Manga Fairy Tales of the World

Manga Fairy Tales of the World (まんが世界昔ばなし), also known as Tales of Magic, Merlin's Cave and Wonderful Tales From Around the World, is a Japanese anime anthology series produced by Dax International and Madhouse. The series features adaptations of fairy tales, legends, literature classics and famous characters biographies.

Premise
The show consists of 127 episodes, each one combining two different stories,which run for 10 minutes each, except for 13 mid-series stories that covered an entire half-hour episode. Some story arcs in the second half of the series are told over several episodes, as in the case of A Little Princess lasting 11 episodes, and Les Misérables, which lasted 13 episodes for a total running time of 120 minutes. However, these serial episodes were broadcast alternating with shorter stories, sometimes reruns of earlier episodes in the series. The series features 181 story arcs, consisting of 231 segments in total excluding reruns.

Cast

 * Mariko Miyagi: Narrator, Miscellaneous
 * Akira Nagoya: Miscellaneous


 * English voices
 * Nicole Richards: Narrator
 * Dana Andrews: Genie, Magician, Sultan (ep. 37A)
 * Andrew Brennan
 * Bruce Malmuth
 * Carolyn Stone
 * Dwayne Pawloff
 * Gia McCaffrey
 * Jean Rodgers
 * Marylyn Conley
 * Sonny Ross
 * Steve Watson
 * Susie Romero

Source:

Production
The show aired in Japan on TBS from October 7, 1976, to March 28, 1979. Every tale is produced by a different staff who gave each episode their own distinctive style. Among the many artists who worked on the series there are: Osamu Dezaki, Akio Sugino, Yoshifumi Kondō, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Toyoo Ashida and Shuichi Seki. The narration is provided by Mariko Miyagi, who also voices all the characters in the series along with Akira Nagoya.

Release
The show has been released in English-speaking countries by different companies under various titles. In 1979 American Way released a selection of 65 episodes in three seasons with the title Tales of Magic. In 1986 Embassy Home Entertainment released on VHS selected episodes of Tales of Magic, sometimes under the alternative title Merlin's Cave (Merlin's Magic Cave on the videotape cover).

Another English adaptation of the series is titled Wonderful, Wonderful Tales From Around the World. Some episodes of Tales of Magic, as in the case of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland or The Snow Queen were adapted by Fred Laderman and broadcast by BFA Educational Media on CBS as single half-hour specials. The series was also released in several other countries such as Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Quebec, Brazil, South Korea and in the Middle East.

International titles

 * As Mais Belas Histórias do Mundo (Portuguese)
 * Castillo de Cuentos (Spanish)
 * Cuentos Populares (Spanish)
 * Cuentos Universales (Spanish)
 * Fiabe così (Italian)
 * Fiabe dal mondo (Italian)
 * Le più belle favole del mondo (Italian)
 * Racconti dal mondo (Italian)
 * Super Aventuras (Portuguese)
 * حكايات عالمية (Arabic)
 * まんが世界昔ばなし (Japanese)
 * アニメ世界の昔ばなし (Japanese)
 * 금나라 은나라 (Korean)

Stories
Popular fairytales and fables adapted in the series include:


 * Snow White
 * Cinderella
 * Beauty and the Beast
 * The Little Mermaid
 * The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats
 * The Emperor's New Clothes
 * Jack and the Beanstalk
 * The Ugly Duckling
 * The Three Little Pigs
 * Little Red Riding Hood
 * The Golden Goose
 * The Little Match Girl
 * The Twelve Months
 * Puss in Boots
 * The Wild Swans
 * The Snow Queen
 * Sleeping Beauty
 * Thumbelina
 * The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
 * Why the Sea is Salt
 * The Ant and the Grasshopper
 * Hansel and Gretel
 * Town Musicians of Bremen
 * Bluebeard
 * The Spirit in the Bottle
 * Ivan the Fool
 * The Tinderbox
 * The Red Shoes
 * The Goose Girl
 * Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
 * The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean

Legendary tales in the series include The Pied Piper of Hamelin, William Tell, Medusa's Head, The King with Donkey Ears, Robin Hood, Rostam and Sohrab, The Last Leaf, The Flying Dutchman, Knight of the Swan, and Faust.

Novels adapted in the show include Uncle Tom's Cabin, Don Quixote, The Happy Prince, Alice in Wonderland, Monkey King, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, A Dog of Flanders, Little Women, Treasure Island, Gulliver's Travels, Les Misérables, A Little Princess and The Adventures of Pinocchio.

In addition to fairytales and fables, the show also features biographical episodes about scientist Galileo Galilei and social reformer Florence Nightingale, adaptations of William Shakespeare's tragedies King Lear and Romeo and Juliet, gothic horrors Dracula and Frankenstein, religious stories about Joan of Arc and Noah's Ark, and as well as epic poems such as The Iliad.

Music
All songs were performed by Mariko Miyagi.

Opening Theme:

Ending Theme:

In the English version, the Japanese opening theme song "Watashi O Yobu No Wa Dare" is titled Tales of Magic. Written by Kenny Ellis, it is sung in English with only a slight melodic change.