King Arthur (TV series)
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a Japanese anime series based on Arthurian legend. Produced by Toei Animation, the series consists of 30 half-hour episodes released between September 9, 1979 and March 3, 1980. The series achieved great popularity in its non-English translations.
The series tells the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, featuring 'Arthurian' characters such as Lancelot, Guinevere, Tristan, Percival, Merlin, Uther Pendragon, and Igraine and other familiar elements of Arthurian lore, including the castle Camelot and Arthurian relics such as Excalibur. The series is not entirely faithful to the original legends since it adds new characters and stories which make the plot less brutal. The second season had an even lighter tone.
Plot
When Prince Arthur is a baby, his father, King Uther Pendragon, rules Camelot. Lavik, another king who wishes to conquer Camelot, attacks the castle. Arthur is saved by Merlin who sends him to a knight for safekeeping. For many years, this knight raises Arthur as his own son.At the age of 15, Arthur attends a tournament with his foster father. At the tournament, he finds that he is able to pull the sword Excalibur from a stone. This action proves Arthur is the legitimate king of England. As a result, Arthur's foster father reveals the truth of his royal lineage. King Arthur and his subjects decide to fight against the evil King Lavik, who is aided by the witch Medessa.
Characters
- Akira Kamiya as King Arthur
- Keiko Han as Guinevere
- Hideyuki Tanaka as Sir Kay
- Makio Inoue as Tristan
- Satomi Majima as Phine
- Michie Kita as Galahad
- Tesshō Genda as Lancelot
- Banjō Ginga as Rubik/Lavik
- Daisuke Gōri as Percival
- Kenji Utsumi as Gastar
- Ichirō Nagai as Sir Ector and Longinus
- Hidekatsu Shibata as Yuuzel
- Yasuo Hisamatsu as Merlin
- Akiko Tsuboi as Igraine
- Kohei Miyauchi as Archbishop
- Masato Ibu as Leodegrance
- Toshio Furukawa as Pellinore
- Hidekatsu Shibata as Uther
Production and release
Isao Sasaki and Koorogi '73 sang the opening theme "Kibou yo sore wa" and "Ou no Naka no Ou". The ending theme is performed by Mitsuko Horie and Koorogi '73.In the early 1980s, a French-dubbed version, titled Le Roi Arthur, was released through Jacques Censtrier Productions. The first four episodes were released on VHS. In this version, all of the characters' names and the opening and closing theme songs were kept the same. An English dubbed version called King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table was produced and distributed by ZIV International, Inc. in 1981.
Manga adaptation
The series was adapted into several comics published in Telebi Magazine, Terebi Land and Bōken Ō. The Bōken Ō adaptation was created by Satomi Mikuriya and "Mic Mac Production". The series was followed by King Arthur: Prince on White Horse in 1980.List of episodes
| Episode | Airdate | Title | Screenplay by | Producer | Director | Art |
| 1 | 9 September 1979 | 風雲児アーサー / "Arthur as a Child" | Mitsuru Mashima | Akira Makoto | Takao Noda | Tadashi Tsuji |
| 2 | 16 September 1979 | 輝けキャメロットの星 / "Camelot the Star" | Mitsuru Mashima | Katsuji Kachimada | Yasuhiko Suzuki | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 3 | 23 September 1979 | 湖の騎士・ランスロット / "Lancelot the Lake Knight" | Mitsuru Mashima | Ochiai Masamune | Kikuchi Shironi | Toshikazu Yamaguchi |
| 4 | 30 September 1979 | 竪琴の騎士・トリスタン / "Tristan the Wolfe Knight" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kazumi Fukushima | Kikuchi Shironi | Toshikazu Yamaguchi |
| 5 | 7 October 1979 | 勇気ある少年ガラハッド / "Galahad the Courageous Boy" | Mitsuru Mashima | Akira Makoto | Kikuchi Shironi | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 6 | 14 October 1979 | 神剣エクスカリバー / "Excalibur" | Mitsuru Mashima | Takeki Kamiki | Kikuchi Shironi | Toshikazu Yamaguchi |
| 7 | 21 October 1979 | 槍の名人パーシバル / "Master Percival of the Rose" | Mitsuru Mashima | Matsuura Keppairiru | Kikuchi Shironi | Tadashi Tsuji |
| 8 | 28 October 1979 | 5人の若き騎士たち / "The Five Young Knights" | Mitsuru Mashima | Omachi Shigeru | Shinoda Ayama | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 9 | 4 November 1979 | 黒い狐・ペリノア / "Pelinore the Black Fox" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kazumi Fukushima | Kikuchi Shironi | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 10 | 11 November 1979 | 炎の中の王子 / "The Flaming Prince" | Akira Nakano | Ochiai Masamune | Kikuchi Shironi | Tadashi Tsuji |
| 11 | 18 November 1979 | 花咲ける騎士道の丘 / "Blooming Chivalry Hill" | Mitsuru Mashima | Matsuura Keppairiru | Kikuchi Shironi | Tadashi Tsuji |
| 12 | 25 November 1979 | 金髪の戦士・フィーネ / "Finn the Blonde Warrior" | Akira Nakano | Kazumi Fukushima | Takao Noda | Kenichi Harada |
| 13 | 2 December 1979 | 暗黒魔女との闘い / "The Fight with the Dark Witch" | Mitsuru Mashima | Akira Makoto | Kikuchi Shironi | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 14 | 9 December 1979 | 怒りの故里 前編 / "Hometown of Anger " | Mitsuru Mashima | Matsuura Keppairiru | Kikuchi Shironi | Tadashi Tsuji |
| 15 | 16 December 1979 | 怒りの故里 後編 / "Hometown of Anger " | Mitsuru Mashima | Kazumi Fukushima | Kikuchi Shironi | Tadashi Tsuji |
| 16 | 23 December 1979 | 恐怖の槍試合 / "Dreadful Jousting Match" | Mitsuru Mashima | Omachi Shigeru | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |
| 17 | 30 December 1979 | 地獄から来た呪いの剣士 / "The Cursed Swordsman from Hell" | Mitsuru Mashima | Akira Saori | Shinoda Ayama | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 18 | 6 January 1980 | 激戦！この砦を守れ / "Fierce Battle! Protect the Fort" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kozo Morishita | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |
| 19 | 13 January 1980 | 荒野に咲く花 / "Flowers Blooming in the Wilderness" | Mitsuru Mashima | Matsuura Keppairiru | Kikuchi Shironi | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 20 | 20 January 1980 | 響け！父の足音 / "Resonate! Footsteps of the Father" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kazumi Fukushima | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |
| 21 | 27 January 1980 | 赤い夕陽の五人 "Five People in the Red Sunset" | Mitsuru Mashima | Akira Saori | Takao Noda | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 22 | 3 February 1980 | 魔女の城の謎 / "The Mystery of the Magic Castle" | Mitsuru Mashima | Omachi Shigeru | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |
| 23 | 10 February 1980 | アドラス山の怪獣 / "The Monster of Mount Adras" | Mitsuru Mashima | Matsuura Keppairiru | Noazuma Numajiri | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 24 | 17 February 1980 | 聖なる楯はここに！ / "Here is the Sacred Shield!" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kozo Morishita | Kikuchi Shironi | Ito Ikko Ito |
| 25 | 24 February 1980 | 魔女メデッサを倒せ！/ "Defeat the witch Medessa!" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kazumi Fukushima | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |
| 26 | 2 March 1980 | 悪王ラヴィックの最期？/ "Is this the End of the Evil King Ravik?" | Mitsuru Mashima | Takeshi Kamiki | Shinoda Ayama | Kenichi Harada |
| 27 | 9 March 1980 | 地獄からの使者 / "Messenger from Hell" | Ito Tsunhisa | Akira Saori | Takao Noda | Bunmei Uchikawa |
| 28 | 16 March 1980 | ドクロ騎士の正体 / "Skull Knight's True Identity" | Ito Tsunhisa | Kazumi Fukushima | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |
| 29 | 23 March 1980 | 呪いの赤い雪 / "Curse of the Red Snow" | Ito Tsunhisa | Matsuura Keppairiru | Noazuma Numajiri | Hata Shun Qin |
| 30 | 30 March 1980 | 激闘！最後のたたかい / "Fierce Battle! The Final Battle" | Mitsuru Mashima | Kozo Morishita | Kikuchi Shironi | Kenichi Harada |