Okami Shonen Ken

Aired: 1963 - 1965

A TV anime produced by Toei Doga. Original concept and planning by Toei Doga Literary Department (Sadao Tsukioka), an original work with no manga source. Broadcast in 86 monochrome episodes on the NET (now TV Asahi) network from November 25, 1963 to August 16, 1965. Deep in the African jungle at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, Ken (voiced by Kimie Nakajima), a boy raised by a pack of wolves, joins his twin wolf companions Jack and Decky, along with Boss, Chicchi, and other forest friends to protect nature and animals from poachers and evil beasts in this adventure work. As Toei Doga's first TV anime venture after focusing on theatrical animation, it is the company's first 30-minute continuous TV anime series. The work is positioned as a historic starting point for Toei Doga's TV mass-production system that would lead to later masterpieces such as Mazinger Z, Candy Candy, and Dragon Ball. It served as a training ground for creators who would later lead the Japanese anime industry, including Sadao Tsukioka, Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki, and Yasuo Otsuka. (C)Toei Animation