Noozles, also known as The Wondrous Koala Blinky (ふしぎなコアラ ブリンキー, Fushigina Koara Burinkī), is a 26-episode anime by Nippon Animation Company that was originally released in Japan in 1984. It depicts the adventures of a 12-year-old girl named Sandy and her koala friends, Blinky and Pinky, who are from the extra-dimensional realm of Koalawalla Land.
Noozles aired in Japan on Fuji TV in Tokyo and affiliated stations in its original run from July to December 1984. An edited, dubbed version produced by Saban Entertainment later aired in the United States on Nickelodeon as part of its Nick Jr. block from November 1988 to April 1993. The show usually aired at 1 P.M. on the weekdays, immediately following another koala-themed anime, Adventures of the Little Koala, and in the UK on BBC-owned channels and later on The Children's Channel.
The series has also been dubbed into French (under the title Les Koalous), Korean, Spanish (under the title Sandy y sus koalas), Arabic and German.
The series features episode direction by Noboru Ishiguro, best known for his work on the sci-fi anime series Space Battleship Yamato (Star Blazers) and the original Macross series (which became part of Robotech in North America) and layout work by Yasuji Mori. Mori also worked on the series' original character designs with Shuichi Seki, but the final designs were done by Isamu Kumata.
Contents
Plot
One day, 12-year-old Sandy Brown receives a package from her long-lost grandfather containing a stuffed Koala named Blinky that was lost in a shipwreck 38 years ago. Sandy gives the koala a Noozle and it revives him from "magic sleepytime". His first word is "Blinky!!" in response to Sandy thinking out loud what she should name the bear right before she awakens him. They are soon joined by Blinky's sister Pinky, who appears out of thin air soon after Blinky is awakened, and demands immediately that Blinky returns with her to KoalaWalla Land. Blinky refuses however, and the trio go on to have many adventures together. Blinky is able to sustain himself while living on Earth with Sandy because of the Eucalyptus trees that Sandy's grandmother had planted 38 years ago when Sandy's grandfather, an archaeologist who had mysteriously disappeared while on an expedition to Ayers Rock, just before the ship was lost, told her that he was sending a Koala as a gift, as Sandy's grandmother had expressed that she had always wanted one as a pet.
It takes Sandy some time to determine that the "noozle" is the action that revives Blinky from magic sleepytime. She does this several times without thinking about it, and gets frustrated over the fact that Blinky falls asleep repeatedly (during which time his appearance is similar to that of an ordinary stuffed animal) and stubbornly refuses to awaken until she realizes what she must do to revive him. Early in the series, Sandy decides to introduce Blinky and Pinky to her grandmother, but decides to keep them a secret to everyone else.
About halfway through the series, Blinky and Pinky bring Sandy to their homeworld of KoalaWalla Land. KoalaWalla Land is a parallel dimension inhabited by anthropomorphic koalas, kangaroos, platypuses, cassowaries, kiwi, and frill-necked lizards. It is ruled by a wise old koala known as the High Dingy Doo. Humans aren't allowed in KoalaWalla Land (and in fact a human will be arrested and jailed on sight just for being in KoalaWalla Land), so Sandy has to wear a koala mask during each visit (though some are able to see through her poor disguise). A portal to KoalaWalla Land can be found at Ayers Rock. Pinkie also has the ability to create instant portals to KoalaWalla Land at any point, as well as portals back and forth through time, by utilizing the red lipstick in her magic cosmetic kit to draw an interdimensional hole in the time-space continuum.
Meanwhile, Sandy's father Alex, who is also an archaeologist like his father before him, is exploring Ayers Rock and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to his father 38 years ago. While there, he discovers a cave, and on the wall of the cave is a message that his father wrote 38 years ago, saying "I must leave on a mission of great importance. The little koala will know where I'll be." Alex stumbles into the portal to KoalaWalla Land at the end of the tunnel, where he is chased by the KoalaWalla Land police. Sandy, Blinky, and Pinky travel to KoalaWalla Land to rescue him. Alex stumbles upon a crystal planetoid in KoalaWalla Land, where he sees a shadowy figure resembling his father in one of the crystals. There, the KoalaWalla Land police find him and place him under a sleeping spell, but Sandy and Blinky and Pinky arrive to rescue him. They bring him back to Ayers Rock. Alex wakes up, convinced that the entire experience was a dream.
