Little Women (1981 TV series)

This article is about the 1981 animated adaptation by Toei Animation. For the 1987 animated adaptation by Nippon Animation, see Tales of Little Women. For other uses, see Little Women (disambiguation).
Little Women
The March sisters, clockwise from lower right: Jo, Amy, Beth, and Meg.
若草の四姉妹
(Wakakusa no Yon Shimai)
GenreRomance, school
Anime television series
Directed byKazuya Miyazaki
Produced byJuzo Tsubota
Written byEiichi Imado
Music byTakeo Watanabe
StudioToei Animation
Kokusai Eiga-sha
Original networkTokyo Channel 12
Original run April 7, 1981 – September 29, 1981
Episodes26

Little Women, also known as Little Women's Four Sisters (若草の四姉妹, Wakakusa no Yon Shimai) or From "Little Women Story": Little Women's Four Sisters (「若草物語」より 若草の四姉妹, "Wakakusa Monogatari" Yori: Wakakusa no Yon Shimai), is a 1981 Japanese animated television series adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868-69 two-volume novel Little Women. The series is directed by Kazuya Miyazaki (a veteran Toei director whose credits included Cutie Honey and UFO Robo Grendizer among others) and produced by Toei Animation for the Kokusai Eiga-sha (Movie International) company.

The series was produced as a follow-up to a TV special based on Alcott's novel the previous year by the same animation studio. The TV series character designs differ slightly of those of the TV special; Jo, for example, while she is blonde in both versions, has curled hair rather than straight hair in the TV series.

This series is sometimes confused with Nippon Animation's 1987 World Masterpiece Theater TV series Tales of Little Women, as both series were dubbed in English and broadcast on U.S. cable TV in the 1980s (the 1981 series on CBN, and the 1987 series on HBO). In addition, both TV series share a voice actress: Keiko Han, who plays Beth in this TV series, and Meg in the 1987 series.

Characters

Jo (ジョー, Jō)
Voiced by: Mami Koyama
Meg (メグ, Megu)
Voiced by: Yuko Takagi
Beth (ベス, Besu)
Voiced by: Keiko Han
Amy (エミー, Emī)
Voiced by: Chiyoko Kawashima
Father (父, Chichi)
Voiced by: Takashi Tanaka
Mother (母, Haha)
Voiced by: Akiko Tsuboi
Hannah (ハンナ, Hanna)
Voiced by: Nana Yamaguchi
Lawrence (ローレンス, Rōrensu)
Voiced by: Yonehiko Kitagawa
Laurie (ローリー, Rōrī)
Voiced by: Tsubasa Shioya
Narrator (ナレーター, Narētā)
Voiced by: Taeko Nakanishi

Production

Staff

  • Series director: Kazuya Miyazaki
  • Script: Eiichi Imado
  • Character designs: Joji Kikuchi
  • Animation directors: Joji Kikuchi, Takeshi Shirado
  • Backgrounds: Tadami Shimokawa

Music

  • Openings
  1. "Where There's Happiness" (しあわせさがして, Shiawase Sagashite)
    • April 7, 1981 - September 29, 1981
    • Lyricist: Jun Takita / Composer: Takeo Watanabe / Arranger: Yushi Matsuyama / Singers: Mitsue Kondo
    • Episodes: 1-26
  • Endings
  1. "Jo's Dream" (ジョーの夢, Jō no Yume)
    • April 7, 1981 - September 29, 1981
    • Lyricist: Juzo Tsubota, Jun Takita / Composer: Takeo Watanabe / Arranger: Yushi Matsuyama / Singers: Mitsue Kondo
    • Episodes: 1-26

Broadcast

This TV series aired on Tokyo Channel 12 from April 7 to September 29, 1981, totaling 26 episodes. It aired from 18:00 to 18:30 on Tuesdays. While this series has been released on VHS, it has not been released on DVD in Japan due to the original film negatives being damaged.

