Moomin (1990 TV series)

Moomin
DVD cover.
楽しいムーミン一家 (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka)
Genre	Fantasy, Adventure
TV anime
Directed by	Hiroshi Saitô Masayuki Ojima
Studio	TV Tokyo Telescreen Japan Inc. Telecable Benelux B.V.
Network	TV Tokyo
Original run	1990 – 1991
Episodes	78
Anime and Manga Portal

Moomin (楽しいムーミン一家, Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka^?) is the third anime TV series adaptation loosely based on the books by the Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson. It was produced in 1990-91 by TV Tokyo, Telescreen Japan Inc., Finlands Broadcasting YLE and Telecable Benelux B.V..

It helped fuel the "Moomin boom" of 1990s and became the second most well known series adaptation based on the books (the other being The Moomins).

The series has been broadcast in many parts of the world including the United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Scandinavia, Bosnia, Taiwan, South Africa and Hawaii (where it was titled The Tales of Moominvalley).

It was followed by a sequel in 1992, Delightful Moomin Family: Adventure Diary (better known as episode 79-104 or season 4 in the European version) and a film, Comet in Moominland.

Characters

Main characters

The Moomin family and friends. From left to right, Sniff, Moominmamma, Moominpappa, Moomin (Moomintroll) and Little My.

• Moomin - the main character, a spirited child with a keen sense of adventure and fun, and a generous spirit. He is Snufkin's best friend. He secretly has a crush on the Snork Maiden and expresses his emotions to her discreetly.
• Moominpappa - orphaned in his youth, he is a somewhat restless soul who left the orphanage to venture out into the world in his youth but has now settled down, determined to be a responsible father to his family. He is almost always wearing his black top-hat.
• Moominmamma - the mother of Moomintroll. She is a considerate and stoic mother, a good host to guests and makes efficient medicines from a book she inherited from her grandmother. Moominmamma is almost never without her handbag.

