Princess Sara

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Princess Sara
Logo from the opening of Princess Sara
小公女セーラ (Shōkōjo Sēra)
Genre	Drama Historical Slice of life
Anime television series
Directed by	Fumio Kurokawa
Produced by	Junzō Nakajima (Nippon Animation) Taihei Ishikawa (Fuji TV)
Written by	Keiko Mukuroji Ryūzō Nakanishi
Music by	Yasuo Higuchi
Studio	Nippon Animation
Original network	Fuji TV Animax Family Gekijo
English network	Animax Asia
Original run	6 January 1985 – 29 December 1985
Episodes	46 (List of episodes)

Princess Sara (Japanese: 小公女（プリンセス）セーラ, Hepburn: Shōkōjo Sēra, lit. "Little Princess Sara"), also spelled as Princess Sarah for disambiguation purposes, is a Japanese anime television series based on the 1905 children's novel A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It aired from January to December 1985, as part of Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater. The series follows Sara Crewe, a young student of an all-girls boarding school who later becomes orphaned and is forced to work as a servant.

The anime series was remade into a Filipino live-action film adaptation, released in 1995. A Filipino television drama adaptation aired in 2007. It was also dubbed in other languages including Arabic^[1] under the title, Sally (سالي) and was a huge success in the Arab World and widely popular, spanning reruns in the 1990s and early 2000s and was subsequently added to Netflix Middle East in November 2020.^[2]

In 1885, Captain Ralph Crewe, a wealthy English widower living in British-ruled India, enrolls his eight-year-old daughter Sara at the Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies in London. She excels in her studies and is loved deeply by her classmates and friends, but earns the hatred of class representative Lavinia Herbert and the grudge of the headmistress Miss Minchin. On her ninth birthday, Sara learns of her father's death and bankruptcy from an infuriated Miss Minchin, who decides to hire the orphaned girl as an unpaid maid in the school. Miss Minchin and Lavinia attempt to make Sara's life miserable and break her spirit, but with the help of her friends, Sara tries to endure all the hardships with her kindness and imagination.

• Sara Crewe (セーラ・クルー, Sēra Kurū)

Voiced by: Sumi Shimamoto (Japanese); Andrea Kwan (English)

The main protagonist of the series and a student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, who is the daughter of Ralph Crewe, Sara is a kind-hearted, beautiful, compassionate, brave, optimistic, imaginative, and intelligent girl.

• Captain Ralph Crewe (ラルフ・クルー, Rarufu Kurū)

Voiced by: Banjō Ginga

Sara's loving and devoted father, he died from his place India, leaving Sara to be poor and maiden by Miss Minchin.

• Miss Maria Minchin (マリア・ミンチン)

Voiced by: Taeko Nakanishi

The strict, cruel headmistress of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, and Amelia's older sister.

• Miss Amelia Minchin (アメリア・ミンチン, Ameria Minchin)

Voiced by: Yuri Nashiwa

Miss Minchin's kind but meek younger sister, who is a school teacher in Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies.

• Lavinia Herbert (ラビニア・ハーバート, Rabinia Hābāto)

Voiced by: Eiko Yamada

The oldest student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's (former) rival, who is bitterly jealous of her wealth and popularity. Lavinia is prideful, sadistic, cynical, and manipulative. In the series finale, she has reformed.

• Becky (ベッキー, Bekkī)

Voiced by: Mie Suzuki

A scullery maid in Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's closest best friend, who lives in the attic of the school. Becky is an optimistic, clumsy, and hardworking girl who comes from the town of Ashfield.

• Peter (ピーター, Pītā)

Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto

A street-smart boy and Sara's loyal best friend, who greatly admires her. Cheerful and hardworking, Peter is good at driving a carriage and is also seen working at a market. He is also considered as a love interest to Sara.

• Ermengarde St. John (アーメンガード・セントジョン, Āmengādo Sentojon)

Voiced by: Maki Yaosaka

A student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's schoolmate and best friend, Ermengarde is a plump girl who is slow at learning. She is also a victim of Lavinia's bullying.

• Lottie Legh (ロッティ・レイ, Rotti Rei)

Voiced by: Naoko Watanabe

The youngest student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's schoolmate and daughter-figure, Lottie is a four-year-old girl who is prone to tantrums.

• Jessie (ジェシー, Jeshī) and Gertrude (ガートルード, Gātorūdo)

Voiced by: Seiko Nakano and Harumi Iizuka (as Jessie), Run Sasaki (as Gertrude)

Two students of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies who are Lavinia's closest schoolmates.

• Molly (モーリー, Mōrī)

Voiced by: Asami Mukaidono

A resident maid of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and James' wife.

• James (ジェームス, Jēmusu)

Voiced by: Daisuke Gōri

A resident cook of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Molly's husband.

• Mariette (マリエット, Marietto)

Voiced by: Sanae Takagi

A maid in Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies who is serving for Sara.

• Monsieur Dufarge (デュファルジュ先生, Dyufaruju sensei)

Voiced by: Toshiya Ueda

A French teacher at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies.

• Mr. Tom Carrisford (トム・クリスフォード, Tomu Kurisufōdo)

Voiced by: Shūsei Nakamura

A kind old man who lives in another house next to Miss Minchin's seminary, Mr. Carrisford is Ralph Crewe's best friend.

• Ram Dass (ラムダス, Ramudasu)

Voiced by: Hideyuki Tanaka

An Indian lascar serving for Mr. Carrisford. Ram Dass has a pet monkey called Surya (スリャ, Surya). He is the only Indian who speaks English, unlike his two partners.

• Mr. Carmichael (カーマイケル弁護士, Kāmaikeru bengoshi)

Voiced by: Yusaku Yara

Mr. Carrisford's solicitor and confidant.

• Donald Carmichael (ドナルド・カーマイケル, Donarudo Kāmaikeru)

Voiced by: Mitsuko Horie

Mr. Carmichael's polite, generous son.

• Janet Carmichael (ジャネット・カーマイケル, Janetto Kāmaikeru)

Voiced by: Asami Mukaidono

Mr. Carmichael's daughter and Donald's sister.

• Mrs. Carmichael (カーマイケルさん, Kāmaikeru-san)

Mother of Janet and Donald.

Mr. Barrow (バロー弁護士, Barō bengoshi)

Voiced by: Yuzuru Fujimoto

A solicitor who is invested into Ralph Crewe's business.

Lavinia's father (ラビニアの父, Rabinia no chichi)

Voiced by: Kazuhiko Kishino

Lavinia's father. Unlike his family members, he is angry with his daughter, and is the reason of the cruelty of his daughter against Sarah.

Lavinia's mother (ラビニアの母, Rabinia no haha)

Voiced by: Kumiko Takizawa

Lavinia's mother.

Anne (アンヌ, Annu)

Voiced by: Chieko Honda

An orphaned street child who meets Sara outside the bakery.

Teddy (テディ, Tedi)

Voiced by: Kazue Ikura

Becky's younger brother.

Martha (マーサ, Māsa)

Voiced by: Chie Kōjiro

Becky's younger sister.

Jim (ジム, Jimu)

Voiced by: Sanae Takagi

Peter's friend.

Dr. Wild (ワイルド医師, Wairudo ishi)

Voiced by: Ryūji Saikachi

An alcoholic doctor.

Old Priest (老司祭, Rō shisai)

Voiced by: Yasuo Muramatsu

A kind-hearted priest in a church in the city.

Soldier ((兵士, Heishi)

A soldier from London who helps Sara pick up the potatoes during a rainy day.

Baker's wife (パン屋の夫人, Pan-ya no fujin)

• Voiced by: Atsuko Mine

The owner of a bakery in the city. When she saw Sara giving bread to Anne, she described Anne as an "angelic child". Later, she took Anne to her bakery.

Florist owner (花屋の所有者, Hanaya no shoyū-sha)

• Voiced by: Sanae Takagi

An acquaintance of Peter, he runs a stall flower shop in the market. She remembers Sarah when she was a young lady and cares about her.

Clothes shop owner (洋服店のオーナー, Yōfuku-ten no ōnā)

• Voiced by: Takuzo Kamiyama

The original owner of the doll "Emily" at a clothes store in the city. Emily, which is the signboard of the store that is not for sale, is handed over to Sarah, and at the same time she receives an order for Sarah's clothes (measurement at this time will be a hint later). He has also saved a fallen Sarah.

The other two Indian servants (他の二人のインド人使用人, Hoka no ni-ri no Indo hito shiyō hito)

Ram Dass's two partners who don't speak English unlike Ram Dass.

Peter's Uncle (ピーターの叔父, Pītā no oji)

He is a vegetable merchant and he helps Sarah because of stealing money.

Peter's Father (ピーターの父, Pītā no chichi)

He is handicapped with his crutch.

Peter's Mother (ピーターの母親, Pītā no hahaoya)

She is contagious and weak.

Maggie (マギー, Magī)

She is responsible for the match factory.

Ceaser (シーザー, Sīzā)

• Voiced by: Eiko Yamada

A domestic cat of Miss Minchin's seminary.

Bonaparte (ボナパルト, Bonaparuto)

• Voiced by: Chika Sakamoto

A parrot that Sara brought from India at the time of admission. At the beginning, Sarah's father Crewe brought Bonaparte from India to Miss Minchin's seminary in London as a companion for Sarah. When Sarah faces the death of her father, it was taken away by Mr. Barrow as a mortgage of Crewe's "debt", until Sarah returned to her original life, and returned to Sarah's side with the help of Peter and Mr. Carmichael.

