The Bush Baby

Template:Short description Template:Infobox television/Short description , shortened as The Bush Baby, is the title of a 1992 anime series consisting of forty 25-minute episodes. It is based on the novel The Bushbabies (1965) by Canadian author William Stevenson.

The series is part of Fuji Television and Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Theater franchise, which consists of anime television series adaptations of classic children's books. It has also been broadcast internationally on networks such as TVO / Access Alberta (Canada), France 3 (France), Antena 3 (Spain), Italia 1 (Italy), Tele 5 / tm3 (Germany), ORF1 (Austria), ABS-CBN / GMA 7 / Quality TeleVision (Philippines), various Arab networks (Arab World), and RTM2 (Malaysia).

The English dub for the series was handled by TVOntario from 1993-1995.

Summary

In 1964, a thirteen-year-old British girl named Jackie Rhodes living in Kenya travels the savannah in the area of Mount Kilimanjaro, Kenya, where her father is an Animal Protection wildlife officer. Jackie finds an ill animal called a bushbaby.

Jackie adopts the bushbaby, calls him Murphy, and nurses him back to health. Murphy, Jackie, her family and their friends go on many adventures involving wild animals, poachers and more. When her father loses his job, the family prepares to return to England where they came from.

At Mombasa, right before they are about to leave, Jackie realizes that she has lost the papers for her pet bushbaby, Murphy. She leaves the ship heading for England and it sets sail without her. Luckily, she meets Tenbo, her father's loyal African assistant. Tenbo has been spying on the export warehouse of some poachers and is now being pursued by them. In addition, a manhunt for Tenbo has begun because people think he has kidnapped Jackie.

They must cross the dangerous savannah to escape the poachers and police officers chasing them. Along the way, Jackie teaches the now domesticated Murphy to survive in the wild, so that, before she leaves, she can release him in his natural habitat.

Characters

Main characters

Voiced by: Maya Okamoto (Japanese); Pauline Little (English)

Jacqueline Rodes, AKA , is the main character of the series. She is a 13-year-old British girl who has been fascinated by Africa since childhood. She is energetic, tomboyish and has a strong sense of justice influenced by her father in protecting African wildlife. She often goes on adventures with her pet bushbaby, Murphy. She is good at horseback riding.

Voiced by: Yuri Shiratori

A young bushbaby Jackie raises to be her pet. He ran away when his home was disturbed and was injured by a vehicle Arthur was driving. He is brought home and nursed back to health by Jackie. He becomes hyperactive and impish as he grows up. He likes mint candy but easily get intoxicated like a drunk and fall asleep. Jackie takes advantage of this and uses it as bait to calm him down.

Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi (Japanese); Mark Camacho (English)

Arthur's assistant in protecting the wildlife sanctuary and Jackie's friend, Tenbo is ex-soldier from the Royal Africa Rifle troop, and a brave warrior from a Camba tribe. He is good at playing the harmonica but he can't swim. Thanks to his good knowledge of nature and animals, the baby Murphy have been saved since baby Murphy did not want to drink anything but the milk of his missing mother. Jackie was in big worries and anyone could help her but Tenbo.

Secondary characters

Voiced by: Junichi Kanemaru (Japanese); Daniel Brochu (English)

Jackie's older brother. Like his father, he dreams of becoming a wildlife protection officer, but is also interested in becoming a veterinarian after he meets Hanna. He had a pet chameleon named Ben before releasing him out into the wild.

Voiced by: Takaya Hashi

Jackie and Andrew's father, he is the wildlife protection officer patrolling the sanctuary.

Voiced by: Kumiko Takizawa (Japanese); Jane Woods (English)

Jackie and Andrew's mother, her hobbies are drawing and painting.

Voiced by: Mami Matsui

She is a helper working at the Rhodes' household.

Voiced by: Miyuki Matsushita

Kate is Jackie's best friend and classmate at school.

Voiced by: Ai Satou

Kate's mother, she owns and runs the coffee farm.

Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese); Bruce Dinsmore (English)

Henry is Laisa's younger brother and Kate's uncle. He is an engineer from an airline industry.

Voiced by: Youko Matsuoka

Jackie's classmate at school, he is a mischievous boy who likes to cause trouble for Jackie and Kate.

Voiced by: Youko Sasaki (Japanese); Sonja Ball (English)

She is the veterinarian who inspires Andrew to want to be one.

Voiced by: Kenichi Ogata (Japanese); Walter Massey (English)

He is an archaeologist living in Kenya for more than 30 years. He travels all around Africa to find and excavate ruins of lost civilizations. He flies around these sites using his airplane, which he nicknamed Mother Goose.

Sally

Voiced by: Sonja Ball

Micky's little sister.

Dan Moore

Repairman that was helping poachers for money. He has a change of heart after Jackie finds the poachers' hideout.

Lt. Robert Ireland

A friend of Jackie's father, originally Tenbo's commanding officer in the Royal Africa Rifle troop.

Safina

A young girl close to Jackie's age from the Maasai tribe.

Villains

Michael and John

A duo of poachers.

List of episodes

#	Episode title	Original air date

Music

Opening theme

• "APOLLO": Eps. 01 - 22

  Lyrics and composition by: Shinji Tanimura

  Arrangement by: Yasuo Sakou

  Song by: Yasuhide Sawa

• : Eps. 23 - 40

  Lyrics by: Neko Oikawa

  Composition by: Masayuki Kishi

  Arrangement by: Kazuo Shinoda

  Song by: Satoko Yamano

Ending theme

• Lyrics and composition by: Shinji Tanimura

  Arrangement by: Yasuo Sakou

  Song by: Maya Okamoto

External links

• Template:Anime News Network
• at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataTemplate:WikidataCheck