Kaiketsu Zorori
Encyclopedia
is a popular Japan
ese children's book series
created by Yutaka Hara
and published by Poplar Publishing. The original books were also made into an OVA, animated feature-length film
, anime
, and comic. They all have "Zorori" in the title.
on January 4, 2010. The dub featured the voices of Russell Wait as the title character, Candice Moore, Muriel Hofmann, Michael Pizzuto, and Jack Murphy
.
Zorori was originally a villain for the series written by Shiho Mitsushima, and when Hōrensō Man ended, Shiho Mitsushima understood the need to give it an independent spin-off. What both series shared in common was that the end of (depicts Zorori leaving on a journey to get a castle) ties in with the beginning of Kaiketsu Zorori no Doragon Taiji and Zorori's aspiration, "Zorori Castle Part 2" is established (It appears Part 1 came from the Zorori Castle in Hōrensō Man no Yūreijō). Another part is the reoccurring characters (Zorori Mama and Yōkai Gakkō no Sensei, and to some degree the debut of Sumire and Bokushi Robo) that were not given anything past trivial appearances. However, knowing the background story of the Hōrensō Man series is not needed to be able to enjoy the Zorori series.
Using clear patterns and lines, the characters would speak using speech bubbles more similar to comics than to picture books. The text and words would not use any difficult kanji
or any furigana
, instead using lower grade level words so that it can be read alone without needing any help. It also features excessive puns and it is because of this that puns saw a boom in use in elementary school students. In spite of it being called a well read elementary school "children's book", it has an array of farting, belching, and vulgar words that sometimes parents and guardians in the PTA
demanded apologies for it. (Remember, this is a comedy series) Whenever Zorori is in a desperate situation and it appears he'll reach his demise, a fake notice is posted advising to skip the next page due to gruesome violence (Of course this is all a joke. The next page just has him finding a way out of his predicament).
At the time of publication, and (A play on Pokemon
) were very popular comedies, especially among Japanese comedians for its use of Japanese jokes.
Furthermore, the Spanish
word for fox is "zorro", and the author intended for Kaiketsu Zorori to resemble Zorro
.
), Russell Wait, David Lee McKinney (English)
Zorori's Followers
Zorori's Family
/
, Scott Evans
(English)
Monsters
/ , Muriel Hofmann (English)
/ , Candice Moore (English)
/ ('93 short film: Keiko Han
)
/ ('93 short film: Kōsei Tomita
)
/
/
Suzuki Santa and Yamada Santa
Ending Themes
Ending Themes
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese children's book series
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
created by Yutaka Hara
Yutaka Hara
is a Japanese manga artist. He was born in Kumamoto in 1953, and is the winner of the 1974 KFS Contest Kodansha Children's Literature Award ....
and published by Poplar Publishing. The original books were also made into an OVA, animated feature-length film
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, and comic. They all have "Zorori" in the title.
Synopsis
Set in a parallel world inhabited by anthropomorphic animals (in their Earth's version of Japan), the story follows the protagonist, a fox named Zorori and his boar twin followers Ishishi and Noshishi as they travel from place to place. The series debuted in 1987 with its first issue: and has published about two issues per year, totaling 48 issues as of December 2010. It was adapted into an anime series from February 1, 2004 to January 28, 2007. A Hong Kong produced English dubbed version by Red Angel Media aired on Cartoon Network PhilippinesCartoon Network Philippines
Cartoon Network is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner which primarily shows animated programming. The Philippine version is a branch of Cartoon Network Asia, broadcasting exclusively in the Philippines....
on January 4, 2010. The dub featured the voices of Russell Wait as the title character, Candice Moore, Muriel Hofmann, Michael Pizzuto, and Jack Murphy
Jack Murphy
Jack Roland Murphy or Murf the Surf is a surfing champion, musician, author, artist and convicted murderer who was involved in the biggest jewel heist in American history at the American Museum of Natural History...
.
Zorori was originally a villain for the series written by Shiho Mitsushima, and when Hōrensō Man ended, Shiho Mitsushima understood the need to give it an independent spin-off. What both series shared in common was that the end of (depicts Zorori leaving on a journey to get a castle) ties in with the beginning of Kaiketsu Zorori no Doragon Taiji and Zorori's aspiration, "Zorori Castle Part 2" is established (It appears Part 1 came from the Zorori Castle in Hōrensō Man no Yūreijō). Another part is the reoccurring characters (Zorori Mama and Yōkai Gakkō no Sensei, and to some degree the debut of Sumire and Bokushi Robo) that were not given anything past trivial appearances. However, knowing the background story of the Hōrensō Man series is not needed to be able to enjoy the Zorori series.
