Robby the Rascal
Encyclopedia
, known in the United States as Robby the Rascal, is a 39-episode anime
television series created by Ken Ishikawa
and produced by Go Nagai
's Dynamic Productions and the Knack animation studio. The series aired on TV Tokyo
in Japan
from October 1982 to June 1983. The series featured contributions from Tetsuro Amino
as a storyboard artist and Masayuki Kojima
as an episode director.
A feature-length English-dubbed version comprising several episodes edited together into a movie, titled Robby the Rascal, was produced by Jim Terry's (Force Five
) Kidpix Productions and released on home video in the United States
in 1985. (The same American distributors had previously adapted the same animation studio's 1979-1980 TV series Manga Sarutobi Sasuke
, which used much of the same production team, into a similar feature-length work titled Ninja the Wonder Boy.) However, the English version deleted much of the risque
humor that, while not uncommon in children's animation in Japan, would be considered unacceptable by American standards, with the policewoman Sachiko (Sgt. Sally) being the usual target of the fan service
-oriented humor. The TV series also aired in its entirety in Italy
under the title Robottino ("Little robot"), and some episodes are also available in Spanish
as Robotete.
's popular Dr. Slump
, Robby the Rascal is the story of Robby (Robotchi), a fun-loving, mischievous robot with a TV set in his stomach. Robby lives in a peaceful village with various other robots, all created by the eccentric and lecherous Dr. Art Deco, who has a major crush on local policewoman Sgt. Sally (Sachiko). Although he is an android and (usually inadvertently) causes much mischief, Robby has a warm, kind heart and is always willing to help out a friend in need. With his human girlfriend Tiffany (Kurumi Yukino), he gets into a variety of wacky adventures.
However, a rich, spoiled inventor named Horace (Highbrow) will stop at nothing to get Robby for his own. Much of the plot of the English feature-length dub of the anime involves Horace's attempts to threaten the peace in Robby's village, with the help of his female assistants, Tracy and Yvette. For example, in one story arc, Horace uses an illusion-causing ray gun to spoil Robby and Tiffany's spring picnic and then manages to capture the little robot and force him to compete in a high-stakes game of tennis
. In another, he follows Robby, Dr. Deco and their friends to Europe, where he and Robby square off in a medieval-style joust. And in the final story arc, Horace and his minions compete against Robby and Tiffany in a global race in which the first prize is $10 million, which Dr. Deco hopes to use to start an amusement park.
. The Italian dubbed version of the TV series kept all of the original music, including the Japanese theme songs, and also retained most of the original character names (except for Robotchi who became "Robottino"). However, for the English version, the original music was replaced by a new soundtrack by Bullets
, including several original songs.
Source(s)
English Version
(Source: Anime News Network)
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....
television series created by Ken Ishikawa
Ken Ishikawa
was a Japanese manga artist. He is renowned as the co-creator with Go Nagai, of the Getter Robo anime series, as well as four of their subsequent manga continuations...
and produced by Go Nagai
Go Nagai
, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...
's Dynamic Productions and the Knack animation studio. The series aired on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
in Japan
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...
from October 1982 to June 1983. The series featured contributions from Tetsuro Amino
Tetsuro Amino
is a Japanese anime director, born on October 10, 1955 in Chiba Prefecture. In 1988, he started using his name in katakana.He has directed noted anime series as Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!!, I Love Bubu Chacha, the Macross 7 series and its continuations Macross 7: The Galaxy's Calling Me! and...
as a storyboard artist and Masayuki Kojima
Masayuki Kojima
is a Japanese animator, director, and member of the renowned animation studio Madhouse. He was born on March 11, 1961 in Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and is a twenty year plus veteran of the anime industry.-Personal history:...
as an episode director.
A feature-length English-dubbed version comprising several episodes edited together into a movie, titled Robby the Rascal, was produced by Jim Terry's (Force Five
Force Five
Force Five was a syndicated anime cartoon anthology during the late 1970s/early 1980s. In the US, this series was primarily shown only in New England and Virginia, though it did make brief appearances in other markets, such as Dallas, Texas and San Jose, California on KICU-TV 36. It was also shown...
) Kidpix Productions and released on home video in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1985. (The same American distributors had previously adapted the same animation studio's 1979-1980 TV series Manga Sarutobi Sasuke
Manga Sarutobi Sasuke
is a 24-episode anime series about the young Sarutobi Sasuke, a legendary ninja. It was first aired from October 9, 1979, to April 29, 1980 on Tokyo 12 Channel , and was later dubbed in several languages...
, which used much of the same production team, into a similar feature-length work titled Ninja the Wonder Boy.) However, the English version deleted much of the risque
Risqué
Risqué is the third studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1979, the same year that Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers wrote and produced Sister Sledge's massively successful We Are Family....
humor that, while not uncommon in children's animation in Japan, would be considered unacceptable by American standards, with the policewoman Sachiko (Sgt. Sally) being the usual target of the fan service
Fan service
, fanservice, or , is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want"...
-oriented humor. The TV series also aired in its entirety in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
under the title Robottino ("Little robot"), and some episodes are also available in 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...
as Robotete.
Story
Apparently inspired largely by Akira ToriyamaAkira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
's popular Dr. Slump
Dr. Slump
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was serialized in Shueisha's anthology comic Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1980 to 1984 which were collected into 18 tankōbon volumes...
, Robby the Rascal is the story of Robby (Robotchi), a fun-loving, mischievous robot with a TV set in his stomach. Robby lives in a peaceful village with various other robots, all created by the eccentric and lecherous Dr. Art Deco, who has a major crush on local policewoman Sgt. Sally (Sachiko). Although he is an android and (usually inadvertently) causes much mischief, Robby has a warm, kind heart and is always willing to help out a friend in need. With his human girlfriend Tiffany (Kurumi Yukino), he gets into a variety of wacky adventures.
However, a rich, spoiled inventor named Horace (Highbrow) will stop at nothing to get Robby for his own. Much of the plot of the English feature-length dub of the anime involves Horace's attempts to threaten the peace in Robby's village, with the help of his female assistants, Tracy and Yvette. For example, in one story arc, Horace uses an illusion-causing ray gun to spoil Robby and Tiffany's spring picnic and then manages to capture the little robot and force him to compete in a high-stakes game of tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. In another, he follows Robby, Dr. Deco and their friends to Europe, where he and Robby square off in a medieval-style joust. And in the final story arc, Horace and his minions compete against Robby and Tiffany in a global race in which the first prize is $10 million, which Dr. Deco hopes to use to start an amusement park.
Music
The Japanese opening and ending themes to the Cybot Robotchi TV series were performed by Yukari SatoYukari Sato
is a Japanese economist and politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Setagaya, Tokyo, she graduated from Sophia University, and she received a master's degree in international relations from Columbia University and a Ph.D in...
. The Italian dubbed version of the TV series kept all of the original music, including the Japanese theme songs, and also retained most of the original character names (except for Robotchi who became "Robottino"). However, for the English version, the original music was replaced by a new soundtrack by Bullets
Mark Mercury
-Career:His music is self-described as "a blend of contemporary classical and futuristic music." Some is of the ambient and electronic style. He has several album releases under his own record label, Blue Chromium Records.-TV series:*Candy Candy...
, including several original songs.
Staff
Japanese VersionSource(s)
- Created by: Ken Ishikawa, Toyohiro Ando
- Chief director: Kazuyuki Okasako
- Assistant director: Hiroyuki Kamii
- Storyboard/Episode directors: Kazuyuki Okasako, Hiroyuki Kamii, Hiroshi YoshidaHiroshi Yoshidawas a 20th century Japanese painter and woodblock print maker. He is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the shin hanga style, and is noted especially for his excellent landscape prints...
, Osamu Inoe, Tetsuro AminoTetsuro Aminois a Japanese anime director, born on October 10, 1955 in Chiba Prefecture. In 1988, he started using his name in katakana.He has directed noted anime series as Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go!!, I Love Bubu Chacha, the Macross 7 series and its continuations Macross 7: The Galaxy's Calling Me! and...
, Masayuki KojimaMasayuki Kojimais a Japanese animator, director, and member of the renowned animation studio Madhouse. He was born on March 11, 1961 in Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and is a twenty year plus veteran of the anime industry.-Personal history:... - Script: Ayuko Anzai, Hideki Sonoda, Susumu Yoshida, Toyohiro Ando, Yoshiyuki Suga
- Character design: Dynamic PlanningDynamic Planningis a licensing company owned by manga artist Go Nagai. It was established in 1974 as a sister company of Dynamic Productions.Dynamic Planning is credited in all of Go Nagai's animated works since 1974 as the "planner" and/or "producer"....
- Animation directors: Hiromi Nakamura, Noboru AkiyamaNoboru Akiyamawas a Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball pitcher, originally from Okayama, Okayama. He played with the Taiyo Whales. He is a member of the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.-External links:...
, Takao SuzukiTakao Suzuki----Takao Suzuki is a professional tennis player on the ATP Tour from Japan....
, Kinuko Izumi - Art director: Masayoshi Banno
- Director of photography: Yosuke Moriguchi
- Music: Jun Irie
- Theme Songs: OP- Cybot Robotchi (lyrics by Yukari Sato, composition by Tetsuro OdaTetsurō Odais a Japanese composer, record producer, and singer-songwriter.In the 1990s, Oda composed a number of hit songs such as B.B.Queens' "Odoru Pompokolin", Zard's "Makenaide", and Noriko Sakai's "Aoi Usagi"....
, arrangement by Jun Irie), ED- Wai! Wai! Wai! (lyrics by Yukari Sato, composition and arrangement by Jun Irie) - Theme song performance: Yukari SatoYukari Satois a Japanese economist and politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet . A native of Setagaya, Tokyo, she graduated from Sophia University, and she received a master's degree in international relations from Columbia University and a Ph.D in...
- Voice Cast: Natsumi Sakuma (Robotchi), Hiroshi MasuokaHiroshi MasuokaHiroshi Masuoka is a Japanese rally driver. His most notable achievement was his back-to-back successes in the Dakar Rally in 2002 and 2003, only the fourth driver in the event's history to win in consecutive years. He was also victorious in the 2003 Baja Italy and the 2004 UAE Desert Challenge...
(Dr. Deko), Aya Mizoguchi (Sylvie), Yoko Kawanami (Kurumi), Masako MiuraMasako Miurais a Japanese voice actress employed by the talent management firm Arts Vision.-TV:*Chibi Maruko-chan *Crayon Shin-chan *Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger *Goldfish Warning...
(Uzura), Nobuo Tomita (Bob), Eiko Yamada (Sachiko) - Production: Knack Co., Ltd. / TV Tokyo
English Version
(Source: Anime News Network)
- Executive Producer: Joseph Adelman
- Original Music: Bullets
- Writer/Editor: Collins Walker
- Producer/Director: Jim Terry
- Assistant Editor: James Terry Jr.
- Production Assistant: John Terry
- Voice Cast: Ed Victor, Sandra Allyson, Reed Harmon, Tae McMullen, Scott Schwimer, Brenda Colbreth
External links
- Cybot Robotchi at allcinema
- Robby the Rascal at the Internet Movie Database
- Robottino at CartoniOnline
- Information and scans of Japanese Cybot Robotchi toys