Furious Ataro (1969 anime)

**Furious Ataro** (もーれつア太郎, *Moretsu Ataro*) is a 1969 anime adaptation of Fujio Akatsuka's manga.

It was produced by Toei Animation and ran on NET (later TV Asahi) from April 4, 1969 to December 25, 1970 for a total of 90 episodes.

## Overview

An anime adaptation had already been planned when the *Ataro* feature started in Weekly Shonen Sunday, as Toei had presented the offer to animate Akatsuka's next weekly series in the magazine.

The series would take some liberty with the source material, initially playing things more serious to the chagrin of Akatsuka who wondered if there was anyone at Toei who could understand the importance of gags. Batsugoro would be alive in the first episode, but his death would come soon after. Dekoppachi would be introduced differently, initially appearing as a delinquent boy that bothers Ataro before becoming his friend and co-worker at the vegetable store.

While it would source some stories from the manga and its periodical spinoff *The Flower of Dekoppachi*, there were various new stories devised for the anime as well. Akatsuka's Star System would be utilized much more by the staff mid-way into the series, and characters such as Bakabon's Papa, Rerere, and The Police Officer with the Connected Eyes would appear animated for the first time (a 1968 pilot of The Genius Bakabon had been developed by Nippon TV Douga, but was never aired or approved for a full series). Most episodes consisted of two separate shorts, but some would be full-length stories.

The first 77 episodes were animated and broadcast in monochrome format, but Toei would switch to color for the remainder of the series. Although ratings were high, Toei had planned to wrap up the anime after a year which resulted in the manga ceasing publication in June 1970, with the anime following in its wake months later. The manga's final chapter wound up adapted into the first part of the final anime episode, and the second portion is notable for not having Ataro appear at all.

### Akatsuka Star System Appearances

While some of these instances have basis in the manga, others are entirely new occurrences to the adaptation.

* Episode 4: Dekapan is first seen conversing with Kumagoro
* Episodes 7B and 13A: Ganmo makes an appearance, both times as a nemesis to Dekoppachi
* Episode 14A: A man similar to Bakabon's Papa but rather off-model (lacking his teeth, having an extra contour to his nose, and spread-out mustache hairs) can be seen in a crowd reaction shot towards the end of Tarzan Kid's story.
* Episode 20: Dayon and Hatabo appear as judges for the endurance contest but with some alterations in designs; Dayon has white hair and Hatabo lacks his flag (as well as having a slightly different hairstyle). Out of the two, only Dayon speaks but lacks the "da yon" sentence ender. A girl resembling Chikako, minus hair ornament, can also be seen in the crowd observing the event.
* Episode 26B: Hagechibi appears as a small criminal boss. Boss Kokoro is also shown to watch Akko-chan's Got a Secret! on TV, with Akko herself on the screen.
* Episode 30B: The Police Officer with the Connected Eyes is first used as a cop, minus underbite.
* Episode 31: Dayon appears as a shopkeeper, while Moko is Dekoppachi's pen-pal and Kankichi is her younger brother.
* Episode 35B: The Police Officer with the Connected Eyes is used in a minor cop role to inform Dekoppachi of Mina's condition
* Episode 37A: The Officer appears in this skit as another minor role
* Episode 42, 43B: The Officer is the sole Star System presence once more, but depicted with only one tooth
* Episode 44: Totoko is set as Dekoppachi's hometown friend, while Dekapan and Iyami are corrupt brothers running the town. Chibita is the son of Dekapan, while Hatabo is present as another child in the plot. The Police Officer with the Connected Eyes also appears.
* Episode 45A/46B: The Police Officer with the Connected Eyes is used in the first skit. The second skit has Chibita as a criminal boss, with Iyami seen on a wanted poster. The featured character of the plot is Dayon as a criminal left for dead by Chibita, but nursed back to health by Nyarome. The Officer also appears.
* Episode 47A: The Officer appears in this first skit as the usual town police presence.
* Episode 48: The Edo town sequence at the start showcases Bakabon, his Papa, and what appears to be a son of Rerere (who has a brief line). The Matsuno sextuplets are shown next, with five of them depicted with chonmage hairstyles while the remaining one (presumably Osomatsu) bears his usual look. Dekapan can be seen as the town burns down, hitting himself in the head with a mallet out of despair. In the main plot itself, Iyami is in the role of both the swordsman Tosuke as well as his ancestor in that Edo sequence. His sister is Totoko, who is named Kaede for this specific setting.
* Episode 49A/49B: Chibita appears with a much smaller lookalike brother, and both buy bread after scamming Nyarome out of his yen. The Officer also appears, being menaced by Hagechibi, and then shows up in the second skit towards the end.
* Episode 50: Iyami appears as a rival vegetable seller.
* Episode 51A: The Officer appears, along with a caricature of Akatsuka in a scene.
* Episode 52A/52B: Dayon and Iyami are seen as doctors unable to solve the problem of Boss' tail. Iyami has more of a role in the second skit, along with the Officer. Totoko appears, though with freckles and a third hairbow, as a girl that Nyarome attempts to court. Dayon is shown towards the end as a chef in the town.
* Episode 53B: The Officer is present in the plot
* Episode 54A: A probable son of Rerere is shown sweeping and is bothered by Nyarome.
* Episode 55: Iyami appears as the pig Busutaro's previous owner, and the Officer is also there as the usual police force.
* Episode 56A: The Officer is the only major outside Star as needed.
* Episode 57: Iyami and Hatabo are present as criminals working as part of a Parisian gang. Their boss, Nai Camonet, is clearly Chibita but voiced by Kosei Tomita and not Masako Nozawa. Dekapan appears as a vegetable seller. Totoko is the granddaughter of another vegetable seller, Genkichi Minamoto; this man has a similar design to Bakabon's Papa, but still bears differences (such as with his bangs, and only having one bucktooth). The Officer is also in the plot, as is Dayon.
* Episode 58A: Iyami appears as a father carrying his baby on his back, and Hatabo is seen running about town. Chibita is shown as an old man, once again not voiced by his usual actress.
* Episode 59: Hatabo and Chibita are seen running at the start, as the ceremony for the new PTA Chairman unfolds. The Officer is a common fixture in the plot. Dayon, Dekapan, Rerere, and Bakabon's Papa are shown as voiceless background characters in a crowd watching a hit-and-run victim being loaded into an ambulance. Rerere is depicted with white eyes in error.
* Episode 60A/60B: The Officer is in the plot, along with Dekapan being seen as heading up a funeral. Iyami turns out to be the subject of the funeral, and not as dead as the mourners thought he was. Dekapan also has a role in the second skit, as the father of a young girl named Momoko.
* Episode 61A/61B: The Officer is involved in the plot in both skits.
* Episode 63: The Officer is utilized in this plot as well.
* Episode 64: Dayon and Iyami have notable antagonistic roles in the episode. Totoko is the daughter of the "Gyo-Maru" fishmonger, and both Nyarome and Ataro show feelings over her. Jajako and an offmodel Chibita can be seen as background characters in a crowd scene.
* Episode 66A: Aside from the Officer as the usual police presence, the characters of Iyami, Dekapan, Dayon, and Chibita play significant roles in this skit.
* Episode 67: Iyami is briefly utilized within the start of this episode.
* Episode 68: Totoko and Chibita have significant roles in the skit, with Dayon also appearing.
* Episode 69: Chibita, Dayon, Iyami, Osomatsu, Rerere, Hatabo, Dekapan, and Bakabon's Papa are shown as wedding guests in Nyarome's fantasy of marrying Scarlet. The Officer also appears, shooting off a gun to celebrate the marriage. Outside that fantasy, Dayon is one outside Star that can be seen in the rest of the episode, along with the Sextuplets' parents.
* Episode 70: The Officer is used within this episode, as well as Dekapan and Dayon as background crowd characters at Yao-Batsu. Dayon later appears as a taxi driver, with Iyami as his passenger.
* Episode 72: Iyami and Chibita appear, and Totoko is a girl that Boss Kokoro develops feelings for.
* Episode 73B: The Officer is seen within the second skit.
* Episode 74: Iyami is present as an airplane pilot for a flight to Hong Kong. Passengers include the Sextuplets, Hagechibi, and Totoko. Bakabon's Papa is a mechanic assisted by Dekapan, while the Sextuplets' parents appear among other concerned citizens at the airport. Chibita and Dayon later appear in the plot as well.
* Episode 75A/75B: The Officer is in the first skit, while a caricature of Akatsuka is in the second.
* Episode 76A/76B: The Officer plays a part in both skits.
* Episode 77A/77B: As with before, the Officer is featured in both skits.
* Episode 78: Akko is seen on a Toei Manga Movie Festival poster, advertising her anime. As far as actual active characters go, the Officer is the usual police presence.
* Episode 79A/79B: The Officer is yet again the only outside Star.
* Episode 80A: Iyami is present as an old man named "Sheiyami".
* Episode 82: The Officer is present in the plot.
* Episode 83: Iyami and the Officer appear.
* Episode 84: The Sextuplets' Father can be seen as a man in the episode, with another wife (the owner of the featured cat).
* Episode 85: Kyoko Yoshinaga's design is recycled from that of Ai, of Bukkare\*Dan.
* Episode 87: In an adaptation of the manga chapter, the Officer has a major part (along with the wife and son from the story) along with one version of the Police Chief.
* Episode 88: The Officer also features in a minor role in this episode's storyline.
* Episode 89: The Officer appears, as do Totoko and Iyami.
* Episode 90B: The Officer is the only outside Star to appear in this final skit.

