Peter Pan: The Animated Series

Did You Know?

• The singer of the theme songs, Yukiko Iwai, did not appear in the main story or musical, unlike most World Masterpiece Theater theme song singers since 1986.
• The preview summary's character designs and pictures released in magazines differed slightly from the aired series.

Outline

The series is an adaptation of the novel Peter Pan and Wendy by J.M. Barrie and originally scheduled to premiere on January 8, 1989, but was delayed by a week due to the death of Emperor Shōwa. It was part of the World Masterpiece Theater, an annual animation staple by Nippon Animation that adapted a different fairy tale or classic literary work each year. The production was made with the cooperation of the Kadokawa Bunko edition of the novel and London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, which holds the rights to J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. While adapting material from the original novel, the series adds numerous original story arcs. Unlike the usual World Masterpiece Theater series, which are set in a real world with a gloomy atmosphere and protagonists facing hardships like orphanhood, this work is set in a fictional world and has a bright atmosphere despite being an adventure and battle story. The story is loosely adapted from the book, with an entirely original second act centered on the new character Princess Luna. It is the only series in the World Masterpiece Theater franchise to contain a crossover, featuring Rascal from Rascal the Raccoon. The series was later translated and released internationally by Saban Entertainment in 1990, sometimes under the name Peter Pan: The Animated Series, and aired in numerous countries including Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Poland, New Zealand, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Indonesia.

Plot

Wendy dreams of Peter Pan saving her and dueling Captain Hook. She then flies to Neverland with her brothers John and Michael, becoming the Lost Boys' mother. A romance grows between Peter and Wendy as they battle pirates. The show's later episodes break from the original story, featuring three factions: Peter Pan's camp, Captain Hook's, and Sinistra's. Two new characters, Sinistra and Luna, play key roles in the final episodes.

Characters

Peter Pan is the protagonist, short-tempered but receptive to his friends' opinions, and fights to keep Neverland free. He leaves disputes among members for Wendy to resolve. Wendy Darling is the eldest Darling child, a feisty, kind, clever, and jolly tomboy who helps defy Captain Hook and is called 'Mom Wendy' as everyone's caretaker. John Julian Darling is Wendy's elder brother who often gets into trouble, and Michael Darling is the younger brother who shows great courage. Tinker Bell is a fairy and Peter's companion, often called 'Tink'. The Lost Boys include Curly, who wears a pot on his head and falls out of bed while sleeping; Slightly, an inventor in a white coat and cap with rabbit ears, who has a cold personality; and Tootles, a tall, gloomy, and clumsy boy who is sometimes bullied and accidentally shoots Wendy when Tink tricks him. Tiger Lily is a tomboyish Indian princess with whom John falls in love. Rascal the Raccoon visits Peter Pan's house. Mermaids are friends of Peter. Captain Hook, the first villain and clumsy pirate leader, has a hook for a right hand. Smee is a kind old pirate who serves Hook. Other pirates include Bill, Cecco (who keeps knives in his hat), Alf Menson (wearing an eyepatch), Starky (cowardly), Robert (in charge of artillery), and Darkness (also called Sinistra in the European version).