The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Japanese: トム・ソーヤーの冒険, Hepburn: Tomu Sōyā no Bōken) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Nippon Animation and directed by Hiroshi Saito, which premiered on Fuji Television and its affiliates on January 6, 1980, and ended its run on December 28 the same year. It is based on the 1876 novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (and partially on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn).
The series was broadcast on the World Masterpiece Theater, an animation staple on Fuji TV, that each year showcased an animated version of a classical book or story of Western literature, and was originally titled Tom Sawyer no Bōken. It was the second installment of the series, after Rascal the Raccoon in 1977, to feature the work of an American author.
This series was dubbed into English by Saban International and broadcast on HBO in 1988 under the title The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at 7:30 am. It alternated with the later World Masterpiece Theater version of Tales of Little Women. Celebrity Home Entertainment released videos in the United States under the title All New Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It also aired on The Children's Channel in the UK and Network 10 in Australia and has also been dubbed in other languages, including French, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew, Portuguese, German, Hungarian, Dutch, Filipino and Spanish. In January 2011, it was shown in the United States in the original Japanese on the NHK's cable channel TV Japan. In the Philippines, it was shown on ABS-CBN, Q, Kapamilya Channel, A2Z and TV5.
Contents
Plot
Set in the mid-19th century in the rural town of St. Petersburg along the Mississippi River, the story follows Tom Sawyer, a mischievous and adventurous boy who enjoys playing pranks with his best friend, Huck Finn, and their friends. Together, they spend their days embarking on imaginative adventures, including catching wild pigs in the woods, playing pirates on the river, and riding in a hot air balloon.
One night, Tom and Huck witness the outlaw Injun Joe murder Dr. Robinson in a graveyard. Injun Joe frames the innocent Muff Potter for the crime, but Tom later testifies in court and reveals the truth, clearing Muff's name. Before he can be arrested, however, Injun Joe escapes from the courtroom and disappears.
Later, while searching for a place where Huck can live, Tom and Huck visit a supposedly haunted house, where they discover Injun Joe in possession of a large treasure. Near the end of the summer, Tom and Becky Thatcher become lost while exploring a cave and encounter Injun Joe, who has been hiding there. After a tense ordeal, they are rescued by the sheriff and safely return home.
Following Injun Joe's defeat, Tom and Huck recover the treasure he had concealed, making them wealthy. Despite their newfound fortune, Tom and Huck remain as spirited and mischievous as ever, continuing to get into trouble and receiving punishment from their schoolteacher for their antics.
Characters
Sawyers
Tom Sawyer: Masako Nozawa in Japanese, Barbara Goodson in English dub.
Sid Sawyer: Sumiko Shirakawa in Japanese, Brianne Siddall in English dub.
Aunt Polly: Haru Endo in Japanese, Philece Sampler in English dub.
Mary Sawyer: Kaoru Ozawa in Japanese, Melora Harte in English dub.
Sally Phelps: Natsuko Kawaji
Silas Phelps: Minoru Yada
Penny Phelps: Yoshiko Matsuo
Oscar Phelps: Kaneto Shiozawa in Japanese, Michael McConnohie in English dub.
Finns
Huckleberry Finn: Kazuyo Aoki in Japanese, Wanda Nowicki in English dub
Pap Finn: Toshiya Ueda
Thatchers
Becky Thatcher: Keiko Han
Judge Edward Thatcher: Ichiro Murakoshi
Margaret & Jeff Thatcher: Yumi Nakatani, Cam Clarke (English; Jeff)
Others
Jim: Ikuo Nishikawa
Amy Lawrence: Kaoru Kurosu, Sanae Takagi
Ben Rogers: Mie Azuma, Atsuko Mine
Alfred Temple: Masako Sugaya
Billy Fisher: Naoki Tatsuta, Ikuo Nishikawa
Muff Potter: Eken Mine in Japanese, Robert V. Barron in English dub.
Dr. Robinson: Jun Hazumi
Injun Joe: Eiji Kanie and Kenji Utsumi (episodes 38-49) in Japanese, Tom Wyner in English dub.
Mr. Dobbins: Ichirō Nagai
Joe Harper: Kazuhiko Inoue
Sheriff Collins: Taimei Suzuki
Widow Douglas: Keiko Kuge, Barbara Goodson in English dub.
Dr. Michael Mitchell: Tadao Futami in Japanese, Michael Forest in English dub.
Dr. Helmen: Mike Reynolds in English dub.
Lisette Jean
Prosecutor: Richard Epcar in English dub.
Peter (the cat)
Caesar (the dog)
Episodes
English episode titles from the 1988 Saban dub are listed in parentheses.
International titles
As aventuras de Tom Sawyer (Portuguese)
De avonturen van Tom Sawyer (Dutch)
Las Aventuras de Tom Sawyer (Spanish)
Le avventure di Tom Sawyer (Italian)
Les Aventures de Tom Sawyer (French)
Przygody Tomka Sawyera (Polish)
Tom Sawyer (Spanish)
Tom Sawyer no Bōken (Japanese)
Tom Sawyers Abenteuer (German)
Tom Sawyerin ja Huckleberry Finnin seikkailut (Finnish)
Tom Story (Italian)
תום סוייר (Hebrew)
توم سوير (Arabic)
ماجراهای تام سایر (Persian)
トム・ソーヤーの冒険 (Japanese)
湯姆歷險記 (Chinese (Taiwan))
톰 소여의 모험 (Korean)
Приключения Тома Сойера (Russian)
Reception
Awarded Best Film Award for TV by the Children's Cultural Affairs Agency, Government of Japan