Nippon Animation Co., Ltd. (日本アニメーション株式会社, Nippon Animēshon Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese animation studio.[2] The company is headquartered in Tokyo, with chief offices in the Ginza district of Chūō and production facilities in Tama City.
Quick Facts Native name, Romanized name ...
Nippon Animation Co., Ltd.![Thumb](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f6/Nippon_Animation_logo.png/200px-Nippon_Animation_logo.png) |
![Thumb](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Nippon_Animation_Tama_Studio_2023-09-18.jpg/220px-Nippon_Animation_Tama_Studio_2023-09-18.jpg) Nippon Animation's Tama Studio, the head office |
Native name | 日本アニメーション株式会社 |
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| Nippon Animēshon |
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Company type | Kabushiki gaisha |
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Industry | Japanese animation |
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Founded | April 1969; 55 years ago (April 1969) (as Zuiyō Eizō) June 3, 1975; 49 years ago (1975-06-03) (as Nippon Animation) |
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Founder | Kōichi Motohashi |
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Headquarters | Koganei, Tokyo, Japan |
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Number of employees | 76 (as of March 2022[update])[1] |
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Website | www.nippon-animation.co.jp/ |
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Nippon Animation is known for producing numerous anime series based on works of Western literature such as Anne of Green Gables and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, co-founders of Studio Ghibli, directed several episodes in the World Masterpiece Theater series.
Early History (as Zuiyo Eizo)
What is now Nippon Animation is descended from Zuiyo Eizo (or Zuiyo Enterprise), an animation studio founded in April 1969 by TCJ former manager Shigeto Takahashi.[3] The studio produced several popular series in the early and mid-1970s, including 1974's Heidi, Girl of the Alps, an adaptation of Johanna Spyri's popular children's book Heidi.[4] The Heidi anime was enormously popular in Japan (and later in Europe, and the feature-length edit of the TV series saw a U.S. VHS release in 1985). Zuiyo Eizo soon found itself in financial trouble because of the high production costs of a series (presumably Maya the Bee) it was attempting to sell to the European market.
Modern History (as Nippon Animation)
In 1975, Zuiyo Eizo was split into two entities: Zuiyo, which absorbed the debt and the rights to the Heidi anime, and Nippon Animation, which was essentially Zuiyo Eizo's production staff (including Miyazaki and Takahata). Officially, Nippon Animation Co., Ltd. was established on 3 June 1975 by company president Kōichi Motohashi. The newly rechristened Nippon Animation found success right away with Maya the Bee and A Dog of Flanders (both of which began as Zuiyō Eizō productions), which became the first entry in the World Masterpiece Theater series to be produced under the Nippon Animation name. Hayao Miyazaki left Nippon Animation in 1979 in the middle of the production of Anne of Green Gables to make the Lupin III feature The Castle of Cagliostro.
In addition to the World Masterpiece Theater series, Nippon Animation has also produced many other series based on Western works of literature, as well as original works and adaptations of Japanese manga. Especially, until Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (1992), its peak of productions based on Western works of literature. Many of these are included in the list of the studio's works below.
Of the studio's productions not based on Western literature, the most popular is undoubtedly Chibi Maruko-chan (1990), based on the popular manga by Momoko Sakura. At its peak, this slice-of-life anime about an unusually intelligent elementary-school-aged girl and her family and friends managed an audience rating of nearly 40%, making it one of the highest-rated anime series ever (and the highest-rated anime program in Japanese history at the time).
World Masterpiece Theater series
Other TV series
- Vicky the Viking (小さなバイキング ビッケ, Chiisana Viking Vikke) – 1974–1975 (eps. 53-78, property of Zuiyo)
- Maya the Honey Bee (みつばちマーヤの冒険, Mitsubachi Māya no Bōken) – 1975–1976 (began as Zuiyo Eizo production)
- Laura, The Prairie Girl (草原の少女ローラ, Sōgen no shōjo Rōra (Laura, Girl of the Prairies)) – 1975
- Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures (Arabian Naitsu: Shinbaddo No Bôken) – 1975
- The Adventures of Piccolino (Pikorīno no Bōken) – 1976
- Little Lulu and Her Little Friends (Little Lulu to Chicchai Nakama) – 1976
- Monarch: The Big Bear of Tallac (Kuma no Ko Jacky) – 1977
- Future Boy Conan (Mirai Shonen Conan) – 1978, a Hayao Miyazaki work
- Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel (Seton Dobutsuki Risu no Banner) – 1979
- Ruy, the Little Cid (Little El Cid no Bouken) – 1980, co-production with BRB Internacional
- Heart (Cuore): An Italian Schoolboy's Journal (Ai no Gakko Cuore Monogatari) – 1981
- Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds (Wanwan Sanjushi, The Three Musketeers) – 1981; co-production with BRB Internacional (Madrid, Spain)
- The New Adventures of Maya the Bee (Shin Mitsubachi Maaya no Boken) – 1982
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Fushigi no Kuni no Arisu) – 1983
- Around the World with Willy Fog (Anime 80 Sekai Isshu) – 1983 (In Spain), 1987 (In Japan); co-production with BRB Internacional
- Manga Aesop's Fables – 1983
- Bosco Adventure (Bosco Daiboken) – 1986
- Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics (Grimm Meisaku Gekijo) – 1987–1988
- New Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics (Shin Grimm Meisaku Gekijo) – 1988–1989
- Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli (2 October 1989 – 29 October 1990)
- Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (Kaze no Naka no Shojo Kinptasu no Jeannie) – 1992
TV series
- Dokaben (6 October 1976 – 26 December 1979)
- Attack on Tomorrow (4 April 1977 – 5 September 1977)
- Blocker Gundan 4 Machine Blaster – 1977 (co-production with Ashi Productions)
- Ginguiser (Chogattai Majutsu Robot Ginguiser) (co-production with Ashi Productions) – 1977
- I'm Teppei (Ore wa Teppei) – 1977
- Charlotte (Wakakusa no Charlotte) – 1977
- The Casebook of Charlotte Holmes (Angie Girl, Jouo Heika no Petite Angie) – 1977
- Poetry of the Baseball Enthusiasts (Yakyū-kyō no Uta) (23 December 1977 – 26 March 1979)
- Haikara-san ga Tōru (Smart-san, Mademoiselle Anne) – 1978
- Highschool Baseball Ninja (Ikkyu-san) – 1978
- Misha the Bear Cub (Koguma no Misha) – 1979
- Seton Dobutsuki Risu no Banner – 1979
- Sanpei the Fisherman (Fisherman Sanpei) – 1980
- Fútbol en acción – 1981 (co-production with Estudio Equip, BRB Internacional and Televisión Española)
- The Many Dream Journeys of Meme – 1983
- Noozles (Fushigi na Koara Burinkii, Blinky and Printy) – 1984
- Elves of the Forest (Mori no Tonto Tachi) – 1984 (co-production with Shaft)
- Bumpety Boo (Hey! Bumboo) – 1985
- Spaceship Sagittarius (Uchuusen Sagittarius) – 1986
- Animated Classics of Japanese Literature (Seishun Anime Zenshū) (25 April 1986 – 26 December 1986 )
- Topo Gigio – 1988
- Dagon in the Land of Weeds – 1988
- Chibi Maruko-chan – 1990
- Pygmalio – 1990
- Top Striker (Moero! Top Striker) – 1991
- Christopher Columbus – 1992 co-production with Mondo TV
- Mikan's Picture Diary (Mikan Enikki) – 1992
- Papuwa-kun (Nangoku Shonen Papuwa-kun) – 1992
- Bow: Modern Dog Tales (Heisei Inu Monogatari Bau) (14 October 1993 – 22 September 1994)
- Dragon League – 1993
- Muka Muka Paradise – 1993
- Miracle Girls – 1993 (as Japan Taps)
- Mahojin Guru Guru – 1994
- Pig Girl of Love and Courage: Tonde Burin – 1994
- Yamato Takeru – 1994
- Romeo's Blue Skies – 1995
- Mama Loves the Poyopoyo-Saurus – 1995
- Grander Musashi – 1997
- Duck Caen – 1997
- Cooking Master Boy (Chūka Ichiban!) – 1997
- Coji-Coji (Sakura Momoko Gekijo: Koji-Koji) – 1997; from the creator of Chibi Maruko-chan, Momoko Sakura
- Ten-Ten-Kun (Hanasaki Tenshi Ten-Ten-kun) – 1998
- Inventor Boy Kanipan (Hatsumei Boy Kanipan) – 1998
- Xenon Football Sign – 1999
- Shuukan! Story Land – 1999
- Hunter × Hunter – 1999
- Corrector Yui – 1999
- Bikkuriman 2000 – 1999
- Taiga Adventure (Mirai Shonen Conan II: Taiga no Daiboken) – 1999; a remake of Future Boy Conan directed by Hayao Miyazaki's former assistant, Keiji Hayakawa, but featuring a new cast of characters
- Marcelino Pan y Vino – 2000 (Japan-Spain co-production; title is Spanish for "Marcelino, bread and wine")
- Mahōjin Guru Guru – April 2000, TV Tokyo
- Princess Comet (Cosmic Baton Girl Comet-san) – 2001; based on a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, creator of Tetsujin 28-go and Sally, the Witch
- Dennou Boukenki Webdiver – 2001 (co-production with Radix)
- Daigunder – 2002 (co-production with Brains Base)
- Hungry Heart: Wild Striker – 2002–2003, Animax
- Papuwa – September 2003, TV Tokyo
- Sore Ike! Zukkoke Sannin Gumi – April 2004, TV Tokyo
- Fantastic Children – October 2004, TV Tokyo
- Mix Master – 2005 (Japan-Korea co-production with Sunwoo Entertainment and KBS)
- Pokapoka Mori no Rascal – 2006, Sequel of Araiguma Rascal
- Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge – 2006
- Antique Bakery – 2008
- Hyakko – 2008
- Hakushon Daimaō 2020 – 2020 (co-production with Tatsunoko Production)
- Let's Make a Mug Too – 2021
- Love All Play – 2022 (co-production with OLM)
- Ao no Orchestra – 2023
Original video animations
It is a department of Nippon Animation that had a partnership with famous toy company Takara on some anime.[citation needed]
Kato, Yoshihiko (2010). 作曲家・渡辺岳夫の肖像 ハイジ、ガンダムの音楽を作った男 (P-Vine Books). Blues Interactions. p. 101.