Other characters

• The Snork Maiden - Moomintroll's girl friend and admirer. But she does have a crush with others sometimes, but returns to Moomintroll before things get too serious. She is gentle and wise, very dependent on Moomin and generally she is very optimistic. She is loyal to her brother Snork, and cares for him. The Snork Maiden and Snork are 'Snorks' - a species related to Moomins.
• Snork - The Snork Maiden's brother, also friends with Moomintroll. His character is obsessing over details, rules and protocol in the books. He is a scientist who tries to build a flying ship.
• Sniff - Moomintroll's immature friend. He is one of the few characters who is sincerely interested in money, and is always on the lookout for another way to get rich quick. Sniff is a 'Sniff' - a species who resemble kangaroos.
• Snufkin - Moomintroll's best friend, who goes south every winter and returns in the spring. He is the son of the Joxter. Snufkin is an adventurer and a vagabond, admired by those who are small and shy. Snufkin is an introverted and silent person, admired by his friends, especially Moomin, who thinks of him as a wise and clever person. Snufkin wears old green clothes and a wide brimmed hat he's had since birth. He lives in a tent near the Moomins' house and plays the harmonica. (Although he was smoking a pipe in the books) He eats the fish which he catches from the river. Unlike his friends from Moomin Valley, because of his need of solitude he doesn't live with everyone in the moomin house and doesn't expect Moomin to join him on his winter traveling. Snufkin also has a great dislike for The Park Keeper, and the many regulation signs and fences he puts up. At one point he sabotages The Park Keeper by planting Hattifatteners in his garden, causing them to grow and drive him out. In this way Snufkin shows himself to be somewhat of an environmental activist, preferring freely-growing foliage to fenced-in lawns. Snufkin also shows a philosophy akin to that of a Buddhist monk: keeping as few worldly possessions as possible, seeing them as a burden, and being happier keeping the memory of a thing than the thing itself. This aspect of his personality is contrasted in the character of Sniff.
• Little My - A small, mischievous and spiteful "Tomboy" little girl who is not afraid of anything. My is the little sister of the Mymble. When she wants something done, she does it straight away. She is very aggressive and often speaks rudely, but can be a good friend. She has a brash personality. She is red haired and her hair is always gathered in a pony tail. She always wears a simple red skirt.
• The Hemulen - A senior from 'Hemulen' species which is an avid collector. He used to collect flowers and stamps and then became a Birdwatcher. He is good hearted person yet pitiful due to the unstopping pranks of Stinky. He helps Moomin and the Snork Maiden whenever they are in need of help. Other characters frequently find the Hemulens annoying or overwhelming, as they can be somewhat loud, bossy, abrasive and insensitive, but they are well intentioned and usually have other redeeming qualities. In the books he is known as "The Hemulen".
• Mrs Fillyjonk - the opposite of the Moomin family. Not a single moment of fantasy or joy, only duties and discipline. She is an extremely methodical person tied down with principles and has a deep rooted belief in prestige and tradition. But in a catastrophe, Fillyjonk may behave totally irrationally. A Fillyjonk (presumably Mrs Fillyjonk's aunt) raised Moominpappa in an orphanage (a Hemulen in Tove Jansson's original book). Deep inside she probably has a wish to live like the Moomin family, without any worries. She is most often accompanied by her three children.
• Mymble's daughter - later known as simply the Mymble, she is the oldest of Mymble's many children. Every bit as independent as her youngest sibling, little My, but much calmer and more mature, Mymble's daughter is very proud of being the oldest sibling, and considers it her duty to raise Little My.
• The Police Inspector - a by-the-book Hemulen in charge of law enforcement in the valley. He has a crush on Mymble.
• The Witch - The Witch looks quite scary but is a harmless old lady after all. For a long time she's unfriendly towards the Moomins and is against her granddaughter, Alicia, spending time with them. She warms up to them somewhat after they help her out on a few occasions, though, and allows Alicia to see them when not busy with her training.
• Alicia - the Witch's granddaughter and witch-in-training, likes the Moomins and plays with them on the sly whenever the Witch is otherwise occupied.
