"Animated Classics of Japanese Literature" is a 1986 TV series that took various works (short stories and novels) by Japanese authors, mostly from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and adapted them into highly condensed, but consistently compelling animated versions for the Japanese TV audience. 33 of the original 37 half-hour episodes were released on 15 tapes in the U.S. (with DVD editions starting to appear in early 2003), all in Japanese with English subtitles.
The stories chosen range from celebrated novels like "The Harp of Burma," "Sanshiro Sugata," "Theatre of Life," and "The Sound of Waves," all of which were previously made into live-action films, to coming-of-age tales and short stories about the turbulence of young love, with titles like "Season of the Sun," "Wandering Days," "The Dancing Girl," and "The Grave of the Wild Chrysanthemum." The authors include such renowned names as Yukio Mishima, Edogawa Rampo, Lafcadio Hearn (aka Koizumi Yakumo), and Shintaro Ishihara. The historical settings range, approximately, from the Meiji era (post-1868) to the postwar era (1950s), although at least one episode, "Ghost Story," goes back even further.
Many of the stories will strike western viewers as extremely downbeat as, true to their literary origins, they chronicle the difficulties faced, especially by young women, in the rigid, class-based society of these eras. Occasionally, some of the stories show a moment of triumph as characters break free of their destinies and see dreams come to reality, e.g., a boy strikes out on his own for Tokyo to free himself from life as a virtual indentured servant; a girl with a knack for writing gets encouragement from a sensitive teacher. More often, however, the characters live out their pre-ordained fates as dictated by class and social station, e.g., a young girl leaves school to go into training to become a geisha; another is forced to abandon the boy she loves and marry a much older man; and a boy becomes a Buddhist monk like his father.
The stories are generally well told and presented with grace, honesty, directness, and simplicity. Each story builds to an emotional crescendo, usually subtly achieved, which leaves the viewer either joyful at the character's transcendence or saddened at his or her ultimate fate. There is a distinct literary tone at work here, as narration, dialogue, and evocative music scores are emphasized, in part to compensate for the limited animation. The character design is a little simpler and the character movement stiffer than anime fans are normally comfortable with, but they are set against an impressive array of detailed backgrounds and dramatic settings, from the lush countryside of Izu to the red light district of Yoshiwara to the wartime prison camps in the Burma jungle. In some episodes, the backgrounds are rendered with striking watercolor effects. Each episode boasts distinct elements of singular animation artistry. One in particular, "Ghost Story," a tale taken from Lafcadio Hearn's "Kwaidan," offers a stunning succession of scenes of occult lore, as if a show of traditional paintings was suddenly on display before our eyes.
"The Harp of Burma" and "Sanshiro the Judoist" are both respectable adaptations of their source material, but would probably be better appreciated after first seeing the live-action versions (Kon Ichikawa's THE BURMESE HARP, 1956, and Akira Kurosawa's SANSHIRO SUGATA, 1943). At least "Sanshiro Sugata" was done here as a three-parter, "Sanshiro the Judoist," adding up to almost the same running time as Kurosawa's film. On the other hand, one lengthy novel, "Theatre of Life," turns up as only a single episode.
Despite the liberties taken with some of the adaptations, this series remains extremely valuable and rewarding, especially to fans of anime and students of Japanese literature, art, history and culture. Like the best anime, these stories give western audiences vivid glimpses into the lives, morés, and customs of Japan, particularly those of the poorer classes of historical eras that are just a dim memory to today's affluent Japanese, but still resonate in their fast-paced, high-tech lifestyles. Exposure to these traditions helps non-Japanese viewers begin to grasp the complicated dynamics of such contemporary anime series as "Love Hina," "His and Her Circumstances," and even "Tenchi Muyo!," to name just a few.
