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 ...

written and illustrated by Shunji Sonoyama. It spawned two other manga, two

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 ...

television series, a

television drama In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

, and an anime

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

. The first TV series mark the debut of

Joe Hisaishi , known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore ...

, composer of ''

My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film—which stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi—tells the story o ...

'' and ''

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distrib ...

''. The official English title is Gon, The Stone-Age Boy.

Media

Manga

It was first published from 1965 to 1975 in

Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha is a Japanese publishing company founded on June 10, 1897. Magazines Monthly *''Body+'' *''Comic Candoll'' *''GarrRV'' *''Garuru'' *''Misty'' *''Monthly Bijutsu'' *''Monthly J-novel'' *''Waggle'' Quarterly *''Kabuka Yohō'' *''NAIL VENUS'' Def ...

's '' Weekly Manga Sunday'', and spawned two

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

manga: the first, entitled and illustrated by Hideo Shinoda, was published in

Gakken is a Japanese publishing company founded in 1947 by Hideto Furuoka, which also produces educational toys. Their annual sales is reported at ¥ 90 billion ($789 million US). Gakken publishes educational books and magazines and produces other ...

's ''Gakushū Magazine'' in 1966; the second, entitled , was published by

Shogakukan is a Japanese publisher of dictionaries, literature, comics ( manga), non-fiction, DVDs, and other media in Japan. Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the ...

's ''Gakunen Magazine'' in 1974. Shunji Sonoyama won the 1976

Bungeishunjū Manga Award The was an annual award established in 1955 and given out by Bungeishunjū in Japan for gag, , one-panel, and satirical manga. The award was also given out for works considered the magnum opus of manga creators. Past winners of the award includ ...

for his work on the manga series.

Anime series

The third manga was adapted by

Tokyo Movie , formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946. TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as ''Lupin the Third'', ...

into a homonymous

television series consisting in 77 episodes, which was broadcast on ABC between October 5, 1974, and March 27, 1976. Another anime was produced; this time Studio Pierrot adapted the second manga into a series directed by Yutaka Kagawa that originally ran from April 3, 1996, to January 22, 1997, in NHK-BS2.

Cast

;''First Human Giatrus'' *Gon: Hiroko Maruyama *Father:

Kaneta Kimotsuki was a Japanese actor and voice actor who was most known for the roles of Takeshi Goda before Suneo Honekawa in Fujiko F. Fujio's Doraemon. Career During his life he had been attached to TBS broadcast theater company and then Aoni Production ...

*Mother:

Keiko Hanagata was a Japanese voice actress who worked for 81 Produce is a voice talent management firm in Japan founded on 3 February 1981 (thus the year is the company's namesake). A hybrid CD-ROM featuring voice talent data for members of 81 Produce wa ...

*Dotechin:

Kazuya Tatekabe was a Japanese actor and voice actor. He was born in Kimobetsu, Hokkaidō. He was represented by Kenyu Horiuchi's Kenyu Office at the time of his death. He was most known for the roles of Jaian (''Doraemon''), Walsa ('' Time Bokan''), and Tonzu ...

*Piko-chan:

Rihoko Yoshida is a businessperson and a former Japanese voice actress. Among her most noteworthy roles are Megu-chan in '' Majokko Megu-chan'', Monsley in '' Future Boy Conan'', Maria Grace Fleed in ''UFO Robo Grendizer'', Michiru in ''Getter Robo'', Klara in ...

Source: ;''First Human Gon'' *Gon:

Ikue Ōtani is a Japanese actress, singer, voice actress and narrator from Tokyo, Japan. She is best known for her anime roles in the ''Pokémon'' series (as Pikachu), ''One Piece'' (as Tony Tony Chopper), ''Corpse Party'' (as Sachiko Shinozaki), ''Nar ...

*Father: Kenichi Ogata *Mather: Miyuki Ichijō *Dotechin:

Chafurin , better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who is affiliated with Office Osawa. After graduating from Toyo University is a university with several branches in Japan, including Hakusan, Asaka, Kawagoe, Ita ...

*Piko-chan: Tomoko Kawakami *

Mammoth A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus ''Mammuthus'', one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks an ...

/ Saber-tooth tiger: Kazuhiro Ōguro *

Shinigami () are kami (spirits) that invite humans toward death, according to Japanese religion and culture. have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture. Japanese religion I ...

Kōji Ishii is a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Vi-Vo. His major roles include: Koutaro Taiga in '' The King of Braves GaoGaiGar'', Giovanni Bertuccio in '' Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo'', Shigematsu in '' Toriko'', and Prime Min ...

Source:

Film

''First Human Giatrus'' was adapted by Tokyo Movie into an anime film, which was released by

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer ...

on March 15, 1975.

TV drama

The manga was adapted into a live-action

Japanese television drama , also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thrill ...

entitled . It was produced by Koji Matsuoka and starred Ryoko Takizawa,

Katsuhisa Namase is a Japanese actor, known primary for his roles in Japanese television dramas. His roles are often positions of authority, such as managers, principals, or police officers, but many of these characters also share a certain kookiness and incom ...

and Toshiya Sakai.

References

External links

* * * * 1965 manga 1966 manga 1974 anime television series debuts 1974 manga 1976 Japanese television series endings 1996 anime television series debuts 1997 Japanese television series endings Animated films based on manga Anime series based on manga Comedy anime and manga Comics set in prehistory Fictional prehistoric characters Japanese animated films Japanese-language films Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha manga Manga adapted into films NHK original programming Pierrot (company) Shogakukan franchises Shogakukan manga TMS Entertainment TBS Television (Japan) original programming {{Anime-tv-series-stub