Hippothommasus – the 1971 Japanese animated series
Hippotommasus (in the original Japanese: カバトット Kabatotto) Also known as Hyppo and Thomas in the American version is a Japanese animated series produced by the Tatsunoko studio, consisting of 300 episodes of just five minutes. In Japan the series was broadcast by Fuji TV from 1 January 1971 to 30 November 1972, while in Italy it was broadcast by local networks limited to the first 152 episodes, before being revived on Cooltoon.
The plot revolves around the protagonists Hippotommaso, a huge blue hippopotamus with a gigantic mouth, and Toto, a bizarre black bird with a tooth, who lives in Hippotommaso's mouth. The two characters experience bizarre adventures and situations, giving life to a series of animated shorts full of comedy and lightheartedness.
The Japanese dub features Tōru Ōhira as the voice of Ippotommaso and Machiko Soga and Junko Hori as the voices of Toto. In Italy, the voice actors are Laura Lenghi for the narrative voice.
The Japanese theme song “Kabatotto no sanba” is performed by Naoto Kaseda with Columbia Male Harmony, while the Italian theme song “Ippo Tommaso” is sung by Corrado Castellari and Le Mele Verdi.
The animated series has become a cult for many viewers, becoming a point of reference for children of the 70s. The combination of comedy, adventure and eccentricity of the characters has made Hippotommaso an unforgettable animated series for many generations.
Data Sheet
Author Tatsuo Yoshida
Regia Hiroshi Sasagawa
Film script Jinzo Toriumi
Studio Tatsunoko
Network Fuji TV
1st TV 1 January 1971 – 30 September 1972
Episodes 300 (complete)
Episode duration 5 min
Italian network Local television, Cooltoon, Supersix
