After half a century, the zany genie family of the popular anime "Hakushon Daimao" (The Genie Family) is back out of the bottle. They returned on April 11 with a sequel titled "Hakushon Daimao 2020" (Genie Family 2020) on the Nippon TV network.
The comical anime, which airs at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays in most areas, has a widespread appeal across all generations, from kids to grandparents. Produced by YTV and Tatsunoko Production, the updated version of the original that aired from 1969 to 1970 is set in contemporary times.
"Yobarete tobidete, jajajajan!" (I have been summoned and so I appear, tadaaaaa!)
When someone nearby happens to sneeze, King Genie emerges from the bottle and utters this line. In the original, his use of his magical powers -- together with daughter Princess Akubi (yawn) and their "master," a boy named Kanichi Yotayama who is called Kan-chan -- to solve various problems or make someone's wish come true would inevitably lead to farceful situations.
With his oversized lips and pear-shaped figure, King Genie conjures the image of the cute and cuddly "yurukyara" mascots representing municipalities or companies today. He's bad at arithmetic, his magic often fails and he's unreliable. That's what makes him a lovable character.
In the new version, Princess Akubi is given the lead role. She appears when someone yawns. The story begins when she visits Kan-chan's grandson, Kantaro Yotayama, to undergo training to become a queen. Like his grandfather, Kantaro is nicknamed Kan-chan.
Tokyo has gone through a major transformation over the half-century, much to the surprise of Princess Akubi and King Genie as they visit the city for the first time in a long time. Among the changes, the princess gains experience working in various fields together with the Kan-chan of the Reiwa era (2019-), including as a YouTuber. She gradually learns the importance of having a dream.
A new character has been added to the cast -- Princess Akubi's little brother, Prince Farty, who appears when someone, ahem, shall we say, breaks wind.
Singer Tamio Okuda composed the music and lyrics of the theme song, which he also sings and plays the accompanying with guitar, bass and drums by himself.
Koji Nagai, chief producer at YTV said: "I'm sure there are many people who watched the anime 50 years ago and have since become grandparents. I hope people will watch the show as a family and enjoy the differences between the Showa (1926-89) and Reiwa eras."
Inheriting the voice
Breathing new life into King Genie for the first time in 50 years is popular voice actor Koichi Yamadera.
"He is a very warmhearted character who openly shows his emotions -- joy, anger, sadness -- and easily becomes teary," Yamadera said of King Genie. "I'll do everything I can to convey his past charms."
Yamadera himself was just 8 years old when the original show was broadcast.
"The exchanges between King Genie and [the dog] Buruko were really funny, and Princess Akubi was cute. I really loved it," he said, adding that he used to do imitations of King Genie once his voice changed.
The voice of King Genie in the original was provided by Toru Ohira, who passed away in 2016 and was known for various characters, including the "Laughing Salesman."
Although Yamadera is referred to as "the man with seven voices," he said he still feels "under a lot of pressure." After he got the part, he went back and watched the original again. Ohira's performance was "out of this world," he thought.
"From his deep 'grrrr' to the high-pitched 'uhee,' he could produce any voice at will," Yamadera said. "[His performance was] full of diverse expressions. I was stunned that he could give such amazing performances," Yamadera said.
Therefore, he models his performance in the new version on Ohira's voice acting. "I always think of his voice in my mind while focusing on the character of King Genie during the recording sessions," he said.
Having passed the half-century mark and now 58, he talks about how the world has changed. "Science has advanced, the economy has grown, many things have happened. And the way people interact with each other has changed drastically."
In line with the evolution of the internet, smartphones and other gadgets, there has been a substantial shift in the way people think and communicate with each other.
"In the old days, it was believed that children would watch cartoons no matter what," Yamadera said. "But now, anime has many rivals such as social media. I'd like to do my best so that they'll say 'Hakushon Daimao' is fun, too, and you can only see it on TV."
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