## Staff

* Original work- Fujio Akatsuka
* Planning-
* Music- Taku Izumi
* Producer for NET- Shinichi Miyazaki
* Filming-
* Editing-
* Sound Recording-
* Effects-
* Director of Production-
* Production Progress-
* Development-
* Production- Toei Doga, NET

### Voice Cast

* Ataro- Keiko Yamamoto
* Batsugoro- Ichiro Nagai, Yonehiko Kitagawa (episode 66)
* Dekoppachi- Midori Kato
* Butamatsu, Beshi- Kosei Tomita
* Boss Kokoro- Joji Yanami
* Henchman A, Kemunpas, Butaro- Keiichi Noda
* Henchman B- Isamu Tanonaka
* God- Takuzo Kamiyama, Kosei Tomita (episode 35)
* Disciple, Deko-chan, "Keko-tan of Hokkairo"- Masako Nozawa
* Kumagoro- Yonehiko Kitagawa, Keiichi Noda (episode 59), Ichiro Nagai (episode 63)
* Kumagoro's Wife- Nobuyo Tsuma, Masako Nozawa (episode 59)
* Nyarome- Hiroshi Otake, Isamu Tanonaka (episode 38 part A)
* Fukuwarai Clinic Doctor, Kemunpas (episode 31)- Ichiro Nagai
* Kako, Disciple (episode 19)- Sachiko Chijimatsu
* Heavenly Policeman, Busutang- Yonehiko Kitagawa

#### Akatsuka Guest Characters

* Bakabon's Papa- Joji Yanami
* Police Officer with the Connected Eyes- Yonehiko Kitagawa, Ichiro Nagai, Keiichi Noda, Isamu Tanonaka, Kosei Tomita, Hiroshi Otake, Sanji Hase
* Iyami- Yonehiko Kitagawa (regular voice), Keiichi Noda, Ichiro Nagai
* Chibita, The Sextuplets, Rerere's son- Masako Nozawa
* Hatabō - Hiroshi Otake (episode 44), Masako Nozawa (episode 57)
* Kankichi, Ganmo, Osomatsu (episode 48), The Sextuplets' Mother- Sachiko Chijimatsu
* Moko- Akiko Tsuboi
* Dekapan- Kosei Tomita, Joji Yanami, Takuzo Kamiyama
* Dayōn- Hiroshi Otake, Takuzo Kamiyama, Kosei Tomita
* Totoko- Kazuko Sugiyama (regular voice), Akiko Tsuboi (as "Kaede" in episode 48), Nana Yamaguchi

## Theme Song

### Opening theme

**"Furious Ataro"**

(もーれつア太郎)

Lyrics- Hiroshi Kawachi/Arrangement- Taku Izumi/Singer- Kyoko Katsura

Alternatively known as "The Flower of Ataro" (花のア太郎), for lyrics in its refrain.

