Kings Journal: Anime I grew up with part 1 of 2 (Patreon)

I decided to create a small series of Kings Journals about TV series I grew up with.
I tried to remember as many shows as possible, which I watched while growing up.
The period covers my childhood until my humble art beginnings as Greeneyedwolfking.

Honestly I watched so much TV at any age, that this series of Kings Journals will be split up into several parts: Two parts for anime childhood/teenage years and adult timeline, two parts for western animation also childhood/teenage years and adult timeline. That makes 4 journals you can look forward to and I hope you gonna have some "wow I watched that, too - or I completely forgot that show" moments.

The structure for all journals will be the same: I list all shows I watched with two links leading to Youtube showing the original opening and the German opening.
Furthermore I will try to summarize the story of each show shortly and what emotions I connect with it.

Here we go:
Well, one more thing. Why I watched so much TV?!
I was born in a very rural and religious region of Germany. Prayers before dinner, regular church services, crosses in almost every room of the house combined with blessed palm branches, plus every family member having a "Nameday or Saint's Day", what is some kind of second birthday, where you get good wishes and small presents to commemorate a saint who is the patron of your first name.
In my case: Christian the most Christian name possible. xD

In my early childhood we did not have satelite or cable TV. So our TV had three channels only. Hard to believe nowaydays with streaming platforms and countless channels, but that's where this journal begins.

Here we go for real:
One of the three TV channels aired an afternoon program for kids, that showed anime only. In the early 90s no one even knew the word anime in Germany so it was all cartoons. Some of them are aired since 1975 non-stop, because they are German-Japanese co-productions and they are still aired nowadays, because of their  huge popularity in Germany.

Maja the bee

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU8Pijmw6VM&ab_channel=DonHi
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQseXe0-N5Y&ab_channel=Mustafa%C3%96zkurt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08aVnUSsQ1w&ab_channel=Andromeda

I am pretty sure, that everyone in Europe and Japan knows this anime about a bee called Maja and her friends, who enjoy different adventures on the flower fields.
The anime has a 3D remake. Both versions are for small kids. I think I watched all episodes of the original, but I hardy remember the story.

Nils Holgersson

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7lQ7QUzyt4&ab_channel=RetroCrush
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWrCKqGdN4M&ab_channel=Serienoldies

Nils is cursed by an elf and only by doing good he can lift the curse, that skrinked him to elf-size. Together with the geese he travels Sweden to experience daily life and magical events. The show is very nice and suitable for small children, but still watchable for adults.
One of the best episodes is about a cursed German city, that sunk in the ocean and another one is about a haunted mansion in Sweden with a restless ghost.

Heidi

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hKi1VlE94A&ab_channel=saeiddaneshgar
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fffb078iXU&ab_channel=saeiddaneshgar

Heidi lives in the alps of Switzerland together with her grumpy grandfather. Her cheerful character makes her grandfather a better person. She befriends with shepard Peter and handicapped Clara from Frankfurt. Thanks to Heidi's support depressive Clara manages to be happy again and to walk on her own without a wheel chair.
The anime is super popular in Germany. Everyone knows it. No surprise, because the story takes place in Switzerland and Germany. Furthermore the artstyle is timeless and the emotions are well captured.
The anime is aired since 1975 without a break and it has a 3D version nowadays, that adapts the artstyle from 1975. The German opening song is used in almost every dub around the world including the yodeling part, because most singers can not yodel.
Fun fact: I lived in Frankfurt for several years, the home town of Clara and when you come from the country you will feel exactly like Heidi, who felt kinda overwhelmed by the busy city.

Funf fact 2: Hayao Miyazaki the head of Studio Ghibli was one of the producers of the Heidi anime. In my opinion "Howl's Moving castle" is somehow a tribute to "Heidi" with alpine mountains and Sophie's German looking home town.

Wicki

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtsPAYPaMVA&ab_channel=hebiji
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEyQov4SBHw&ab_channel=NilsHolgersson

Well I never really liked this anime, but I watched it. ^^;
It's a bout a boy called Wickie. He is a viking boy and sails the oceans together with his father's ship and crew.
They are all morons except for Wickie, who is clever and saves the day with a smart idea.
Fun fact: I could never tell, if Wickie was a boy or a girl.

