Katri, Girl of the Meadows

Katri, Girl of the Meadows
DVD cover art of the Katri, Girl of the Meadows re-edited footage film.
牧場の少女カトリ (Makiba no Shōjo Katori)
Genre	Drama
Anime television series
Directed by	Hiroshi Saitō
Produced by	Takaji Matsudo (Nippon Animation)
Written by	Akira Miyazaki
Music by	Tōru Fuyuki
Studio	Nippon Animation
Original network	Fuji TV Longman Video (1984) The Video Collection (1980s)
English network	Channel 4 (1987)
Original run	January 8, 1984 – December 23, 1984
Episodes	49

Katri, Girl of the Meadows (牧場の少女カトリ, Makiba no Shōjo Katori) is an anime series based on the Finnish novel Paimen, piika ja emäntä (The Shepherd, the Servant Girl, and the Hostess) by Auni Nuolivaara. The series was broadcast originally in Japan in 1984 as part of the children's anthology series World Masterpiece Theater, also known simply as "Meisaku" from Nippon Animation. The anthology had before and after produced a great variety of animated series based on different children's novels from around the world; among them were My Annette: Story of the Alps (1983) and Little Princess Sara (1985). In Europe, where World Masterpiece Theater series have found huge success, Katri, Girl of the Meadows made its way to different countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Germany, and the Arabic-speaking world. Despite the series taking place in Finland, it has never been published or broadcast there, and most Finns have never heard of it.

The first and last episodes were broadcast English dubbed in the UK on Channel 4 as Little Girl on the Farm and Little Girl goes to School as part of 1987's Japanese Autumn season.

Plot

Set in Finland, the plot starts in 1911 when little Katri's mother leaves for Germany to work, leaving her daughter with her grandparents. At the beginning of First World War, With Finland still under Russian rule, the inhabitants of these lands have had little or no news from the outside, and no one knows if Katri will see her mother again, whose money meanwhile stops arriving to the family. To make matters worse, things on Katri's grandparents' farm are not going well; the harvest had been a small one, their only cow had been killed by a bear and the family faces great monetary problems.

Katri wants to help and, against her grandparents' will, she finds work in a neighboring farm; for a girl of hardly nine years of age farm work is hard and tiring even with all of her enthusiasm and good moods, which is what keeps her standing. While working on the farm, the little girl learns about Kalevala from old Gunilla and learns to read and write thanks to her.

Later, Katri works as a nanny for a wealthy child, whose mother will send her to school in Turku. Katri has great success in her studies, thanks to Gunilla's help. The child will also know how the Russian Revolution and the war will lead to independence of Finland from Russia. At the end of the war, Katri's mother comes back to find her daughter. Katri, once adult, will write childrens stories.

Cast

• Hitomi Oikawa as Katri Ukonniemi
• Toru Furuya as Martti
• Yuko Tsuga as Mari (Martti's sister)
• Yuko Kobayashi as Helena (Martti's cousin)
• Yoshiko Matsuo as Miina (Helena's mother)
• Mahito Tsujimura as Väinö Harma
• Asami Mukaidono as Milole (Harma's maid)
• Kumiko Takizawa as Lotta Kuusela
• Hisashi Katsuta as Elias Lilack (Lotta's father)

Anime

The opening theme is "Love With You" and the ending theme is "Kaze no Komoriuta", both by Chie Kobayashi.

