Little Lulu and Her Little Friends

Little Lulu and Her Little Friends
Quick facts for kids リトル・ルルとちっちゃい仲間 (Ritoru Ruru to Chitchai Nakama)
Anime television series
Directed by	Fumio Kurokawa
Produced by	Seitaro Kodama
Written by	Fumi Takahashi
Music by	Nobuyoshi Koshibe
Studio	Nippon Animation
Licensed by	ZIV International (formerly) NBCUniversal (via DreamWorks Classics)
Network	ANN (ABC, NET/TV Asahi)
Original run	October 3, 1976 – April 3, 1977
Episodes	26

Little Lulu and Her Little Friends (リトル・ルルとちっちゃい仲間, Ritoru Ruru to Chitchai Nakama) is a fun Japanese anime television series. It is based on the popular Little Lulu comic strips. These comics were created by the American cartoonist Marjorie Henderson Buell. The series was brought to life by Nippon Animation and directed by Fumio Kurokawa. It first aired in Japan in 1976.

Adventures of Little Lulu and Friends

This section will talk about the exciting stories in the show.

What the Show is About

The series follows the daily adventures of a clever girl named Lulu. Her best friend, Tubby, and all their other friends are always part of the fun. A big part of the show is the friendly competition between the boys and the girls. You'll also see lots of stories about Tubby's secret clubhouse. Sometimes, they even have funny mix-ups with the mischievous Westside Gang.

Meet the Characters and Their Voices

Here are the main characters and the talented people who voiced them in Japanese:

• Lulu: Eiko Masuyama (first 3 episodes), Minori Matsushima (episodes 4-26)
• Tubby: Keiko Yamamoto
• Wilbur: Noriko Ohara
• Iggy: Yoneko Matsukane
• Annie: Junko Hori
• Alvin: Sachiko Chijimatsu
• Martha: Noriko Ohara
• George: Masayuki Katō
• Putchy: Hiroshi Masuoka
• Floory: Mahito Tsujimura
• Willie: Yuko Mita

Little Lulu Around the World

This show became popular in many countries.

Original Japanese Broadcast

Little Lulu and Her Little Friends was first shown in Japan. It aired on ABC and NET. The series ran from October 3, 1976, to April 3, 1977. The opening song was called "Homonymous" and the ending song was "I'm Lulu!". Miko Kayama wrote the lyrics, Nobuyoshi Koshibe composed the music, and Mitsuko Horie sang them.

English Language Versions

The anime was dubbed into English twice. The first English version was made by ZIV International in 1978. Mark Mercury created the music for the opening. This version was simply called Little Lulu on screen. On VHS tapes, it was known as The Adventures of Little Lulu and Tubby in the US. In the UK, it was called The Adventures of Little Lulu.

Later, in 1985, Harmony Gold produced another English dub. They used different voice actors. The opening music by Mark Mercury was kept, but the ending sequence was changed.

Italian Language Versions

Two Italian versions of the show were also made. The first one was in 1981, but this version is now hard to find. In the same year, a film was made for Italian cinemas. It used several episodes from the TV show. This film changed the music and had new opening and ending themes. In 2010, EMI Film released this movie on DVD. The second Italian dub was created in 1995 by SD Cinematografica. This version used the original music by Mark Mercury.

Spanish Language Versions

The show was also dubbed into Spanish. A Chilean musician named Memo Aguirre helped with the music for the Spanish version. He was known as "Superbanda" (Superband). He created new musical themes for many cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s, including Little Lulu and Her Little Friends. He replaced the original Mercury theme with his own music.

Exciting Episodes

The series has 26 episodes, each with its own fun story. Here are a few examples of the adventures Lulu and her friends had:

• Episode 1: Little Angel

Lulu wants to be an angel and tries to help everyone. She tries to help Tubby, Alvin, Iggy, Annie, Wilbur, and Snobbly. But her plans often don't quite work out as she expects!

• Episode 2: Operation Babysitter

Lulu is asked to babysit Tubby, and he is not happy about it. They play pranks on each other, trying to scare one another. Tubby's gang eventually joins in the fun.

• Episode 3: Good Luck Guard

Lulu is chosen to guard Tubby's clubhouse. She keeps sending false alarms to the boys. After they break a promise to her, Lulu accidentally causes some damage to the clubhouse.

• Episode 4: The Endurance Test

Lulu and her friends go on a survival course for a camping trip. Tubby isn't confident and hides snacks. Lulu tries to stop him, but Tubby still manages to win the course fairly.

• Episode 5: Save the Prisoners

The West Side Boys capture Tubby and his whole gang. Lulu tries to free them, but her attempts don't work at first. She then uses her rollerskating skills to distract the West Side Boys. This allows Tubby and his friends to escape quickly.

The series has many more exciting episodes, each filled with laughter and friendship!

See also

In Spanish: La Pequeña Lulú (serie de 1976) para niños