Using clear patterns and lines, the characters would speak using speech bubbles more similar to comics than to picture books. The text and words would not use any difficult kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
or any furigana
Furigana
is a Japanese reading aid, consisting of smaller kana, or syllabic characters, printed next to a kanji or other character to indicate its pronunciation. In horizontal text, yokogaki, they are placed above the line of text, while in vertical text, tategaki, they are placed to the right of the line...
, instead using lower grade level words so that it can be read alone without needing any help. It also features excessive puns and it is because of this that puns saw a boom in use in elementary school students. In spite of it being called a well read elementary school "children's book", it has an array of farting, belching, and vulgar words that sometimes parents and guardians in the PTA
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
demanded apologies for it. (Remember, this is a comedy series) Whenever Zorori is in a desperate situation and it appears he'll reach his demise, a fake notice is posted advising to skip the next page due to gruesome violence (Of course this is all a joke. The next page just has him finding a way out of his predicament).
At the time of publication, and (A play on Pokemon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
) were very popular comedies, especially among Japanese comedians for its use of Japanese jokes.
Furthermore, the Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
word for fox is "zorro", and the author intended for Kaiketsu Zorori to resemble Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
.
Main characters
/ ('93 Short Film: Akira KamiyaAkira Kamiya
is a Japanese voice actor. He has been represented by Theater Echo, Aoni Production, and others. He is currently represented by Saeba Shoji.-Career:Kamiya made his debut on Mahou no Mako-chan in 1970 while working for Theater Echo...
), Russell Wait, David Lee McKinney (English)
- The foxFoxFox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
protagonist of the story and a wanted criminal (after . He keeps traveling with the goal of becoming the , finding a beautiful bride, and getting his own castle. He refers to himself as Ore-sama and Ore. He can build mecha out of rubbish and trash, and even amusement parks, by himself since he is a genius. A self-proclaimed , he is by no means a villain, as he has a tender heart and as the protagonist of a picture book, he is more of a dark hero or an anti-hero. He would do anything to achieve his goals, but from time to time he would help others, especially if he sees an oppotunity to benefit from a situation himself. He normally wears a sandogasa and a striped cape reminiscent of an Edo periodEdo periodThe , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
gambler, but at crucial moments he changes into a ZorroZorroZorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
-esque costume with the letters ZZ on the chest. He is very dextrous and can build almost any machine to suit his needs. He is also the owner of the Bukkura Koita, a book that tells oyaji gagsDajareis a kind of comic Japanese word play, similar in spirit to pun relying on similarities in the pronunciation of words to create a simple joke.Dajare are popular in advertising...
so bad they freeze all who hear it. His favorite food is anpanAnpanis a Japanese sweet bun most commonly filled with red bean paste. Anpan can also be prepared with other fillings, including white beans , sesame and chestnut .- History :...
.
Zorori's Followers
- / (Stand In: Masako NozawaMasako Nozawais a Japanese voice actress and actress affiliated with Office Nozawa. Her pet name is Mako. Her husband, Masa'aki Tsukada is also a voice actor....
, FebruaryFebruary 2006February 2006: ← – January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December - →...
~April 2006; '93 Short Film Kenichi Ogata), Candice Moore, Scott EvansScott EvansScott Evans may refer to:*Scott Evans , American actor*Scott Evans , Irish badminton player*Scott Evans , American football player*Scott Evans , lacrosse player...
(English)
- The older of the boarBoarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
twins. Along with his younger brother Noshishi, he follows Zorori around on his journey. He is distinguishable from his brother by his slightly larger right nostril and deeper voice. His favorite food is melonpanMelonpan, also known as Melon pan, Melon buns or Melon bread, are sweet bakery products from Japan, but also popular in Taiwan and China. They are made from an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crisp cookie dough. Their appearance resembles a melon, such as a rock melon...
.- / (Stand In: Sanae KobayashiSanae Kobayashiis a voice actress who was born in Shizuoka Prefecture. She is affiliated with Production Baobab.-Television Animation:*.hack//Liminality as Mai Minase*.hack//Roots as Ender*.hack//Roots as Pi...
