View source for Princess Sara

{{Other uses|Princess Sarah (disambiguation)}}
{{Short description|Japanese anime series}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{More citations needed|date=June 2013}}
{{disputed|date=May 2018}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name         = Princess Sara
| image        = Shoukoujo Sera.JPG
| caption      = Logo from the opening of ''Princess Sara''
| ja_kanji     = 小公女セーラ
| ja_romaji    = Shōkōjo Sēra
| genre        = {{ubl|[[Drama]]|[[Historical fiction|Historical]]|[[Slice of life]]}}
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type         = TV series
| director     = [[Fumio Kurokawa]]
| producer     = Junzō Nakajima ([[Nippon Animation]]) <br/> Taihei Ishikawa ([[Fuji TV]])
| writer       = Keiko Mukuroji <br/> Ryūzō Nakanishi
| music        = Yasuo Higuchi
| studio       = [[Nippon Animation]]
| network      = [[Fuji TV]] <br> [[Animax]] <br> [[Family Gekijo]]
| network_en   = [[Animax Asia]]
| first        = 6 January 1985
| last         = 29 December 1985
| episodes     = 46
| episode_list = list of Princess Sara episodes
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}
{{nihongo|'''''Princess Sara'''''|{{ruby-ja|小公女|プリンセス}}セーラ|Shōkōjo Sēra|lit. "Little Princess Sara"|lead=yes}}, also spelled as '''''Princess Sarah''''' for [[Word-sense disambiguation|disambiguation]] purposes, is a Japanese [[anime]] television series based on the 1905 children's novel ''[[A Little Princess]]'' by [[Frances Hodgson Burnett]]. It aired from January to December 1985, as part of [[Nippon Animation]]'s ''[[World Masterpiece Theater]]''. The series follows Sara Crewe, a young student of an all-girls [[boarding school]] who later becomes [[orphan]]ed and is forced to work as a [[Domestic worker|servant]].

The anime series was remade into a Filipino live-action film adaptation, released in 1995. A Filipino television drama adaptation aired in 2007. It was also dubbed in other languages including [[Arabic]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=4728|title=Princess Sarah – Anime News Network|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170316150452/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/company.php?id=4728|archive-date=March 16, 2017|access-date=September 11, 2008}}</ref> under the title, ''Sally'' (سالي) and was a huge success in the [[Arab World]] and widely popular, spanning reruns in the 1990s and early 2000s and was subsequently added to [[Netflix|Netflix Middle East]] in November 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/81311604|title=Princess Sarah – Netflix MENA|website=[[Netflix]]}}</ref>

==Plot==
In 1885, Captain Ralph Crewe, a wealthy [[English people|English]] widower living in [[British Raj|British-ruled India]], enrolls his eight-year-old daughter Sara at the Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies in [[London]]. She excels in her studies and is loved deeply by her classmates and friends, but earns the hatred of class representative Lavinia Herbert and the grudge of the [[Head teacher|headmistress]] Miss Minchin. On her ninth birthday, Sara learns of her father's death and bankruptcy from an infuriated Miss Minchin, who decides to hire the orphaned girl as an unpaid [[maid]] in the school. Miss Minchin and Lavinia attempt to make Sara's life miserable and break her spirit, but with the help of her friends, Sara tries to endure all the hardships with her kindness and imagination.

==Characters==
[[File:SaraAnime.jpg|thumb|right|Sara Crewe as she appears in the series]]
*;{{nihongo|Sara Crewe|セーラ・クルー|Sēra Kurū}}
:{{Anime voice|[[Sumi Shimamoto]]|Andrea Kwan}}
:The main [[protagonist]] of the series and a student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, who is the daughter of Ralph Crewe, Sara is a kind-hearted, beautiful, compassionate, brave, optimistic, imaginative, and intelligent girl.

*;{{nihongo|Captain Ralph Crewe|ラルフ・クルー|Rarufu Kurū}}
:{{voiced by|[[Banjō Ginga]]}}
:Sara's loving and devoted father, he died from his place India, leaving Sara to be poor and maiden by Miss Minchin.

*;{{nihongo|Miss Maria Minchin|マリア・ミンチン}}
:{{voiced by|[[Taeko Nakanishi]]}}
:The strict, cruel headmistress of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies, and Amelia's older sister.

*;{{nihongo|Miss Amelia Minchin|アメリア・ミンチン|Ameria Minchin}}
:{{voiced by|Yuri Nashiwa}}
:Miss Minchin's kind but meek younger sister, who is a school teacher in Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies.

*;{{nihongo|Lavinia Herbert|ラビニア・ハーバート|Rabinia Hābāto}}
:{{voiced by|[[Eiko Yamada]]}}
:The oldest student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's (former) rival, who is bitterly jealous of her wealth and popularity. Lavinia is prideful, sadistic, cynical, and manipulative. In the series finale, she has reformed and becomes a friend of Sara.

*;{{nihongo|Becky|ベッキー|Bekkī}}
:{{voiced by|[[Teiyū Ichiryūsai|Mie Suzuki]]}}
:A scullery maid in Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's closest best friend, who lives in the attic of the school. Becky is an optimistic, clumsy, and hardworking girl who comes from the town of Ashfield.

*;{{nihongo|Peter|ピーター|Pītā}}
:{{voiced by|[[Chika Sakamoto]]}}
:A street-smart boy and Sara's loyal best friend, who greatly admires her. Cheerful and hardworking, Peter is good at driving a carriage and is also seen working at a market. He is also considered as a love interest to Sara.

*;{{nihongo|Ermengarde St. John|アーメンガード・セントジョン|Āmengādo Sentojon}}
:{{Voiced by|Maki Yaosaka}}
:A student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's schoolmate and best friend, Ermengarde is a plump girl who is slow at learning. She is also a victim of Lavinia's bullying.

*;{{nihongo|Lottie Legh|ロッティ・レイ|Rotti Rei}}
:{{voiced by|[[Naoko Watanabe (voice actress)|Naoko Watanabe]]}}
:The youngest student of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Sara's schoolmate and daughter-figure, Lottie is a four-year-old girl who is prone to tantrums.

*;{{nihongo|Jessie|ジェシー|Jeshī}} and {{nihongo|Gertrude|ガートルード|Gātorūdo}}
:{{voiced by|[[Seiko Nakano]] and Harumi Iizuka (as Jessie), [[Run Sasaki]] (as Gertrude)}}
:Two students of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies who are Lavinia's closest schoolmates.

*;{{nihongo|Molly|モーリー|Mōrī}}
:{{voiced by|Asami Mukaidono}}
:A resident maid of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and James' wife.

*;{{nihongo|James|ジェームス|Jēmusu}}
:{{voiced by|[[Daisuke Gōri]]}}
:A resident [[Cook (profession)|cook]] of Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies and Molly's husband.

*;{{nihongo|Mariette|マリエット|Marietto}}
:{{voiced by|[[Sanae Takagi]]}}
:A maid in Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies who is serving for Sara.

*;{{nihongo|Monsieur Dufarge|デュファルジュ先生|Dyufaruju sensei}}
:{{Voiced by|[[Toshiya Ueda]]}}
:A French teacher at Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies.

*;{{nihongo|Mr. Tom Carrisford|トム・クリスフォード|Tomu Kurisufōdo}}
:{{voiced by|[[Shūsei Nakamura]]}}
:A kind old man who lives in another house next to Miss Minchin's seminary, Mr. Carrisford is Ralph Crewe's best friend.

*;{{nihongo|Ram Dass|ラムダス|Ramudasu}}
:{{voiced by|[[Hideyuki Tanaka]]}}
:An Indian [[lascar]] serving for Mr. Carrisford. Ram Dass has a pet monkey called {{nihongo|Surya|スリャ|Surya}}. He is the only Indian who speaks English, unlike his two partners.

*;{{nihongo|Mr. Carmichael|カーマイケル弁護士|Kāmaikeru bengoshi}}
:{{voiced by|[[Yusaku Yara]]}}
:Mr. Carrisford's solicitor and confidant.

*;{{nihongo|Donald Carmichael|ドナルド・カーマイケル|Donarudo Kāmaikeru}}
:{{voiced by|[[Mitsuko Horie]]}}
:Mr. Carmichael's polite, generous son.

