Kawa no Hikari facts for kids
| Kawa no Hikari | |
First edition novel cover, released July 2007
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Quick facts for kids 川の光 |
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| Genre | Adventure |
| Novel | |
| Written by | Hisaki Matsuura |
| Illustrated by | Kazuko Shimazu |
| Published by | Chuokoron-Shinsha |
| Published | July 25, 2007 |
| Anime television film | |
| Directed by | Tetsuo Hirakawa |
| Music by | Kurihara Masami |
| Studio | Gallop |
| Network | NHK General TV |
| Released | June 20, 2009 |
| Runtime | 75 minutes |
Kawa no Hikari (川の光, literally, "Light of the River") is an exciting adventure story from Japan. It was first a novel written by Hisaki Matsuura in 2007. Kazuko Shimazu drew the pictures for the book.
The story was first shared in a newspaper called Yomiuri Shimbun. This happened between July 2006 and April 2007. Later, the full book came out in July 2007.
After the book, an animated TV special was made. Studio Gallop created the animation. It was shown on NHK General TV in Japan on June 20, 2009. This TV special was part of a special program called "Save the Future." This program shared shows that taught people about protecting the environment.
The story happens in modern Japan. It is about a family of three rats. There is a father and his two young sons. They have to find their way back to their home by the river. This happens after humans start building things near their home.
Contents
The Story of Kawa no Hikari
A family of three rats lives by a river near Tokyo. The family includes two brothers, Tata and Chichi, and their father, who they call "Dad." Their family has lived in a tree trunk by the river for many years.
One day, humans start building things. This blocks off their home. The rats must leave and find a new place to live. They need to go upstream, which means moving against the river's flow.
Winter is coming fast, so they must hurry. The three rats travel through the big, busy city. They meet many different animals along the way. Some become their friends, and others are dangers they must avoid.
Meet the Characters
The main characters in Kawa no Hikari are a family of black rats:
- Tata (タータ): He is the older brother. Tata is calm and thinks things through. In the TV special, Fumiko Orikasa is his voice actress.
- Chichi (チッチ): He is the younger brother. Chichi is full of energy. Unlike his brother and father, Chichi has white fur. This can be a problem for an animal that other animals hunt. He learns to be proud of his unique fur. Tomoko Kaneda voices Chichi in the TV special.
- Dad (お父さん, Otōsan): He is the father of Tata and Chichi. Their mother passed away after Chichi was born. Dad is very protective and smart. He guides his sons through wild areas and busy city streets. His voice actor in the TV special is Kōichi Yamadera.
Other animals they meet on their journey:
- Tammy (タミー): A friendly female Golden Retriever dog. She lives near the same river as the rats. Tammy saves Chichi when he gets stuck on a water bottle in the river. Aya Hirano is the voice of Tammy in the TV special.
- Glen (グレン): A kind male brown rat. He lives by himself in a city library. Glen helps Dad and his sons escape from a group of other rats. These rats are very protective of their area. Akio Ōtsuka voices Glen in the TV special.
- Blue (ブルー): A female Russian Blue cat. She lives in a quiet house with an old woman. Blue only eats fish. She helps the rats get better after they almost drown in a sewer pipe. Blue also helps Chichi feel good about his white fur. Atsuko Tanaka is Blue's voice in the TV special.
- Sparrow family (スズメ一家, Suzume-ikka): A family of Eurasian tree sparrows. The rats meet them in a park. The family includes a father (voiced by Nobuo Harada), a mother (voiced by Norika Fujiwara), and a young son (voiced by Akiko Suzuki). The young son is learning how to fly.
From Book to Screen: The TV Special
In March 2009, the voice actress Aya Hirano shared exciting news. She announced that she would voice Tammy in an animated version of the 2007 novel.
Tetsuo Hirakawa directed this special TV film. Studio Gallop did the animation. The film also has a theme song called "I'm Here With You." Yusa Mimori wrote and sang this song.
The film first aired on June 20, 2009, on NHK General TV. It was part of their "Save the Future" series. This series was part of a bigger campaign called Chikyū ECO 2009. This campaign aimed to teach people about protecting the environment.
The TV special was shown again on NHK on December 20, 2009. It was later released on Region 2 DVD in Japan on June 25, 2010.
More Adventures!
The original author, Hisaki Matsuura, has written two more books. These books continue the story of Kawa no Hikari.
The first follow-up is Kawa no Hikari Gaiden (川の光 外伝, The River's Light Gaiden). This book came out on June 25, 2012. It is a side-story about different animals meeting in the forest at night.
The second book is a direct sequel to the first. It is called Kawa no Hikari 2: Tammy wo Sukue! (川の光２ タミーを救え！, The River's Light 2: Rescue Tammy!). This book was released on February 25, 2014. It tells more about Tata and Chichi's adventures. They go into the city to save their dog friend, Tammy, from people who have taken her.
