‘The World Masterpiece Theater Series’ Celebrates 50 Years; Animater Looks Back on Creating Anime Classics

By Susumu Miyajima and Yayoi Kawatoko / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

11:00 JST, December 5, 2025

This year, Nippon Animation Co.’s anime classic “The World Masterpiece Theater Series” celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Adapted in part from literary classics from around the world, the series elaborately depicts the daily lives of boys and girls, adorable animals and beautiful landscapes overseas. Beginning with “Dog of Flanders” in 1975, the series became an anime staple for children. To date, there have been 26 works, which are available across various streaming sites.

The Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed animator Yoshiharu Sato, 67, who designed characters for “Pollyanna” (1986), “Little Women II Jo’s Boys” (1993) and “Romeo and the Black Brothers” (1995) in the series.

Born in 1958, Sato was inspired to become an animator following the broadcast of “Heidi a Girl of the Alps” in 1974, which featured contributions from now esteemed figures in the anime world Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki.

“Heidi looked so refreshed waking up in the morning, saying ‘Good morning’ and washing her face,” Sato recalled. “It made me yearn for a life in Switzerland, a place I’d never even been.”

After “Heidi,” Takahata and Miyazaki became key players in the early days of World Masterpiece Theater. The art style pioneered by “Heidi” — carefully animating natural gestures and subtle emotional shifts — carried over to the subsequent works, starting with “Dog of Flanders.”

Sato joined the creative team with 1979’s “Anne of Green Gables.”

“Producer Junzo Nakajima would sleep standing up. Mr. Takahata would be wearing a running shirt and long johns,” Sato said, looking back on the challenging schedule.

At only 28, Sato was assigned to do the character design for “Pollyanna.” The anime featured a diverse cast of characters, including protagonist Pollyanna, who tries to look on the bright side even in hardship.

“Because I was young, I wasn’t good at creating elderly characters,” Sato recalled. “I squeezed every last drop from my completely empty well of experience.”

After working as an animation director on projects such as Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro,” Sato took on “Little Women II Jo’s Boys.”

Determined to “pour everything I’d learned at Ghibli into this program,” Sato drew each student at Jo’s school distinctly, including the heroine, Nan.

In what would later become his signature work, “Romeo and the Black Brothers,” Sato initially struggled when it came to the main character, Romeo.

“I was shown a photo of a boy taken in Switzerland during research for ‘Heidi’ and thought, ‘Ah, there it is,’” he recalled.

Sato said he enjoyed developing Romeo’s relationships, including the bond with his close friend Alfred and the other chimney sweep boys.

“It was exciting to see how he would develop as time passed,” Sato said. “I myself was also in my prime.”

His collaboration with director Kozo Kusuba, with whom Sato had teamed up on two previous works, also deepened over the course of production. He revealed, “Alfred ended up with his hairstyle because Kusuba had said, ‘How about making him look like Char from [Mobile Suit] Gundam?’”

Marking its 50th anniversary, the appeal of World Masterpiece Theater, Sato said, is in its slice-of-life nature, “capturing the essence of a life over the course of a year.” Indeed, the lovingly crafted stories about young boys and girls continue to captivate viewers to this day.

‘Romeo’ musical

A new production of the musical “Romeo no Aoi Sora: Kizuna” (Romeo and the Black Brothers: Bond), which is based on the “Romeo” anime series, will be staged on Dec. 19-28 at The Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo. It is the sequel to the musical “Romeo no Aoi Sora: Chikai” (Romeo and the Black Brothers: Oath), which was staged in May.

Set in the late 19th century, it tells the story of Romeo, a boy from a small Swiss village, who sells himself into slavery to financially support his family and ends up as a chimney sweep in Milan. Despite the harsh daily life, from cruel treatment by his master’s family to getting into scrapes with a delinquent gang, Romeo forms the “Black Brothers” alongside his best friend Alfred, swearing an oath of friendship.

Actors Taka Oyabu and Kota Shinzato will reprise their roles as Romeo and Alfred, respectively. The following are excerpts from an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

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The Yomiuri Shimbun: What kind of boys are they?

Oyabu: Romeo is a boy who won’t give up no matter how hard or sad things get, and is able to inspire others. He stays positive no matter what. Even so, he’s different when he’s with others and when he’s alone; he does get discouraged sometimes. That’s the ingenuous side of him. He is straightforward and genuine.

Shinzato: Alfred is incredibly strong-willed. He sets goals for his mission and has the strength to stick to that path.

Yomiuri: What do you keep in mind when performing?

Oyabu: I try not to make Romeo too mature. He’s honest and says what’s on his mind. I want to portray his straightforwardness.

Shinzato: Despite being only around 11 or 12 years old, it’s amazing to me that the time and circumstances Alfred has been in have strengthened him mentally. That’s why I also want to show glimpses of his childlike nature when you least expect it. I also change his expressiveness depending on whether he’s with others or Romeo, depicting the side of him he doesn’t show to anyone but Romeo.

Yomiuri: What were your impressions of the original anime?

Oyabu: Despite being about the life of a young boy, the story is so grim and heart-wrenching that I cried my eyes out.

Shinzato: As a child, I thought the story was bleak, but watching it as an adult, I was able to appreciate the moments of lightheartedness and childish joy. It taught me how your perception can change with age. I hope people of all ages watch both the anime and the musical.

Yomiuri: This is the sequel to the first part. What should audiences most look out for?

Oyabu: I want the audience to see how other kids live once Alfred is gone as it depicts “this is the true meaning of brotherhood.” There’s a scene where the usually positive Romeo falls into despair, but his friends are there for him. Seeing Romeo pick himself back up is incredibly inspiring. I hope the stage show inspires audiences to keep pushing forward each day.

Shinzato: What is the reason for Alfred choosing Romeo in the story’s climax? That is the eternal challenge in playing Alfred. I want the audience to feel, “It’s [Romeo] after all.”