LOVELY SARA

The cartoon Lovely Sarah (based on the novel ''La piccola principessa'' of Frances Hodgson Burnett) was produced in Japan in 1985 (Shokojo Sarah the original title), from Nippon animation for the genre World Masterpiece Theater and broadcast in Italy in '86. Lovely Sarah (with dramatic and moving tones) won an audience (young and old) who followed with heartfelt sympathy the sad vicissitudes (often carried to the extreme consequences) of little Sara.

The story begins when Sara, accompanied by her beloved dad, leaves India (a cozy nursery; world of gay carefree and fantasy), to go to England, at the boarding school for ladies in Miss Minci. By virtue of her father's great wealth and in order to consolidate the good name of the college, the director will reserve privileged treatment for our young friend (who will even have a coachman, Peter, and a private buggy). Immediately Sara she will show to be a kind and generous child even with the humblest people and not belonging to her social rank (like Peter and Becky, a very young college servant). On the other hand, due to his extraordinary refinement and excellent scholastic aptitude, he will earn the dislike of Miss Minci (inadvertently ridiculed by Sara) and the very envious Lavinia (which in comparison with Sara appears clumsy and inadequate in everything). Despite this, the director will continue to treat our friend with respect, even organizing a splendid birthday party (worthy of an almost princess!), But which was abruptly interrupted by a tragic news: Sara he will find out about the death of his beloved father (following a severe fever); of being left alone in the world and without a penny (as was apparent from the fact that her father had invested all his fortune in the unproductive diamond mine). Miss Minci, furious at having spent money in vain (therefore seeing the plan to increase the prestige of the college disappear), he would have willingly chased Sara, leaving her at the mercy of his own destiny; but on shy advice from her sister, Miss Amelia, and considering that such an action could have threatened the reputation of the school, she decides to keep it.

Making of Sara a scullery maid, she will be treated very hard. At this point it is necessary to open a brief parenthesis to underline that for Miss Minci collegggio = goal on which he was invested every day of his life, made up of hardships and sacrifices. That the headmistress worked hard, creating her school from scratch, is evident in the final episodes. At a closer look, if this does not justify his despicable behavior, at least it reveals the psychological complexity of this character: even for miss minci life has been hard and bitter! But her past, rather than making her sensitive to the weakest, made her cold and calculating, the victim of many frustrating contradictions. From now on our friend will suffer all sorts of mistreatment and deprivation; She will be forced to work harder, she will suffer from hunger and cold; she will be beaten by the inept and mediocre Molly and James; will suffer continuous attempts of humiliation by Lavinia, now a respected student (and we add a fallback!). However, these sad events will bring to light Sara's extraordinary human qualities: her strength of mind and above all her extraordinary generosity towards a world previously unknown to her: that of the weakest and most humble. We will often see her sharing an already meager portion of food with Bechy and some mice. Sara will endure the most difficult moments thanks to her fervid imagination and pouring out her need for love, her care doll-friend Priscilla (last memory of the father).

Among the many, I believe that the most significant episode to highlight the altruism of the little protagonist, is the one in which, having found a coin on the street, she takes it to the church, so that it can be returned to its rightful owner. The parish priest, seeing this 'prodigious' pale and undernourished child, manages to convince her that it was God who lost the coin, who wanted her to find it. Later Sara, while returning to the boarding school, meets a little beggar, so hungry that she looks longingly at the inviting window of a bakery. Realizing what hunger feels like, our friend enters the shop and buys some hot and fragrant sandwiches; he keeps some for himself (which of course he will share with Bechy and his mouse friends) and offers the rest to the little beggar. This gesture will surprise the shop assistant so much that it will stir her conscience. In fact, faced with such an example of gratuitousness, he will take the poor woman with him (who for her part will never forget the gesture of the very young benefactress). Sara finds the strength to resist so many difficulties also thanks to the friendship and gestures of solidarity that not only Peter (who often carries heavy shopping bags in place of Miss Sara) and Becky herself, but also the clumsy and so sensitive Ermengarda; little Lalla (for whom Sara will remain 'mamma Sara'); Miss Amelia, who will secretly get her a book to continue her studies. Finally, when the situation becomes exasperating and unbearable, something changes: Sara gets acquainted with an impertinent, but nice little monkey, who sneaks into the squalid attic where she sleeps.

In recovering the cute little animal, the Indian at the service of the mysterious lord of the house opposite, he discovers the great poverty in which the child is forced to live and takes pity on it. Then, in agreement with his generous master, he will clean up the room, light the fire in the fireplace and set a table full of all sorts of delicacies; all this in absolute secrecy, while Sara sleeps. Upon awakening, our friend does not believe her eyes and rushes to wake Bechy one pinch after another the girls start eating, astonished but happy to be the protagonists of that fantastic dream! The good humor of Becky and Sara will soon raise suspicions in James and Molly, who will inform Miss Minci; this will give the order to spy on Sara's movements, who will soon be discovered. The small window through which the gifts of her mysterious benefactor entered will be sealed! It returns to the depressing routine. But one day it happens that the little monkey gets lost again and Sara, having found it, decides to take it to the owner, also to personally thank her benefactor for so much generosity. The young collaborator then knocks on the door and will greet her in Indian; Sara will answer in the same language ... thanks to this it will finally be discovered that the much sought-after child was close by, it was her! The gentleman next door was a very dear friend and business partner of Sara's father, who came to England with the sole purpose of finding and adopting her. This is how Sara's sad story ends, which will not fail to amaze us once again, deciding despite everything to study at Miss Minci's boarding school: beyond wealth, Sara is truly a princess in her soul!

Note: In the end, the Lovely Sara cartoon presents a not indifferent variation compared to the book The Little Princess. Here, in fact, Sara will not forgive Miss Minci's malice, who will see the dream of affirming her own boarding school as the most prestigious in London vanish.

by Helga Corpino

All characters and images of Lovely Sara are copyright Nippon Animation and of the right holders. they are used here for cognitive and informative purposes.