in total. Each episode introduces a different proverb and develops a story based on that proverb. Below are some episodes.

• Episode 1: "Killing Two Birds with One Stone" - Peta tries to get her work done more efficiently by using the proverb "killing two birds with one stone," but it doesn't work out.
• Episode 100: "Rain Makes the Earth Hard" - A story about how Peta learns the proverb "rain makes the earth hard" and grows as he makes repeated mistakes.
• Episode 500: "Slow and steady wins the race" - Peta tries to hurry up with his work, but is taught the proverb "slow and steady wins the race," and learns to act carefully.
• Episode 775: "All's well that ends well" - In the final episode, we see Peta learn many proverbs and grow, and we are introduced to the proverb "All's well that ends well."

■ Related Products

Because "Proverb House" was broadcast for such a long period of time, various related products were released. Some of them are introduced below.

• "Proverb House" DVD Box Set - A DVD box set containing all episodes has been released and has been highly praised by fans.
• "Proverb House" Picture Book Series - Picture books based on episodes from the anime have been published and are popular among children.
• "Proverb House" character goods - Character goods of Peta, Grandma, and others are sold and are loved by fans.

■ Fan Community

Even after the show ended, "Proverb House" continues to be loved by many fans. On the Internet, there are social media communities and blogs run by fans, where viewers' impressions and explanations of episodes are shared. In addition, fan events and merchandise sales are also held, providing a place for fans to communicate with each other.

■ Related works

Similar to "Proverb House," there are several anime and programs that introduce traditional Japanese wisdom and culture. Here are some of them:

• "Forest of Proverbs" - An anime themed around proverbs, the story unfolds while introducing various proverbs.
• "Japanese Proverbs" - An educational program that introduces proverbs, explaining their history and background to viewers.
• "Learning about Japanese Culture through Proverbs" is an educational program that teaches about Japanese culture and traditions through proverbs, and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.

summary

"Proverb House" is an educational anime that aims to introduce traditional Japanese proverbs and convey wisdom that can be useful in everyday life. It was broadcast for a long period of time and was supported by many viewers. Its humorous story and unique characters are appealing, and it is a work that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Please watch it at least once and learn about traditional Japanese wisdom.