How a Spanish-Japanese collaboration turned a classic Victorian adventure into an anthropomorphic global phenomenon
In short: In 1984, a unique partnership between Spanish producers and Japanese animators reimagined Jules Verne’s 1873 novel as an animal-led odyssey. With a lion as the protagonist and a cat as his sidekick, the series became a cult classic, spawning sequels, musical theater, and a complex web of international dubs.
The series, titled La vuelta al mundo de Willy Fog in its native Spain, was a joint effort between BRB Internacional and Nippon Animation. It transformed the human cast of the original literature into an anthropomorphic ensemble: the stoic Phileas Fogg became a lion, while his servant Passepartout was reimagined as a cat named Rigodon. This creative choice provided a distinct visual identity that resonated globally, leading to broadcasts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan.
The narrative follows a high-stakes wager made at the Reform Club. After a theft at the Bank of England, the protagonist accepts a challenge to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days, betting £20,000 against his peers. His journey is fraught with obstacles, including the persistent pursuit of Inspector Dix and the sabotage efforts of a villain named Transfer, who is working for the bank's governor, Mr. Sullivan.
Beyond the animation, the show’s musical identity was central to its success. Italian composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis crafted six distinct songs for the series, which were performed by the group Mocedades. These tracks were adapted into various languages, though the English version notably re-recorded the lyrics to create new themes, such as renaming one track after a character named Daisy. The show's legacy extended well beyond its initial run, including a 2008 theatrical musical in Madrid and a 1993 sequel series that adapted two other famous works by Verne regarding subterranean travel and deep-sea exploration.
The production history is marked by extensive international collaboration, involving storyboard artists, directors, and sound technicians from across the globe. While the original series was a success, later attempts to condense the narrative into feature-length films involved significant editing, reducing hundreds of minutes of content into seventy-five-minute segments. Despite the passage of decades, the series remains accessible through digital archives, maintaining its status as a landmark of 1980s television animation.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Around the World with Willy Fog
- Also: Wikidata — list of Around the World with Willy Fog episodes · CC0
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