Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō

is a 1993 Japanese children's anime series based on the educational learning program ''Kodomo Challenge'' by Benesse. It is directed by veteran director Hisayuki Toriumi ('' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman''), with character designs by Shigehito Tsuji. The first Shimajiro series aired at TV Setouchi and all other TXN networks in Japan from December 13, 1993, to March 31, 2008. The second aired from April 7, 2008 to March 29, 2010. The third aired from April 5, 2010 to March 26, 2012, and the fourth and current one began airing on April 2, 2012.

Overview

''Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō'' was officially created after Benesse and TV Setouchi both decided to adapt the Learning Program series into a full-fledged series for television, with part of the staff being former Tatsunoko Production director Hisayuki Toriumi and music composer Shin'ya Naitō. It was officially animated by Studio Kikan and premiered on December 13, 1993. The series ended after it aired its final episode on March 31, 2008, as the second series aired, alongside the children's variety series , which was also animated by Kikan. All of the later episodes of the series were aired in the variety series in the later years which also includes live action segments.

Theme and elements

The overall theme surrounding the series all revolves in Shimajirō's life as a preschooler and all the lessons he needs to learn in a daily basis such as making friends, saying sorry, making a resolve and others that reflects to the preschool demographic. Also educational elements such as planting flowers, how to use the toilet for the first time, helping others and learning in kindergarten is also applied.

The anime's overall elements are all based on the Kodomo Challenge franchise, with the storyline being completely original from the source material.

Setting

The anime is officially set in the fictional located somewhere in the world. The island, inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, is suburban and very self-sufficient in resources. Various animal characters in the island vary as well as their culture such as the Mole People who live under the island or the Squirrel people who always hibernate during winter. Various means of transport as well as subways exist in the island.
Aside from the animal characters, some characters such as Witches and Fairies exist in the island.

Plot

The entire series focuses on Shimajiro Shimano, a curious tiger boy living in Challenge Island. Being the first child in the family, he attends Kindergarten alongside his friends as they all discover everything around them, and learn valuable lessons as they grow up.

