Piccolino no Bōken facts for kids

Piccolino no Bōken!
The DVD set cover
Quick facts for kids ピコリーノの冒険 (Pikorīno no Bōken)
Genre	Fantasy
Anime television series
Directed by	Shigeo Koshi Hiroshi Saitô
Studio	Nippon Animation
Network	TV Asahi
Original run	April 27, 1976 – May 31, 1977
Episodes	52

Piccolino no Bōken (which means "Adventures of Pinocchio" in Japanese) is a fun anime TV show with 52 episodes. It was made by Nippon Animation and first aired in 1976. This show was a team effort with TV channels from Germany (ZDF) and Austria (ORF). The story is based on the famous book The Adventures of Pinocchio. This classic tale was written by an Italian author named Carlo Collodi between 1881 and 1883.

What the Story is About

The story of Piccolino no Bōken is a bit different from the original book. But the main idea stays the same.

Pinocchio's Beginning

The adventure starts in a small village in Tuscany, Italy. Here lives an old, kind carpenter named Geppetto. He is all alone. One day, Geppetto finds a special piece of wood. He carves it into a marionette, which is a puppet moved by strings. But something amazing happens: the puppet comes to life! Geppetto names him Pinocchio. He loves Pinocchio like the child he never had.

Pinocchio's First Adventure

Geppetto wants Pinocchio to go to school. So, Pinocchio sets off for the local school. On his way, he meets two tricky characters: a Fox and a Cat. The Fox pretends to limp, and the Cat pretends to be blind. They convince Pinocchio to join them for a puppet show at a theater. Pinocchio decides to join the puppet theater. He wants to earn money to help poor Geppetto. Pinocchio performs in many cities. After saving enough gold coins, he decides to escape. He wants to go home and give the money to Geppetto.

The Tricky Fox and Cat

On his way home, Pinocchio meets the Fox and Cat again. They plan to trick him. They tell him about "the fields of wonder." They say if he plants his gold coins there, a huge tree will grow. This tree, they claim, will produce thousands of new gold coins. Pinocchio doesn't realize they are lying. His friend, Bella the duckling, tries to warn him. But Pinocchio believes the Fox and Cat. He follows them to the fields of wonder.

They stop at an inn, and the Fox and Cat eat a big meal. Pinocchio has to pay for it! During the night, the innkeeper tells Pinocchio that the Fox and Cat left quickly. They said they would meet him at the fields of wonder. Pinocchio rushes off. As he walks through the forest, the Fox and Cat, dressed as robbers, attack him! They try to steal his gold coins. Pinocchio runs away into the forest. There, he meets the kind Fairy with Turquoise Hair.

Later, the Cat and Fox (still in disguise) catch Pinocchio. They hang him on a tree to get his coins. Pinocchio holds on tight to his gold. Eventually, the Fox and Cat leave him hanging. The Fairy with Turquoise Hair then appears and saves Pinocchio.

More Tricks and Lessons

Pinocchio continues his journey home. He meets the Fox and Cat again. He doesn't know they were the robbers! They remind him about the fields of wonder. Pinocchio agrees to follow them again to plant his coins. When they reach the fields, Pinocchio plants the coins. While he goes to get water, the Fox and Cat dig up the coins and run away. Pinocchio realizes he was tricked again. He goes back to Geppetto.

Later, Pinocchio, the Fox, the Cat, and some other children meet a traveler. This traveler leads them to the "land of toys." This place has fun rides and all the candy they could want. The next morning, Pinocchio and his friends wake up. They discover they have turned into donkeys overnight! This was the real reason the traveler brought them there. The donkeys are then sold to a circus. Pinocchio learns that he will only change back if he starts doing good deeds. He decides to change his ways. After Pinocchio saves the circus from a big fire, he turns back into his old self.

Finding Geppetto

The Fox and Cat trick Geppetto. He goes out into the ocean to search for Pinocchio. When Pinocchio finds out, he decides to search for Geppetto too. While looking for Geppetto in the ocean, Pinocchio gets swallowed by a huge whale! Inside the whale's stomach, he finds Geppetto, who was also swallowed. Pinocchio finds the courage and smarts to get himself and Geppetto safely out of the whale.

A Real Boy

Finally, because Pinocchio has done so many good deeds, the Fairy with Turquoise Hair gives him a special gift. She turns Pinocchio into a real boy!

How it's Different from the Book

• The Fox and Cat: In this anime, the Fox and the Cat are much bigger characters. They are bad but also funny. Their tricks and sneaky plans often cause most of the problems in the show. They use Pinocchio's trusting nature to get what they want.
• Pinocchio's Conscience: In the original book, Pinocchio has a Talking Cricket who acts as his conscience. In the anime, this role is taken by a little duckling and a woodpecker. They try to guide Pinocchio.
• The Fairy: The Fairy with Turquoise Hair also has a bigger role in the anime. She saves Pinocchio many times. She can even change into different forms, like a giant pigeon, to help him.

Main Characters

• Pinocchio: The main character, a wooden puppet who wants to become a real boy.
• Gina the duck: Pinocchio's loyal duckling friend.
• Boro the fox: One of the two tricky villains.
• Giulietta the cat: The other tricky villain, Boro's partner.
• Geppetto: The kind old carpenter who creates Pinocchio.
• Nymph: Another name for the Fairy with Turquoise Hair.
• Rocco the bird: A bird character.
• Dora the cat: Another cat character.

Where to Watch It

A DVD set of the series was released in Japan in 2005. You can buy it there or through the Japanese Amazon website. An English DVD version has never been made. However, DVDs in the Afrikaans language are available in South Africa.

Other Names for the Show

• Bambino Pinocchio (Italian title)
• Pinocchio Yori Piccolino no Boken (Japanese title)
• Pinochio (French title)
• Pinocchio (German title)
• Pinocho (Spanish title)
• Pinokkio (Dutch title)
• The Adventures of Piccolino (English title)
• ピコリーノの冒険 (Japanese title)
• פינוקיו (Hebrew title)
• Pinokio (Polish title)
• Die Avonture van Pinocchio (Afrikaans language title from South-Africa)
• Πινόκιο (Greek title)
• پینوکیو (Persian title)
• Pinokkio (Finnish title)

See also

In Spanish: Las aventuras de Pinocho (anime) para niños