by Anyone over 50 should understand this.
In January 1975, the anime Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi (NET TV/now TV Asahi) began broadcasting, and it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025. The program will end in March but restart on the TBS network in January 1976. As a regular program, it will become a long-loved national anime until September 1994.
By the way, when you saw the title, did you wonder, “Why is it called “Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi” even though the program is “anime”? When you hear “manga,” most people probably think of paper books. There is a clear reason for this. “Because “anime” was once called “TV manga.” For example, the movie “Toei Manga Matsuri” has the same reason. So why did the term “TV manga” come about? It is common knowledge that “manga” was initially viewed as a paper print.
The manga was made into a TV program, so it was called “TV manga.” In other words, most hero programs for children, including anime animated by drawing manga on cels and “Kamen Rider,” a live-action special effects version of the manga, were lumped together as “TV manga.” “Animation” was originally a general term for the technique of creating movement using multiple still images, and it was already called “anime” when Osamu Tezuka first aired “Astro Boy” on TV in 1963. However, “anime” was a so-called industry term that was not commonly used.
The times changed with the “anime boom” that began in 1975. That year, “Space Battleship Yamato” became popular with reruns, and the word “anime” began to be used in magazines and other media. In 1978, a specialized anime magazine called “Monthly Animage” appeared, and after the boom of “Mobile Suit Gundam” in 1979, the term “TV manga” disappeared. This is a simple explanation, but I hope you understand why it is called “Manga Japanese Folk Tales” even though it is anime. Finally, I introduce some trivia about “Manga Japanese Folk Tales.” ‘
In January 1975, the first episode was “The Hump-Removing Old Man.” When it was restarted in January 1976, the first episode was “Issun-boshi.” One thousand four hundred sixty-six episodes were broadcast until August 1994. There are about 60,000 old tales (folk tales, fables, etc.) in Japan, but it is unclear whether all the stories broadcast were old Japanese. Quite a few stories are ethically prohibited, so many of them have been dramatized. Some are completely original.
Only two voice actors, Ichihara Etsuko and Tsuneda Fujio, are involved in all the episodes. On the day of recording, the parts are divided while looking at the script, and the footage is watched once during rehearsal before the actual performance. Ichihara said, “I’ll voice anything and everything, animals, humans, minerals, plants, stones lying around, even poop.” At the most, he voiced more than 10 people in one episode. The ending song is famous for “Ningentte Iina,” but there are seven different songs.