Characters

Main characters

Shimano Tiger Family
;
:
:Shimajiro is a male yellow tiger, and is the main protagonist of Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro. He is a bright little boy who likes playing soccer and wants to become a soccer player and an entomologist when he grows up. Shimajiro also likes donuts, dinosaurs, and insects. He is scared of thunder and ghost stories, and does not like green peppers.【しまじろうと ちゃれんじじまの なかまたち】
、こどもちゃれんじ。(2013/2/25閲覧) He is very supportive to his friends and his younger sister Hana, but can sometimes be a bit stubborn. He can be mischievous and selfish, but he learns his lesson and is always there when his friends and his little sister, Hana, need him.
:; Shimataro Shimano (しまの しまたろう, ''Shimano Shimataro'')
:: Voiced by: Chafurin (Japanese); Michael C. Pizzuto (English)
:: Shimataro is a yellow tiger, and the father of the Shimano family. He works as a mailman, but is a bad cook.
:; Sakura Shimano (しまの さくら, ''Shimano Sakura'')
:: Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Rena Strober (English)
:: Sakura is a yellow tiger, and the mother of the Shimano family. She usually takes care of Shimajiro and Hana so much and appears in almost every episode where the Shimano family house appears. She even takes ballet lessons.
:; Hana Shimano (しまの はな, ''Shimano Hana'') / Hannah
:: Voiced by: Miki Takahashi (Japanese); Valeria Zunzun (English)
:: Hana is a female yellow tiger and the younger sister of Shimajiro.
:Midorihara Family
; / Mimi-Lynne
:
:Mimirin is a female rabbit with black ear tips, and is one of the main characters. She debuted in the Kodomo Challenge franchise in 1991. She originally wore a flower brooch near her left ear, but it was later switched to a ribbon. Her family owns a flower shop. Mimirin loves strawberry shortcake, flowers, dolls, and other girly things.
as well as running. However she is scared of snakes and caterpillars, and she does not like carrots. She also usually has an overbite and her tail appears out of her skirt. She can be nice but occasionally spoiled, selfish and clumsy. She has a habit of crying if someone doesn't favor her opinion. Mimirin is also an aspiring singer. She also shows interests in other careers, and considers becoming a nurse and a florist. Mimirin is one of two characters in the series (the other being Ramurin) to not have a sibling. However, after Ramurin left Challenge Island in the series finale of Hesoka and retired the Kodomo Challenge franchise in 2012, Mimirin became the only one.
:
:; Sota Midorihara (みどりはら そうた, ''Midorihara Sōta'')
:: Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese); Christian Banas (English)
:: Sota is a white rabbit, and the father of the Midorihara family. He is a florist who works at the flower shop, but is often worried about Mimirin.
:; Renge Midorihara (みどりはら れんげ, ''Midorihara Renge'')
:: Voiced by: Shinobu Adachi (Japanese); Katie Leigh (English)
:: Renge is a white rabbit with black eartips, and the mother of the Midorihara family. She usually takes care of her and helps her out by selling or planting flowers. She is the more mature and responsible parent as her husband often acts like an older child.
:Sorano Parrot Family
; / Flappie
:
:Torippii is a male pastel green parrot with red, blue, and yellow feathers on his head, blue and yellow feathers on his back, and is one of the main characters. He was originally partially dressed, but starting in ''Wow!'', he now wears trousers. His Japanese name in the series is always mispronounced in several promotional materials. Torippii is an aspiring singer, but is somehow tone-deaf. Torippii loves takoyaki, but is easily scared of thunder and ghost stories. He does not like natto, scallions or quiet places. He also has the ability to fly to survey things for his friends, and can talk to non-anthropomorphic birds. When he grows up, he wants to become a cameraman. He lives with his family in a cabin.
:; Toto Sorano/Riri Sorano/Pipi Sorano (そらの とと/そらの りり/そらの ぴぴ, ''Sorano Toto/Sorano Riri/Sorano Pipi'') / Toto/Rita/Pepa
:: Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki (Toto and Pipi), Omi Minami (Riri) (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:: Toto, Riri, and Pipi are Torippii's younger triplet siblings. They are pastel green parrots with Toto and Pipi having red, yellow, and blue feathers on their head and Riri having an orange beaded ponytail holder on her feather, and all of them having yellow and blue feathers on their backs. Originally, Riri was male as Torippii had three younger brothers, she was switched to a female around 2001.
::; Torigoro Sorano (そらの とりごろう, ''Sorano Torigorō'')
::: Voiced by: Eiji Igō (Japanese); Frank Todaro (English)
::: Torigoro is a pastel green parrot with red, yellow, and blue feathers on his head, and yellow and blue feathers on his back, and is the father of the Sorano family. He is a constructor who builds or invents things.
::; Kanae Sorano (そらの かなえ, ''Sorano Kanae'')
::: Voiced by: Mami Horikoshi (Japanese. Currently no English Voice.)
::: Kanae is a pastel green parrot with orange hair and yellow and green feathers on her back, and is the mother of the Sorano family.
::; Michiyo Sorano (そらの みちよ, ''Sorano Michiyo'')
::: Voiced by: Sayuri (1993-2012), Hiroko Nishi (2012-present) (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
::: Michiyo is a pastel green parrot with pink hair and yellow and orange feathers on her back, and is the parental grandmother of the Sorano family. She loves to play on her electric guitar and often warns her younger siblings when they're doing something bad.
:Makiba Family
:
:
:
:Ramurin is a female baby pink sheep without horns. She originally wore a bow on her head, she it was later changed to a bandana around 2001-2002. Her father is a painter, and inspires her to become one when she grows up one day. Ramurin loves pudding, but she has fears of ghosts and she is not good at running fast. She also likes to paint and play both sports; judo and sumo. Unlike the other characters, Ramurin's mentality is much higher than the rest of the main cast and usually behaves like a responsible sister. Her catch phrase is “suspicious” and usually keeps her promises sometimes. Ramurin is one of the two main characters to not have any older or younger siblings (the other being Mimirin). But, she officially left Challenge Island along with her parents in the series finale of Shimajirō Hesoka, and moved to France due to her father's job. As a result, she is the only character who does not appear in any of the films. However, she did appear in a five minute intermission animation in Shimajiro: Maho No Shima No Daiboken.
:
:; Massei Makiba (まきば まっせい, ''Makiba Massei'')
:: Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita
:: Massei is a beige sheep without horns, and the father of Ramurin. He is a great painter and his job is to become an artist. He left Challenge Island with his wife and Ramurin in the series finale of ''Hesoka''.
:; Yumeko Makiba (まきば ゆめこ, ''Makiba Yumeko'')
:: Voiced by: Yūko Kobayashi
:: Yumeko is a pink sheep without horns, and the mother of Ramurin. She left Challenge Island with her husband and Ramurin in the series finale of Hesoka.
:
:Momoyama Cat Family
:
; / Nikki
:
:Nyakkii is a female pink cat with a cream-colored face. She debuted in episode 2 of ''Wow!''. She is great at sports, caring, and always stands up to bullies. Naturally, she is always up for adventure with Shimajiro and his friends. Nyakkii loves grapes, climbing trees, and sports. She also dreams to become an Olympic athlete one day when she grows up. She moved into Challenge Island with her grandmother, mother and her older brother and befriended Shimajiro and the others. Her father, however, lives separately somewhere in Challenge Island.
:
:Nene Momoyama (ももやま ねね, ''Momoyama Nene'')
: Voiced by: Akemi Obata (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
: Nene is a pink cat with a cream-colored face, and the mother of Nyakkii.
; Yoriko Momoyama (ももやま よりこ, ''Momoyama Yoriko'')
: Voiced by: Yūko Kobayashi (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
: Yoriko is a pink cat with a cream-colored face, and the grandmother of Nyakkii.
; Niisuke Momoyama (ももやま にいすけ)
: Voiced by: Sachi Yūki (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
: Niisuke is a pink cat with a cream-colored face, and the older brother of Nyakkii. He is great at sports like his sister, and did better than her when Nyakkii was younger.

