{"product_id":"rediscovered-classics-of-japanese-animation-the-adaptation-of-childrens-novels-into-the-world-masterpiece-theater-series-paperback","title":"Rediscovered Classics of Japanese Animation: The Adaptation of Children's Novels into the World Masterpiece Theater Series - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMaria Chiara Oltolini\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRediscovered Classics of Japanese Animation\u003c\/i\u003eis the first academic work to examine \u003ci\u003eWorld Masterpiece Theater\u003c\/i\u003e(\u003ci\u003eSekai Meisaku Gekijô\u003c\/i\u003e, 1969-2009), which popularized the practice of adapting foreign children's books into long-running animated series and laid the groundwork for powerhouses like Studio Ghibli.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eWorld Masterpiece Theater\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003eSekai Meisaku Gekijô, \u003c\/i\u003e 1969-2009) is a TV staple created by the Japanese studio Nippon Animation, which popularized the practice of adapting foreign children's books into long-running animated series. Once generally dismissed by critics, the series is now frequently investigated as a key early work of legendary animators Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. In the first book-length examination of the series, Maria Chiara Oltolini analyzes cultural significance of \u003ci\u003eWorld Masterpiece Theater\u003c\/i\u003e, and the ways in which the series pioneered the importance of children's fiction for Japanese animation studios and laid the groundwork for powerhouses like Studio Ghibli.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAdapting a novel for animation also means decoding (and re-coding) socio-cultural patterns embedded in a narrative. \u003ci\u003eWorld Masterpiece Theater\u003c\/i\u003e stands as a unique example of this linguistic, medial, and cultural hybridisation. Popular children's classics such as \u003ci\u003eLittle Women\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePeter Pan\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eAnne of Green Gables\u003c\/i\u003e became the starting point of a full-fledged negotiation process in which Japanese animators retold a whole range of narratives that have one basic formula in common: archetypal stories with an educational purpose. In particular, the series played a role in shaping the pop culture image of a young girl (\u003ci\u003eshôjo\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExamining the series through the lens of animation studies as well as adaptation studies, Oltolini sheds new light on this long-neglected staple of Japanese animation history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaria Chiara Oltolini\u003c\/b\u003e has a BA, MA, and PhD from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan, Italy, where she has been working as a Teaching Assistant in Semiotics and History and Language of International Cinema for several years. In 2017, she was a visiting scholar at Cardiff University, UK as part of her PhD program. Her research interests include adaptation as a form of intermedia and intercultural expression, focusing on the relationships between Japanese animation and Children's literature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 21, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53164962349353,"sku":"9781501389870","price":78.91,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0916\/4960\/5929\/files\/2xz9gBQakS9781501389870.webp?v=1778597447","url":"https:\/\/www.thescholarssourcebookstore.co\/products\/rediscovered-classics-of-japanese-animation-the-adaptation-of-childrens-novels-into-the-world-masterpiece-theater-series-paperback","provider":"The Scholar's Source","version":"1.0","type":"link"}