Mahō no Mako-chan
From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2023) |
| Mahō no Mako-chan | |
| 魔法のマコちゃん (Mahou no Mako-chan) | |
|---|---|
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Yugo Serikawa |
| Music by | Takeo Watanabe |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Original network | TV Asahi |
| Original run | 2 November 1970 – 9 September 1971 |
| Episodes | 48 |
Mahō no Mako-chan (魔法のマコちゃん, Mahou no Mako chan, lit. Magical Mako) is a Japanese anime series by Toei Animation. The story is loosely based on the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen tale "The Little Mermaid". It was broadcast from 1970 to 1971 on Nippon Educational TV (NET), later rebranded as TV Asahi.
Plot[edit]
Mako is a mermaid and the youngest daughter of the Dragon King. She longs for the human world despite it being forbidden by her father. One stormy night, she saves a human boy from a wrecked ship and falls in love with him. Mako makes a deal with the sea hag and is transformed into a human high school girl with the condition that she can never be returned to being a mermaid. With the magical pendant called the "Life of A Mermaid", Mako meets many people and experiences many things as she learns what it means to be human, while searching for the young man she saved.
As a human, Mako is taken in by Mr. Urashima. Urashima is a strict old zoologist, who lost his daughter many years ago. He lives next door to two mischievous twins, Taro and Jiro, who become enamored with Mako. By episode 3, Mako is enrolled in the local high school, Karatachi Academy. There she makes friends, including Haruko and Bancho, and becomes the rival of the rich-girl, Tomiko Tomita. Early on in the series, Mako has a couple of encounters with the young man she saved, known as Akira Shigeno. Akira is a bit of a drifter, constantly taking new jobs, and never stays put in one place. Although Akira is trying to find the "mermaid who saved his life", Mako is unable to confess her true identity.
Characters[edit]
- Mako (Urashima) ((浦島)マコ) Voiced by: Kazuko Sugiyama
- The 15-year-old heroine. She is the youngest daughter of the Dragon King but yearned to become a human so she can be with the boy she loves, Akira. Found by old fisherman Urashima and adopted as his granddaughter, she starts attending Karatachi School.
- Haruko Voiced by: Sachiko Chijimatsu
- Mako's classmate at school, she becomes her closest friend there. She wears glasses yet is more vociferous in opposing wrongs, or Tomiko for that matter.
- Jiro (次郎) Voiced by: Keiko Tomochika
- Jiro, along with his identical twin brother Taro, are old Urashima's real grandsons and helped him take Mako to the hospital. They also urged their grandfather to save her from traffickers who were about to sell her off. They love their adopted cousin and support her ideas of righteousness.
- Taro (太郎) Voiced by: Yuuko Maruyama
- Jiro's identical twin brother, Taro is the more realist of the two.
- Banchou (番町, Bancho) Voiced by: Hiroshi Ohtake
- Rough classmate of Mako's at Karatachi School. His real surname is Matsubashi.
- Senkichi (千吉) Voiced by: Keisuke Yamashita/Akira Kamiya
- Bancho's friend and lieutenant.
- Tomiko Voiced by: Michiko Hirai
- Mako's classmate and rival. Her mother is president of the school's PTA, hence her arrogance. She also knows Akira and wants him.
- Mr. Dabagon (ダバゴン先生) Voiced by: Ritsuo Sawa
- Mako's class' homeroom teacher. Kind and funny yet stern.
- Papa (パパ) Voiced by: Isao Yatsu
- The Dragon King himself. He is able to assume human form and appear on Earth so he can help, and scold, Mako. He often overrules his wife's overprotectiveness and lets his daughter do her own things, but is stern, particularly with Mako's use of her magical pendant and the etiquette she should follow.
- Mama (ママ) Voiced by: Michiko Hirai
- The Dragon King's wife and mother of Mako. She rarely speaks and is only seen in flashbacks, but seems to be overprotective of Mako, unlike her husband and her mother who are willing to let her go her own way.
- Obaba (おばば) Voiced by: Kazue Takahashi
- A sea hag. She is able to communicate with Mako's father in his human form, and often derides his lack of control over Mako to spite him (even though it was thanks to her magic that Mako was able to become a terrestrial being).
- Old Urashima (浦島老人) Voiced by: Tetsuya Kaji
- The old fisherman who found a nude and unconscious Mako on the beach after her transformation into a human being. He takes her in as his adoptive granddaughter. He's very stern, but deep down cares for Mako. (His surname, which Mako adopts, may be based on the legend of Urashima Tarō.)
- Akira Shigeno (茂野アキラ) Voiced by: Osamu Ichikawa/Isao Sakuma
- The young human Mako once saved from drowning, he had been on a cruise ship that capsized when the event occurred and thus lost a lot of his memory from the experience. Mako falls in love with him, but once she becomes a terrestrial being, he's not found so easily. Akira in truth is a drifter who does odd jobs and arrives and leaves town at will. He does like Mako's personality but is totally clueless about her feelings for him. (In some Latin American versions his given name is Shin'ichi instead of Akira.)
- Mrs. Tomita (富田夫人) Voiced by: Fujiko Kawashima
- Tomiko's mother. Head of Karatachi's PTA and a wealthy donor to the school.
- Twins' Mother Voiced by: Kazuko Makino
- Mother of Taro and Jiro. Raises and educates her sons in a very strict manner.
- Principal Voiced by: Terue Nunami
- Principal of Karatachi. Is strict with students, especially Mako, and often ingratiates herself to Mrs. Tomita in order to keep her donations to the school flowing.
Music[edit]
The scores and lyrics for Mahō no Mako-chan were created by Takeo Watanabe and performed by Horie Mitsuko.[1] Some of the score was reused in later Toei series, including Majokko Megu-chan and Genshi Shonen Ryu.
Theme songs[edit]
Opening theme[edit]
"Mahō no Mako-chan" (Magical Mako) by Horie Mitsuko
Ending theme[edit]
"BOKU wa MAKO ni tsuite yuku" (I Follow Mako Around) by Horie Mitsuko
Episode list[edit]
| No. | Title | Original air date | Ratings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | "First Love" Transliteration: "hatsukoi" (Japanese: 初恋) | November 2, 1970 | TBA | |
| The youngest mermaid princess, Mako, disobeys her father to visit the surface. She sees a handsome young man on a passing ship and falls in love. The ship is hit by a tsunami which forces the passengers to flee on escape boats. The young man goes to save another drowning passenger and is swept up by the waves. Mako rescues the young man and decides she wants to become a human. Mako visits the fearsome sea hag to make her dream a reality. | ||||
| 02 | "From the Ocean with Love" Transliteration: "umi yori ai wokomete" (Japanese: 海より愛をこめて) | November 8, 1970 | TBA | |
| In order to fit in with human society, Mako pretends to be an amnesic orphan. When she becomes the focus of a news program, a couple claim to be her parents. However, they are actually criminals hoping to use her to make money. Mako receives a magical pendant, “The Mermaid’s Life”, from her real parents. | ||||
| 03 | "Karatachi Academy" Transliteration: "karatachi gakuen" (Japanese: からたち学園) | November 16, 1970 | TBA | |
| Mako has been adopted by the old fisherman who originally found her on the beach. Mako begins her first day at Karatachi Academy, where her new friend, Haruko, is falsely accused of stealing a ring. | ||||
| 04 | "A New Seedling" Transliteration: "atarashi i me" (Japanese: 新しい芽) | November 23, 1970 | TBA | |
| Taro and Jiro are fed up with their mother’s strict ways and want to run away. After a fun day playing hooky with Mako, they come across a crazed young man who holds them all hostage. The young man turns out to be a Korean refugee. | ||||
| 05 | "Magical Powers Revoked" Transliteration: "ubawa reta maryoku" (Japanese: 奪われた魔力) | November 30, 1970 | TBA | |
| Tomiko Tomita, the rich girl at Karatachi Academy, hates Mako for some reason. Frustrated at how despicable humans act, Mako’s father takes away her pendant’s magical abilities. Unfortunately, Tomiko finds herself in a dangerous situation when her anger gets the best of her. Now Mako must find a way to save her without any magic. | ||||
| 06 | "Tears of Reunion" Transliteration: "saikai no namida" (Japanese: 再会の涙) | December 7, 1970 | TBA | |
| Naomi is traumatized by the cruise ship sinking. Her father hires Akira to help her. Akira wonders if he was rescued by a mermaid. Mako meets Akira but can't bring herself to tell him the truth. Note: Naomi was originally called "Kaoru" in the first episode. | ||||
| 07 | "Vestige of a Human" Transliteration: "omokage no nin" (Japanese: 面影の人) | December 14, 1970 | TBA | |
| Akira is now working for Tomiko's family. Mako tries to tell Akira that she was the one who rescued him during the shipwreck. Tomiko gets jealous of Mako. | ||||
| 08 | "Where is Santa Claus?" Transliteration: "santa wa doko ni" (Japanese: サンタは何処に) | December 21, 1970 | TBA | |
| The spirit of Christmas is in question as Mako searches for the true Santa Claus. | ||||
| 09 | "Battle at the Hill Harbor" Transliteration: "minato ga oka no ketsu to" (Japanese: 港が丘の決斗) | December 28, 1970 | TBA | |
| Mako finds herself caught up in a nasty love triangle between Bancho and another delinquent student. | ||||
| 10 | "Star of the School" Transliteration: "gakuen no hoshi" (Japanese: 学園の星) | January 4, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako butts heads with the star basketball player of her school. | ||||
| 11 | "Don’t run away, Jim" Transliteration: "nige naide jimu !" (Japanese: 逃げないでジム!) | January 11, 1971 | TBA | |
| Jim, a young black man, is falsely accused of stealing from a department store. Mako tries to restore Jim's faith in humanity. | ||||
| 12 | "Sound of the Sea" Transliteration: "umi no hibiki" (Japanese: 海のひびき) | January 18, 1971 | TBA | |
| The sea by a small fishing village is terribly polluted by factories nearby. Mako meets with an old fishing man who fights for justice. | ||||
| 13 | "Date with Papa" Transliteration: "papa to deeto" (Japanese: パパとデート) | January 25, 1971 | TBA | |
| Worried about what his blossoming daughter might be up to, Mako’s father spends a day with her. | ||||
| 14 | "Wandering Youth" Transliteration: "samayou seishun" (Japanese: さまよう青春) | February 1, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako runs into Akira again, who asks her to give a package to Tomiko. Mako is unaware that it contains unopened letters that Tomiko had written to Akira. Tomiko focuses all her resentment towards hurting Mako. | ||||
| 15 | "A Trumpet that Bets on Tomorrow" Transliteration: "ashita ni kake ru toranpetto" (Japanese: 明日に賭けるトランペット) | February 8, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako comes across two musicians with big dreams. | ||||
| 16 | "We don’t want Uniforms" Transliteration: "seifuku haiyayo" (Japanese: 制服はいやよ) | February 15, 1971 | TBA | |
| The principal’s daughter, Yuriko, returns from France and wants to design uniforms for the school. Mako and her friends protest. | ||||
| 17 | "I Can Hear a Flute in the Snowy Night" Transliteration: "yuki no yoru ni fue ga kie ru" (Japanese: 雪の夜に笛が聞える) | February 22, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako gets close to her terminally ill classmate, who has been receiving letters from a mysterious young woman. However, Mako soon discovers the sad truth. | ||||
| 18 | "A Spat Between Us" Transliteration: "shibukino nakano futari" (Japanese: しぶきの中の二人) | March 1, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako meets a young man who is currently working for Tomiko’s family. As usual, Tomiko uses her jealousy as an excuse to harass Mako. | ||||
| 19 | "Endangered Youth" Transliteration: "kiken na nengoro" (Japanese: 危険な年頃) | March 8, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako’s classmate, Miyuki, has stopped going to school and has been hanging around a bike group. The truth is, her parents have abandoned her. | ||||
| 20 | "The Stewardess and the Pilot" Transliteration: "suchuwadesu to pairotto" (Japanese: スチュワーデスとパイロット) | March 15, 1971 | TBA | |
| Taro and Jiro's aunt wants to be a stewardess but suffers from deteriorating eyesight. She fears she may lose the love of her life. | ||||
| 21 | "A School of Liars" Transliteration: "usotsuki gakuen" (Japanese: うそつき学園) | March 22, 1971 | TBA | |
| The Karatachi Academy janitor has been lying to his daughter for years, claiming he’s actually the principal. When she visits Japan for the first time in a decade, it’s up to Mako and her friends to keep his lie going. | ||||
| 22 | "Someone is calling me" Transliteration: "dareka ga yondeiru" (Japanese: 誰かが呼んでいる) | March 29, 1971 | TBA | |
| A mysterious young boy asks Mako to come into the countryside. The boy is actually a fairy who requires the power of her magical pendant to save a giant pine tree. | ||||
| 23 | "The Improvising Cupid" Transliteration: "sokuseki kyupiddo" (Japanese: 即席キューピッド) | April 5, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako meets a young woman named Minori who looks exactly like her. Minori's father is arranging her marriage, but she only wants to be with the mysterious man who saved her little sister's life. Mako tries to help the shy Minori. | ||||
| 24 | "Who am I?" Transliteration: "atashi wa darenano?" (Japanese: あたしは誰なの?) | April 12, 1971 | TBA | |
| The school requires Mako to provide a family record, which she obviously doesn’t have. Since she is insisting she has amnesia, the authorities decide to send her away to regain her memory. | ||||
| 25 | "Going Beyond the Mountains" Transliteration: "yama no nakata hi" (Japanese: 山のかなたへ) | April 19, 1971 | TBA | |
| The natural habitat of a colony of monkeys is threatened by a company that wants to cut down trees and build houses. Mako, Taro and Jiro try to help them find a new home. | ||||
| 26 | "The Mischievous Prince" Transliteration: "itazura ouji" (Japanese: いたずら王子) | April 26, 1971 | TBA | |
| Prince Hans of Escalia is smitten by Mako and insists on spending time with her. Mako's father worries that his daughter is not sophiscated enough to be around human royalty. | ||||
| 27 | "The Red Gallac" Transliteration: "akai gyarakku" (Japanese: 赤いギャラック) | May 3, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako gets involved with a boy who pretends to own a fancy red car. | ||||
| 28 | "Grand Angel" Transliteration: "gurando no tenshi" (Japanese: グランドの天使) | May 10, 1971 | TBA | |
| Karatachi has a new P.E. teacher who makes the students do very challenging exercises. | ||||
| 29 | "Pretty P~lease!" Transliteration: "onegaishima〜su!" (Japanese: おねがいしま〜す!) | May 17, 1971 | TBA | |
| Tomiko decides to run for student council and enlists the help of Mako and Midori. | ||||
| 30 | "The Little Mermaid" Transliteration: "ningyo hime" (Japanese: 人魚姫) | May 24, 1971 | TBA | |
| After reading Little Women, Mako starts thinking about her sisters. One of Mako’s sisters has actually been visiting the surface lately and was seen by a young man named Mitsuo. He becomes obsessed with trying to capture her, believing a mermaid will make him lots of money. Mako frantically tries to save her sister. Note: Starting from this episode, Mako's pendant is called both "The Mermaid's Life" and "The Mermaid's Tear." | ||||
| 31 | "King of the Last Stop" Transliteration: "shuuten no ousama" (Japanese: 終点の王様) | May 31, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako forgets an important parcel for Mr. Urashima on the train. | ||||
| 32 | "Lulu Lives On" Transliteration: "ikiteiru ruru" (Japanese: 生きているルル) | June 7, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako takes home a St. Bernard who fell victim to a hit and run. The dog’s name is Lulu and she belongs to a rich blind girl named Nobuko. Unfortunately, Nobuko lives with her abusive uncle who hates dogs. | ||||
| 33 | "A Fawn Comes to Town" Transliteration: "kojika machi wo iku" (Japanese: 子ジカ街を行く) | June 14, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako, Taro and Jiro take in a young fawn after it was harmed by poachers. | ||||
| 34 | "Song of Hangnails" Transliteration: "sasakure no uta" (Japanese: ささくれの歌) | June 21, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako misses her mother and decides to write her some letters. Tomiko steals the letter and is confused by all the references to Mako’s mermaid life. Tomiko's mother finds the letters and has them published. Note: Kaoru/Naomi is mentioned again but this time she's called "Ayumi." | ||||
| 35 | "The Manager’s Many Forms" Transliteration: "shachou shichihenge" (Japanese: 社長七変化) | June 28, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako meets two different men who are crucial to the fate of the zoo Urashima works at. | ||||
| 36 | "We Sell Lives" Transliteration: "inochi uri masu" (Japanese: 命売ります) | July 5, 1971 | TBA | |
| A man’s public suicide stunt is the work of a corrupt magazine. | ||||
| 37 | "My First Lipstick" Transliteration: "hajimete no kuchibeni" (Japanese: はじめての口紅) | July 12, 1971 | TBA | |
| An anonymous person mails lipstick to Mako. Unfortunately, mermaids are unable to wear makeup. But who exactly sent it to her? | ||||
| 38 | "Boss of the Jungle" Transliteration: "jyanguru banchou" (Japanese: ジャングル番長) | July 19, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako and friends get mixed up with an all-girl biker gang. Mako discovers the leader has a softer side than she lets on. | ||||
| 39 | "Don’t die, Mao" Transliteration: "mao shinani de" (Japanese: マオ死なないで) | July 26, 1971 | N/A | |
| Mako and friends try to save an old tiger from a terrible demise. | ||||
| 40 | "Studying to be a Bride" Transliteration: "hanayome ninaru kenkyuu" (Japanese: 花嫁になる研究) | August 2, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako doesn’t know how to cook, which makes Taro and Jiro think she won’t become a bride someday. Note: In this episode Mako says she's fourteen years old. This is a discrepancy, as she's fifteen in the first episode. | ||||
| 41 | "Chance Encounter" Transliteration: "meguriai" (Japanese: めぐりあい) | August 9, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako, Urashima and the twins go back to the beach where she was originally found. To her surprise, Akira is there working as a lifeguard. Things get complicated when another girl, Rika, implies she is the one who rescued Akira during the shipwreck. Note: It's been two years since the shipwreck. Akira's first appearance since episode 14. | ||||
| 42 | "Just One Single Record" Transliteration: "tatta hitotsu no kiroku" (Japanese: たったひとつの記録) | August 1, 1971 | TBA | |
| God is furious and demands the Dragon King bring Mako back to the sea. Mako's class takes a trip on a cruise ship, where Akira is working. Akira finally realizes Mako was the one who saved him on that fateful day. Unfortunately, as they get closer, God unleashes his fury… | ||||
| 43 | "A Ghost Dwells There" Transliteration: "yuurei ga soko ni iru" (Japanese: 幽霊がそこにいる) | August 23, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako and her friends investigate a manor that is said to be haunted by the ghost of a woman who died there last year. The woman's daughter, Suzue, wants to meet her ghost. | ||||
| 44 | "An Album without Pictures" Transliteration: "e no nai arubamu" (Japanese: 絵のないアルバム) | August 30, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako discovers Mr. Urashima keeps an old family album in a safe and wants to see it. She is shocked to find out there isn't a single photograph in the album. Note: Mr. Urashima reveals his daughter's name was Kyoko. | ||||
| 45 | "That Sunday Jerk" Transliteration: "nichiyobi no aitsu" (Japanese: 日曜日のあいつ) | September 6, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako runs into a young man who pretends to be a tax collector. | ||||
| 46 | "Tears of a Monster (Part One)" Transliteration: "youkai no namida (zenpen)" (Japanese: 妖怪の涙（前編）) | September 13, 1971 | TBA | |
| An eerie transfer student, Funakichi, arrives at Karatachi Academy. Mako discovers he is not human and has some sinister plan up his sleeves. Funakichi hynotizes Mako's classmates and lures them to a military testing ground. | ||||
| 47 | "Tears of a Monster (Part Two)" Transliteration: "youkai no namida (kouhen)" (Japanese: 妖怪の涙（後編）) | September 20, 1971 | TBA | |
| Mako discovers Funakichi is a kappa. Long ago, kappa and humans lived together in harmony. However, humans began enslaving and killing kappa. Funakichi and his people want revenge on mankind. Mako's friends franctically try to escape the military testing ground. Funakichi is moved by Mako's compassion... | ||||
| 48 | "Until The Day We Meet Again" Transliteration: "mata au hi made" (Japanese: また逢う日まで) | September 27, 1971 | TBA | |
| Akira is seriously injured and fighting for his life after protecting Mako. The Dragon King refuses to save Akira and prohibits Mako from using her pendant. Mako dives into the ocean depths, intending on dying the same time as Akira. As the Dragon King prepares to save Mako, the sea hag tells him it's only fair to save Akira as well. The next morning Mako wakes up in the hospital and discovers Akira has made a complete recovery. Akira decides to become a sailor like his father. Before he leaves, Mako asks him to throw her pendant in the ocean. Mako decides she doesn't need to rely on magic anymore and thus becomes truly human. | ||||
References[edit]
- ^ "魔法のマコちゃん". Toei Animation Official Site. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
External links[edit]
- Official site (Japanese)
- Mahō no Mako-chan (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