Supporting characters

;
:Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Ratman is a male blue mouse and a superhero who appears throughout the Shimajiro series. He appears in a TV show with the same name, and always saves the day when the villains cause trouble.
;
:Voiced by: Nobuo Tobita
:Dr. Meemee is a male white goat and one of the supporting characters of Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro. He has a wide range of specializations, from mechanical engineering to science and archaeology, and is somehow a solid mechanic. He loves to make strange inventions that are not useful.
;
:Voiced by: Masahiro Anzai (1996 - 2001), Toshiharu Sakurai (2003 - present)
:Mogu-Chan is a male brown mole.
;
:Voiced by: Satomi Kōrogi
:Mogunosuke is a male brown mole with sunglasses, and the twin brother of Mogutarō.
;
:Voiced by: Kumiko Watanabe
:Mogutaro is a brown mole and one of the supporting characters of Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro.
; / Pantaro
:Voiced by: Yuki Matsuoka (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Pontarō is a male brown raccoon. He debuted in episode 4 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. He lives in a large mansion with his grandfather; Ponzaemon. He has a habit of saying “Ahem…”. Due to the fact that he was born and raised in a wealthy family, he has slightly different common sense.
; / Hitsuji
:
:Hitsujii is a male white sheep with horns. He debuted in episode 4 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. He serves as the butler in the mansion owned by Ponzaemon. He is in charge of babysitting Pontarō in place of his parents for work
; / Mr. Roarson
:
:Gao-Gao is a male tan lion. He debuted in episode 6 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. He is an inventor who runs a workshop called Fushigi-doh.
;
:Voiced by: Kumi Yamakado (2008 - 2011), Tomoka Kuzutani (2011 - present) (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
: Tamako is a female cream-colored cat with auburn brown hair. She debuted in episode 8 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. She is a picture book artist who is known for working on "Tsumurin and Nororin".
;
:
:Ma-kun is a male tan monkey. He debuted in episode 19 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. His mother owns a greenhouse. He was somehow replaced with Nono-chan in the start of Shimajiro Hesoka.
;
:
:Nono-chan is a female brown squirrel with dark brown stripes on her head and back. She debuted in episode 2 of ''Hesoka''. Her family owns a donut shop at the city. She does not like carrots or bell peppers (as seen in episode 14 of Hesoka). She somehow disappeared after episode 47.

Challenge Kindergarten Students and Teachers

;
:
:Zouta is a male pastel blue elephant. He is very bratty, ravenous, and gluttonous. He loves sumo wars and wants to be a hero when he gets older.
;
:
:Būta is a male apricot-colored pig. He loves ramen and he always acts with his best friend; Zota. He moved to another island in episode 204 of Wao!, as he retired the Kodomo Challenge franchise in 2016.
;
:Voiced by: Chinatsu Akasaki (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Kento is a male yellow Shiba Inu. He loves to play with vehicles and trains.
;
:Voiced by: Yū Maruyama (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Kanta is a male gray hippopotamus. He owns a turtle which he called it; “Noshinoshi”.
;
:
:Kirinta is a male yellow giraffe. He was Shimajiro's friend before Kindergarten started. He is also mischievous and is good at karate.
;
:
:Monta is a brown monkey and one of the kids at Challenge Kindergarten in Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro. He reads encyclopedias and loves to look at stars.
; / Mary-Lynne
:Voiced by: Aki Toyosaki (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Marurin is a female black and white panda. Her family owns a bakery and she loves melon bread. She is very competitive and active in the world.
;
:Voiced by: Yū Marumiya (Japanese. Currently no English Voice).
:Sakurako is a female brown dog. She has a brother five years older than her. She is very talkative, and loves singing.
;
:Voiced by: Mai Hirano (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Kikko is a female goldenrod fox. She loves swimming, and she sometimes reacts harshly to her words, but a great friend.
;
:Voiced by: Nao Nagasawa (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Tamasaburo is a male periwinkle leopard and one of the kids at Challenge Kindergarten in Shima Shima Tora no Shimajiro, who first appeared in episode 135 of Wao!. He is a popular child actor and he became Shimajiro's friend when he debuted.
; / Kumaki
:Voiced by: Akiko Toda (Japanese. Currently no English voice.)
:Kumakkii is a female white polar bear. She first appeared in episode 227 of ''Wao!''. She has a good appetite and is full of energy, but more powerful than Zouta. She loves to play houses, but hates injections.
;
:
:Shikako is a brown deer and the teacher at Challenge Kindergarten. She is the youngest of the teachers in Challenge Kindergarten and seems to be looking for a lover.

Antagonists

;
:
:The Three Black Cat Brothers are male black cat triplets and the main antagonists of the first anime. Dot (ドット, ''Dotto'') is the eldest of the brothers. He is always arrogant and is somewhat short-tempered. He hates tomatoes and is scared of high places. Karakusa (からくさ, ''Karakusa'') is middle-aged of the brothers. He is swayed by Dot's whimps and is really kind. He loves flowers and wishes that he wants to have a younger sister, like Hana. Paisley (ペイズリー, ''Peizurī'') is the youngest of the brothers. He sets up mischiefs with his older brothers, but himself is firm and sometimes discouraged Dot. Paisley even has a crush on Mimirin.
;
:
:Jan and Ken are the male salmon-colored pigs. They first appeared in episode 5 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. Jan is an older brother and is called “a soccer genius.” He usually bullies Shimajiro and his friends. Ken is a younger brother, and is also called “a soccer genius.”
;
:
:The Three Mole Brothers are the male brown mole triplets. They first appeared in episode 89 of ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki!''. They look similar to the Three Black Cat Brothers, but act slightly different than them. The three brothers are Maruo (マルオ, ''Maruo''), Sankaku (サンカク, ''Sankaku''), and Shikaku (シカク, ''Shikaku'').

Guest stars

Randy Brakes: Also known as Mr. Brake in the live action segment of ''Shimajiro''. He appeared in the commercial episode "Children's Hope for English".