Jump (ジャンプ, Jampu)

A horse which has a white diamond-shaped spots on the forehead that Ralph kept in Minchin. At the beginning, when Sarah was a rich daughter, Captain Ralph bought it as an exclusive carriage for Sarah. When Sarah faces the death of her father, it was taken away by Mr. Barrow as a mortgage of Crewe's "debt", until Sarah returned to her original life, and returned to Sarah's side with the help of Peter and Mr. Carmichael.

Surya (スリャ, Surya)

Ram Dass' mischievous monkey.

Boris (ボリス, Boris)

Tom Carrisford's breed resembles a large long-haired Afghan hound, which in the original work is actually the dog raised by the Carmichael family.

Princess Sara, directed by Fumio Kurokawa and produced by Nippon Animation, being the eleventh entry in the World Masterpiece Theater, premiered in Japan on January 6, 1985, and concluded on December 29, 1985, after 46 episodes on Fuji TV. Shunji Saida is the character designer for the anime series. The musical score is composed by Yasuo Higuchi. The series features two pieces of theme music, both performed by Satoko Shimonari: the opening theme is "Hana no Sasayaki" (花のささやき, lit. "Whisper of a Flower"), and the ending theme is "Himawari" (ひまわり, lit. "Sunflower"). The Filipino dub of the series aired in the Philippines on ABS-CBN in 1988.^[3]

It was also aired on Animax, who later broadcast the series across its respective networks worldwide, including its English language networks in South Asia and Southeast Asia, dubbing and translating the series into English under the title Princess Sarah. Animax's version was the series' only English translation, and the series has yet to be commercially released in the United States.^[4]

The series has been also selected as one of the best 100 Japanese anime series of all time by the viewers of TV Asahi.^[5]

The success and popularity of the anime series in the Philippines inspired a live-action film adaptation. Sarah... Ang Munting Prinsesa (lit. "Sarah, The Little Princess"), produced by Star Cinema and directed by Romy Suzara, was released on June 7, 1995. The film stars Camille Prats as Sarah Crewe. In the mid-2010s, the film was digitally restored and remastered by the ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project, which to date are restoring old damaged classic Filipino movies to a high-definition format.^[6]

A Filipino television drama adaptation of the series, produced by ABS-CBN, aired from November 12 to December 21, 2007 on the Primetime Bida block. The series stars Sharlene San Pedro as Sarah Crewe. The story is loosely based on the anime series and took further creative liberties from the original source material, with fantasy elements being introduced in the story.

• 小公女セーラ (Japanese)
• Sarah: Ang Munting Princesa (Filipino)
• Die kleine Prinzessin Sara (German)
• Princesa Sara (Spanish)
• Little Princess (English)
• Sara Lovely Sara (Italian)
• Mała księżniczka Sara (Polish)
• Princess Sara (English)
• Princesse Sarah (French)
• Sali سالي (Arabic and Sorani)
• Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa (Tagalog)
• Küçük Prenses (Turkish)
• سارا کرو (Farsi)
• 莎拉公主 (Chinese)
• 소공녀 세라 Sogongnyeo Serra (Korean)

• Al Hattami, Fatima Q.; Schaefer, Richard J. (2017). "Female Gender Modeling Between Now and Then: Two Western Cartoons and Their Resonance with an Arab Culture". In Reinhard, Carrielynn D.; Olson, Christopher J. (eds.). Heroes, Heroines, and Everything in Between: Challenging Gender and Sexuality Stereotypes in Children's Entertainment Media. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-1-4985-3957-9.
• Camp, Brian (2007). Anime Classics Zettai!: 100 Must-see Japanese Animation Masterpieces. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-933330-22-8. See page 30.
• Clements, Jonathon; McCarthy, Helen (2015). The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation. Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 9781611729092. See pp. 475–476, 932.
• Kirkland, Janice (December 1997). "Frances Hodgson Burnett's Sara Crewe Through 110 Years". Children's Literature in Education. 28 (4): 191–203. doi:10.1023/A:1022419120433. S2CID 161179042. See page 201.
• Oltolini, Maria Chiara (September 2021). "Children's Fiction and Anime: The Case of Shōkōjo Sēra". Journal of Screenwriting. 12 (3): 287–305. doi:10.1386/josc_00068_1. S2CID 242037149.

• Oshin

• Nippon Animation's official website for Princess Sara (in Japanese)
• A Little Princess Sara at IMDb
• Princess Sara (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Animax's official website for Princess Sara (in Japanese)
• Princess Sara English page
• The Princess Sara museum (in Japanese)