Trapp Family Story Explained

Trapp Family Story
Ja Kanji:	トラップ一家物語
Ja Romaji:	Torappu Ikka Monogatari
Genre:	Period drama

Type:	tv series
Director:	Kōzō Kusuba
Producer:	Yoshihisa Tachikawa (Fuji TV) (Eps 1-25) Minoru Wada (Fuji TV) (Eps 26-40) Takaji Matsudo
Music:	Shin Kawabe
Studio:	Nippon Animation
Network:	Fuji TV
First:	January 13, 1991
Last:	December 28, 1991
Episodes:	40

is a 1991 Japanese animated series by Nippon Animation, based on the story of the real-life Austrian singing family the Trapp Family. It is a part of the World Masterpiece Theatre franchise, which adapted classic works of literature into animated TV shows. 40 episodes aired on Fuji TV.^[1]

It was based on the 1949 memoir The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp.

Characters

• Maria Kutschera von Trapp (voiced by Masako Katsuki) – 18 years old. She is sent to the von Trapp house as a governess.
• Georg von Trapp (voiced by Katsunosuke Hori) – 38 years old. Head of the von Trapp family. Loving towards his children.
• Rupert von Trapp (voiced by Shinobu Adachi) – 14 years old. Firstborn of Baron von Trapp. He is a fencer.
• Hedwig von Trapp (voiced by Maria Kawamura) – 13 years old. The oldest daughter of Baron von Trapp. Hates Maria at first before warming up to her.
• Werner von Trapp (voiced by Yōko Matsuoka) – 10 years old. A very playful boy.
• Maria von Trapp (voiced by Yuri Shiratori) – 8 years old. The second oldest daughter of Baron von Trapp. Very close to her deceased mother, Agatha. She is the reason Maria was sent to the von Trapp house as a governess.
• Johanna von Trapp (voiced by Hiromi Ishikawa) – 6 years old. A girl who laughs a lot and is put under Maria's care as well.
• Martina von Trapp (voiced by Saori Suzuki) – 4 years old. She always brings her teddy bear, Nikola, everywhere.
• Agathe von Trapp (voiced by Naoto Watanabe) – 3 years old. The youngest daughter of Baron von Trapp.
• Johannes von Trapp – born in the series finale.
• Hans (voiced by Masato Hirano) – the von Trapp family butler. He is eventually revealed to support Germany near the end of the series.
• Baroness Matilda (voiced by Toshiko Fujita) – head of the von Trapp household servants, she is an aristocrat who came to assist Baron von Trapp in caring for his children and running his household after the death of his wife.
• Mimi (voiced by Junko Hagimori) – a young maid who works for the Trapp family until she goes to marry her boyfriend.
• Rosy – head cook of the household.
• Clarine (voiced by Kyōko Irokawa) – baroness Matilda's maid who accompanies her during Matilda's time at the von Trapp household.
• Franz (voiced by Takao Ōyama) – the Trapp family gardener.
• Dr. Vortman – a Jewish doctor who helps the von Trapp family multiple times during the series; he is taken away by the Germans.
• Mother Abbess – head of Nonnberg Abbey. She sent Maria to the Trapp family as governess.
• Rafaela (voiced by Aya Hisakawa) – friend of Maria during her time at the abbey.
• Dolores – mistress of novices in the abbey.
• Thomas – a boy attending the school Maria briefly taught at while training to be a sister of Nonnberg Abbey. He later plays an important role in helping Hedwig reunite with her family after she ran away from home and was robbed of her valuables.
• Sister Lucia – sister of the abbey who rarely speaks.
• Sister Laura – sister of the abbey who helped Maria teach the children Bible study.
• Hannah – a novice of Nonnberg Abbey, along with Elizabeth, both of whom share the same room as Maria and Rafaela.
• Elizabeth – a novice of Nonnberg Abbey, along with Hannah, both of whom share the same room as Maria and Rafaela.
• Karl – Mimi's boyfriend. He helps the Trapp family flee towards Italy as Germany was about to close its borders, including the annexed Austria.
• Lady Yvonne Belvedere (voiced by Eiko Yamada) – daughter of Earl Belvedere and supposed fiancée of Baron Georg von Trapp.
• Nastassja Ivanovna – Hedwig's best friend and Rupert and Anton's love interest.
• Anton – the rival of Rupert von Trapp and a friend of Nastassja
• Kurt Schuschnigg – president of Austria.
• Franz Wasner (voiced by Katsuji Mori) – a priest who comes to live at the house nearing the end of the series.
• Dennis Wagner – a talent scout from the U.S. who visits Austria to watch the Trapp family perform at a concert.
• Lotte Lehmann – renowned German opera singer who discovers the Trapp Family Singers when she arrives at their home to rent out a room. She convinces them to perform in front of an audience at the Salzburg festival.
• Marian Anderson – mentioned only. Famous opera singer from America who performed in Vienna at a concert the same day as the Trapps.
• Unnamed High-Ranking Member of the Gestapo – a Nazi with a menacing presence, closely resembling the likeness of Reinhard Heydrich.
• Adolf Hitler – dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945.

Episodes

1. My Aspiration to be a Catholic Nun
2. My Future as a Sister
3. The Captain and his 7 Children
4. The 26th Governess
5. Maria is the Cause of Drama
6. The Missing children and the Hunger Rebellion
7. I can not trust Adults
8. Courtesy is Important!?
9. Baron Trapp's Fiancé?
10. Sewing Machine and Violin
11. Playing in the Mud is Supreme
12. Chocolate Cake: Maria Style
13. Don Quixote's First Love
14. The Music Box's Secret
15. Martina and the Bear, Nikola
16. The House without Fraulein Maria
17. The Wounded Fawn
18. All God's Creatures, Great and Small
19. Lady Yvonne's Gifts
20. Each Person's Life
21. Baron von Trapp's Decision
22. Can You Live Alone?
23. Letters to the Angel
24. Christmas Carol
25. In The Snow Of The Alps
26. The Orange and the Flower Seeds
27. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
28. Naughty Agathe
29. Person Who Becomes Wife and Mother
30. Marriage?
31. God's Decree
32. A Bride in July
33. A True Family
34. The Trapp Family Singers
35. Singing in the Wind
36. The German Invasion
37. The New Salute
38. Hans' Secret
39. Pride and Belief
40. Farewell to My Country

Music

Opening themes

The opening theme differed depending on the broadcasting. The series first used " (Doremi Song)" as the intro theme during earlier broadcasting, however, the DVD and video version of the series uses " (Smile Magic)" as the new opening song.

1. "Doremi Song [{{Lang|ja|ドレミのうた}}] " by Eri Itō and Children's Choir of the Forest (early broadcasting version). This was a Japanese adaptation of the song Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music.
2. "Smile Magic [{{Lang|ja|ほほえみの魔法}}] " by Eri Itō (video, DVD, and later rebroadcasting version)

Ending themes

1. "With Outstretched Hands [{{Lang|ja|両手を広げて}}] " by Eri Itō

References

1. Book: Crump . William D. . Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film . 2019 . McFarland & Co . 9781476672939 . 50.