Japanistic/Blog

I missed out on a lot of television as a kid, but even if I’d had free reign, I doubt I’d have seen this cartoon from early 70s Japan. I’m completely intrigued by the combination of German, Swedish and Japanese in Vicke the Viking. 

Written by Runer Jonsson, a Swedish journalist, from the 60s through the 80s, Vicke tells the story of a viking boy, a problem-solver, able to save the day through his smarts when others might use strength alone. (via Bookrags) I particularly like the idea of Vicke as a gender-bender, often mistaken for a girl because of wearing a skirt. 

The books were adapted for Japanese television in the early 7os and ran for several years. Now, according to domomaster, Vicke has reached the big screen with a new film released in Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg. Personally, I’m much more drawn to the old-school cartoons–perhaps because they remind me of old Hanna Barbara. 

In Japan, the cartoon is not without its own special product placement. At the vicke-shop, you can get everything from Vicke socks to water bottles to teapots to clothing and more. 

If only it were available here!