Katri, Girl of the Meadows

Katri, Girl of the Meadows
DVD cover art of the Katri, Girl of the Meadows re-edited footage film.
牧mù場chángの少shaŏ女nwカトリ (Makiba no Shōjo Katori)
Genre	Drama
Created by	Auni Nuolivaara
Anime television series
Directed by	Hiroshi Saitō
Produced by	Takaji Matsudo (Nippon Animation)
Written by	Akira Miyazaki
Music by	Tōru Fuyuki
Studio	Nippon Animation
Original network	FNS (Fuji TV)
English network	UK: Channel 4
Original run	January 8, 1984 – December 23, 1984
Episodes	49

Katri, Girl of the Meadows (牧mù場chángの少shaŏ女nwカトリ, Makiba no Shōjo Katori) is an anime series based on the Finnish novel Paimen, piika ja emäntä (The Shepherd, the Servant Girl, and the Hostess) by Auni Nuolivaara. The series was broadcast originally in Japan in 1984 as part of the children's anthology series World Masterpiece Theater, also known simply as "Meisaku" from Nippon Animation. The anthology had before and after produced a great variety of animated series based on different children's novels from around the world; among them were My Annette: Story of the Alps (1983) and Little Princess Sara (1985). In Europe, where World Masterpiece Theater series have found huge success, Katri, Girl of the Meadows made its way to different countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Germany, Iran and the Arabic-speaking world. Despite the series taking place in Finland, it has never been published or broadcast there, and most Finns have never heard of it.

The first and last episodes were broadcast English dubbed in the UK on Channel 4 as Little Girl on the Farm and Little Girl goes to School as part of 1987's Japanese Autumn season.

Plot

Set in Finland, the plot starts in 1911 when little Katri's mother leaves for Germany to work, leaving her daughter with her grandparents. At the beginning of First World War in 1914, with Finland still under Russian rule, the inhabitants of these lands have had little or no news from the outside, and no one knows if Katri will see her mother again, whose money meanwhile stops arriving to the family. To make matters worse, things on Katri's grandparents' farm are not going well; the harvest had been a small one, their only cow had been killed by a bear and the family faces great monetary problems.

Katri wants to help and, against her grandparents' will, she finds work in a neighboring farm; for a girl of hardly nine years of age farm work is hard and tiring even with all of her enthusiasm and good moods, which is what keeps her standing. While working on the farm, the little girl learns about Kalevala from old Gunilla and learns to read and write thanks to her.

Later, Katri works as a nanny for a wealthy child, whose mother will send her to school in Turku. Katri has great success in her studies, thanks to Gunilla's help. The child will also know how the Russian Revolution and the war will lead to independence of Finland from Russia. At the end of the war, Katri's mother comes back to find her daughter. Katri, once adult, will write children's stories.

Cast

• Hitomi Oikawa as Katri Ukonniemi
• Toru Furuya as Martti
• Yuko Tsuga as Mari (Martti's sister)
• Yuko Kobayashi as Helena (Martti's cousin)
• Yoshiko Matsuo as Miina (Helena's mother)
• Mahito Tsujimura as Väinö Harma
• Asami Mukaidono as Milole (Harma's maid)
• Kumiko Takizawa as Lotta Kuusela
• Hisashi Katsuta as Elias Lilack (Lotta's father)

Anime

The opening theme is "Love With You" and the ending theme is "Kaze no Komoriuta", both by Chie Kobayashi.

No.	Title	Original airdate
01	"Goodbyes" Transliteration: "Wakare" (Japanese: 別biéれ)	8 January 1984 (1984-1-8)
02	"Friends" Transliteration: "Tomodachi" (Japanese: 友yoŭだち)	15 January 1984 (1984-1-15)
03	"Spring Storm" Transliteration: "Haru no arashi" (Japanese: 春chūnのあらし)	22 January 1984 (1984-1-22)
04	"Decision" Transliteration: "Ketsui" (Japanese: 決jué意yì)	29 January 1984 (1984-1-29)
05	"Time of Separation" Transliteration: "Shuppatsu" (Japanese: 出chū発fā)	5 February 1984 (1984-2-5)
06	"The Master" Transliteration: "Shujin" (Japanese: 主zhŭ人rén)	12 February 1984 (1984-2-12)
07	"The Madam" Transliteration: "Okusama" (Japanese: 奥aò様yàng)	19 February 1984 (1984-2-19)
08	"The Accident" Transliteration: "Sainan" (Japanese: 災zaī難nán)	26 February 1984 (1984-2-26)
09	"Affection" Transliteration: "Aijō" (Japanese: 愛aì情qíng)	4 March 1984 (1984-3-4)
10	"The Promise" Transliteration: "Yakusoku" (Japanese: 約yuē束shù)	11 March 1984 (1984-3-11)
11	"The Fight" Transliteration: "Kenka" (Japanese: 喧xuān嘩huā)	18 March 1984 (1984-3-18)
12	"The Letter" Transliteration: "Tegami" (Japanese: 手shoŭ紙zhĭ)	25 March 1984 (1984-3-25)
13	"A Wonderful Present" Transliteration: "Sutekina Okurimono" (Japanese: 素sù敵díな贈zèng物wù)	1 April 1984 (1984-4-1)
14	"My First Invitation" Transliteration: "Hajimete no Shōtai" (Japanese: はじめての招zhaō待daì)	8 April 1984 (1984-4-8)
15	"An Unexpected Payment" Transliteration: "Omoigakenai Okyūryō" (Japanese: おもいがけないお給geĭ料liaò)	15 April 1984 (1984-4-15)
16	"The Little Lost Lamb" Transliteration: "Maigo ni Natta Hitsuji" (Japanese: 迷mí子zĭになった羊yáng)	22 April 1984 (1984-4-22)
17	"Day of the extermination of wolves" Transliteration: "Ookami wo Taijisuru Hi" (Japanese: 狼lángを退tuì治zhìする日rì)	29 April 1984 (1984-4-29)
18	"Two Fires" Transliteration: "Futatsu no Kaji" (Japanese: 二èrつの火huŏ事shì)	6 May 1984 (1984-5-6)
19	"Room Mate" Transliteration: "Tonaridoushi" (Japanese: 隣línどうし)	13 May 1984 (1984-5-13)
20	"Incoming person, outgoing person" Transliteration: "Kita Hito to Saru Hito" (Japanese: 来laíた人rénと去qùる人rén)	20 May 1984 (1984-5-20)
21	"Abel targeted" Transliteration: "Aberu ga Nerawareta" (Japanese: アベルが狙jūわれた)	27 May 1984 (1984-5-27)
22	"While waiting for spring" Transliteration: "Haru wo Machinagara" (Japanese: 春chūnを待daìちながら)	3 June 1984 (1984-6-3)
23	"The bear and the cattle, which one is stronger" Transliteration: "Kuma to Ushi wa dochira ga Tsuyoi ka" (Japanese: 熊xióngと牛niúはどちらが強qiángいか)	17 June 1984 (1984-6-17)
24	"A meeting and a parting" Transliteration: "Deai to Wakare" (Japanese: 出chū会huìいと別biéれ)	24 June 1984 (1984-6-24)
25	"Event at the Island" Transliteration: "Shima de no Dekigoto" (Japanese: 島daŏでの出chū来laí事shì)	1 July 1984 (1984-7-1)
26	"The person who saved us" Transliteration: "Tasuketekureta Hito" (Japanese: 助zhùけてくれた人rén)	8 July 1984 (1984-7-8)
27	"Growing City" Transliteration: "Tokai Sodachi" (Japanese: 都dū会huì育yùち)	15 July 1984 (1984-7-15)
28	"New Life" Transliteration: "Atarashii Seikatsu" (Japanese: 新xīnしい生shēng活huó)	21 July 1984 (1984-7-21)
29	"Seeing dreams" Transliteration: "Yume wo Mite ita" (Japanese: 夢mèngを見jiànていた)	28 July 1984 (1984-7-28)
30	"Like a majestic swan" Transliteration: "Utsukushii Hakuchō no You ni" (Japanese: 美meĭしい白baí鳥niaŏのように)	12 August 1984 (1984-8-12)
31	"Book delivered by mail" Transliteration: "Hon ga Okurarete Kita" (Japanese: 本běnが送sòngられて来laíた)	19 August 1984 (1984-8-19)
32	"Magical book and the devil" Transliteration: "Mahō no Hon to Akuma" (Japanese: 魔mó法făの本běnと悪è魔mó)	26 August 1984 (1984-8-26)
33	"Joy and sadness" Transliteration: "Yorokobi to Kanashimi" (Japanese: 喜xĭびと悲beīしみ)	2 September 1984 (1984-9-2)
34	"Going to Helsinki" Transliteration: "Herushinki Yuki" (Japanese: ヘルシンキ行xíngき)	9 September 1984 (1984-9-9)
35	"Father and Daughter" Transliteration: "Chichi to Musume" (Japanese: 父fùと娘niáng)	16 September 1984 (1984-9-16)
36	"The Big Decision" Transliteration: "Okusama no Ketsui" (Japanese: 奥aò様yàngの決jué意yì)	23 September 1984 (1984-9-23)
37	"Abel Astray" Transliteration: "Maigo no Aberu" (Japanese: 迷mí子zĭのアベル)	30 September 1984 (1984-9-30)
38	"Every Road" Transliteration: "Sorezore no Michi" (Japanese: それぞれの道daò)	7 October 1984 (1984-10-7)
39	"Party at Harma's mansion" Transliteration: "Haruma Yashiki no Pāti" (Japanese: ハルマ屋wū敷fūのパーティ)	14 October 1984 (1984-10-14)
40	"On the road" Transliteration: "Michizure" (Japanese: 道daòづれ)	21 October 1984 (1984-10-21)
41	"Citizens of Turku" Transliteration: "Turuku no Hitobito" (Japanese: トゥルクの人rén々)	28 October 1984 (1984-10-28)
42	"Picture-book without pictures" Transliteration: "E no nai Ehon" (Japanese: 絵huìのない絵huì本běn)	4 November 1984 (1984-11-4)
43	"Road a car!" Transliteration: "Jidōsha ni Notta!" (Japanese: 自zì動dòng車chēに乗chéngった!)	11 November 1984 (1984-11-11)
44	"Obnoxious Girl" Transliteration: "Nikurashii Musume" (Japanese: にくらしい娘niáng)	18 November 1984 (1984-11-18)
45	"Tiresome day" Transliteration: "Tsukareta Ichinichi" (Japanese: 疲píれた一yī日rì)	25 November 1984 (1984-11-25)
46	"Beautiful thing" Transliteration: "Utsukushii Mono" (Japanese: 美meĭしいもの)	2 December 1984 (1984-12-2)
47	"Souvenir bag" Transliteration: "Omiyage no Randoseru" (Japanese: お土tŭ産chănのランドセル)	9 December 1984 (1984-12-9)
48	"Ah! School Entrance" Transliteration: "Aa Nyūgaku" (Japanese: ああ入rù学xué)	16 December 1984 (1984-12-16)
49	"Mother's return" Transliteration: "Okaasan no Kikoku" (Japanese: おかあさんの帰guī国guó)	23 December 1984 (1984-12-23)

External links

• Makiba no Shōjo Katori Nippon Animation (in Japanese)
• Katri, Girl of the Meadows (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia