Doraemon (partially found first-adaptation anime series; 1973)
Doraemon is a popular and long running anime based upon the manga of the same name. Its best known adaptation originally ran from 1979 until 2005, while a reboot that began airing a month after the first series' conclusion is still airing to this day.
However, the very first attempt to adapt Doraemon to television had actually occurred in 1973, with a series produced by a company named NTV Video (previously known under the names of Japan Broadcast Film, and Tokyo TV Movie). It aired on the (unrelated) NTV network. The series was broadcast from April 1st 1973 until September 30th 1973, for 26 episodes. Each consisted of 2 segments, making the series 52 shorts in total.
While the series did well in the ratings and was considered to be extended for another year, it unfortunately encountered budget issues during its run, compounded by financial problems that the studio had, as well as the president of NTV Video abruptly resigning during the television run. The new president appeared to not regard the anime very highly, while the financial issues lead to the studio going bankrupt and being dissolved. Many of the staff that worked on the show wound up unpaid for their efforts due to this.
With the dissolution of NTV Video, the film reels to the series and other possessions wound up sold off to cover debt, while other belongings in the studio and production materials were either thrown out in the garbage or destroyed in a kerosene fire. It has been erroneously reported that NTV deliberately organized a "cremation" fire and destroyed all the episodes; however, the production chief Masami Jun (at the time credited under his real name, Hiroshi Shimosaki) has stated that this wasn't the case, and has gone on to attempt to debunk the misconceptions surrounding the series' production and fate. Even so, a significant portion of the anime can be considered lost to some degree.
In 1995, episodes 18, and 20 through 26 were found to be stored in Studio Rush (now known as IMAGICA), and other segments have been found, though 2 remain without their audio tracks. The opening and ending credits do still exist as well, along with a pilot film that was produced in 1972. These are occasionally shown at Doraemon fan conventions in Japan, but cannot be released legally on DVD owing to rights complications due to the production studio being defunct. Some episodes of the series also only survive in still image form. It is unknown what may have happened to the other reels.
This version was briefly rebroadcast in 1979, but was abruptly pulled off television by order of Shogakukan, who did not want the new adaptation's reputation to be affected by the existence of the previous one, or for child viewers to be confused at the two different versions. It is possible that recorded video from this time period may exist in some form.
While Hiroshi Fujimoto (aka "Fujiko F") was disappointed in the choice of studio to adapt Doraemon and the changes made to Nobita and Doraemon's characters, it is said that upon the closing of the NTV studio, he did not hold any hard feelings against the staff and expressed the hope that they could work on a new attempt at Doraemon in the future.
Episodes
Episode # | Original title | English translation |
Air date |
---|---|---|---|
1 | "出た!!ドラえもんの巻 / ペコペコバッタ大騒動の巻" | "Doraemon Came Out!! / The Apology Grasshoper Riot" |
April 1, 1973 |
2 | "屋根の上のすてきな子 / のび太のご先祖さん" | "Nice Girl on the Roof / Nobita's Ancestors" | April 8,
1973 |
3 | "弱味をにぎれの巻 / キューピッドですきすき作戦の巻" | "Understand the Weakness / Operation Cupid Love-Love" |
April 15, 1973 |
4 | "ねずみに弱い猫もあるの巻 / ガキ大将をやっつけろの巻" | "Rats are as Weak as Cats / The Bully Bring an Army" |
April 22, 1973 |
5 | "おせじ鏡の巻 / パパとママの結婚記念日の巻" | "The Liar's Mirror / Papa and Mama's Wedding Anniversary" | April 29, 1973 |
6 | "のろいカメラの巻 / 宝くじ大当り作戦の巻" | "Cursed Camera / Lottery Jackpot Strategy" | May 6, 1973 |
7 | "決闘!のび太とジャイアンの巻 / わたしは誰でしょうの巻" | "Duel! Nobita and Gian / Who am I" | May 13, 1973 |
8 | "アベコンベ騒動の巻 / おばけ屋敷の謎の巻" | "Abekonbe Riot / Mystery of the Ghost House" | May 20,
1973 |
9 | "クイック・スロー大作戦の巻 / のび太は雨男の巻" | "The Quick-Slow Great Strategy / Nobita the Rain Man" |
May 27, 1973 |
10 | "ウルトラミキサーの巻 / ねがい星流れ星の巻" | "Ultra Mixer / Whishing Star, Shooting Star" | June 3,
1973 |
11 | "ふしぎなふろしきの巻 / のび太のおばあちゃんの巻" | "Mysterious Furoshiki / Nobita's Grandma" | June 10,
1973 |
12 | "大リーグ赤バットの巻 / 男は力で勝負するの巻" | "Big League Red Bat / A Man Fights with Power" | June
17, 1973 |
13 | "ガチャ子登場の巻 / おしゃべり口べにの巻" | "Gachako's Appearance / The Talking Lipstic" | June 24,
1973 |
14 | "すきすきカメラの巻 / 天の川でデイトしようの巻" | "Lovely Camera / Date in the Milky Way" | July 1, 1973 |
15 | "へんなロボットカーの巻 / ニコニコせっけんの巻" | "Weird Robot Car / Smiling Soap" | July 8, 1973 |
16 | "おれ署長のだいりの巻 / さあ夏だ!スキーをやろうの巻" | "My Chief of the Inner Palace / Now is Summer! Trying to Ski" | July 15, 1973 |
17 | "成績表はいやだなあの巻 / 自分のかげをつかまえろの巻" | "Hate Report Car / Catching my Shadow" | July 29, 1973 |
18 | "潜水艦で海へ行こうの巻 / くっるたハラ時計の巻" | "Going to Sea in a Submarine / Kuruta Hara Clock" |
August 5, 1973 |
19 | "キャンプ騒動の巻 / 忘れな草って何だっけの巻" | "Camp Riot / Who is Going to Forget" | August 12, 1973 |
20 | "クーラーパラソルの巻 / いつでも日記の巻" | "Cooler Parasol / Always Diary" | August 19, 1973 |
21 | "宿題おばけが出たの巻 / お天気ボックスの巻" | "The Homework Ghost Came Out / Weather Box" | August 26,
1973 |
22 | "ぼくに清き一票をの巻 / まんが家修行の巻" | "I Have One Vote of Betrayal / Manga Artists Training" | September 2, 1973 |
23 | "すてきなガールフレンドの巻 / 花いっぱい騒動の巻" | "Nice Girlfriend / Flowery Riot" | September 9, 1973 |
24 | "そっくりクレヨンの巻 / 静香の誕生日の巻" | "Entirely Crayon / Shizuka's Birthday" | September 16,
1973 |
25 | "宇宙飛行士になりたいの巻 / まいごマゴマゴ大騒動の巻" | "Becoming a Space Astronaut / Lost Grandchild Riot" |
September 23, 1973 |
26 | "ネンドロン大騒動の巻 / さようならドラえもんの巻" | "Nendoron Riot / Goodbye, Doraemon" | September 30, 1973 |