Kiteretsu Daihyakka (1987 TV Special)

キテレツ大百科 (1987年TVスペシャル)

Aired: 1987

A 90-minute television special anime based on Fujiko F. Fujio's manga of the same name. Broadcast in the Monday golden-time slot on the Fuji Television network. Elementary schooler Kiteretsu-sai, who comes from a lineage of inventors, relies on his ancestor's invention notebook 'Kiteretsu Daihyakka' and, together with his charming robot Korosuke and friends, embarks on adventures using various inventions in a six-episode omnibus format extended special. The special's favorable reception led to a relaunch the following year as a regular weekly series airing Sunday evenings at seven, resulting in an eight-year-long broadcast run -- making this a landmark pilot work. The theme music composed by Haruomi Hosono perfectly matches the whimsical melodies that stir childlike wonder with the world of Fujiko's works.