• The Groke - She is cold and ghostlike, and represents loneliness and all that is scary in the world of Moomin. She seeks warmth and fire, but is unable to do anything but to put them out. Although she has a scary appearance and is dangerous to get close to due to the cold that she's radiating, she's not really evil. .. Just very lonely.
• Hattifatteners - Small white ghost-like creatures that resemble worn socks. Hattifatteners are always on the move and travel in large groups (but always in odd numbers), such as boat convoys. Their only goal in life is to reach the horizon. During their travels they never say a word to each other, and it's doubtful that they have the ability to talk at all, they seem to communicate solely by telepathy. The Hattifatteners cannot see very well, but their sense of touch is very strong, and they can feel ground vibrations and electricity. Hattifatteners assemble once a year when they "recharge" in a thunderstorm. At this time they should be avoided since they are highly charged and can give you electrical burns. Despite physiologically resembling animals, Hattifatteners grow from seeds. Planting Hattifattener seeds where someone has taken up residence is an effective way to get rid of him/her.
• The Hobgoblin - he is a powerful magician and wizard who travels the Universe with his flying panther, looking for the King's Ruby. His hat is found in the Lonely Mountains by Moomintroll, Snufkin and Sniff in the first episode, who take it back to Moominhouse. Chaos ensues, as anything you put inside the hat is transformed. Moomintroll himself is changed into a strange creature by the hat when he uses it to hide in during a game. The Hobgoblin himself appears in the second episode to take his hat back, and then in episode 8 when Thingumy and Bob are revealed to possess the King's Ruby. The Hobgoblin seems dark and imposing, but is really quite fair-minded and kind. He has the ability to grant wishes, however it only works for others and never himself.
• Thingumy and Bob - Two little creatures who turn up in Moominvalley with a large suitcase, which contains the King's Ruby. They speak a strange language and are pursued by the Groke who wants the contents. They upset Moominmamma by stealing her handbag. They eventually return it and the whole family throws a party to celebrate. The Hobgoblin arrives when Thingumy and Bob open the suitcase, exposing the King's Ruby for all to see. While they didn't give him the ruby, when the Hobgoblin gave everyone there a wish they wished for the Hobgoblin to have a ruby as beautiful as theirs; the Queen's Ruby.
• Stinky - A criminal by profession, trickster, and a dangerous influence who tempts the Moomin family to do things that are against the law. He has a code of conduct of his own, and is offended when the Moomins want to give him a large sum of money which has been causing them much trouble. Physically, Stinky looks like some sort of furry mammal, whose most characteristic attribute is his constant, unbearable stench, which also reflects his general attitude. His tricks are cruel and often dangerous - such as releasing wild animals from the zoo so they can get the Moomin family, or pressuring the Fillyjonk children into using a perilous rope swing.
• The Mymble - Mother of Little My, and The Mymble's Daughter. She has many, many children, but is very jolly, her name was mentioned in Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 2 as well her appearance as a child between The Mymble's Daughter and Little My's ages.
• Too-Ticky - A friend of the family, craftsman and practical philosopher. She resembles a sailor, and seems wise beyond her years in a similar way to Snufkin.
• Ninny - A young girl who was turned invisible, shy and speechless due to the sarcastic and cold treatment from her Aunt. She was made to wear a bell so that others could be aware of her presence. The Aunt decided she could not look after an invisible child and so left her in the care of Too-Ticky, who decided the best place for her was with the warm, loving Moomin family. Their kindness gradually turned most of her visible, and a spout of anger at Moomin Papa revealed her head, which had remained hidden for weeks. Stinky tried to stop her from becoming visible again so that he could use her for a bank robbery, but his plans were foiled by Moomin and his friends. Too-Ticky returned to collect her, with her visibility, speech and confidence restored.
• Lady of the Cold - A strange and mystical character that glides through the ice and snow during winter. She has 3 legs and two arms, all of which have star shaped appendages on the end. Too-Ticky creates horses out of snow that the Lady magics to life in order to ride them through the sky. She has the power to freeze people with her gaze, and does so to Little My, who is soon thawed out by Too-Ticky and Moomin.

List of episodes

#	Title	Original airdate
1 - 101	"The Moomin Valley in Spring" (ムーミン谷の春)	April 12, 1990
2 - 102	"The Magic Hat" (魔法の帽子)	April 12, 1990
3 - 103	"The Discovery of a Wrecked Ship" (浜で見つけた難破船)	April 19, 1990
4 - 104	"The Moomins Discover the Island" (おばけ島へようこそ)	April 26, 1990
5 - 105	"The Secrets of the Hattifatteners" (ニョロニョロの秘密)	May 3, 1990
6 - 106	"Tiny Guests" (小さな小さなお客様)	May 10, 1990
7 - 107	"The Suitcase" (スーツケースの中身)	May 17, 1990
8 - 108	"The Hobgoblin's Magic" (飛行オニの魔術)	May 24, 1990
9 - 109	"An Invisible Friend" (姿の見えないお友達)	May 31, 1990
10 - 110	"The Invisible Child" (笑顔がもどったニンニ)	June 7, 1990
11 - 111	"The Wings" (大空を飛ぶスノーク)	June 14, 1990
12 - 112	"The Pirate" (ムーミン海賊と闘う)	June 21, 1990
13 - 113	"The Last Dragon on Earth" (地球最後の龍)	June 28, 1990
14 - 114	"Our Neighbour is a Tough Teacher" (お隣りさんは教育ママ)	July 5, 1990
15 - 115	"Snorkmaiden's Lost Memory" (記憶を失ったフローレン)	July 12, 1990
16 - 116	"A Close Encounter with Aliens" (ムーミン谷に火星人!)	July 26, 1990
17 - 117	"A Change of Air" (ムーミンパパの家出)	August 2, 1990
18 - 118	"The Wooden Crate" (海から来た魔法の種)	August 9, 1990
19 - 119	"Buried in a Jungle" (ムーミン谷はジャングル)	August 23, 1990
20 - 120	"Moomin Saves the Tigers" (ムーミン虎たちを救う)	August 30, 1990
21 - 121	"Snufkin Leaves Moomin Valley" (スナフキンの旅立ち)	September 6, 1990
22 - 122	"Moomin and Little My's Adventure" (ムーミンとミイの大冒険)	September 13, 1990
23 - 123	"Visitors in Winter" (ムーミン谷の冬の住人)	September 20, 1990
24 - 124	"Hurry Up Snufkin" (帰ってこないスナフキン)	September 27, 1990
25 - 125	"The Lighthouse" (パパの夢をのせて)	October 4, 1990
26 - 126	"The Day the Lighthouse Lit Up" (灯台に明かりのともる日)	October 4, 1990
27 - 127	"Aunt Jane" (お金持ちのジェーンおばさん)	October 18, 1990
28 - 128	"The Floating Theatre" (浮かぶばけもの屋敷)	October 25, 1990
29 - 129	"The Lost Children" (離れ離れの家族)	November 1, 1990
30 - 130	"Midsummer" (喜びの再会)	November 8, 1990
31 - 131	"The Big Explosion" (スノークの空飛ぶ船)	November 15, 1990
32 - 132	"The Golden Fish" (まぼろしの金色の魚)	November 22, 1990
33 - 133	"The Spirit in the Lamp" (魔法のランプに願いを込めて)	November 29, 1990
34 - 134	"The Kite" (たこに乗ったミイ)	December 6, 1990
35 - 135	"The Witch" (帰ってきた魔女)	December 13, 1990
36 - 136	"Christmas Is Coming" (クリスマスって何?)	December 20, 1990
37 - 137	"The Midwinter Bonfire" (冬の生物たちのお祭り)	December 27, 1990
38 - 138	"The Spell" (眠りの魔法)	January 1, 1991
39 - 139	"Things That Go Bang in the Night" (真夜中の不思議な音)	January 1, 1991
40 - 140	"The Secret Fireworks" (花火の秘密)	January 10, 1991
41 - 141	"Crooks in Moomin Valley" (ムーミン谷の怪事件)	January 17, 1991
42 - 142	"The Solar Eclipse" (魔女のほうき)	January 24, 1991
43 - 143	"The Prima Donna" (サーカスのヒロイン)	January 31, 1991
44 - 144	"The Birthday Present" (すてきなお誕生日)	February 7, 1991
45 - 145	"Moomin Builds a House" (ムーミンの建てた家)	February 14, 1991
46 - 146	"Dame Elaine" (パパは大金持ち?)	February 21, 1991
47 - 147	"The Hot Spring" (温泉が出た!)	February 28, 1991
48 - 148	"The Bubbles" (シャボン玉に乗ったムーミン)	March 7, 1991
49 - 149	"The Giant Pumpkin" (ママの秘密)	March 14, 1991
50 - 150	"The Imp" (枯木の中の声)	March 21, 1991
51 - 151	"Snorkmaiden Goes Psychic" (フローレンの超能力)	March 28, 1991
52 - 152	"The Treasure Hunt" (水の妖精)	April 4, 1991
53 - 153	"The Water Nymph" (宝探しで大騒ぎ)	April 4, 1991
54 - 154	"Mymble's Diamond" (ミムラに贈り物)	April 18, 1991
55 - 155	"Moominpappa's Second Youth" (寂しそうなパパ)	April 25, 1991
56 - 156	"The Secret Dish" (旅に出たママ)	May 2, 1991
57 - 157	"Motherly Love" (フローレンの子育て)	May 9, 1991
58 - 158	"Artists in Moominvalley" (ムーミン谷のコンテスト)	May 16, 1991
59 - 159	"Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 1" (パパの思い出)	May 23, 1991
60 - 160	"The Terrible Little My" (ミイのいたずら)	May 30, 1991
61 - 161	"Moomin's the Fortune-Teller" (ムーミンは天才占い師)	June 6, 1991
62 - 162	"Witch-Walking" (魔法の言葉)	June 13, 1991
63 - 163	"Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 2" (オーケストラ号の冒険)	June 20, 1991
64 - 164	"Moomin and the Birds" (巣立ちの日)	July 4, 1991
65 - 165	"The Fancy-Dress Ball" (ムーミンの秘密)	July 11, 1991
66 - 166	"The Vampire" (ムーミン谷の吸血鬼)	July 18, 1991
67 - 167	"The Chair" (壊れたパパの大事な椅子)	July 25, 1991
68 - 168	"Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 3" (ママと運命の出会い)	August 1, 1991
69 - 169	"The Phoenix" (伝説の不死鳥の危機)	August 8, 1991
70 - 170	"Moomin's Big Fish" (お魚パーティーで仲直り)	August 15, 1991
71 - 171	"The Slug-a-Bed Mushrooms" (光るキノコの正体)	August 22, 1991
72 - 172	"Moomin and the Dolphin" (ムーミンとイルカの友情)	August 29, 1991
73 - 173	"The Cave" (ムーミン探検隊)	September 5, 1991
74 - 174	"A Wonderful Present" (歌う花のプレゼント)	September 12, 1991
75 - 175	"The Fabulous Emerald" (ムーミンのすてきな夢)	September 19, 1991
76 - 176	"Painting a House" (こわれたおうち)	September 26, 1991
77 - 177	"The Great Race" (完成!空飛ぶ船)	October 3, 1991
78 - 178	"Going South" (ムーミン大空へ)	October 3, 1991

