Akane-chan

Aired: 1968

A TV anime produced by Toei Doga (now Toei Animation). Based on Tetsuya Chiba's manga '1, 2, 3 and 4, 5, Roku' serialized in Kodansha's Shojo Friend magazine. Broadcast in 26 episodes on the TBS network from April 6 to September 29, 1968. A family comedy centering on the cheerful tomboy Akane Kamijo (voiced by Minori Matsushima) and her sheltered young classmate Hidemaro Kitakoji (voiced by Kazue Takahashi), depicting daily life with their families and school friends. As an anime adaptation of a shojo manga, it sits in the lineage of Toei's Majokko (magical girl) series, but is significant as an early entry with a non-transforming, life-sized girl protagonist during the genre's formative period. The work also features young voice actors who would later become luminaries, including Ichiro Nagai as the teacher Tsuda. (C)Tetsuya Chiba / Kodansha / Toei Animation