The Adventures of the Little Prince is an anime series based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Made by the animation studio Knack Productions, the series, originally titled The Prince of the Stars: Le Petit Prince (星の王子さま プチ・プランス, Hoshi no Ōjisama Puchi Puransu), aired in Japan on the TV Asahi network from July 1978 to March 1979. Dubbed into English, the series premiered in the United States in 1985 on Nickelodeon and was rerun through June 1, 1985 to December 29, 1989.[2] It was also broadcast on TVOntario throughout the 1980s beginning in 1985,[3] a station that would later pick up the dub of the 2010 French adaptation. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, of Mobile Suit Gundam fame, was involved in this series as a director.
| The Adventures of the Little Prince | |
.jpg) Poster from the first DVD box of the series depicting the main characters | |
| 星の王子さま プチ・プランス (Hoshi no Ōjisama Puchi Puransu) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Kōji Yamazaki Takeyuki Kanda |
| Produced by | Hiromichi Mogaki Hiroshi Hashioka |
| Written by | Akira Adachi Eiichi Tachi Haruya Yamazaki Keiko Sugie Masaaki Sakurai Susumu Yoshida Takeo Kaneko Tomomi Tsutsui Toyohiro Andō Tsunehisa Itō Yoshiaki Yoshida |
| Music by | Kunihiro Kawano |
| Studio | Knack Productions |
| Licensed by | [1] |
| Original network | ANN (ABC, TV Asahi) |
| English network | |
| Original run | July 4, 1978 – March 27, 1979 |
| Episodes | 39 (35 on Japanese TV; 26 in English dub) |
In total, there were 26 episodes aired in English, with 39 episodes made for the original Japanese run. Discotek Media picked up the North American license for the anime in 2017.[1] In May and December of that same year, Discotek Media has uploaded a Japanese language (with English subtitles) of the first episode on YouTube, and all 39 episodes of the Japanese language version (with English subtitles) on Crunchyroll.[4][5]
According to The Anime Encyclopedia by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy, only the first 35 episodes were actually aired on Japanese TV; the remaining four episodes remained unreleased until the series was reissued on video.
Plot
editThe series followed the Little Prince as he travels on a comet from his home planet, B-612, to Earth. He lands in Europe and embarks on a journey across the continent, where he helps various people along the way.[6]
The premise was altered for the English version. It had the Little Prince traveling to Earth and planets that resembled it and returning home at the end of each episode, and helped people at the various places he went to. In addition to the premise, episode plots were also altered. Ever since Discotek Media acquiring the anime license in North America, all 39 episodes can now be watched on Crunchyroll in Japanese with English subtitles.
Episodes
edit| No. | Original title[a] | English title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "My Home, a Tiny Planet" "Furusato no chisana hoshi" (ふるさとの小さな星) | "Somewhere in Space" | July 4, 1978 |
| 2 | "Friendship in the Desert" "Sabaku no yūjō" (砂漠の友情) | "A Small Alien" | July 11, 1978 |
| 3 | "Earth, the Green Planet" (みどりの星・地球) | N/A | July 18, 1978 |
| 4 | "Morning Shining with Life" (命かがやく朝) | "Visit to Another Planet" | July 25, 1978 |
| 5 | "Light of the Heart" (心のともしび) | "A Light in the Storm" | August 1, 1978 |
| 6 | "Even So, Stars Twinkle" (それでも星はまたたく) | "The Star Gazer" | August 8, 1978 |
| 7 | "The Castle Floating on the Sea" (海に浮かぶ城) | N/A | August 15, 1978 |
| 8 | "On the Bank of the Lake" (湖のほとりで) | "The Wolf Pack" | August 22, 1978 |
| 9 | "Small Promise" (小さな約束) | "The Wishing Stone" | August 29, 1978 |
| 10 | "Sound of the Flute Across the Lake" (湖をわたる笛の音) | "Play it Again, Sean!" | September 5, 1978 |
| 11 | "Dandelions and the Girl" (タンポポと少女) | "What Makes Mitzi Mean?" | September 12, 1978 |
| 12 | "Hero from the Mountain" (山から来た英雄) | "Too Big for This World" | September 26, 1978 |
| 13 | "Red Roses Tie Together Two Hearts" (心を結ぶ赤いバラ) | "Always Listen to a Fox" | October 3, 1978 |
| 14 | "The Rose Captain" (バラの船長さん) | "Last Voyage of the Rose" | October 10, 1978 |
| 15 | "The Rainbow, the Boy and the Bandits" (虹と少年と盗賊と) | "Rob the Rainbow" | October 17, 1978 |
| 16 | "Sea of Flying Gulls" (カモメとぶ海) | "On Wings of Love" | October 24, 1978 |
| 17 | "Nature's Friendship" (大自然の友情) | "A Different World" | October 31, 1978 |
| 18 | "Violets in the Attic" (屋根裏のスミレ) | "The Chimney Sweep" | November 7, 1978 |
| 19 | "Nostalgic Telescope" (なつかしい遠メガネ) | "The Magic Case" | November 14, 1978 |
| 20 | "Star in the Palm of My Hand" (手のひらの星) | "Hitch Onto Halley's Comet" | November 21, 1978 |
| 21 | "The Exhilarating Wooden Horse Race" (爽快！木馬レース) | "The Winning Ride" | November 28, 1978 |
| 22 | "Father and Son in the Storm" (嵐の中の父と子) | "Shipwreck!" | December 5, 1978 |
| 23 | "Grandfather Simon's Presents" (シモンじいさんの贈り物) | "The Greatest Gift" | December 19, 1978 |
| 24 | "The Man Who Digs for a Dream" (夢を掘る男) | "The Perfect Planet" | January 9, 1979 |
| 25 | "Fly Over the Mountain Range in a Balloon!" (飛べ気球！山脈をこえて) | "Higher Than Eagles Fly" | January 16, 1979 |
