is a Japanese anime series produced by
Tatsunoko Production
and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and " sea dragon", the inspiration for its seahorse logo.
Tatsunoko Production was e ...
, and
NHK
, also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee.
NHK ope ...
. In this version, Robin and his allies are mostly pre-teens.
Plot
Robin's palace was burned to ashes by the order of Alwyn, the Baron of Nottingham. Robin and his cousins Will, Winifred and Jenny flee into
Sherwood Forest
Sherwood Forest is the remnants of an ancient royal forest, Royal Forest in Nottinghamshire, within the East Midlands region in England. It has association with the legend of Robin Hood. The forest was proclaimed by William the Conqueror and ...
, hoping to escape persecution. There, they meet and befriend a group of
bandit
Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, kidnapping, and murder, e ...
s led by Little John, who dubs himself Big John early in the series. Together, Robin and the bandits must stop Baron Alwyn's persecutions and greed, as well as to prevent the greedy and fat Bishop Hartford from adopting (marrying, in the Japanese version) Marian Lancaster and obtaining her family's wealth.
Characters
Protagonists
* Robert Huntington, aka
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...
(voiced by
Kazue Ikura
is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator who works for Aoni Production. She was previously affiliated with theater groups/production companies 劇舎燐, 俳協, Production Baobab and NABEYA.
She is most known for the roles of Kao ...
) – The heir to the noble family of Huntington, he is forced to flee and hide in Sherwood Forest when his home is burnt down and his parents assassinated. In the forest, he and his cousins meet Little John and his gang. Robin is an archer. Twice throughout the series,
he shoots an apple from a long distance. In most episodes, there is a showy scene of Robin arming and drawing his bow, firing a decisive shot. The outcome of this decisive shot varies by episodes, ranging from spectacular embarrassment to epic success. Robin is not particularly bright. The series' favorite method of helping Robin out of his predicament is the ''
deus ex machina
''Deus ex machina'' ( ; ; plural: ''dei ex machina''; 'God from the machine') is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly or abruptly resolved by an unexpected and unlikely occurrence. Its function is general ...
'' device.
*
Marian Lancaster (voiced by
Naoko Matsui
is a Japanese voice actress and narrator from Hakodate, Hokkaido. Matsui was a member of Production Baobab for 20 years before becoming a freelancer.
Matsui is most notable for the roles of Uru Chie in '' High School! Kimengumi'', Rem Ayano ...
) – The descendant of the noble Lancaster family, she is to be adopted by the greedy bishop Hartford. She wears a golden, cross-shaped pendant that bears that symbol of her family and was her mother's prized possession. The pendant often precipitates supernatural phenomena. Marian is especially notable throughout the series for her character development.
*
Will Scarlet
Will Scarlet (also Scarlett, Scarlock, Scadlock, Scatheloke, Scathelocke and Shacklock) is a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He is present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son.
The confusion of su ...
(voiced by
Yuko Mita), Robin's sidekick who has two sisters
*
Friar Tuck
Friar Tuck is one of the Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood.
History
The figure of the jovial friar was common in the May Games festivals of England and Scotland during the 15th to 17th centuries. He appears ...
(voiced by
Kenichi Ogata) – An old monk, he lives on the edge of Sherwood Forest and helps Robin to whatever meager extent he can. A recurring gag is Friar Tuck's repeated attempts at inventing flying machines that don't work.
*
Little John
Little John is a companion of Robin Hood who serves as his chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men. He is one of only a handful of consistently named characters who relate to Robin Hood and one of the two oldest Merry Men, alo ...
(voiced by
Bin Shimada
Bin Shimada (; born November 20, 1954) is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narratorDoi, Hitoshi.Shimada Bin. ''Seiyuu Database''. July 17, 2010Archivedby WebCite July 20, 2010. affiliated with the talent management firm Aoni Production.
Film ...
) – The leader of a group of bandits, who were forced to hide out in Sherwood Forest to avoid forced labor, he has a love interest in Winifred. He is not a reliable ally because of his temperament, but Robin does not have the luxury of choosing his allies.
*
Much (voiced by
Mayumi Tanaka
(born January 15, 1955) is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator. She voiced Monkey D. Luffy in '' One Piece''; Krillin, Yajirobe and Uranai Baba in '' Dragon Ball; Ryunosuke Fujinami in '' Urusei Yatsura; Koenma in '' Yu Yu Hakus ...
), Little John's right-hand man
* Winifred Scarlet (voiced by
Maria Kawamura), Robin's cousin and Will's older sister
* Jenny Scarlet, (Barbara in the Japanese version, voiced by Sayuri Iketmoto), Robin's cousin, and Will's younger sister
*
King Richard the Lionheart
Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...
(voiced by
Mugihito
, better known by his stage name of , is a Japanese actor, Voice acting in Japan, voice actor and narrator from Musashino, Tokyo. Mugihito was formerly credited under his birth name and also .
Filmography
Television animation
;1976
*''Dokaben'' ...
), the king of England
Antagonists and supporting character
The series has a tradition of flipping antagonists into Robin's supporters.
* Baron Alwyn (voiced by
Masashi Ebara
, better known as , is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Kanagawa Prefecture. He is affiliated with Aoni Production.
He had roles in the '' Initial D'' series (as Jōshima Toshiya "God Hand"), ''Naruto'' (as Might Guy), '' Eat-Man ...
) – The ruthless and greedy, but nonetheless ingenious and crafty Baron of Nottingham is the arch-villain of the series. He is based on the
Sheriff of Nottingham
The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, ...
in both character design and personality. He orders the assassination of Robin's parents and the destruction of the Huntington's castle. He has a passion for creating fantastic siege engines and deadly contraptions. After a near-death experience in the second half of the series, he has a brief change of heart, but reverts when an opportunity to take over the kingdom presents itself.
*
Bishop Hartford (voiced by
Yuu Shimaka
was a Japanese actor and voice actor affiliated with Production Baobab, and subsequently with Production Aigumi. He was the Japanese voice of the Disney character Goofy.
Filmography Film
*''Kagemusha'' (1980) – Hara Jingorō #2
Television ani ...
) – A greedy bishop of Nottingham, he tries to adopt Marian Lancaster for the Lancaster's wealth. He eventually makes a change for the better towards the end of the series, and helps out Robin by informing them of Alwyn's plot to take over the kingdom.
* Gilbert (voiced by
Toshihiko Seki
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, singer and narrator. In June 2004, Seki was honored by the readers of Animage Magazine in the 26th Annual Reader's Poll, where he was ranked the 9th favorite voice actor, largely in recognition of his performa ...
) – A skilled, ruthless knight of the realm who the follows a strict code of chivalry. He's the leader of an unnamed knightly order, whose insignia is a black rose. (Other knights of the order later make an appearance.) Although he does not serve the local Baron, Alwyn tricks him into going after Robin. The boy's arrow scars Gilbert's face, prompting him to hunt the boy for most of the series,
demanding satisfaction. Presence of Marian, however, complicates matters. The code mandates the knight to hold her in equal esteem as the Baron, and render her aid when she is in distress. Gilbert tries to prevent her from falling into a ravine, ends up falling himself, and is presumed dead. He survives and returns to challenge Robin later. He gives up his vendetta when Marian's magic heals his scar. Later, he's shown to serve King Richard. Overall, every encounter with the knight goes badly for Robin.
* Cleo (voiced by
Chieko Honda
was a Japanese actress and voice actress. During her life, she was attached to Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society and Mix Max; she was attached to Aoni Production at the time of her death. On 18 February 2013, Honda died of multiple ...
) – Gilbert's sister, first introduced in episode 24, "The Girl in Black", long after the presumed death of Gilbert. She has long, dark hair, prefers black attire, and has replaced Gilbert as the leader of their knightly order. Alwyn frames Robin for the "murder" of Gilbert, tricking Cleo into going after the boy in revenge. She summons the rest of her knightly order. Seeing this, Bishop Hartford comments that Gilbert proved more useful in death than in living. The order eventually stumble upon the truth, but too late to be of any help for Robin. They depart with a cordial goodbye.
*
King John (voiced by
Issei Futamata
is a Japanese voice actor and narrator. He is best known for the roles of Skullomania (''Street Fighter EX'' and '' Fighting EX Layer''), Yusaku Godai ('' Maison Ikkoku''), Chibi (''Urusei Yatsura''), Kiyoshi Shusse ('' High School! Kimengumi' ...
) – Eager to usurp his brother's rule, he becomes a pawn in Alwyn's schemes for power.
*
Guy of Gisbourne
Sir Guy of Gisbourne (also spelled Gisburne, Gisborne, Gysborne, or Gisborn) is a character from the Robin Hood legends of English folklore. He first appears in "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne" (Child Ballad 118), where he is an assassin who atte ...
– A mercenary hired by Alwyn to kill Robin, he appears in one episode only. He and his two sidekicks, The Viking and Hood, capture Robin Hood and his friends. Then, they proceed to eat mushrooms that Winifred and Jenny have collected. What they eat, however, mostly consists of Laughing Cap Toadstools, which induces unstoppable laughter, disabling them. Much, who has evaded their capture, frees Robin and other captives.
Music
The series uses two pieces of theme music for the Japanese version; one opening song and one ending song. The Japanese opening song is called "Wood Walker", and the Japanese ending song is called "Hoshizora no Labirinsu (星空のラビリンス lit.''Labyrinth of the Starry Sky'')", both sing by the Japanese vocalist
Satoko Shimonari
is a Japanese singer and occasional actress. She married Seiji Kameda, a musician.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shimonari Satoko
1961 births
Living people
Anime musicians
Japanese actresses
Japanese women pop singer ...
.
There are two English opening songs. One is called "Robin of the Forest", while another is an instrumental of ''"Wood Walker"'' used for the Interfilm video dub. The Italian dub, called simply ''Robin Hood'', features an opening theme with words by Alessandra Valeri Manera and music by Carmelo "Ninni" Carucci, sung by the popular singer
Cristina D'Avena
Cristina D'Avena (born 6 July 1964) is an Italian actress, singer and television personality. She has sold nearly 7 million copies of her albums.
D'Avena was selected to join the prestigious Institute of Antoniano choir, following her debut, ...
; the French dub, called ''Les Adventures de Robin des Bois'', uses the same tune sung by Alexis Tomassian. All the opening animations are kept the same, however, the ending animation differs depending on the international versions, for example, the Japanese ending is completely original whereas the German dub shows scenes from the series to a shortened instrumental theme of their composed opening.
Episodes
# "Birth of the Hero"
# "Mystery Forest"
# "A Duel"
# "House Building"
# "The Mercenary"
# "Gentlemen Bandits"
# "The Loyal King"
# "Towards Nottingham"
# "Friend or Foe"
# "Impossible"
# "An Uncertain Future"
# "Disguise"
# "Up in Smoke"
# "A New Day"
# "An Unexpected Return"
# "Fog and Wind"
# "The Ultimate Farewell"
# "Tuck's Battle"
# "Witchcraft"
# "Revenge"
# "King of the Forest"
# "Fire"
# "Thunderstorm in Nottingham"
# "The Girl in Black"
# "Love and Hate"
# "Peace After the Storm"
# "A Foundling"
# "The Flying Ship"
# "A Prediction"
# "Barons Greed"
# "The Bandits Revenge"
# "Jenny's Tale"
# "Return"
# "The Fog of Revenge"
# "The Good Old Days"
# "Gamekeeper"
# "Fire in the Forest"
# "The Treasury"
# "Reconciliation"
# "An Evil Being"
# "Traitor"
# "The Lake of Truth"
# "The Decisive Battle"
# "The Bad Luck Man"
# "A Charming Villain"
# "Unbeatable"
# "Honest Eyes"
# "Tragedy"
# "Prince of the Woods"
# "The Decision"
# "The Crowning"
# "Immortal"
See also
*
List of films and television series featuring Robin Hood
The following are some of the notable adaptations of the Robin Hood story in film and television.
Robin Hood, English-language live-action films and television series Theatrical shorts
*1908: '' Robin Hood and His Merry Men'', a silent film dir ...
References
External links
Official anime websiteof
Tatsunoko Production
and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and " sea dragon", the inspiration for its seahorse logo.
Tatsunoko Production was e ...
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robin Hood (1990 Tv series)
1990 anime television series debuts
1990 Japanese television series debuts
1992 Japanese television series endings
Italian children's animated adventure television series
Italian children's animated fantasy television series
Japanese children's animated adventure television series
Japanese children's animated fantasy television series
Adventure anime and manga
Drama anime and manga
Historical anime and manga
NHK original programming
Canale 5 original programming
Robin Hood television series
Television series set in the Middle Ages
Television shows set in England
Anime and manga based on fairy tales
Cultural depictions of Richard I of England
Cultural depictions of John, King of England