Animal 1 (1968 TV Series)

Aired: 1968

A TV anime produced by Mushi Production. Based on Noboru Kawasaki's manga serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday. Broadcast in 27 episodes on the Fuji TV network from April 1 to September 30, 1968. The sports-spirit series follows Ichiro Azuma (voiced by Tomoharu Takeo), a wrestling prodigy and the eldest of eight siblings who supports his family while training to compete at the Mexico Olympics. The work was planned to coincide with the actual 1968 Mexico City Olympics, and its final arc was structured so that the real-world Games and the storyline climax coincided. With supporting cast including Kei Tomiyama, Nachi Nozawa, Osamu Kobayashi, and Yoko Kuribayashi - many of whom would later become leading voice actors - the series stands out in spokon anime history for raising the relatively unflashy sport of wrestling through sheer passion. (C)Noboru Kawasaki / Shogakukan / Fuji TV / Mushi Production

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