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LITTLE LORD
Little Lord

Original title: Shokoshi Cedie
Characters:
Cedric, Annie, Cedric's mother, James, Cedric's father, Melon, Count Dorincourt, Cedric's grandfather, Colleen, Hobbs, Jefferson
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Production: Nippon Animation
Directed by: K z Kuzuha
Country: Japan
Year: January 10 1988
Broadcast in Italy: 1989
Gender: Dramatic
Episodes: 43
Duration: 24 minutes
Recommended age: Children from 6 to 12 years old

Piccolo Lord (Little Lord Fauntleroy), the cartoon made by Nippon Animation in 1988 (for the project World Masterpiece Theater) for a total of 43 episodes, it airs on Boing on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 22,40pm e from 25 September at 7,20 on Italia 1.
The Little Lord, based on the novel of the same name written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, sees as the protagonist Cedric an eight-year-old boy who lives peacefully with his parents in the United States. James, Cedric's father, is the youngest son of the Earl of Dorincourt, founder of a powerful English aristocratic family. But the austere gentleman has for several years cut off relations with his son, as he disapproves of his marriage to Ennie (Cedric's mother), as an American of humble origins. Little LordIn fact, Ennie, having been orphaned of both parents, grew up in an orphanage; until in adolescence she was sent to India (Dehli) as a companion of an elderly wealthy lady. It was in Dehli that she and Jemes met - Jemes, in fact, was a senior officer in the British army - and they fell in love; therefore, after getting married, they moved to a working-class neighborhood in New York, where Jemes earned his living writing for a newspaper.
About nine years have passed since then, when James receives a letter from England: there he learns of the sudden death of his older brother Bevis and the poor state of health of the Count. Therefore he decides to return home, accompanied by his wife Ennie and his son Cedric: his intent is to make peace with his sick father and let him know - but above all accept - his new family.
At the news of finally meeting grandfather Cedric is not in the skin of joy - the child also takes his flute with him to play his grandfather's favorite music and thus promote a speedy recovery. However, the Count, closed in his obstinate pride, refuses to recognize his daughter-in-law and nephew, on the contrary, after a furious quarrel, deserts the only son left in his life.
Therefore Jemes, although contrite and saddened, returns with his family to the United States. Here our parents resume their usual life; but Jemes - deeply saddened by the stubborn refusal of his elderly father and their definitive separation - throws himself headlong into work, thus subjecting his body to great stress: then he falls ill and dies following a heart attack, leaving just Ennnie and Cedric.
Little LordTherefore, mother and child have to face many difficulties; yet they are surrounded by loving and supportive friends, such as Mr. Hobbs (the grocer) and Dick (the shoe shine) or the editor-in-chief of the newspaper in which Jemes worked, who are committed to supporting the two in one way or another ( for example, they commission the work to Ennie who, to support herself and her beloved child, devotes herself to the craft of the seamstress).
So a few years passed, until one day, again by letter, Cedric was invited by his grandfather to move to his English home. The Count in fact - despite not having abandoned the ancient prejudices about the child's mother - decides to place him under his own protection, in order to give an adequate education to the only heir and future successor of the title of Count of Dorincourt.
Only for Cedric's sake, Ennie agrees to accompany him to England. But on reaching their destination, the child learns that he cannot live under the same roof with his mother; which is confined to a small villa, far from the property of the austere gentleman. Little LordDespite this, the young mother keeps the truth a hidden from her son, so as not to waste the unconditional and clear affection that he has for his grandfather.
Meanwhile Ennie, discovering the state of poverty of the locals, devotes himself to volunteer work. While Cedric, with his cheerfulness, his extraordinary talents and his wonderful soul, gradually knows how to win the benevolence of his grandfather (who from a gruff and misanthropic old man, turns into a shrewd and generous gentleman). In the end, the Count - learning through his nephew and his lawyer the good conduct of the young daughter-in-law (always ready to help others and defend the weakest) - changes his mind and abandons the old (and unjustified) hostility towards the child's mother , inviting her to live in the castle with him and little Cedric.
But the road to this change is long and not without difficulties, which only Ennie's good heart and honesty - but especially the selfless love of little Cedric (the little Lord) - can overcome in the happiest way.
Little LordEpisode after episode, the Little Lord will be able to conquer his spectators, sure that they will learn to appreciate the nobility and beauty of soul of the little protagonist. This is ultimately the most important message that the story wants to convey: the spiritual and / or moral qualities of a person cannot be bought or purchased through a noble title or through belonging to a high lineage. Rather, they arise from a loving education: only the care of an attentive and present parent can concretely teach a child honesty and altruism, regardless of all the adversities of the case.
In the end, the Piccolo Lord is a successful product also from a technical point of view, not only for the beauty of the designs (and the always fresh and bright colors) or for the care of the backgrounds, but particularly for the expressiveness with which they have been all characterized characters.

by Helga Corpino

Little Lord episode titles
01 New York is my home
02 I have a grandfather!
03 Grandpa is bad
04 Dear grandfather
05 Don't die dad!
06 Mom, I'm not crying anymore!
07 I will protect mommy
08 Mommy is very good
09 Mom is sick
10 You will not have my son
11 An unexpected news
12 New York goodbye!
13 The separation
14 A four-legged friend
15 The escape
16 A meeting in the forest
17 Grandpa returns from London
18 Grandpa, I'm Cedric
19 The village
20 The experienced fisherman
21 The four-leaf clover
22 Ceddie works miracles!
23 A cure for the grandfather
24 A letter from Mr. Hobbes
25 Ceddie does a good work
26 Ceddie falls off the horse
27 Walking with the grandfather
28 The count plays with Ceddie
29 Grandpa is angry
30 Mommy get well soon
31 Grandfather is a good earl
32 A present for mommy
33 An important decision
34 Look out, Collen
35 The rescue
36 Everyone at the circus!
37 The grandmother
38 News from London
39 Who is the real master?
40 I'm no longer a lord
41 The conspiracy
42 The secret
43 The heir

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