Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures

Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures

Sindbad and human-form Shera on a magic carpet, with bird-form Shera flying beside them.
アラビアンナイト シンドバットの冒険
(Arabian Naito: Shindobatto no Bōken)
Genre Fantasy
Anime television series
Directed by Fumio Kurokawa
Kunihiko Okazaki
Produced by Seitaro Kodama
Written by Shin'ichi Yukimuro
Music by Shunsuke Kikuchi
Studio Nippon Animation
Original network Fuji TV
Original run 1 October 1975 – 29 September 1976
Episodes 52

Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures (アラビアンナイト シンドバットの冒険, Arabian Naito: Shindobatto no Bōken) is a 52 episode anime series directed by Fumio Kurokawa and produced by Nippon Animation which was first aired in 1975. The story is based on the children story "Sinbad the Sailor".

Synopsis

Sinbad is a young boy and the son of a famous merchant from Baghdad. Sinbad especially enjoys listening to the adventure stories of his uncle Ali who has brought Sinbad a strange speaking bird named Shera with him from his journeys. Sinbad joins his uncle, in hope of being a part of his uncle's next adventure. After a giant whale attacks the boat, Sinbad ends up on a deserted island. Separated from his uncle, Sinbad begins the adventure alone with only Shera for company. When he returns home from his first adventures, he finds to his shock that his parents are missing, since they have gone to find him and were apparently lost at sea. With no formal ties left at home in Bagdhad, Sinbad sets out again in search for adventure.

Throughout the series, Sinbad journeys to different destinations together with Shera and his friends - Ali Baba and Aladdin. They encounter a number of strange creatures, including a giant bird, gigantic snakes, mermaids, genies, Lilliputians, and hostile magicians. He also meets several other characters and enacts stories featured in Arabian Nights, including the Forty Thieves, the stories of The Genie and the Merchant, or the Flying Horse. In the end, after Sinbad has vanquished the evil magicians coming after his life, all whom he loves rejoin him, including his lost parents and his uncle, who have been captured by a malevolent supreme sorceress.

Cast of characters

Protagonists

Sinbad (シンドバット, Sindobatto)
The main character of the series, Sinbad is portrayed as the young and only son of a merchant and his wife who, inspired by his sea-faring uncle Ali, yearns for adventure. Despite his young age, he is extraordinarily clever and resourceful and manages to make his way through any obstacle he encounters.
Shera (シェーラー, Shiērā)
An intelligent, talking bird (a slightly oversized myna) who initially belonged to Sinbad's uncle Ali before he bequeathed her to his nephew. As it is revealed later, Shera is actually a human princess transformed by a malevolent sorcerer, cursed to remain permanently in that form if she willingly tells anyone of her plight. In the course of the series, Sinbad finds out about her condition and eventually helps her and her parents regain their human forms.
Hassan (ハッサン, Hassan)
A young boy from a poor family and Sinbad's best friend despite his low status. He supports his family (of which his three younger brothers are most prominently shown) as a water carrier in the streets of Bagdad.
Ali Baba (アリババ, Aribaba)
A young, adventurous desert raider and formerly a member of a robber gang, who named himself after its leader in order to emulate him. After meeting and befriending Sinbad, he has a change of heart and accompanies the boy on his adventures.
Aladdin (アラジン, Arajin)
An old man who once possessed a Genie lamp which fulfilled all his wishes, but lost it many years ago and subsequently fell on hard times. He earned a meagre livelyhood as a ferryman on the Nile until a river genie stole his boat; but after Sinbad manages to trick it into submission, Aladdin accompanies him and Shera on his adventures, serving him with a lifetime's worth of accumulated wisdom.
Mermaid Princess (青の大魔王, Ningyo hime)
A mermaid who is caught by Sinbad while he is helping a poor fisherman. When he releases her unconditionally, she befriends him and continues to help him on several occasions whenever his adventures lead to the sea.
Captain Ali (アリ船長, Ari senchō)
Sinbad's sea-faring uncle and Shera's original owner, whose tales of faraway lands inspire Sinbad to go adventuring.
Sinbad's Father (父親, Chichioya)
Sinbad's father is a wealthy and renowned merchant in Bagdad, who is stern but well-meaning with his son. His voice actor, Ichiro Nagai, also provides the series' narration.
Tabat (タバト, Tabato)
A female servant of Sindbad's household.
Princess Sharam (シャーラーム大魔王, Shiārāmu hime)
The King's young daughter, who is always eager to hear about Sinbad's adventures.
King of Bagdad (バクダットの王, Bakudatto no ō)
The ruler of Bagdad and Princess Sharam's father.
Shera's Parents
The rulers of an unknown realm who were transformed into white eagles by Tabasa's son Satajit, but like their daughter have retained their human personalities.

Antagonists

Tabasa (タバサ, Tabasa)
An old evil witch whose greatest weakness is her tremendrous fear of mice. She and her sons Satajit and Balba comprise Sinbad's main nemeses for most of the series.
Balba (バルバ, Baruba)
The younger son of Tabasa, who shares his penchant for evil magic with her and his brother Satajit. He performs the role of the evil sorcerer from the tale "The Enchanted Horse".
Satajit (サタジッ, Satajit)
The elder son of Tabasa, and like her and his brother Balba an evil sorcerer by trade. Satajit is responsible for transforming Shera and her parents after the latter had him imprisoned for his crimes in their realm. In the series, he first appears personifying the magician from the tale "Aladdin".
Sugaru (スガール, Sugāru)
An evil sorceress who looks outwardly like a beautiful, blue-skinned young woman but has the head and forehooves of a cow, though her true form is always revealed by her shadow. She is based on the evil sorceress from the story "The Fisherman and the Jinni" and the therein included tale "The Ensorcelled Prince".
Blue Demon King (青の大魔王, Ao no dai maō)
A powerful, blueskinned fiend who is Sugaru's magical patron.

Music

English Japanese Position Singer
Sinbad's Adventures Shindobatto no Bōken Japanese Opening Mitsuko Horie
Sinbad's Song Shindobatto no Uta Japanese Ending Mitsuko Horie

Alternative titles

See also

References

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