# Title Original airdate
1"Christmas Eve in the March House"
Transliteration: "Māchi Ka no Kurisumasu Ibu" (Japanese: マーチ家のクリスマスイブ)		April 7, 1981 (1981-04-07)
2"Angels in Boots"
Transliteration: "Nagagutsu wo Haita Tenshi" (Japanese: 長靴をはいた天使)		April 14, 1981 (1981-04-14)
3"Jo's Boyfriend"
Transliteration: "Jō no Bōifurendo" (Japanese: ジョーのボーイフレンド)		April 21, 1981 (1981-04-21)
4"Beth's Transformation"
Transliteration: "Besu no Henshin" (Japanese: ベスの変身)		April 28, 1981 (1981-04-28)
5"Stuck-up Amy's Expulsion Incident"
Transliteration: "Kidori-ya Emī no Taigaku Jiken" (Japanese: 気取り屋エミーの退学事件)		May 5, 1981 (1981-05-05)
6"Confrontation: Jo VS Amy"
Transliteration: "Tairitsu: Jō Tai Emī" (Japanese: 対立・ジョーVSエミー)		May 12, 1981 (1981-05-12)
7"Dance at the Lawrence Home"
Transliteration: "Rōrensu Ka no Budōkai" (Japanese: ローレンス家の舞踏会)		May 19, 1981 (1981-05-19)
8"Meg Caught in a Trap"
Transliteration: "Wana ni Hamatta Megu" (Japanese: 罠にはまったメグ)		May 26, 1981 (1981-05-26)
9"Editorial Meeting in the Attic"
Transliteration: "Yaneura no Henshū Kaigi" (Japanese: 屋根裏の編集会議)		June 2, 1981 (1981-06-02)
10"Jo's Cooking Duty"
Transliteration: "Jō no Ryōri Tōban" (Japanese: ジョーの料理当番)		June 9, 1981 (1981-06-09)
11"Picnic"
Transliteration: "Pikunikku" (Japanese: ピクニック)		June 16, 1981 (1981-06-16)
12"Laurie's Troubles"
Transliteration: "Rōrī no Nayami" (Japanese: ローリーの悩み)		June 23, 1981 (1981-06-23)
13"A Group of Refugees"
Transliteration: "Nanmin no Mure" (Japanese: 難民の群れ)		June 30, 1981 (1981-06-30)
14"Beth and the Canary"
Transliteration: "Besu to Kanariya" (Japanese: ベスとカナリヤ)		July 7, 1981 (1981-07-07)
15"Jo's Secret"
Transliteration: "Jō no Himitsu" (Japanese: ジョーの秘密)		July 14, 1981 (1981-07-14)
16"Meg is Now an Adult"
Transliteration: "Otona ni Natta Megu" (Japanese: おとなになったメグ)		July 21, 1981 (1981-07-21)
17"Mrs. March Chooses a Foster Daughter"
Transliteration: "Māchi Oba-san no Yōjo Erabi" (Japanese: マーチ伯母さんの養女選び)		July 28, 1981 (1981-07-28)
18"The Field Hospital Raised in Town"
Transliteration: "Machi ni Dekita Yasen Byōin" (Japanese: 町にできた野戦病院)		August 4, 1981 (1981-08-04)
19"Lawrence's Tales of Old Times"
Transliteration: "Rōrensu-san no Mukashi Banashi" (Japanese: ローレンスさんの昔ばなし)		August 11, 1981 (1981-08-11)
20"Jo's Fantasy"
Transliteration: "Jō no Fantajī" (Japanese: ジョーのファンタジー)		August 18, 1981 (1981-08-18)
21"Jo's Fantasy 2"
Transliteration: "Jō no Fantajī Tsū" (Japanese: ジョーのファンタジー2)		August 25, 1981 (1981-08-25)
22"Ominous Telegram"
Transliteration: "Fukitsuna Denpō" (Japanese: 不吉な電報)		September 1, 1981 (1981-09-01)
23"Don't Die Beth"
Transliteration: "Besu Shinanai de" (Japanese: ベス死なないで)		September 8, 1981 (1981-09-08)
24"Angel's Lullaby"
Transliteration: "Tenshi no Komoriuta" (Japanese: 天使の子守唄)		September 15, 1981 (1981-09-15)
25"Amy's Will"
Transliteration: "Emī no Igonjō" (Japanese: エミーの遺言状)		September 22, 1981 (1981-09-22)
26"Spring in Concord"
Transliteration: "Konkōdo no Haru" (Japanese: コンコードの春)		September 29, 1981 (1981-09-29)

See also