The Monster Kid

Template:Nihongo is a shōnen manga and anime series by Fujiko Fujio. The first series was broadcast on TBS from April 21, 1968, to March 23, 1969. The second series was broadcast on TV Asahi from September 2, 1980, to September 28, 1982. A live-action series was broadcast on Nippon Television and Yomiuri Television from April 17 to June 12, 2010. The 94-episode 1982 iteration was aired around the world, marketed as The Monster Kid, which was the official English title.

Plot

Kaibutsu-kun (Monster Kid) and his companions, Dracula, Wolfman, and Franken, travel from Monster Land to the Human Realm, where they encounter and battle several monsters, mainly assassins from the demon group Demonish.

Cast

• Template:Nihongo - A little boy who can metamorph.
  • Voiced by: Fuyumi Shiraishi ('68), Masako Nozawa ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Taro's friend, who lives with his sister Utako.
  • Voiced by: Minori Matsushima ('68), Katsue Miwa ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Hiroshi's older sister. Both are orphans who live in Arama-sō, a two-story Japanese apartment. She takes care of her brother.
  • Voiced by: Mariko Mukai ('68), Chiyoko Kawashima ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - He drinks tomato juice instead of human blood, and tends to put "damasu" at the end of every sentence. In the TV drama series, he often puts English phrases in every sentence.
  • Voiced by: Hiroshi Ohtake ('68), Kaneta Kimotsuki ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - The housekeeper and cook. He tends to put "gansu" at the end of every sentence.
  • Voiced by: Shingo Kanemoto ('68), Takuzou Kamiyama ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - He is big, and not especially smart.
  • Voiced by: Masao Imanishi ('68), Taro Sagami→ Shingo Kanemoto ('80)
• Template:Nihongo Taro's father and King of Monsterland.
  • Voiced by: Dai Kanai ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Taro's girlfriend.
  • Voiced by: Eiko Masuyama ('68, '80)
• Template:Nihongo
  • Voiced by: Reizō Nomoto ('80)
• Template:Nihongo
  • Voiced by: Shigeru Chiba ('80)
• Template:Nihongo
  • Voiced by: Ken'ichi Ogata ('80)
• Template:Nihongo
  • Voiced by: Hiroshi Ohtake→ Shun Yashiro ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Prince of the demons.
  • Voiced by: Eiko Yamada ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Hiroshi's classmate.
  • Voiced by: Keiko Han ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Hiroshi's classmate.
  • Voiced by: Sanji Hase ('80)
• Template:Nihongo - Hiroshi's classmate.
  • Voiced by: Kiyonobu Suzuki ('80)

Media

Television drama

A TV drama adaptation was aired on Nippon TV in 2010 with nine episodes. Two drama specials were aired after the initial airing of the drama series in June 2010, where the author of Kaibutsu-kun appears as a guest, and October 2011.

There are some differences between the anime and the live action series, especially for the setting and the characters. Neither Hiroshi's classmates in the anime appear in the TV drama series. The new characters are Wolfman's daughter, the landlady of Arama-sō and a policeman. The theme song for the TV drama series is Monster by Japanese boy band Arashi.

Plot

Kaibutsu-kun is a rambunctious prince of Kaibutsu Land. On the day of succession to the throne, he is ordered to go to the world of humans by the King of Kaibutsu Land for ascetic training. Kaibutsu-kun and his attendants, Dracula, Wolfman, and Franken, travel to the world of humans and encounter several monsters or humans belonging to the demon group led by Demorina who tries to set the prince of demon back on track and take over the world.

Main casts

• Satoshi Ohno as Kaibutsu-kun
• Norito Yashima as Dracula
• Ryuhei Ueshima as Wolfman
• Choi Hong-man as Franken
• Umika Kawashima as Ichikawa Utako

Live-action film

A 3D movie titled Template:Nihongo was released on November 26, 2011, directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura. It went on to be a commercial success in Japan and earned Template:¥ ($39,766,344).

External links

• Official 2010 TV series website Template:In lang
• Info on the 1980s series Template:In lang
• Template:Anime News Network