*;{{nihongo|Janet Carmichael|ジャネット・カーマイケル|Janetto Kāmaikeru}}
:{{voiced by|Asami Mukaidono}}
:Mr. Carmichael's daughter and Donald's sister.

*;{{nihongo|Mrs. Carmichael|カーマイケルさん|Kāmaikeru-san}}
:Mother of Janet and Donald.

===Other characters===
;{{nihongo|Mr. Barrow|バロー弁護士|Barō bengoshi}}
:{{voiced by|[[Yuzuru Fujimoto]]}}
:A solicitor who is invested into Ralph Crewe's business.

;{{nihongo|Lavinia's father|ラビニアの父|Rabinia no chichi}}
:{{voiced by|[[Kazuhiko Kishino]]}}
:Lavinia's father. Unlike his family members, he is angry with his daughter, and is the reason of the cruelty of his daughter against Sarah.

;{{nihongo|Lavinia's mother|ラビニアの母|Rabinia no haha}}
:{{voiced by|[[Kumiko Takizawa]]}}
:Lavinia's mother.

;{{nihongo|Anne|アンヌ|Annu}}
:{{voiced by|[[Chieko Honda]]}}
:An orphaned street child who meets Sara outside the bakery.

;{{nihongo|Teddy|テディ|Tedi}}
:{{voiced by|[[Kazue Ikura]]}}
:Becky's younger brother.

;{{nihongo|Martha|マーサ|Māsa}}
:{{voiced by|[[Chie Kōjiro]]}}
:Becky's younger sister.

;{{nihongo|Jim|ジム|Jimu}}
:{{voiced by|[[Sanae Takagi]]}}
:Peter's friend.

;{{nihongo|Dr. Wild|ワイルド医師|Wairudo ishi}}
:{{voiced by|[[Ryūji Saikachi]]}}
:An alcoholic doctor.

;{{nihongo|Old Priest|老司祭|Rō shisai}}
:{{voiced by|[[Yasuo Muramatsu]]}}
:A kind-hearted priest in a church in the city. 

;{{nihongo|Soldier|(兵士|Heishi}}
:A soldier from London who helps Sara pick up the potatoes during a rainy day.

;{{nihongo|Baker's wife|パン屋の夫人|Pan-ya no fujin}}
:*{{Voiced by|[[Atsuko Mine]]}}
:The owner of a bakery in the city. When she saw Sara giving bread to Anne, she described Anne as an "angelic child". Later, she took Anne to her bakery.

;{{nihongo|Florist owner|花屋の所有者|Hanaya no shoyū-sha}}
:*{{Voiced by|[[Sanae Takagi]]}}
:An acquaintance of Peter, he runs a stall flower shop in the market. She remembers Sarah when she was a young lady and cares about her.

;{{nihongo|Clothes shop owner|洋服店のオーナー|Yōfuku-ten no ōnā}}
:*{{Voiced by|Takuzo Kamiyama}}
:The original owner of the doll "Emily" at a clothes store in the city. Emily, which is the signboard of the store that is not for sale, is handed over to Sarah, and at the same time she receives an order for Sarah's clothes (measurement at this time will be a hint later). He has also saved a fallen Sarah.

;{{nihongo|The other two Indian servants|他の二人のインド人使用人|Hoka no ni-ri no Indo hito shiyō hito}}
:Ram Dass's two partners who don't speak English unlike Ram Dass.

;{{nihongo|Peter's Uncle|ピーターの叔父|Pītā no oji}}
:He is a vegetable merchant and he helps Sarah because of stealing money.

;{{nihongo|Peter's Father|ピーターの父|Pītā no chichi}}
:He is handicapped with his crutch.

;{{nihongo|Peter's Mother|ピーターの母親|Pītā no hahaoya}}
:She is contagious and weak.

;{{nihongo|Maggie|マギー|Magī}}
:She is responsible for the match factory.

===Animals===
;{{nihongo|Ceaser|シーザー|Sīzā}}
:*{{Voiced by|[[Eiko Yamada]]}}
:A domestic cat of Miss Minchin's seminary.

;{{nihongo|Bonaparte|ボナパルト|Bonaparuto}}
:*{{Voiced by|[[Chika Sakamoto]]}}
:A parrot that Sara brought from India at the time of admission. At the beginning, Sarah's father Crewe brought Bonaparte from India to Miss Minchin's seminary in London as a companion for Sarah. When Sarah faces the death of her father, it was taken away by Mr. Barrow as a mortgage of Crewe's "debt", until Sarah returned to her original life, and returned to Sarah's side with the help of Peter and Mr. Carmichael.

;{{nihongo|Jump|ジャンプ|Jampu}}
:A horse which has a white diamond-shaped spots on the forehead that Ralph kept in Minchin. At the beginning, when Sarah was a rich daughter, Captain Ralph bought it as an exclusive carriage for Sarah. When Sarah faces the death of her father, it was taken away by Mr. Barrow as a mortgage of Crewe's "debt", until Sarah returned to her original life, and returned to Sarah's side with the help of Peter and Mr. Carmichael.

;{{nihongo|Surya|スリャ|Surya}}
:Ram Dass' mischievous monkey.

;{{nihongo|Boris|ボリス|Boris}}
:Tom Carrisford's breed resembles a large long-haired Afghan hound, which in the original work is actually the dog raised by the Carmichael family.

==Media==
===Anime===
{{see also|List of Princess Sara episodes}}
''Princess Sara'', directed by [[Fumio Kurokawa]] and produced by [[Nippon Animation]], being the eleventh entry in the ''[[World Masterpiece Theater]]'', premiered in Japan on January 6, 1985, and concluded on December 29, 1985, after 46 episodes on [[Fuji Television|Fuji TV]]. Shunji Saida is the character designer for the anime series. The musical score is composed by Yasuo Higuchi. The series features two pieces of theme music, both performed by [[Satoko Shimonari]]: the opening theme is {{nihongo|"Hana no Sasayaki"|花のささやき|lit. "Whisper of a Flower"}}, and the ending theme is {{nihongo|"Himawari"|ひまわり|lit. "Sunflower"}}. The [[Filipino language|Filipino]] [[Dubbing|dub]] of the series aired in the [[Philippines]] on [[ABS-CBN]] in 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2009 |title=World Masterpiece Theater Series Aired in the Philippines Part Three |url=http://sketchpride.blogspot.com/2009/01/world-masterpiece-theater-series-aired.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222002253/http://sketchpride.blogspot.com/2009/01/world-masterpiece-theater-series-aired.html |archive-date=February 22, 2018 |website=For Young Pinoy Audience}}</ref>

It was also aired on [[Animax]], who later broadcast the series across its respective networks worldwide, including its [[Animax (Asian TV channel)|English language networks]] in [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]], dubbing and translating the series into English under the title ''Princess Sarah''. Animax's version was  the series' only English translation, and the series has yet to be commercially released in the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animax-asia.com/shows/princess-sarah|title=Princess Sarah – Animax Asia|publisher=[[Animax (Asian TV channel)|Animax Asia]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103060921/http://animax-asia.com/shows/princess-sarah|archive-date=January 3, 2010|access-date=March 28, 2013}}</ref>

The series has been also selected as one of the best 100 Japanese anime series of all time by the viewers of [[TV Asahi]].<ref>[https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/ss/contents/smatimes/040/index.html TV Asahi: SmaStation, aired on 28 February 2009]</ref>

===Film===
The success and popularity of the anime series in the Philippines inspired a live-action film adaptation. ''[[Sarah... Ang Munting Prinsesa]]'' (lit. "Sarah, The Little Princess"), produced by [[Star Cinema]] and directed by Romy Suzara, was released on June 7, 1995. The film stars [[Camille Prats]] as Sarah Crewe. In the mid-2010s, the film was digitally restored and remastered by the [[ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project]], which to date are restoring old damaged classic Filipino movies to a high-definition format.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2015 |title='Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa' returning in HD |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/10/15/sarah-ang-munting-prinsesa-returning-hd |website=ABS-CBN News}}</ref>

===Television drama===
A [[Princess Sarah (TV series)|Filipino television drama adaptation]] of the series, produced by [[ABS-CBN]], aired from November 12 to December 21, 2007 on the Primetime Bida block. The series stars [[Sharlene San Pedro]] as Sarah Crewe. The story is loosely based on the anime series and took further creative liberties from the original source material, with fantasy elements being introduced in the story.