Eine fröhliche Familie (A happy family) - Little Women

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt0aPEvY3u8&ab_channel=saeiddaneshgar
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_gBBRwJWHA&t=2s&ab_channel=DerBozz

The anime is about an American family during the American civil War. The father is recruited as a soldier, while his wife and daughters try their best to make a living in times of war, always hoping that the father will return home alive.

This is one of the animes for older children and adults based on the novel "Little Women". I remember it fondly and I want to rewatch it.

Mila Superstar

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ksSohG3SM&ab_channel=MadDogTannen
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-4WYkVpciI&ab_channel=Mustafa%C3%96zkurt

Mila plays Volleyball. She starts as a noob and becomes better and better. It's a typical sports anime. Although I remember, that it is quite serious including unhappy story events like death.
Not to mention that she gets balls in her face very often. xD

Princess Sara

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6X9szHts30o&ab_channel=PrincessSarahOfficialChannel
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zkh2o9poAe4&ab_channel=Mustafa%C3%96zkurt

Well, no wonder that I do not remember the German opening. Those few seconds are just random.
The anime is about Sara whose father is a rich merchant. During one of his travels he leaves Sara in a boarding school. But Sara's father is reported as missing and the headmaster forces Sara to work as a maid. If she refuses she must live on the streets.
Sara experiences the hard life of the poor ones, but she remains a kind girl, always helping others in need.

I remember this show as being pretty sad, but it has a happy ending.

Alfred J. Kwak

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDAd_LZotDg&ab_channel=6satan6lucifer6
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsIDLzmo_p4&ab_channel=DominikUllrich

This show is about a duck called Alfred. He is an orphan, who is raised by a mole. They live in Greatwaterland, which is inspired by the Netherlands. While growing up Alfred and this adoptive father face all kinds of problems. There are fun and serious episodes.
I liked this show and I think it is the reason why I like the Netherlands. Everything looks like this anime. I also like the German opening. I don't think that the monster ever appears in the anime, but the opening is simply cool.

Worth a noteable mention is that crow character who resembles Adolf Hitler. The crow tries to take over Greatwaterland, while Alfred joins the resistance.

Treasure Island

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77b7yVwBV6I&ab_channel=Mr.Gozaemon
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCN94v6i0Fs&ab_channel=RetroBoter

I am pretty sure, that this anime is also based on a famous novel. I forgot almost all of the story, but I think there is a pirate captain who works together with a regular boy to find a big treasure. Both distrust each other, while they also get closer and understand each other better.
What I remember well is the German opening song. It is kinda catchy.
Well and if that Japanese opening is the correct one it sounds good, but nothing like a pirate adventure imao.

Willy Fog

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV6nh-iMcrk&ab_channel=Gabikun
German (it is the English song though):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LL9BwHBfdk&ab_channel=Mustafa%C3%96zkurt

It's an anime based on the novel "In 80 days around the World" just with Furries.
I remember the lion in the suit - Willy Fog - pretty well. Maybe my first Furry crush?! Who knows, I was an innocent little boy who liked this anime.
The English opening is catchy. Round all around the world...


Sailor Moon (season 1)

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGQCPOMcYJQ&ab_channel=Framework9X
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqz6lSg8s6A&ab_channel=Mustafa%C3%96zkurt

Sailor Moon is about a girl called Usagi Tsukino who is chosen by a talking cat to fight against evil. She has a magic brooch, that can transform her into Sailor Moon the sailor senshi of love and justice. Together with other sailor senshi she defeats demons and discovers who she really is. The anime is a perfect fusion of humour and serious moments combined with a nice story about friendship and love. It is also a "pioneer" of anime in Germany. With Sailor Moon anime became popular here.
Since I am a fan of this anime, I remember all seasons pretty well and we gonna meet Sailor Moon again in the second part of the anime journal.

TV upgrade
And then in 1995 German TV channels founded a free channel for children only. This means I had 4 TV channels to watch including more animes.

Alice in Wonderland

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy1CNu_Quso&ab_channel=IgnacioRodr%C3%ADguezCh%C3%A1vez
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuwz4ki8VSo&ab_channel=Xenon

Well, not much to explain: An anime about Alice in Wonderland based on the novel with the same name. The interesting fact is that the composer and singer of the German opening produced an English version, but English TV channels refused the offer and some not so good singer sings kinda stupid new English lyrics. At least they used the instrumental version.
Honourable credit goes to the Canadian French version, that translated the German lyrics very well.

The German lyrics translated into English:
What happened there? How can it be?
That it is freezing in summer,
that clocks run backwards.
That one can not see a reflection in the mirror anymore?!
Well,
ask Alice in Wonderland, Alice in Wonderland,
in her world of dreams and irony,
created by Alice in Wonderland, Alice in Wonderland, Alice in Wonderland,
Alice with her fantasy.

English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSz-GmA3Ptc&ab_channel=Xenon
Canadian French:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UvtX80eJgw&ab_channel=Xenon

Anne of Green Gables

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eme9tEOWgCY&ab_channel=saeiddaneshgar
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcVam0EDFsU&ab_channel=JanSchmelter

This anime is about orphan girl Anne. The story is based on the novel " Anne of Green Gables". Anne is adopted by the siblings Matthew and Marilla to assist them on their farm. Anne is a day dreamer and the story follows her from her childhood to her adult self.
Well, I only saw the anime once, but it is quite good, although some day dreaming wishes af Anne are pretty over the top, but that's a part of her character. Her dreams against the rough reality.
I think her story (the novel) is very famous in North-America.

The girls of Saint Clairs

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TuoBS7U3vo&ab_channel=ZenzenSakina
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drG09N1NO_Q&ab_channel=underworld2100

An anime also based on a novel about twins at an English borading school overcoming all troubles and having small and big adventures, finding new friends and never giving up.
Unfortunately I could not find the real opening on Youtube - I mean the animations - but I found the song, which is very nice imao. Both in Japanese and German.

I think the novel was written by Enid Blyton. My mother had a novel collection of her works, so I read some of her novels as a child.

The Jungle Book

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlbIhPug75M&ab_channel=RedTiger
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vf8odLL_Xo&ab_channel=RetroBoter

I did not watch this anime regularly, but I think everyone is familiar with the story about Mowgli who was raised by wolves in the jungle. He has many adventures with his buddies.
I prefer the German opening.


Peter Pan

Japanese:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQxdAKaClBI&ab_channel=UnknownStrategist
German:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QaFTU9bdpc&ab_channel=Ytachi1000

The story about Peter Pan seems to be well known. Peter is a boy who can fly and he never grows up. His enemy is pirate captain Hook and his crew.
Peter invited children from London to experiecne some adventures in Neverland his home island.

I never understood why the producers drew such a strange nose for Peter.



Well there were two more animes aired called "Sindbad" and "Pinocchio", but even as a boy those two seemed to be made for very young kids and so I did not watch them.
The German openings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAsY9H5AYlk&ab_channel=levisk1212
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVKKRfPV6ZM&ab_channel=saeiddaneshgar

Furthermore I did not like the art style of those two animes.


The surprise
I am pretty sure, that I forgot some anime I watched, but this list is alreayd pretty long and if you made it this far I gonna ruin your childhood by thinking about what characters of those animes above I could draw in a Bara or Furry artwork.

Let's name them

Alm-onji from Heidi

Willy Fog

John Silver from Treasure Island

The father from Little Women

Which one of these character could you imagine as a Bara or Furry artwork?
And do you know some of these animes?
I would love to read your opinon in the comments. <3

This is the end of the journal "Anime I grew up with part 1 of 2".
Stay tuned for part 2.

Thanks for reading! <3

PS: When you grow on the country in the 1990s in a religious community all those animes, where so interesting and showed a completely different world. That's why I watched so much TV. Plus the fact that both of my parents worked full-time and so the could not control my TV hours. I did what all "good" Christians do: I lied - "No, mum I watched only one hour TV today" xD