, January 2007; '93 Short Film: Shigeru ChibaShigeru Chibais an actor and voice actor. He has also worked as a sound effects director and music director. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce....
), Muriel Hofmann, Michael Pizzuto (English)
- / (Stand In: Sanae Kobayashi
- The younger of the boar twins, he follows Zorori and Ishishi around on the journey. He is distinguishable from his brother by his slightly larger left nostril, the mole on his right cheek, and a higher voice. His favorite food is onigiriOnigiri, also known as or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori . Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume , salted salmon, katsuobushi, kombu, tarako, or any other salty or sour ingredient as a natural preservative...
.- Ishishi and Noshishi do share some common traits, they both refer to themselves in the first personGrammatical personGrammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
as and end a lot of their sentences with , and they both have problems fartFartFart is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. The word "fart" is generally considered unsuitable in a formal environment by modern English speakers, and it may be considered vulgar or offensive in some situations. Fart can be used as a noun or a verb...
ing at will. Also, they both respect Zorori and refer to him as or just Sensei, the latter more often than the former. - Incidentally, their names are rearrangements of , the JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
word for boarBoarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
.
- Ishishi and Noshishi do share some common traits, they both refer to themselves in the first person
Zorori's Family
- /
- Real Name: , she is the ghost of Zorori’s mother. Her cause of death is unknown, but she is almost always seen watching her son from above.
/
- A ghost guide in finding the 'Minus Eel'. He can escape from his body and move around as a spirit.
Secondary Characters
/ , Jack MurphyJack Murphy
Jack Roland Murphy or Murf the Surf is a surfing champion, musician, author, artist and convicted murderer who was involved in the biggest jewel heist in American history at the American Museum of Natural History...
, Scott Evans
Scott Evans
Scott Evans may refer to:*Scott Evans , American actor*Scott Evans , Irish badminton player*Scott Evans , American football player*Scott Evans , lacrosse player...
(English)
- YōkaiYōkaiare a class of supernatural monsters in Japanese folklore. The word yōkai is made up of the kanji for "otherworldly" and "weird". Yōkai range eclectically from the malevolent to the mischievous, or occasionally bring good fortune to those who encounter them...
-sensei for short. He teaches different monsters and demons how to scare people.
Monsters
/ , Muriel Hofmann (English)
- The brave, noble, and honest black panther. He is often the target of Zorori's schemes and suffers much physical abuse.
/ , Candice Moore (English)
- A cat princess that Zorori had kidnapped in order to save her, marry her, and get her castle. She was rescued by Arthur and then married him.
- A bat the wizard combined with an umbrella .
- A hippo the wizard combined with a bag . In the 1933 movie, the hippo was male, but female in the anime series.
- A squirrel the wizard combined with a slipper .
- A mouse the wizard combined with an earthworm .
- A the wizard combined with underwear .
/ ('93 short film: Keiko Han
Keiko Han
is a Japanese voice actress. She attended Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin, going on to study theatre arts at Nihon University. She gained experience in theater while attending school by obtaining work through Aoni Production, singing the theme songs in productions such as Story of the Alps: My Annette and...
)
- The son of a pirate captain. When he was first introduced he was a lion cub, but for the rest of the series he is a teenager. He has his own toy car store.
- Paru's father.
/ ('93 short film: Kōsei Tomita
Kosei Tomita
is a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo who is affiliated with Production Baobab. His real name is .- TV :* Matteo in Animation Kikou Marco Polo no Boken* Rumina's grandfather in Tokyo Underground* Bouleuse Gotho in Armored Trooper Votoms* Master in Black Jack...
)
- Paru's former first mate. He committed mutiny and became the pirate captain. His left hand is mechanical.
- Pirate Henchmen
- The Ship Captain's henchmen, but after the captain got killed off, they become Tiger's henchmen.
/
- A candy mogul. He always holds contests with fabulous prizes to increase candy sales. He also finds loopholes to prevent Zorori from getting his prize.
/
- Duke Bururu's assistant. He often rubs his hands together and says .
-
- Alien Monsters
Suzuki Santa and Yamada Santa
- The two Santas in "The Terrifying Presents"
- The creator of Kaiketsu Zorori, Yutaka Hara appears in every episode, often in the background.