Historical background
Noozles was made as Japan was in the midst of a koala frenzy along with another koala themed anime titled コアラボーイコッキィ (Koala Boy Kokki), which would later be broadcast alongside Noozles on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block in 1988, under the English title Adventures of the Little Koala. According to The Anime Encyclopedia by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy, Japan's koala frenzy was sparked by the Tama Zoo in western Tokyo receiving their first koala as the Australian government sent six koalas to Japan as a token of goodwill, but in actuality, the Tama Zoo as well as other zoos in Japan got their koalas because Japan was craving them.
Noozles aired on Fuji TV in the Kanto region of Japan Saturday nights at 8pm from July through September 1984, then moved to Fridays at 7pm for the remainder of the series run. Some other stations in the Fuji network system, namely Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting, TV Shizuoka, Fukui TV, Tokai TV, Okayama Broadcasting and San-in Chūō Television Broadcasting, aired the series in the same time slots as the producing station; other stations in the chain aired it on a delayed basis.
Episode list
English episode titles are given first followed by the Japanese episode title in parentheses and the episode's air date in Japan.
A Friend From Down Under (奇妙な友情 Kimyōna yūjō, "A Strange Friendship") - 7 July 1984
Granny Meets Blinky And Pinky (宇宙人!? Uchuujin!?, "An Alien!?") - 14 July 1984
Sandy's Birthday Surprise (消えたパパ Kieta Papa, "Papa Disappeared") - 21 July 1984
She Loves Me Not (ライバル出現 Raibaru shutsugen, "A Rival Appears") - 28 July 1984
Sandy's Three Wishes (三つのお願い Mittsu no onegai, "Three Wishes") - 4 August 1984
Sandy's Stardom (大冒険! Dai bōken!, "Great Adventure!") - 11 August 1984
To Catch Smoky And Louis (大追跡 Dai tsuiseki, "The Great Chase") - 18 August 1984
The Art Contest (幻の絵 Maboroshi no e, "The Phantom Picture") - 25 August 1984
Like Father, Like Daughter (わたしは美人 Watashi wa bijin, "I'm Beautiful") - 1 September 1984
Naughty But Nice (こまった親切 Komatta shinsetsu, "The Trouble with Being Nice") - 8 September 1984
That Ol' Pink Magic (ぼく強い子 Boku tsuyoiko, "My Strong Child") - 15 September 1984
Going Back In Time (過去への旅 Kako e no tabi, "Journey to the Past") - 22 September 1984
Credits
Production company
Nippon Animation Company Ltd.
Original broadcaster
Fuji TV
Japanese distribution
Fuji Eight Company Ltd.
American distribution
Saban International Services
Written by
Nobuyuki Isshiki (5-6, 9-11, 15, 22), Taku Sugiyama (1-2, 13, 18, 25-26), Akira Nakano (7, 16, 19, 23), Keiko Mukuroji (2-4, 8, 12, 17, 20, 24), Mitsuru Tanabe (14), Yasufumi Yoda (21)
Series Director
Taku Sugiyama
Episode Directors
Kenji Miyashita (21, 24), Mitsuru Tanabe (14), Noboru Ishiguro (4, 12, 16), Taku Sugiyama (1-3, 5-11, 13, 15, 17–20, 22–23, 25-26)
Character Design
Isamu Kumata
Storyboards
Eiji Okabe (14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 23), Eimi Maeda (24), Fumio Kurokawa (13), Katsumi Endō (2, 5, 8, 10), Kazuyoshi Katayama (9), Masayuki Hayashi (7), Noboru Ishiguro (4, 12, 16, 21), Taku Sugiyama (1, 6, 11, 18, 22, 25, 26)
Animation Director
Hidemi Maeda (1, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 18–19, 22, 24, 26), Masami Abe (3, 9, 17, 20, 25), Takao Ogawa (2, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 21, 23), Kiyotoshi Aoi (4)
Music
Opening Theme
"Fushigi Ufufu" by Tarako
Ending Theme
"Shabadaba Dakedo" by Toshio Furukawa
Merchandise
Books
Noozles: New Friends (1993 Tor Books; L. Spencer Humphrey & Deborah Morse)
Videos
Released from 1991–1994 by Celebrity Home Entertainment
Adventures in Koalawalla Land (120 min.)
Blinky and Pinky's Excellent Adventure (95 min.)
A Day With Grandma (30 min.)
Fuzzy Was a Noozle (95 min.)
Koala Bear Magic (75 min.)
A New Friend (30 min.)
Nuzzling With the Noozles (110 min.)
Picture Perfect (30 min.)
Blinky's Decision / The Last Caper (50 min.)