Bush Baby, Little Angel of the Grasslands (大草原の小さな天使 ブッシュベイビー, Daisougen no Chiisana Tenshi Busshubeibī), 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, 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), and RTM2 (Malaysia).
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, whereupon she adopts him, 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.
Main Characters
Jacqueline Rhodes (ジャックリーヌ·ローズ, Jakkurīnu Rōzu)Voiced by: Maya OkamotoAKA Jackie
(ジャッキー, Jakkī), 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.
Murphy (マーフィ, Māfi)Voiced by: Yuri ShiratoriA young bushbaby Jackie raises to be her pet. He ran away when his home was disturbed and got 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.
Tenbo (テンボ·ムルンビ, Tenbo Murunbi)Voiced by: Jūrōta KosugiArthur's assistant in protecting the wildlife sanctuary and Jackie's friend. An ex-soldier and 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.
Andrew Rhodes (アンドルー·ローズ, Andorū Rōzu)Voiced by: Junichi KanemaruJackie'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 has a pet
chameleon named Ben.
Arthur Rhodes (アーサー·ローズ, Āsā Rōzu)Voiced by: Takaya HashiJackie and Andrew's father. He is the wildlife protection officer patrolling the sanctuary.
Penny Rhodes (ペニー·ローズ, Penī Rōzu)Voiced by: Kumiko TakizawaJackie and Andrew's mother. Her hobbies are drawing and painting.
Hawa (ハワ, Hawa)Voiced by: Mami MatsuiShe is a helper working at the Rhodes' household.
Kate Addleton (ケイト·アドルトン, Keito Adoruton)Voiced by: Miyuki MatsushitaKate is Jackie's best friend and classmate at school.
Laisa Addleton (ライサ·アドルトン, Raisa Adoruton)Voiced by: Ai SatouKate's mother. She owns and runs the coffee farm.
Henry Rutherford (ヘンリー·ラザフォード, Henrī Razafōdo)Voiced by: Bin ShimadaHenry is Laisa's younger brother and Kate's uncle. He is an engineer from an airline industry.
Micky Bill (ミッキー·ビル, Mikkī Biru)Voiced by: Youko MatsuokaJackie's classmate at school. A mischievous boy who likes to cause trouble for Jackie and Kate.
Hanna Kaufmann (ハンナ·カウフマン, Hanna Kaufuman)Voiced by: Youko SasakiShe is the veterinarian.
Professor Crankshaw (クランクショウ博士, Kurankushou-hakushi)Voiced by: Kenichi OgataHe 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.
Opening Theme
"APOLLO": Eps. 01 - 22"A Smile as Prologue" (微笑みでプロローグ, Hohoemi de Purorōgu): Eps. 23 - 40Lyrics by: Neko OikawaComposition by: Masayuki KishiArrangement by: Kazuo ShinodaSong by: Satoko YamanoEnding Theme
"I'll Turn into a Bird" (鳥になる, Tori ni Naru)Lyrics and composition by: Shinji TanimuraArrangement by: Yasuo SakouSong by: Maya Okamoto