No.	Title	Original airdate
01	"Goodbyes" Transliteration: "Wakare" (Japanese: 別れ)	8 January 1984 (1984-01-08)
02	"Friends" Transliteration: "Tomodachi" (Japanese: 友だち)	15 January 1984 (1984-01-15)
03	"Spring Storm" Transliteration: "Haru no arashi" (Japanese: 春のあらし)	22 January 1984 (1984-01-22)
04	"Decision" Transliteration: "Ketsui" (Japanese: 決意)	29 January 1984 (1984-01-29)
05	"Time of Separation" Transliteration: "Shuppatsu" (Japanese: 出発)	5 February 1984 (1984-02-05)
06	"The Master" Transliteration: "Shujin" (Japanese: 主人)	12 February 1984 (1984-02-12)
07	"The Madam" Transliteration: "Okusama" (Japanese: 奥様)	19 February 1984 (1984-02-19)
08	"The Accident" Transliteration: "Sainan" (Japanese: 災難)	26 February 1984 (1984-02-26)
09	"Affection" Transliteration: "Aijō" (Japanese: 愛情)	4 March 1984 (1984-03-04)
10	"The Promise" Transliteration: "Yakusoku" (Japanese: 約束)	11 March 1984 (1984-03-11)
11	"The Fight" Transliteration: "Kenka" (Japanese: 喧嘩)	18 March 1984 (1984-03-18)
12	"The Letter" Transliteration: "Tegami" (Japanese: 手紙)	25 March 1984 (1984-03-25)
13	"A Wonderful Present" Transliteration: "Sutekina Okurimono" (Japanese: 素敵な贈物)	1 April 1984 (1984-04-01)
14	"My First Invitation" Transliteration: "Hajimete no Shōtai" (Japanese: はじめての招待)	8 April 1984 (1984-04-08)
15	"An Unexpected Payment" Transliteration: "Omoigakenai Okyūryō" (Japanese: おもいがけないお給料)	15 April 1984 (1984-04-15)
16	"The Little Lost Lamb" Transliteration: "Maigo ni Natta Hitsuji" (Japanese: 迷子になった羊)	22 April 1984 (1984-04-22)
17	"Day of the extermination of wolves" Transliteration: "Ookami wo Taijisuru Hi" (Japanese: 狼を退治する日)	29 April 1984 (1984-04-29)
18	"Two Fires" Transliteration: "Futatsu no Kaji" (Japanese: 二つの火事)	6 May 1984 (1984-05-06)
19	"Room Mate" Transliteration: "Tonaridoushi" (Japanese: 隣どうし)	13 May 1984 (1984-05-13)
20	"Incoming person, outgoing person" Transliteration: "Kita Hito to Saru Hito" (Japanese: 来た人と去る人)	20 May 1984 (1984-05-20)
21	"Abel targetted" Transliteration: "Aberu ga Nerawareta" (Japanese: アベルが狙われた)	27 May 1984 (1984-05-27)
22	"While waiting for spring" Transliteration: "Haru wo Machinagara" (Japanese: 春を待ちながら)	3 June 1984 (1984-06-03)
23	"The bear and the cattle, which one is stronger" Transliteration: "Kuma to Ushi wa dochira ga Tsuyoi ka" (Japanese: 熊と牛はどちらが強いか)	17 June 1984 (1984-06-17)
24	"A meeting and a parting" Transliteration: "Deai to Wakare" (Japanese: 出会いと別れ)	24 June 1984 (1984-06-24)
25	"Event at the Island" Transliteration: "Shima de no Dekigoto" (Japanese: 島での出来事)	1 July 1984 (1984-07-01)
26	"The person who saved us" Transliteration: "Tasuketekureta Hito" (Japanese: 助けてくれた人)	8 July 1984 (1984-07-08)
27	"Growing City" Transliteration: "Tokai Sodachi" (Japanese: 都会育ち)	15 July 1984 (1984-07-15)
28	"New Life" Transliteration: "Atarashii Seikatsu" (Japanese: 新しい生活)	21 July 1984 (1984-07-21)
29	"Seeing dreams" Transliteration: "Yume wo Mite ita" (Japanese: 夢を見ていた)	28 July 1984 (1984-07-28)
30	"Like a majestic swan" Transliteration: "Utsukushii Hakuchō no You ni" (Japanese: 美しい白鳥のように)	12 August 1984 (1984-08-12)
31	"Book delivered by mail" Transliteration: "Hon ga Okurarete Kita" (Japanese: 本が送られて来た)	19 August 1984 (1984-08-19)
32	"Magical book and the devil" Transliteration: "Mahō no Hon to Akuma" (Japanese: 魔法の本と悪魔)	26 August 1984 (1984-08-26)
33	"Joy and sadness" Transliteration: "Yorokobi to Kanashimi" (Japanese: 喜びと悲しみ)	2 September 1984 (1984-09-02)
34	"Going to Helsinki" Transliteration: "Herushinki Yuki" (Japanese: ヘルシンキ行き)	9 September 1984 (1984-09-09)
35	"Father and Daughter" Transliteration: "Chichi to Musume" (Japanese: 父と娘)	16 September 1984 (1984-09-16)
36	"The Big Decision" Transliteration: "Okusama no Ketsui" (Japanese: 奥様の決意)	23 September 1984 (1984-09-23)
37	"Abel Astray" Transliteration: "Maigo no Aberu" (Japanese: 迷子のアベル)	30 September 1984 (1984-09-30)
38	"Every Road" Transliteration: "Sorezore no Michi" (Japanese: それぞれの道)	7 October 1984 (1984-10-07)
39	"Party at Harma's mansion" Transliteration: "Haruma Yashiki no Pāti" (Japanese: ハルマ屋敷のパーティ)	14 October 1984 (1984-10-14)
40	"On the road" Transliteration: "Michizure" (Japanese: 道づれ)	21 October 1984 (1984-10-21)
41	"Citizens of Turku" Transliteration: "Turuku no Hitobito" (Japanese: トゥルクの人々)	28 October 1984 (1984-10-28)
42	"Picture-book without pictures" Transliteration: "E no nai Ehon" (Japanese: 絵のない絵本)	4 November 1984 (1984-11-04)
43	"Road a car!" Transliteration: "Jidōsha ni Notta!" (Japanese: 自動車に乗った!)	11 November 1984 (1984-11-11)
44	"Obnoxious Girl" Transliteration: "Nikurashii Musume" (Japanese: にくらしい娘)	18 November 1984 (1984-11-18)
45	"Tiresome day" Transliteration: "Tsukareta Ichinichi" (Japanese: 疲れた一日)	25 November 1984 (1984-11-25)
46	"Beautiful thing" Transliteration: "Utsukushii Mono" (Japanese: 美しいもの)	2 December 1984 (1984-12-02)
47	"Souvenir bag" Transliteration: "Omiyage no Randoseru" (Japanese: お土産のランドセル)	9 December 1984 (1984-12-09)
48	"Ah! School Entrance" Transliteration: "Aa Nyūgaku" (Japanese: ああ入学)	16 December 1984 (1984-12-16)
49	"Mother's return" Transliteration: "Okaasan no Kikoku" (Japanese: おかあさんの帰国)	23 December 1984 (1984-12-23)
This series tells the story of 9 year-old Katri, a girl who lives on a farm in Finland with her grandparents. Katri's mother has been away in Germany for three years. The farm is not doing well, so to help support her family, she goes to work on a neighboring farm. Katri faces many struggles and challenges.

External links

• Makiba no Shōjo Katori Nippon Animation (in Japanese)
• Katri, Girl of the Meadows (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia