Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel (TV series)

Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel
Japanese magazine cover showing Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel
シートン動物記 りすのバナー (Shīton Dōbutsuki Risu no Banā)
Anime television series
Directed by	Yoshio Kuroda
Studio	Nippon Animation
Original network	TV Asahi
Original run	April 7, 1979 – September 29, 1979
Episodes	26

Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel (シートン動物記 りすのバナー, Shīton Dōbutsuki Risu no Banā) is a Japanese anime series made by Nippon Animation in 1979. It is based on the 1922 children's book Bannertail by Ernest Thompson Seton. It ran for a total of 26 episodes and told the story of Banner, a young orphaned squirrel raised by a kindly mother cat, and his adventures in the forest. It is also known by its German version, entitled Puschel, das Eichhorn. In the Arab and Persian worlds, where the anime succeeded in attracting young viewers and gained much popularity, it is known as Sanjob (سنجوب) or Sanajeb-el Gaaba (سناجب الغابة). It was also popular in Spain and Latin America under the name Banner & Flappy, and also in Portugal, under the name Bana & Flapi.

Characters

• Banner (Noriko Tsukase, Robert Axelrod (English)) is the protagonist of the series, a young squirrel who wears a bell around his neck. Orphaned as a baby, he was taken in and raised by a cat. A fire in the first episode separates him from his adopted mother and he flees to the forest where he befriends the wild squirrels and learns to survive. His feline upbringing means he is braver and tougher than other squirrels. Rather than flee from predators he will often attack them head on, especially to save his friends.
• Sue (Keiko Yokozawa) is a young female squirrel with a flower in her hair. She is attracted to Banner due to his innocence and more than any of the others she is helpful in teaching him how to survive in the wild. The two eventually marry and have children in the series' final episode.
• Grandfather (Kazuomi Ikeda) is Sue's grandfather and the oldest and wisest of the squirrels. He presides over festivals and ceremonies and makes all of the important decisions. He is calm and thoughtful.
• Clay (Masako Sugaya) is a squirrel much younger than Banner. He is the first of the wild squirrels Banner meets, when Banner saves him from a fox. He and Banner quickly become best friends.
• Lori (Hiroko Maruyama) is Clay's overprotective mother. She is constantly fearful for her child's safety, and like the others is initially distrustful of Banner until he saves both her and Clay from a farmer.
• Gocha and Radōru (Shigeru Chiba and Kaneta Kimotsuki) are the two comic relief friends of Banner. They are initially antagonistic and distrustful of Banner (Radōru more than Gocha) but eventually become close friends with him after Banner rescues Radōru from a snapping turtle.
• Akācho (Takeshi Aono) is a squirrel with long pointed ears who pines for Sue and develops a rivalry with Banner for her hand in marriage. He is cunning, underhanded, devious, and arrogant.
• Uncle Owl (Ichirō Nagai) is an owl who is the first denizen of the forest who Banner encounters. Initially he intends to eat him, but Banner, thinking himself a cat, fights back rather than flee, earning Owl's respect and eventually his friendship. When some hunters enter the forest, Owl is killed by a bullet intended for Banner.
• Mother Cat (Ikuko Tani) is Banner's adopted mother. She raised him as her own after he was found alone as a baby by the farmer's son. She is the one who gave Banner the bell he wears at all times. She and Banner were separated in a fire in the first episode, but are eventually reunited.
• Other characters include a chipmunk and a pair of rats named Non and Nen.

Episode list

No.	Title	Original air date
01	"A Kitten is a Squirrel?" (Japanese: 話 ねこの子は りす)	April 7, 1979 (1979-04-07)
02	"Friends of the Forest" (Japanese: 話 森のなかま)	April 14, 1979 (1979-04-14)
03	"Banner's Own Home" (Japanese: 話 バナーのマイホーム)	April 21, 1979 (1979-04-21)
04	"A Strange Thief" (Japanese: 話 おかしなどろぼう)	April 28, 1979 (1979-04-28)
05	"Tail Parachute" (Japanese: 話 しっぽのパラシュート)	May 5, 1979 (1979-05-05)
06	"We're All Friends" (Japanese: 話 みんな ともだち)	May 12, 1979 (1979-05-12)
07	"Clay Runs Away" (Japanese: 話 クレーの家出)	May 19, 1979 (1979-05-19)
08	"Clay Rescue Mission" (Japanese: 話 クレー救出作戦)	May 26, 1979 (1979-05-26)
09	"Moving-Out Curse" (Japanese: 話 引っこし祝い)	June 2, 1979 (1979-06-02)
10	"Squirrel School" (Japanese: 話 リスの学校)	June 9, 1979 (1979-06-09)
11	"Rabbit in a Rose Briar" (Japanese: 話 バラの茂みのうさぎ)	June 16, 1979 (1979-06-16)
12	"Scary Field Trip" (Japanese: 話 こわい遠足)	June 23, 1979 (1979-06-23)
13	"Lure of the Mushrooms" (Japanese: 話 きのこのゆうわく)	June 30, 1979 (1979-06-30)
14	"Run While You Can" (Japanese: 話 逃げるがかち)	July 7, 1979 (1979-07-07)
15	"Wandering Porcupine" (Japanese: 話 さすらいのヤマアラシ)	July 14, 1979 (1979-07-14)
16	"Sue's Star Fortunetelling" (Japanese: 話 スーの星うらない)	July 27, 1979 (1979-07-27)
17	"Topsy-Turvy Confusion" (Japanese: 話 あべこべゴチャ)	July 28, 1979 (1979-07-28)
18	"Blooming in Autumn" (Japanese: 話 みのりの秋)	August 4, 1979 (1979-08-04)
19	"Found a Music Box" (Japanese: 話 ひろったオルゴール)	August 11, 1979 (1979-08-11)
20	"Death of a Horned Owl" (Japanese: 話 ミミズクの死)	August 18, 1979 (1979-08-18)
21	"Farewell to Hickory Forest" (Japanese: 話 ヒッコリーの森よ さらば)	August 21, 1979 (1979-08-21)
22	"To a New Forest" (Japanese: 話 新しい森をめざして)	September 1, 1979 (1979-09-01)
23	"Dangerous Quarrel" (Japanese: 話 きけんな仲たがり)	September 8, 1979 (1979-09-08)
24	"City Adventure" (Japanese: 話 町のぼうけん)	September 15, 1979 (1979-09-15)
25	"Winter Journey" (Japanese: 話 冬の旅)	September 22, 1979 (1979-09-22)
26	"In a New Forest" (Japanese: 話 新しい森で)	September 22, 1979 (1979-09-22)

External links

• Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia