known in some countries as ''Hela Supergirl'', is a Japanese
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series by
Shotaro Ishinomori
was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and , creating several immensely popular long-running series such as '' Cyborg 009,'' the ''Super Sentai'' series (later adapted into the ''Power Rangers'' series), ...
. It was originally named , but was changed in 1971 when
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
adapted it into an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
called ''Sarutobi Ecchan''. The anime lasted 26 episodes. It has yet to be released on DVD in America; however, the series has been released on DVD in Japan.
Ecchan appears to be a normal young girl, but appearances can be deceptive. She is descended from the great ninja
Sasuke Sarutobi
is a ninja who appears in kōdan narrative art and fictional writings. The nickname is generally believed to have been concocted from Meiji to the Taishō period. Some argue he is based on real live personages, such as and . His family name, ...
, and possesses ninja skills of her own. Ecchan is also capable of all sorts of extraordinary feats: she can communicate with animals, possesses hypnotic and telepathic abilities, and is stronger and more intelligent than normal girls of her age. But despite all this, Ecchan is still only a young girl, and like any young girl she makes mistakes. But with the help of her friends Miko, Taihei and her dog Buku, everything always turns out right.
Since it was cancelled due to low ratings, the series was unsuccessful to continue its run, and there is not a proper ending for Ecchan. The last episode focuses around an American Ecchan doppelganger named Eiko, who wants nothing more than to see Mount Fuji.
Episode List
# ''The Strange Transfer Student''
# ''My Home''
# ''Mama Comes to School''
# ''My First Field Day/Ah, Friendship''
# ''There, There, Ababa''
# ''Where is Buku?/The Happy Couple''
# ''The Boy From The Stars''
# ''My Nearby Homeland''
# ''Goodbye and Farewell''
# ''A Mother's Hand''
# ''Even If I'm Small''
# ''I Love Christmas''
# ''Song of The Snowy Mountains''
# ''Look Here, Woof Woof/The Fun Ecchan Playing Card Game''
# ''My Beloved Marie''
# ''My Animal Language Classroom''
# ''My Seven Colored Dreams, My Movie Dreams''
# ''Devils out, Happiness In!''
# ''Buku and Chibimaru''
# ''Father's Home Economics''
# ''The Strange, Strange Assistant''
# ''Oh, God!!''
# ''The Dreamy Girl''
# ''The Small Garden''
# ''Etsuko, The Wolf Girl''
# ''Etsuko Times Two''
References
External links
石森プロ公式ホームページ , さるとびエッちゃんさるとびエッちゃん - TOEI ANIMATION*
1964 manga
1971 anime television series debuts
1972 anime films
Comedy anime and manga
Magical girl anime and manga
Shotaro Ishinomori
Toei Animation television
TV Asahi original programming
1970s animated short films
Anime short films
1972 Japanese television series endings
Anime series based on manga
Shōjo manga
Shueisha manga
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