The Adventures of Peter Pan: A fascinating story and character exploration

Peter Pan's Adventures - The eternal boy and the dreamland of Neverland

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Fairy tales

■ Broadcast period

January 15, 1989 - December 24, 1989 60-minute special for the first episode Broadcast time Sunday 19:30-20:00

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV Network

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 41

■Original Story

Peter Pan and Wendy by James M. Barry

■ Director

Director: Masao Kuroda

■ Production

Produced by Nippon Animation, Fuji Television Network

■Works

©NIPPON ANIMATION CO., LTD. 1989

■ Story

Peter Pan, an eternal child living in the fairyland of Neverland, one day, while playing and flying over Kensington Park, drops his "shadow". He then meets three children, Wendy, John, and Michael, a brother and sister who picked up his "shadow". As a thank you for sewing his "shadow", Peter Pan invites the three to Neverland and together they embark on an exciting and thrilling adventure.

■Explanation

The only World Masterpiece Theatre production whose main setting is the fictional country of Neverland. In order to differentiate it from Disney productions, the colors of the characters were carefully chosen. Although it is a weekly TV series, the number of drawings is far greater than in other productions, and the way Tink glows was also carefully designed during filming.

■Cast

・Peter Pan / Noriko Hidaka ・Wendy / Naoko Matsui ・John / Kyoko Hamura ・Michael / Yuriko Fuchizaki ・Tinker Bell / Sumi Shimamoto ・Carly / Yuko Mita ・Tortles / Kazue Ikura ・Slightly / Hiroko Emori ・Luna / Maria Kawamura ・Darkness / Naoko Kyoda ・Captain Hook / Norio Otsuka ・Captain Smee / Kenichi Ogata

■ Main staff

- Original story: "Peter Pan and Wendy" by James M. Barrie
・Setting / London, Neverland・Producer / Koichi Motohashi・Production management / Mitsuru Takakuwa, Junzo Nakajima・Planning / Shoji Sato, Kenji Shimizu・Music / Toshiyuki Watanabe・Director / Masao Kuroda・Producer / Shigeo Endo・Screenplay / Shunichi Yukimuro, Mitsuru Shimada・Character design / Takashi Nakamura・Scene setting / Takashi Nakamura・Animation director / Hiroshi Kawasaki, Tomihiko Okubo, Ai Kagawa, Kazue Yusa, Hiroyuki Okiura・Art director / Masamichi Takano・Art setting / Seihei Kawamoto・Director of photography / Toshiaki Morita・Sound recording director / Etsuji Yamada・Color design / Akiko Koyama・Animation check / Fumio Sakai, Yutaka Sakai・Animation / Yuko Fujii, Hiroyuki Okiura, Takako Onishi, Kiyoe Iwasaki, Koichi Murata, Atsushi Irie, Mamoru Kurosawa, Ai Kagawa, Yuka Hoya, Toshiki Yamazaki・Finishing touches / Studio Robin・Backgrounds / Atelier Rourke, cinematography / TransArts, recording production / audiovisual system and mixer / Chiaki Sato, effects / Fizzsound, Akihiko Matsuda, recording studio / Taihei Studio, development lab / IMAGICA
・Titles / Mitsuo Harada, Akira Michikawa ・Positive editing / Yoshihiro Kasahara, Shinichi Natori, Masato Nakamura, Hiroshi Meguro ・Negative editing / Hidetoshi Kamitano ・Storyboards / Masao Kuroda, Shinichi Tsuji, Kozo Kusuba ・Assistant directors / Jun Takagi, Tatsuya Hirakawa ・Production desk / Yasunori Tsukamoto, Shunichi Kozaka ・Production assistants / Takashi Yokoi, Toichi Komura, Hiroyuki Sakai, Matsumi Tanaka ・Production / Nippon Animation, Fuji Television Television

■ Main Characters

・Peter Pan A boy or a fairy? He loves adventure and playing. He is brave, but he is often careless and sometimes incurs Wendy's anger.

Wendy: Wendy Moira Angela Darling. The mother of the children in the treehouse. She takes care of them, but she's scary when she gets angry.

John Wendy's younger brother. He likes to show off, but he's nothing special. In the first half of the series, he likes Tiger Lily, but in the second half, he quickly falls in love with Luna.

The youngest child of the Michael Darling family. Although he still wets the bed, he grew up quite well in Neverland.

Tinkerbell: A fairy known as Tink. She loves Peter Pan, so she is always mean to Wendy.

Carly: A child from Neverland. She always works hard during battles and when in a pinch.

- Tortles A timid but kind-hearted boy from Neverland.

- Slightly is a handy boy who makes things out of wood, including his house, everyday items, and even vehicles and weapons.

Tiger Lily: Daughter of the Piccaninny tribe. She is after Captain Hook's life. She is also John's favorite girl.

Captain Hook aims to rule Neverland and confronts Peter Pan. He is violent and cruel, but he also has a bit of a gap in his personality.

-Smee, the Chief Sailor, is a pirate, but he has a gentle personality and is kind to children.

■Subtitle

・1/Come quickly! Everyone's favorite Peter Pan ・2/Go to Neverland! Go! Go!
・3/ Pirates have appeared! Neverland, the land of dreams and adventure ・4/ Appearance! Is the clock crocodile a friend of Captain Hook?
5. Captain Hook hates the sound of a sewing machine!
6. John's first love? A tomboy appears!
・7/Wendy does her best! She won't let anyone get the eggs. ・8/The operation begins! Make the clock crocodile laugh!
9. Neverland Law? Every day is a birthday!
・10/Suspicious behavior! Follow John ・11/New weapon! An amphibious Cinderella carriage?
12/ Will pirates flee? Michael's scary story!
・13/Rescue Mission! Save Peter Pan・14/The Devil of Mount Snorm and Michael's Courage・15/Betray Hook! Chekko Quits Pirates・16/Wendy is Angry! I Hate Peter Pan・17/John Can't Sleep! Catch the Sleeping Spirit・18/Tortoises, Show Your Courage! Seize the Pirate Flag・19/Hook's Decision! The Mystery of the Missing Pirate Ship?
20/A desperate situation! Wendy has disappeared into the misty valley. 21/Save Wendy! Tink risks her life. 22/The secret weapon is activated! Captain Hook's last trump card. 23/The mystery deepens! Find Tink's hometown. 24/A group of menacing black cloaks and a mysterious beautiful girl!
・25/Welcome back, Tink! Fairyland is a strange land・26/Captain Hook is resurrected! Plans to build a flying pirate ship・27/John's dream! A knight on a wooden horse・28/Wendy becomes a demon・29/Psyche the fairy! Be brave and take flight・30/Starts to rise! Hook's flying pirate ship・31/I have no dreams! Peter Pan can no longer fly・32/Search with the pirates for the mystery of the white mirror・33/Luna's tears! Am I the Witch of Darkness?
34/Can you hear the whistle? Find the ghost locomotive!
・35/A strong enemy! Hook and Darkness join forces. ・36/The adventure is called off! Everyone's hearts are pounding!
・37/The biggest maze in history! The road to Darkness Castle・38/The black mirror begins! Neverland is in big trouble・39/Hook's ambition! Take over Darkness Castle・40/The final battle! Peter Pan vs. Captain Hook・41/Goodbye Peter Pan! The land of dreams and adventure

■ Related works

・Fantastic Children

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・"Peter Pan Once Again"
Lyrics: Yasushi Akimoto; Composition: Yoshimasa Inoue; Arrangement: Akira Nishihira, Jun Sato; Singer: Yuuyu (Canyon)
・ED
・"Open your dreams, Sesame!"
Lyrics: Yasushi Akimoto; Composition: Yoshimasa Inoue; Arrangement: Akira Nishihira, Jun Sato; Singer: Yuuyu (Canyon)

Peter Pan's Adventures - The eternal boy and the charm of the dreamland of Neverland

Broadcast in 1989, "Peter Pan's Adventures" is an animated series based on James M. Barry's classic fairy tale "Peter Pan and Wendy". Produced by Nippon Animation and Fuji Television Network, it was broadcast as part of the World Masterpiece Theater. This work tells the story of the eternal boy Peter Pan and his adventures, providing viewers with a world of dreams and adventure.

