- Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog
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Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog けろっこデメタン
(Kerokko Demetan)Genre Comedy, adventure, Romance, Fantasy TV anime Directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa Written by Jinzo Toriumi Studio Tatsunoko Productions Network Fuji Television Original run January 2, 1973 – September 25, 1973 Episodes 39[1] Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog (けろっこデメタン Kerokko Demetan), also known as Demetan the Frog and The Brave Frog, is a 39 episode anime series by Tatsunoko Productions first aired in 1973.
Contents
Overview
The story is about Demetan (Jonathan in the English version), a poor young frog living in Rainbow Pond with his mother and father (a toymaker), who becomes friends with a popular and sweet girl frog named Ranatan (Pookie in the English version), despite the differences in their social standings: Ranatan is the daughter of the leader of Rainbow Pond (English name, Leopold), while Demetan and his parents are tree frogs, which make them automatic outcasts in the community. Together, Demetan and Ranatan enjoy many adventures.
Like many of Tatsunoko's series at the time (in particular its predecessor Kashi no Ki Mokku), the show was often sad and sadistic, with Demetan having to deal with natural predators as well as the bullies who rule the pond. The well-loved theme song sung by Mitsuko Horie has a melancholy sound.
In addition to its original broadcast on Fuji TV in 1973, Kerokko Demetan was re-run on TV Tokyo in 1982, as a replacement for Don Dracula, which was pulled off the air following the bankruptcy of its production company.
The only versions of the series to reach the English language were two feature-length movie adaptations produced by Harmony Gold in 1985, edited from the TV series. The two movies, called The Brave Frog and The Brave Frog's Greatest Adventure, tell the entire storyline of the series in heavily-condensed form. Rebecca Forstadt portrayed the voice of Pookie (Ranatan). The first movie was released on videocassette in 1995 and on DVD in 1999.
In 1990, Harmony Gold also translated the 26 episodes into English under the title "Adventures On Rainbow Pond." The original version of the series like the Candy and Heidi series became very popular in other regions such as: Asia, Europe (particularly in France where the entire series was recently was released on DVD), Quebec, Canada and Latin America.[citation needed]
Japanese Voice Actors
- Yuko Hisamatsu as Demetan
- Mari Okamoto as Ranatan
- Hiroshi Ohtake as Iboyoshi
- Kôichi Kitamura as Ametaro
- Kousei Tomita as Gyata
- Miyoko Shoji as Amako
- Shun Yashiro as Kyaru
- Yasuroo Tanaka as Zari
- Haruko Kitahama as Narrator
Extra Production Information
- Broadcaster: Fuji TV
- Planning: Tatsuo Yoshida
- Storyboard(s): Yoshiyuki Tomino
- Writer(s): Jinzo Toriumi
- Character Designer(s): Yoshitaka Amano, Tatsuo Yoshida, Masayuki Hayashi
- Music: Nobuyoshi Koshibe
Trivia
- Kerokko Demetan is one of the few anime series that does not have a specific English title. Some of the titles used to name this series are:Child Frog Demetan, Demetan Croaker, Adventures on Rainbow Pond, The Boy Frog, Demetan the Frog, and The Brave Frog.
- There was a movie of Demetan released in the USA on DVD and VHS titled "The Brave Frog." The movie was a compilation movie made of scenes from the animated series.
- A Second movie was also released in the English language titled "The Brave Frog's Greatest Adventure" which tells the tale of an evil catfish named Bruto.
References
External links
Works by Hiroshi Sasagawa Gatchaman (1972) · Demetan the Frog (1973) · Tekkaman (1975) · Time Bokan (1975) · Paul's Miraculous Adventure (1976) · Ippatsu Kanta-kun (1977) · Yatterman (1979) · The Blue Bird (1980) · Beast King GoLion (1981) · Tokimeki Tonight (1982) · Ox Tales (1987) · Wowser (1988) · Cinderella Monogatari (1996) · Speed Racer X (1997)Categories:- Anime series
- 1973 Japanese television series debuts
- 1973 Japanese television series endings
- Anime of 1973
- Japanese television series
- Tatsunoko Production
- Fuji Television shows
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