The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (TV series)

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils[1] (ニルスのふしぎな旅) is an anime adaptation of the 1906 novel The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf.[2] The 52-episode series aired on the Japanese network NHK from January 1980 to March 1981.[1] It was the first production by Studio Pierrot. The anime largely follows the original story, with the addition of Nils's pet hamster and an expanded role for Smirre the fox. The music was composed by Czech musician Karel Svoboda, while Chito Kawachi provided the soundtrack for the original Japanese broadcast and several international versions.

Plot

Nils Holgersson is a 14-year-old farm boy, the son of poor farmers. He is lazy and disrespectful to others. In his spare time he enjoys tormenting the animals that live on his family farm.

One Sunday, while his parents are at church and have left him home to read the day's homily in the family Bible, Nils captures a

Characters

Nils

A 14-year-old boy, the main protagonist of the series. He lives with his family on a farm in southern Sweden. He is lazy and disrespectful to others and enjoys tormenting the animals on the farm. After the farm's tomte magically shrinks Nils smaller than the animals, he gains the ability to speak and understand animals' language. When the farm animals seek revenge, Nils flies away with a flock of wild geese on their migration to the north of Sweden for the summer. During his journey, he learns a lot a about compassion and friendships, but desires to be restored to his original size.

Carrot

Nils's pet hamster. He shrinks along with Nils due to being on his hat when the tomte enchants him. He joins Nils on his journey and becomes one of his closest friends and confident. Carrot's name sometimes appears as Crumb.

Morten

A goose originally belonging to Nils's family. He desires to go to Lapland, so he flies away from the farm, and accidentally brings Nils and Carrot along with him. On their journey, Morten does everything he can to prove himself wothy enough to fly with the wild geese. He and Nils have their differences, but eventually learn to care for each other and become true friends.

Captain Akka (Akka of Kebnekaise)

The leader and matriarch of the wild geese flock. She is strict but also wise and kind-hearted. She cares very much for Nils, understanding his needs and difficulties as a human and highly values his personal growth throughout their journey. Over time, Akka's becomes both of a mentor and a guardian for Nils.

Gunnar

Akka's second in command, a quite stern goose. After he falls in love with Ingrid, he learns to loosen up.

Gusta

An often grumpy goose, and Lasse's best friend. However, when Lasse marries his crush Suirii, Gusta starts to tease him. He is the only goose who does not marry.

Lasse

An often hungry, fun-loving goose. He is Gusta's best friend, but their friendship goes stale when Suirii chooses Lasse over Gusta as her mate. They later make amends.

Ingrid

A beautiful, elegant female goose, who warmly welcomes Morten into the flock. Later, she partners with Gunnar.

Suirii

A female goose, who sings with a very high pitch voice and annoys everyone with it. She fell in love with Lasse.

Dunfuin

A warm-hearted, though not very bright female goose, who joins Akka's flock after her injured wing separates her from her former flock. She marries Morten, who is madly in love with her at first sight.

Smirre

A fox and the series' primary antagonist, who wants to catch and eat the wild geese. Thanks to Nils, he never succeeds. Smirre follows the wild geese all the way to Lapland, motivated by a personal revenge on Nils for always humiliating him.

Gorgo

A large black eagle, found in an empty nest by Akka years ago. She raised him and taught him how to survive by eating fish, instead of preying on the geese. Years later, he was captured by hunters and sold to a zoo, from where Nils saved him. Nils, Carrot and Gorgo then fly the last stretch together to Lappland. Unfortunately, Gorgo must stay in Lappland when the wild geese leave Lappland to fly south for winter.

Ermenrich

The stork, who originally nested on the roof of Nils's family's house. He knows Akka and the tomte very well, and often serves as a contact maker between them, whenever Akka tries to convince the tomte to change Nils back. He often helps Nils throughout various adventures and shows them beautiful sites of Sweden.

Episodes

1) "Mischievous Nils" first broadcast on 8 January 1980

2) "Shrunken Nils" first broadcast on 15 January 1980

3) "Riding a Goose" first broadcast on 22 January 1980

4) "SOS of the Forest Squirrels" first broadcast on 29 January 1980

5) "Morten's Big Pinch" first broadcast on 5 February 1980

6) "Bird Strength Contest" first broadcast on 12 February 1980

7) "Battle of the Mice" first broadcast on 26 February 1980

8) "The Crane's Ball" first broadcast on 4 March 1980

9) "Hungry Nils" first broadcast on 11 March 1980

10) "Lex's Evil Scheme" first broadcast on 18 March 1980

11) "Walking Lead Statue" first broadcast on 25 March 1980

12) "Morten's First Love" first broadcast on 1 April 1980

13) "Goats of Hell's Valley" first broadcast on 8 April 1980

14) "Phantom Town Appearing on Moonlit Nights" first broadcast on 15 April 1980

15) "The Greedy Crow and the Coin Bowl" first broadcast on 22 April 1980

16) "Choose a Crow Boss" first broadcast on 29 April 1980

17) "Ransomed Duck Child" first broadcast on 6 May 1980

18) "The Lake Disappears" first broadcast on 27 May 1980

19) "Spoiled Fawn" first broadcast on 3 June 1980

20) "Snake's Revenge" first broadcast on 10 June 1980

21) "A Testy Witch's Prank" first broadcast on 17 June 1980

22) "Bear Twins Who Prowl the Forest" first broadcast on 4 June 1980

23) "Flood of Swan Lake" first broadcast on 1 July 1980

24) "Operation 'To Hell with Lex the Guard Dog'" first broadcast on 8 July 1980

25) "Rescue Party from the Sky" first broadcast on 15 July 1980

26) "One Stormy Day" first broadcast on 22 July 1980

27) "The Story Until Now / Morten's Engagement" first broadcast on 5 August 1980

28) "Nils Singing on a Street Corner" first broadcast on 19 August 1980

29) "Arrested Eagle" first broadcast on 26 August 1980

30) "The Taste of Freshly Baked Bread" first broadcast on 9 September 1980

31) "Monster of the Forest" first broadcast on 16 September 1980

32) "Look Out, Nils: A Mountain Fire" first broadcast on 30 September 1980

33) "Patrol of Five" first broadcast on 7 October 1980

34) "Battle of the Spirits of Sun and Ice" first broadcast on 14 October 1980

35) "Goose Guard Child Looking for his Father" first broadcast on 21 October 1980

36) "Bird Love" first broadcast on 4 November 1980

37) "Morten the Rookie Papa" first broadcast on 11 November 1980

38) "Lapland, Land Where the Sun Never Sets" first broadcast on 25 November 1980

39) "Don't Follow Me, Golgo" first broadcast on 2 December 1980

40) "Wolf Attack" first broadcast on 9 December 1980

41) "Lake Fire Festival" first broadcast on 16 December 1980

42) "Big Man Who Built a Forest" first broadcast on 23 December 1980

43) "Nils's Lullaby" first broadcast on 13 January 1981

44) "Bataki Shut In" first broadcast on 20 January 1981

45) "Haunted House on a Full Moon" first broadcast on 27 January 1981

46) "Sea Shining Silver" first broadcast on 3 February 1981

47) "Main Event of the Village Festival" first broadcast on 10 February 1981

48) "Lex's New Journey" first broadcast on 17 February 1981

49) "Nils Discovers a Secret" first broadcast on 24 February 1981

50) "Wild Goose's Present" first broadcast on 3 March 1981

51) "To My Old Home" first broadcast on 10 March 1981

52) "Goodbye, Akka" first broadcast on 17 March 1981

International broadcasts

The anime was also broadcast in Canada (in French), France, Germany, Sweden, Finland ("Peukaloisen retket" – "Thumbling's Travels"), Iceland (as "Nilli Hólmgeirsson"), the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece (as "Το θαυμαστό ταξίδι του Νίλς Χόλγκερσον" – "The wondrous journey of Nils Holgersson"), Bulgaria ("Чудното пътуване на Нилс Холгерсон с дивите гъски" – "The wondrous journey of Nils Holgersson with the Wild Geese"), Poland (as "Nils and the wild geese"), Portugal,[3] Romania (as "Aventurile lui Nils Holgersson"), in the Arab world (as "مغامرات نيلز" – "Nils's Adventures"), Spain, Slovenia (as "Nils Holgerson" with only one "s"), Slovakia (again as "Nils Holgerson"), Hungary (as "Nils Holgersson csodálatos utazása a vadludakkal"), Israel (as "נילס הולגרסון" – "Nils Holgersson"), Iran (as "ماجراهای نیلز"), Turkey (as "Nils ve Uçan Kaz" – "Nils and the Flying Goose"), Italy, Hong Kong (dubbed into Cantonese), Mainland China, South Africa (in Afrikaans as "Die wonderlike avonture van Nils Holgerson"), and Albania (as "Aventurat e Nils Holgersonit"). In some countries it was edited for length to allow for commercials. In Germany, the episodes of the animated series were also combined into a full-length animated feature (1h 22min) released in 1981; that feature was also dubbed and released in Estonia and Greece on DVD and VHS. The anime was also adapted into a German comic book series, with art by the Spanish Studio Interpublic and the German Atelier Roche.

The series was later broadcast internationally, airing in countries including Canada (French), France, Germany, Sweden, Finland ("Peukaloisen retket"), Iceland ("Nilli Hólmgeirsson"), and Iran ("ماجراهای نیلز").[4] In Germany, episodes were compiled into a feature-length film in 1981 and released on DVD and VHS in other European markets.[4]

The anime has maintained a following and was released on DVD in Japan (2002), France (2005), and North America by Discotek Media (2020). In Portugal, the series was released in 2009, but due to RTP discarding the original dub tracks, publisher Planeta DeAgostini had to gather the recordings from VHS collectors. Only episode 16 was missing and had to be redubbed.[3]

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (TV series)

Plot

Characters

Original voice cast

Episodes

International broadcasts

Home media

1982 film

External links

References

type	tv series
director	Hisayuki Toriumi
music	Chito Kawachi
studio	Studio Pierrot
network	NHK General TV
first	8 January 1980
last	17 March 1981
episodes	52