The appeal of the story

The story begins with Peter Pan, an eternal child, casting his own "shadow" in Kensington Gardens. He meets Wendy, John, and Michael, who picked up his "shadow," and invites them to Neverland, a development that retains the charm of the original. The adventure in Neverland is full of thrills and suspense, and has the power to draw viewers in. Not to be missed are the confrontation between Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and Tinker Bell's exploits.

Each episode features a different adventure, so viewers will not get bored. For example, there are many humorous episodes, such as the encounter with the clock crocodile and Captain Hook's dislike of sewing machines, which can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Furthermore, the episodes about the laws of Neverland and the birthday depict the unique rules of the fantasy world, stimulating the viewers' imagination.

Character Appeal

Peter Pan is an eternal boy who loves adventure and play, and his bravery and innocence are his charms. However, there are scenes where his carelessness angers Wendy, and he is portrayed as a character full of humanity. While Wendy is a mother to the children and takes good care of them, she can also be frightening when she gets angry, and her growth and change enrich the story.

John and Michael each have their own unique personalities, and the story depicts John's first love and Michael's growth. John's change of heart in particular is an episode that symbolizes his growth and resonates with viewers. Tinker Bell, a fairy who loves Peter Pan, is memorable for her jealousy towards Wendy and her courageous actions. The children of Neverland, Carly, Tortles, and Slightly, also have their own unique personalities that add excitement to the story.

Captain Hook is a villain who tries to take over Neverland, but his humorous, slightly absent-minded nature makes him a beloved character among viewers. Captain Smee's gentle personality is also memorable, as he shows kindness to children despite being a pirate.

Production Details

This work is unique in that it is the only one in the World Masterpiece Theater series whose main setting is the fictional country of Neverland. In order to differentiate it from Disney works, the colors and designs of the characters are carefully chosen. In particular, the way Tinker Bell glows was carefully designed during filming, making for a visually stunning production.

It is also worth noting that, despite being a weekly TV series, the number of drawings is greater than in other works. This highlights the smoothness of the movements and the beauty of the backgrounds, providing viewers with a high-quality anime experience. The attention to detail of the staff, including director Masao Kuroda, enhances the overall quality of the work.

The appeal of music

The theme song "Once Again Peter Pan" and the ending theme "Open Sesame!" are written by Yasushi Akimoto, composed by Yoshimasa Inoue, and sung by Yuuyu. These songs symbolize the story's themes of dreams and adventure, and resonate with viewers. In particular, the opening theme "Once Again Peter Pan" leaves a strong impression on viewers with its memorable lyrics and melody that inspire Peter Pan's adventurous spirit.

Related works and influences

"Peter Pan's Adventures" is a masterpiece of fantasy animation, and its influence can be seen in later works. In particular, it has influenced works that emphasize fantasy elements, such as "Fantastic Children." The Peter Pan character continues to be loved by many people and is featured in various media.

Recommendation to viewers

"Peter Pan's Adventures" is a fantasy animation that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The adventurous spirit of the eternal boy Peter Pan and the thrilling events in Neverland give viewers dreams and hope. Watching it with the family will stimulate children's imaginations and deepen family bonds. Fans of the original work can also enjoy a new world of Peter Pan that is different from the Disney version.

This work has remained popular for over 30 years since it was first broadcast in 1989. Please experience the adventures of Peter Pan. A world of dreams and adventure awaits you.