==International titles==
* 小公女セーラ (Japanese)
* Sarah: Ang Munting Princesa (Filipino)
* Die kleine Prinzessin Sara (German)
* Princesa Sara (Spanish)
* Little Princess (English)
* Sara Lovely Sara (Italian)
* Mała księżniczka Sara (Polish)
* Princess Sara (English)
* Princesse Sarah (French)
* Sali سالي (Arabic and Sorani)
* Sarah, Ang Munting Prinsesa (Tagalog)
* Küçük Prenses (Turkish)
* سارا کرو (Farsi)
* 莎拉公主 (Chinese)
* 소공녀 세라 Sogongnyeo Serra (Korean)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last=Al Hattami |first=Fatima Q. |title=Heroes, Heroines, and Everything in Between: Challenging Gender and Sexuality Stereotypes in Children's Entertainment Media |last2=Schaefer |first2=Richard J. |publisher=Lexington Books |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-4985-3957-9 |editor-last=Reinhard |editor-first=Carrielynn D. |chapter=Female Gender Modeling Between Now and Then: Two Western Cartoons and Their Resonance with an Arab Culture |editor-last2=Olson |editor-first2=Christopher J.}}
* {{Cite book |last=Camp |first=Brian |url=https://archive.org/details/animeclassicszet0000camp |title=Anime Classics ''Zettai''!: 100 Must-see Japanese Animation Masterpieces |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-933330-22-8 |location=Berkeley |url-access=registration}} See page 30.
* {{Cite book |last1=Clements |first1=Jonathon |url=https://archive.org/details/animeencyclopedi0000clem_s4w4 |title=The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation |last2=McCarthy |first2=Helen |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |year=2015 |isbn=9781611729092 |location=Berkeley |url-access=registration}} See pp. 475–476, 932.
* {{Cite journal |last=Kirkland |first=Janice |date=December 1997 |title=Frances Hodgson Burnett's Sara Crewe Through 110 Years |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022419120433 |journal=Children's Literature in Education |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=191–203 |doi=10.1023/A:1022419120433|s2cid=161179042}} See page 201.
* {{Cite journal |last=Oltolini |first=Maria Chiara |date=September 2021 |title=Children's Fiction and Anime: The Case of ''Shōkōjo Sēra'' |url=https://doi.org/10.1386/josc_00068_1 |journal=Journal of Screenwriting |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=287–305|doi=10.1386/josc_00068_1|s2cid=242037149}}

==See also==
* ''[[Oshin]]''

==External links==
* [http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/1473/ Nippon Animation's official website for ''Princess Sara''] {{in lang|ja}}
* {{IMDb title|0168375|A Little Princess Sara}}
* {{ann|anime|444}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060306114850/http://www.animax.co.jp/program/program.php3?naiyo=m_sara Animax's official website for ''Princess Sara''] {{in lang|ja}}
* [http://www.little-princess-sara.net/mainE.html Princess Sara English page]
* [http://www.ne.jp/asahi/ramdas/sara/ The Princess Sara museum] (in Japanese)

{{Nippon Animation}}
{{World Masterpiece Theater}}
{{A Little Princess}}

[[Category:A Little Princess]]
[[Category:1985 anime television series debuts]]
[[Category:1985 Japanese television series endings]]
[[Category:World Masterpiece Theater series]]
[[Category:Adaptations of works by Frances Hodgson Burnett]]
[[Category:Animated television series about orphans]]
[[Category:Animated television series about princesses]]
[[Category:Anime and manga based on novels]]
[[Category:Anime and manga set in India]]
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[[Category:Child characters in anime and manga]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Marie Antoinette]]
[[Category:Drama anime and manga]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1885]]
[[Category:Fictional orphans]]
[[Category:Fictional princesses|Sara]]
[[Category:Historical anime and manga]]
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[[Category:Television series about bullying]]
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