Differences from the books

The series has some differences from the books, more strongly than the 1977-82 The Moomins series, but not as much as the 1969-70 Moomin anime series. Some notable differences include:

• Moomintroll is called "Moomin", except the first episode in the Japanese version, where the narrator introduces him as "Moomintroll".
• Little My appears in the series from the beginning, but appears only in later volumes in the books.
• Lady of the Cold looks very different from the description in the books.
• The Hobgoblin gets his top hat back in the second episode and in the seventh episode the moomins exchange the king's Ruby (for Thingimy and Bob) for the heart shaped sea shell Snorkmaiden gave Moomin. In the books however the moomins exchange the King's Ruby for the Hobgoblin's top hat and the Hobgoblin later arrives (to collect the King's Ruby) with a new top hat.
• A Fillyjonk raises Moominpappa in the orphanage in the series, while in the books it's a Hemulen who raises him.
• Snorkmaiden and Sniff who disappear occasionally in the book series have bigger roles in the TV series and they appear quite often throughout the series.　
• Snufkin takes a friendly attitude towards people who are not in the Moomin family. He doesn't smoke a pipe in the series.
• Alicia and her grandmother (the witch) are characters who were invented for the series, they did not exist in books.

Home video

Some of the English dub episodes were released on VHS, and in 2005 a R2 DVD of the first five episodes, entitled Moomin Mania was released by Maverick Entertainment, but was later discontinued.

As of 2009, four DVD volumes has been released in the UK by STAX Entertainment, while Telescreen has released eight volumes and two box sets for the American market.

In Scandinavia, the series was released by Svensk Filmindustri in Scandinavia and by Finnkino in Finland. The Finnish DVD release had both Finnish and Swedish dub, while the Swedish release had the Swedish dub only. In Norway 17 DVDs have been released with each DVD has around 3 to 4 episodes. It has Norwegian dubbing. They still continue to release the DVDs.

In Japan, the series was released both as individual DVD volumes and box sets by Victor Entertainment.

External links

• Moomin at Telescreen
• Moomin at the Internet Movie Database
• Moomin (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• Moomin at ClassicKidsTV.co.uk