Anime Only Characters
/- A lone traveling wolf scientist in search of things he wants to build. He is intelligent, strong and resourceful. He and Zorori are equally matched and are friendly rivals. He has his own Bukkura Koita he made himself, but it is no match for Zorori's original.
Manga
The first Zorori book was released in November 1987 and has seen two releases per year ever since. The first 39 volumes have been used as source material for the anime, while volumes 40 and beyond are book only, due to being printed after the anime's cancellation.Series 1
The first series, titled Kaiketsu Zorori, is primarily based on the children books by Yutaka Hara.| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series 2 Season 1
The second series, titled , differs from the first series in a few ways. It adopts fewer of Hara's books and instead focuses on a season long story arc, something the first series did not have. Season 1 focuses on the wizard Nelly and the mysterious Najō as Zorori, Ishishi, and Noshishi help them restore the magic forest in a magical country.| # | Title | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Series 2 Season 2
Season 2 focuses on Puppe's search for the Minus Eel. It does not adapt any of Yutaka Hara's books.| # | Title | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Movies
Kaiketsu Zorori has had two theatrical movie releases, one in 1993 simply titled "Kaiketsu Zorori", and another in 2006 titled "The Great Mysterious Treasure Plan." Both of these movies were shown alongside another movie.1993 version
This movie adapts books 3 and 4. It was shown alongsideQuest for the Mysterious Treasure
This movie adapts books 38 and 39. It was shown alongside Keroro Gunsō the Super Movie on March 1, 2006. Zorori, Ishishi, and Noshishi help out Tail find a treasure her father Gale died trying to figure out. Along the way, they are helped out by Youkai-sensei and several monsters, but Tiger and his crew stand in their way.Kaiketsu Zorori
Opening Theme- by Kōichi YamaderaKoichi Yamaderais a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...
Ending Themes
- by Satō-san and Suzuki-kun (Little by littleLittle by Little (band)Little by Little is a Japanese rock band, consisting of vocalist Hideco and Tetsuhiko. Little by Little's record label is Sony Music Entertainment Japan and they are attached to Stardust Promotion...
) (ep. 1~13) - by Yukie 6 & Nobita Robert (ep. 14~31)
- by Satō-san and Suzuki-kun (Little by little) (ep. 32~46)
- by Sayuri Anzu (ep. 47~52)
Majime ni Fumajime Kaiketsu Zorori
Opening Themes- by Kōichi Yamadera, Rikako AikawaRikako Aikawais a Japanese voice actress affiliated with Ōsawa Office. She was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She was originally a child actor.She is also known as a specialist of tongue-twister in the Japanese language....
, and Motoko KumaiMotoko Kumaiis a Japanese voice actress employed by 81 Produce. Her most notable roles are Takao Kinomiya on Beyblade and Syaoran Li on Cardcaptor Sakura. From December 21, 2006 until October 2007, Motoko left her voice career due to an illness requiring medical treatment....
(ep. 1~50) - by Kōichi Yamadera (ep. 51~97)
Ending Themes
- by Sakiko TamagawaSakiko Tamagawais a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo. She works at Sigma Seven and is married to fellow voice actor Shūichi Ikeda.-Anime:*Akihabara Dennou Gumi as Miyama Soshigaya/Death Crow*Atashinchi as Mrs...
(ep. 1~27) - by Junko IwaoJunko Iwaois a Japanese voice actress who has also released several CD albums as a J-pop singer. Her most notable role is in Cardcaptor Sakura providing the voice to Sakura's best friend, Tomoyo.-TV Anime:*.hack *.hack//Roots...
(ep. 28~50) - by Rikako Aikawa and Motoko Kumai (ep. 51~74)
- by Kōichi Yamadera (ep. 75~97)
External links
- Zorori - Cartoon Network PhilippinesCartoon Network PhilippinesCartoon Network is a cable and satellite television channel created by Turner Broadcasting, a unit of Time Warner which primarily shows animated programming. The Philippine version is a branch of Cartoon Network Asia, broadcasting exclusively in the Philippines....
(Zorori no longer listed) - Manga official site
- Anime official Site
- Anime official Site #2
- French Zorori Anime Site
- http://kzorori.wikia.com/wiki/Kaiketsu_Zorori_Wiki wikia.com