Once Upon a Time in Japan: Adaptation Strategies in Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics Series

Abstract:The aim of this article is to examine diverse adaptation strategies applied by the creators of the Japanese animated series Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics to retell the Grimm Brothers' stories. Above all, the strategy of faithful adaptation can be found in GFTC, yet significant elements of activist adaptation are exploited as well. Moreover, the goal is also to present the elements of Japanese culture exploited by the anime series discussed. The specific creation of GFTC as an adaptation resulted from the tension among three main components of this anime. The first one is the pre-text: fairy tales from the European tradition, mainly from the Grimms' collection. The influence of Japanese folklore and art on the creation of diverse fantastic creatures should be considered the second component. Finally, we can consider the anime tradition as the third component, since GFTC was produced at the moment of expansion of Japanese animation industry.