Tales of Little Women facts for kids

Tales of Little Women
The March sisters, clockwise from upper left: Jo, Meg (in chair), Amy, and Beth.
Quick facts for kids 愛の若草物語 (Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari)
Genre	Historical drama
Anime television series
Directed by	Fumio Kurokawa
Produced by	Junzō Nakajima Taihei Ishikawa (Fuji TV)
Written by	Akira Miyazaki
Music by	Kazuo Ōtani
Studio	Nippon Animation
Network	FNS (Fuji TV)
English network	SEA Animax Asia UK Sky One, Children's CBBC US HBO, Smile of a Child
Original run	January 11, 1987 – December 27, 1987
Episodes	48

Tales of Little Women (Japanese: 愛の若草物語, Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari), also known simply as Little Women, is a Japanese anime TV show. It's based on the famous 1868-69 novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The show was made by Nippon Animation and first aired in 1987 on the Fuji TV network. It tells the story of the March sisters as they grow up during the American Civil War. A follow-up series, Little Women II: Jo's Boys, came out in 1993.

The Story of the March Family

This animated series takes parts from the original Little Women book. It also adds new characters and events. The story starts with the March family living happily near Gettysburg. One day, Mr. March, who is a Union Army officer, sees Confederate scouts. He has to leave his family to warn his army.

While he's away, the March family faces tough times. Their town is taken over by Confederate soldiers. They even help a runaway slave named John hide from the Southern army. After the Confederates leave, Union forces arrive. In the battle that follows, the March family's home is destroyed. They also lose all their savings.

With nowhere else to go, the family moves to Newcord. They hope to stay with an aunt of their father's. But Aunt March is not very welcoming. Her nephew, David, is also unkind to them. Despite this, Aunt March lets them stay until they can find their own place.

The March sisters work hard to get back on their feet. Meg becomes a governess, teaching children. Jo works as a companion for Aunt March and tries to become a writer. She meets Anthony, a local reporter, who first criticizes her writing. But Jo works hard and eventually earns his respect. They become good friends.

Later, the March family moves into their own home. From then on, the story follows more closely the original Little Women book. For example, episode 18 is based on Chapter 3 of the book. The famous Christmas story from Chapter 1 begins in episode 21.

Main Characters

The show features the beloved March sisters and their family. Here are some of the main characters:

• Josephine "Jo" March (voiced by Eiko Yamada in Japanese, Heidi Lenhart in English): She is a spirited and independent girl who loves to write stories.
• Margaret "Meg" March (voiced by Keiko Han): The oldest sister, who is responsible and dreams of a family.
• Elizabeth "Beth" March (voiced by Mayumi Shou): A kind and shy sister who loves music and her dolls.
• Amy March (voiced by Rei Sakuma in Japanese, Rebecca Forstadt in English): The youngest sister, who enjoys art and fashion.
• Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence (voiced by Nobuo Tobita in Japanese, Joshua Seth in English): The rich and friendly boy who lives next door to the March family.
• Mary March (voiced by Taeko Nakanishi): The mother of the March sisters, who is loving and strong.
• Frederic March (voiced by Osamu Saka in Japanese, Michael Forest in English): The father of the March sisters, who serves in the Union Army.
• Hannah (voiced by Hisako Okata in Japanese, Barbara Goodson in English): The March family's loyal helper.
• Anthony Boone (voiced by Kazuyuki Sogabe in Japanese, Dave Mallow in English): A reporter in Newcord who becomes Jo's friend and encourages her writing.
• Martha March (voiced by Ranko Mizuki in Japanese, Melodee Spevack in English): The March sisters' strict but kind aunt.
• James Lawrence (voiced by Kohei Miyauchi in Japanese, Mike Reynolds in English): Laurie's grandfather, who is a wealthy and respected man.
• John Brooke (voiced by Toshihiko Kojima in Japanese, Ardwight Chamberlain in English): Laurie's tutor.

Character Changes in the Show

Some names and details were changed for the anime version. For example, the town of Concord from the book was renamed "Newcord." Also, the March parents, Margaret and Robert in the book, are named Mary and Frederic in this series. Mr. Brooke's first name was changed to Carl in Japanese, but then changed back to John in the English version. Hannah, the family's helper, is shown as African-American in this version. This was done to highlight the struggles of black Americans during that time.

How the Show Was Broadcast

Little Women aired on Fuji Television in Japan from January to December 1987. It was part of Nippon Animation's famous World Masterpiece Theater series. Many talented people who later worked on Studio Ghibli films helped create this show. This includes character designer Yoshifumi Kondo. The main director was Fumio Kurokawa, and Akira Miyazaki wrote all 48 episodes.

The show was also dubbed into English by Saban Entertainment. It aired in the United States on HBO in 1988 under the title Tales of Little Women. This made it one of the few World Masterpiece Theater shows to be shown on TV in the US. Later, it also aired on Smile of a Child and DZOZ-TV in the Philippines. Interestingly, the English version kept the original Japanese music by Kazuo Otani. However, new theme songs were created for the English dub.

Tales of Little Women became very popular in many other parts of the world too. This includes Europe, Israel, Iran, Türkiye, the Arab World, and Latin America.

Staff

Here are some of the key people who helped create Tales of Little Women:

• Original Story: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Director: Fumio Kurokawa
• Writer: Akira Miyazaki
• Character Design: Yoshifumi Kondo, Toshiki Yamazaki
• Music: Kazuo Otani
• Production: Nippon Animation, Fuji TV

Theme Songs

The show had different opening and ending songs during its run.

• Opening Songs:
  • "Invitation of Young Grass" (若草の招待状, Wakakusa no Shōtaijō) (episodes 1-14)
    • Singer: Eri Nitta
  • "Someday, for Sure!" (いつかきっと!, Itsuka Kitto!) (episodes 15-48)
    • Singers: Keiko Han, Eiko Yamada, Mayumi Shō, Rei Sakuma

• Ending Songs:
  • "Sunset, Wind and Melody" (夕陽と風とメロディ, Yūhi to Kaze to Merodi) (episodes 1-14)
    • Singer: Eri Nitta
  • "A Lullaby for Father" (お父さまへのララバイ, Otōsama e no Rarabai) (episodes 15-48)
    • Singer: Satoko Shimonari

Episode List

Tales of Little Women has a total of 48 episodes. Each episode was written by Akira Miyazaki and directed by Fumio Kurokawa. Other directors also helped with storyboards for different episodes.

The episodes cover various events in the March sisters' lives, from their struggles during the war to their everyday adventures and growth.

Alternative Titles

The show is known by different names around the world:

• Ai no Wakakusa Monogatari (Japanese)
• As Mulherzinhas (Portuguese)
• Eine fröhliche Familie (German)
• Les Quatre Filles du Dr March (French)
• Mujercitas (Spanish)
• Piccole donne (Italian)
• Tales of the Little Women (English)

See Also

• Little Women (1981 TV series), another anime version of Louisa May Alcott's novel by Toei Animation.