Bob: An English guest speaker who appeared in the live action segment of ''Shimajiro''. He wears an alpine hat and teaches people how to speak English.

Media

Anime

The original series first aired on TV Setouchi and in all other TXN stations from December 13, 1993, to March 31, 2008, becoming the 19th longest running anime in Japan from its debut to its final episode with a total of 726 episodes, right behind '' Hello Kitty's Paradise'' and '' Hamtaro''. The series' first opening theme is by Shima Shima Kids, which is used in the first 226 episodes, and the second opening theme is by Omi Minami, which is used in the remaining 500 episodes. The first ending theme is titled by Shima Shima Kids, which is used in the first 176 episodes, the second ending theme is by M.S.J, which is used in the remaining 550 episodes (also used during the spring and autumn from 2005-2008, and starting in episode 701), and the third ending theme is by Omi Minami and Bin Shimada, which is also used in the remaining half 550 episodes (also used during the winter and summer from 2005-2007)

The second series, ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō'', first aired on TV Setouchi and in all other TXN stations from April 7, 2008 to March 29, 2010. The series' opening theme is . The ending theme is . Both of which were performed by Omi Minami, Miki Takahashi, Takumi Yamazaki and Saori Sugimoto.

The third series, ''Shimajirō Hesoka'', first aired on TV Setouchi and all other TXN stations from April 5, 2010 to March 26, 2012. The series' first opening theme is by Aki Toyosaki for the first 51 episodes, and the second opening theme is by Yusuke Kamiji for the remaining 50 episodes. The first ending theme is titled by Fusanosuke Kondō for the first 18 episodes, and later for the remaining 62 episodes, and the second ending theme is by Tomomi Ukumori for episodes 19 to 39.

The current series, ''Shimajirō no Wao!'', began airing on April 2, 2012. The first opening theme is by Daudi Joseph from episodes 14 to 51, and later episodes 65 to 78, and then episodes 104 to 359, and starting in episode 515, the second opening is by HARCO from episodes 52 to 64, and later episodes 79 to 82, and the third opening theme is . The first ending theme is by Puffy AmiYumi from episodes 1 to 193, and later starting in episode 206, and the second ending theme is by Atsuko Hiyajou from episodes 194 to 205. This series was distributed for YouTube in the United States and Canada by WildBrain Spark.

The official music of the series is composed by Shin'ya Naitō. Akifumi Tada (''Tenchi Muyo! GXP'') composed the music in ''Hakken Taiken Daisuki! Shimajirō''. ''Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō'' is one of the longest running anime series in Japan (and series/franchise in general) behind '' Hello Kitty's Paradise'' and '' Hamtaro''.

Films

Starting from ''Shimajirō: A World of Wow!'', the series has 8 theatrical films produced.

*''Shimajirō to Fufu no Daibōken: Sukue! Nanairo no Hana'' (2013)
*''Shimajirō to Kujira no Uta'' (2014)
*''Shimajirō to Ōkina Ki'' (2015)
*''Shimajirō to Kuni Ehon'' (2016)
*''Shimajirō to Niji no Oashisu'' (2017)
*''Movie Shimajiro Maho no Shimano Daiboken'' (2018)
*''Shimajirō to Ururu no Heroland'' (2019)
*''Shimajirō to Sora Tobu Fune'' (2020); Delayed from a previous 2020 release due to COVID-19 pandemic.
*''The Adventures of the Magic Island of Qiaohu (2021)
*''Shimajirō to Kirakira Ōkoku no Ōji-sama'' (2022)

Critical reception

On its first airing, ''Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō'' became TV Setouchi's most popular educational anime show in Japan, rivaling NHK's long running '' Okaasan to Issho''. The anime is listed as one of the most popular Educational Preschool shows, with having a total of eight seasons that continues to three anime sequels, becoming Benesse's most successful adaptation of the ''Kodomo Challenge'' series. Reruns of the episodes are broadcast on other stations such as Kids Station and TV Tokyo

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