### Ending themes

**"The Edokko's Scat"** (江戸っ子のスキャット, episodes 1-26)

Lyrics- Hiroshi Kawachi/Arrangement- Taku Izumi/Singer- Honey Nights

**"Furious Ondo"** (モーレツ音頭, episodes 27-77)

Lyrics- Hiroshi Kawachi/Arrangement- Taku Izumi/Singer- Midori Kato

**"Nyarome's Song"** (ニャロメのうた, episodes 78-90)

Lyrics- Hiroshi Kawachi/Arrangement- Taku Izumi/Singer- Hiroshi Otake

## Episode List

1. もーれつ息子とグータラ親父/もーれつワンワン大暴れ
2. もーれつとうちゃん長生きしろよ/とうちゃんのもーれつ幽霊
3. デコッ八のもーれつ子分/男の中のもーれつ男
4. もーれつ天国へやってきな
5. もーれつネコきち一家/あゝもーれつシゴキ
6. もーれつにすてきなあの子
7. もーれつ地獄のもーれつショー/ア太郎のもーれつマチガイ
8. 男どうしのもーれつけんか/もーれつ親分大売り出し
9. ブタ松のもーれついそうろう/なぐりこみもーれつブタ松一家
10. もーれつかあちゃんやってきた/ブタ松のもーれつお嫁さん
11. とうちゃんのもーれつロボット/もーれつ剣豪とうちゃん
12. もーれつ社長のもーれつルンペン/泣くなもーれつカン太郎
13. もーれつもてもてデコッ八/もーれつ強盗さようなら
14. もーれつ小僧大暴れ/神さまもーれつ大売出し
15. もーれつ借金取り/もーれつコンビのカンニンブクロ
16. もーれつコンビのもーれつビンボウ/もーれつ山賊退治
17. もーれつブタのもーれつ騒動/ブタ松一家もーれつピンチ
18. ビックリシャックリもーれつ遺産
19. あついょあついもーれつあつい/もーれつスナック大売り出し
20. もーれつ江戸っ子まつり
21. ああもーれつイソウロウ/もーれつお見合いゴーゴーゴー
22. 大当たりもーれつ一座
23. もーれつ親分その名はココロ/もーれつかわいいピヨコちゃん
24. もーれつニャロメのこねこちゃん/インチキ男のもーれつ天罰
25. 男と男のもーれつ友情/もーれつ殺しのメロディ
26. もーれつまごころプレゼント/大売り出しもーれつ大景品
27. もーれつハンサムつらいのこころ/泣け泣けココロのもーれつブルース
28. やってきたもーれつお馬ちゃん/もーれつノラ馬ブスタング
29. デコッ八のもーれつショック
30. 白昼のもーれつ決斗/もーれつ雨降りもーれつ騒動
31. デコッ八のもーれつペンフレンド
32. もーれつやさしいココロのココロ/神様のもーれつおルス番
33. もーれつ涙はあついのココロ
34. もーれつインチキ坊ちゃん/もーれつ魚つり合戦
35. もーれつ赤い靴騒動
36. もーれつチビシイ柔道修業/もーれつざんこくギロチン一家
37. ニャロメのもーれつシャーワセ/押しかけ恩人もーれつ稼業
38. もーれつブタのもーれつ悲劇/おっ もーれつヨッパライ
39. ココロの親分のもーれつ想い出/ココロのもーれつ雪ダルマ
40. ニャイてたまるか/悪魔のどキャット
41. メチャクチャマラソン大会
42. ひねくれねじくれ意地くらべ
43. 日本一のモノグサ野郎/ケムンパス危機連発
44. 男一匹デコッ八
45. 禁じられた恋ニャロメ/かけた情が仇ニャロメ
46. あなたごのみのニャロメになりたい/ライバルをぶっとばせ
47. 誇り高きニャロメ/ニャロメのマイホーム
48. 男でござる東海道
49. 食われてたまるかニャロメ/逆襲ねむりねこ
50. 八百×最大のピンチニャロメ!
51. ココロの怒りは胸にきけ/家庭教師狂騒曲
52. ひみつのシッポちゃん/ニャロメ狂乱すべし
53. ケムンパスの恋/デコッ八はぐれ鳥
54. ニャロメ雲にのる/スモウ病発生のココロ
55. トン才教育するベシニャロメ
56. 黒猫のタンゴロー/初恋ははかないものべし
57. 江戸っ子対ギャング最大の決戦
58. ガンと一発男のパンチ/ニャロメ対ココロ カチカチ山の対決
59. やるべしニャロメは男でやんす
60. どしゃぶりの涙雨ニャロメ/花と少女と江戸っ子と
61. 射ちつ射たれつ射つニャロメ/ゲバダゴをさがせ
62. 欠陥神様をしごけニャロメ
63. ニャロメの子守唄
64. 男一匹対女一匹
65. タバコのココロは命がけ/ニャロメの恋の物語
66. ザ・ギャードマンニャロメ/サインはブィーだべし
67. 女はしごくべしニャロメ
68. 二人のデコッ八
69. ニャロメの恋狂い
70. 怪談八百×ユーレイ
71. 走れニャロメメロス
72. 命短し恋せよココロ
73. 男ココロの泣きどころ/とんでもハプニング
74. ヒコーキ泥棒ニャロメ!
75. 泣きドロボーニャロメ/ニャロメを消せ！
76. おれと結婚しろニャロメ/あこがれのニャロメべし
77. 喰れちゃたまらんべし/金にうらみがあるニャロメ
78. 札束でぶんニャぐれ
79. 瞼の父ゴコロ/人類の進歩と調和ニャロメ
80. 天国よいとこザンス/死んでもらいやしょうのココロ
81. ニャロメ恋に泣く
82. ニャロメだ！結婚だ！
83. 花のおデコの女の子
84. おれはシャビしいニャロメ!!
85. バスは出てゆく煙はのこる
86. ニャロメえり巻とニャル/空とぶケムンパス
87. ニッポン一変な交番
88. もてもてニャロメべし
89. ニャロメ偉人伝
90. すごいかわいい子ちゃん/おむこさんになりたいのココロ

## External Links

* Toei Animation USA licensing catalog, Ataro listed under "Comedy" (English)
* Official page for 1969 anime, Toei Animation (Japanese)