| 26 | "Little Flowers on Mount Rowen" (ローエン山の小さな花) | "Erase All Beauty" | January 23, 1979 |
| 27 | "Run, Steam Locomotive!" (走れ！機関車) | N/A | January 30, 1979 |
| 28 | "Lullabye Plant of Love" (愛のララバイ草) | N/A | February 6, 1979 |
| 29 | "When the Aurora Glows" (オーロラの輝くとき) | "To Be a Man" | February 13, 1979 |
| 30 | "The Adventure of the SS Dream (Part 1)" (ドリーム号の冒険 ―前編―) | N/A | February 20, 1979 |
| 31 | "The Adventure of the SS Dream (Part 2)" (ドリーム号の冒険 ―後編―) | N/A | February 27, 1979 |
| 32 | "I Want to Go Back to My Planet" (星へ帰りたい) | N/A | March 6, 1979 |
| 33 | "Fly, SS Shooting Star!" (飛べ流星号！) | N/A | March 13, 1979 |
| 34 | "The Vanished Village at the Bottom of the Lake" (湖底に消えた村) | N/A | March 20, 1979 |
| 35 | "Bridge of Friendship" (友情の橋) | N/A | March 27, 1979 |
| 36 | "Sculptor of the Forest" (森の彫刻師) | N/A | N/A |
| 37 | "Hero Hills" (勇者の丘) | N/A | N/A |
| 38 | "The Violin that Sings in the Heart" (心にうたうヴァイオリン) | "The Dancing Bear" | N/A |
| 39 | "Goodnight, Prince" (おやすみなさい王子さま) | N/A | N/A |
Voices
edit| Character | Japanese voice | English voice |
|---|---|---|
| Little Prince | Taiki Matsuno | Julie Dees, Katie Leigh |
| Rose Girl | Yoshiko Matsuo | Janet Waldo |
| Swifty (Bird) | Hiroshi Masuoka | Hal Smith |
| Saten | Keiko Yokozawa | |
| Boss | Kazue Takahashi | |
| Peter | Kaoru Kurosu | |
| Old Man | Minoru Yada | |
| Danya | Janet Waldo | |
| Narrator | Masaaki Yajima |
Additional English voices
edit- Jack Angel
- Peter Cullen
- Walker Edmiston
- Robert Ridgely
- Janet Waldo
- Pamela Ziolowski
DVD releases
editIn September 2005, Koch Vision released a 4-disc DVD of the entire English series in Region 1. Koch Vision has subsequently begun releasing the series in Volumes each containing 3 or 4 episodes each, which sell at a lower cost than the complete series.
Discotek Media released all 26 episodes of the English dub on DVD on October 31, 2017. Later on December 6, Discotek Media uploaded the first episode of the Japanese version with English subtitles to YouTube,[4] and on May 16, 2019, the entire Japanese version was added to Crunchyroll.[7][5] The anime later made its debut on Retrocrush.[8]
| DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete Animated Series | 26 | September 6, 2005 |
| The complete English language series | 26 | October 31, 2017 |
In September 2019, the English dub of the series was made available on Amazon Prime.
See also
edit- List of The Little Prince adaptations, a listing of The Little Prince story adapted into various media.
- The Little Prince (1974 film), a 1974 musical film directed by Stanley Donen
- The Little Prince (2015 film), a 2015 animated fantasy film directed by Mark Osborne
- The Little Prince (play), a theatrical adaptation
- The Little Prince (opera), an opera in two acts by Rachel Portman to an English libretto by Nicholas Wright
- The Little Prince and the Aviator, a 1981 musical theatre adaptation
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry category listing of articles
Notes
edit- ^ Translated episode titles are taken from Crunchyroll.
References
edit- Citations
- ^ a b Ressler, Karen (17 July 2017). "Discotek Licenses Magical Canan, The Adventures of the Little Prince Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ Collins, Glen. From Kubrick To Saint-Exupery: The Adventures of the Little Prince, The New York Times. April 14, 1985. p.30. Accessed August 4, 2009.
- ^ TVOntario 1989 commercial
- ^ a b "Discotek Posts The Adventures of the Little Prince Anime's 1st Episode With English Subtitles". Anime News Network. December 7, 2017. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
- ^ a b Luster, Joseph (May 16, 2019). "Kimagure Orange Road and More Join Crunchyroll's Anime Catalog". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
Four more titles are set to launch as part of Crunchyroll's anime catalog TODAY! This batch includes Photon the Idiot Adventures, Psybuster, The Adventures of the Little Prince, and Kimagure Orange Road.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 68–69. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ "The Adventures of the Little Prince - Watch on Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- ^ "RetroCrush Adds Ramen Fighter Miki, Little Prince, Love Hina Again, More Anime". Anime News Network. November 27, 2020. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
Digital Rights Media announced on Thursday the new titles and release dates for the anime titles that will stream on its RetroCrush streaming service in December. The titles will launch on consecutive Fridays in December: The Adventures of the Little Prince - December 18
- Bibliography
- The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, 2nd ed.
- The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917, by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy
External links
edit- Hoshi no Ojisama Petit Prince (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- The Adventures of the Little Prince at IMDb
- Danya y Little Prince on toonarific.com