Tico and Friends
Tico and Friends, also known as Tico of the Seven Seas, is a Japanese original anime television series produced by Nippon Animation that aired on Fuji Television and its affiliates from January to December 1994 as the 20th entry in the World Masterpiece Theater series, made in commemoration of the series' 20th anniversary as well as Nippon Animation's 20th anniversary. The story follows the adventures of an 11-year-old girl named Nanami Simpson as she travels the world with her father and her best friend Tico, a female orca.
Unlike other entries in the series, Tico of the Seven Seas is an entirely original story. A novelization of the series written by Akira Hiroo was eventually published in 3 volumes by Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko in conjunction with the broadcast.
An English dub of the series, entitled Tico & Friends, was produced by Ocean Studios in 1999. The dubbed series omits major character deaths and also edits out some violent, bloody and death scenes; one episode from the original version, which focuses on the aftermath of a major character death, is even omitted completely and replaced with a makeshift clip show episode.
Plot
Nanami Simpson is a young Japanese-American girl. Having lost her mother when she was young, she now lives with her marine biologist father, Scott Simpson, on board his research vessel, the Peperonchino. Scott has been in search of a creature known as the Luminous Whale, a whale that can glow brightly underwater, for many years and is determined to eventually see it and preserve its existence. Nanami also is close friends with an orca named Tico, who was rescued as a baby just before Nanami was born. The two have an unbreakable bond and swim with each other every day. As a result, Nanami gradually learns to hold her breath longer and swim deeper than other humans can.Scott's search from the Luminous Whale soon puts him at odds with the Gaiatron Corporation, a greedy research conglomerate led by the ruthless and ambitious Adrienne Benex, who wishes to exploit the creature for a rare element it seemingly carries in its body. Aiding Benex are her right-hand man, Gaulois, and Dr. Charles LeConte, an old acquaintance of Scott's who is obsessed with the Luminous Whale.
Together, Nanami, Scott, and Tico, along with Scott's first-mate and right-hand man, Al Andretti, seek to locate the Luminous Whale before Benex and Gaiatron can. Over time, they are joined by a few new crew members:
- Cheryl Melville, an English-American heiress looking for adventure.
- James McIntyre, Cheryl's loyal butler.
- Thomas LeConte, Dr. LeConte's introverted and lonely, but intelligent son, who wishes to prove himself capable in the real world.
- Junior, Tico's calf, born nearly halfway through the series.
Characters
Main
;Nanami Simpson;Tico
;Junior
;Scott Simpson
;Alfonso "Al" Andretti
;Cheryl Christina Melville
;James McIntyre
;Thomas LeConte
Other characters
;Nagisa Suzuki;Gayle
;Richard
;Lolo
;Metal Claw
;Professor Charles LeConte
;Stephen
;Topia
;Enrico Andretti
;Don Gould
;Rozalint Andretti
;Adrienne Benex
;Gaulois
;Terry Taft
;Opiac
;Luminous whale
Episodes
- Nanami, A Little Adventurer
- Thomas And The Treasure Map
- Trouble In The Atlantic
- Flight On The High Seas
- Saving The Seals
- The Blue Whale
- Crisis Beneath The Sea!
- Al's Treasure Hunt
- The Secret Of The Cave
- Overland To The Nile
- Princess Nanami
- Friends Of The Family
- Beware Of The Giant Toys
- Al Comes Home
- Nanami Saves the Island
- Tico's Baby
- Junior's First Breath
- Cheryl Gets Engaged
- Panic In The Oilfield
- Growing Pains
- The Legend Of The Northern Lights
- The Mystery Of The Iceberg
- The Heart Of The Ice Mountain
- A Trip To Japan
- Nanami Remembers
- A Letter To Grandma
- The Ghost Ship
- The Deep-Sea Sub
- Island Of The Butterflies
- The Miracle Egg
- Cheryl And Scott Get Stranded
- New Leads On The Luminous Whale
- Another Luminous Creature
- A Close Encounter
- Discovery!
- Operation: Capture!
- The Antarctic Foundation
- Nature To The Rescue
- The Shining Circle
CG film