Tanoshii Muumin Ikkais a 1990 TV show that is mostly aimed at kids - but not only. It is one of the best animated works in existence, and that is because it is created by a combination of admirable people. Tove Jansson, the original creator of the Moomin books; Akira Miyazaki, the famous World Masterpiece Theater scriptwriter; an exceptional voice acting cast; great animators. Many episodes are just playful and childish, but you will be astonished by how meaningful some of them might be, or relatable for adults.
▶ Video The first thing that must be mentioned about this series is Tove Jansson’s philosophical approach and the main messages she wanted to convey while writing her Moomin books. Aside from a cute-looking and colorful group of friends, the main characters have a unique, carefree lifestyle, close to nature, and are far from daily obligations. The spirit of the Moomin Valley can be characterized as “cottagecore”: emphasizing simplicity, tranquility, and peacefulness; far away from the modern world, basically rural life. Also, the way that short, calming stories happen in the same place in every episode is enough reason to call Muumin an “iyashikei” anime, though there are some dramatical and stressful episodes out there too.
Here, I consider it important to mention that Tove Jansson lived as a queer woman in an age when being LGBTQ+ was illegal in Finland. Sometimes, she tried to portray "gay" people metaphorically in her books. For example, Thingumy and Bob were a couple inspired by her relationship with the girlfriend she had, back then. But what's more important for the series, is that Moomintroll's relationship with Snufkin was implied to be something more than pure friendship. They spend romantic time with each other, and their bond is much stronger than any other friendly bond in the series.
Tanoshii Muumin Ikka was not the first Moomin anime out there. Moomin became famous in Japan in 1969, with “Muumin”; another adaptation of the classic novels. Japanese people seemed to like it, but sadly, it was heavily inspired by western animation and used guns and violence as comedy. This was something disappointing for Tove Jansson because it did not fit well the novel themes and failed to convey the main messages. Thankfully, the 1990 series was a huge success. Among all Moomin adaptations, Japanese or not, it is known that Tanoshii Muumin Ikka was Tove Jansson’s most beloved one! Other older adaptations include Mumintrollet (1969, Swedish production), Shin Muumin (1972), and The Moomins (1977, Polish production).
So, what is the reason this was the most successful adaptation? Studio Telescreen and Akira Miyazaki tried to carry the spirit of the Moomins, but also to give it some new, original color. What was special about it, was that despite the fact there were a few changes, it followed precisely the “spirit” of the Moomin Valley Tove Jansson had created in her novels and picture books. There were some differences in the characters; for example, studio Telescreen decided to name Snork Maiden “Floren”, which made her name sound cuter. There were a few character additions too, which I will mention later. But overall, the general concept and meaning remained the same.
In most episodes, the main characters meet each other at the Moomins’ house, or somewhere within the Moomin Valley and set on a new adventure. This makes the episode building easier, and the feeling more nostalgic. You know that everything starts from the Moomin Valley; it’s something like Central Perk or MacLaren’s Pub. But the valley holds many mysteries, and as the show progresses there is great world building. There’s the cave, the Lonely Mountains, the boathouse… and the Hattifatteners island, which is a mysterious neighboring land. There’s always something to explore while watching Tanoshii Muumin Ikka.
Art and animation are breathtaking. Even if, at first glance, the character designs look weird to you, they are lovely and you’ll get used to them soon. Studio Telescreen made a great effort to adapt the designs in an animated work, and the few changes from Tove Jansson’s picture books were only for the better. For example, Mr. Brisk appears as a hemulen (I will explain later what kind of species a hemulen is) and teaches Moomintroll how to ski.
The music is one of the strongest parts of Tanoshii Muumin Ikka. Sumio Shiratori and his wife, Emiko Shiratori, did an amazing job making the soundtrack. Sumio composed the OST and Emiko performed the first opening and both ending songs. Here I will have to mention that Emiko Shiratori’s presence gave bonus points to the anime itself, as her opening song performance is heartwarming, and her first ending song performance is soothing and beautiful. This pair of OP-ED songs was used for episodes 1-52, and in my opinion, it was a great combination. In episodes 53-78, the theme songs changed. The opening song was sung by the voice acting cast, and it had a more playful and kid-friendly vibe into it. The second ending song, too, had a happier tone. Emiko Shiratori also did an exceptional job as the narrator of the show, with her tender voice. That’s one of the main reasons I definitely recommend the Japanese version to the English dub. The English dub is not bad, but the original one is something else!
The voice actors play an important role, too, in why the Japanese version is so good. There, we have Takehito Koyasu (Dio, Zeke, Roswaal) in his youngest voice acting era. In my opinion, he was incomparable back then – his performance as Snufkin is one of my top 10 voice acting performances of all time. But it doesn’t end here; all the cast is exceptional. There’s even Akio Ootsuka (Iskandar, Ekubo, Blackbeard) as Moominpappa, and if you ask me, Minami Takayaka’s performance as Moomintroll, Ikuko Tani’s performance as Moominmamma and Hiroko Maruyama’s performance as Stinky were all equally fantastic.
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Now, let’s take a look at the (main) characters.
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Moomintroll is the protagonist of the series. A playful and innocent child Moomin, whose main interests include exploring new things and spending time with his friends. He likes gazing at the sea, dreaming, and going on new adventures. Unlike his best friend, Snufkin, his biggest discomfort is solitude. Moomintroll becomes sad when Snufkin leaves on vacation, and his best moments are when Snufkin returns.
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Moominpappa is the father of Moomintroll; a lovely father figure, who loves his family and appreciates little things in life. He still dreams of becoming a writer and he writes books or theatre scripts. He is a goofy character and sometimes he might handle situations in a bad way, but his intentions are always kind, even if he lacks manners. One of my favorite scenes includes Moominpappa sliding down a slide, falling, and eventually hurting his back. That’s the kind of man he is, and he’s proof that everyone has a childish side to them, even when they grow older.
Well, especially men. Because Moominmamma is different on that part. She is skillful when it comes to housework and cooking, and always takes care of her family and their friends. She looks more mature, and everyone can rely on her in hard times. Moominmamma always holds a handbag with her, carrying all the important things, so that she can help her family and friends under any unexpected circumstances. Another trait of hers is that she trusts her son and even lets him participate in dangerous activities, without worrying or panicking.
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Aside from Moomins, there are also Snorks in the Moomin Valley. Snorks resemble Moomins but their main difference is that they have hair. The only Snorks we know are Floren – who is also a main character - and her brother, whose name is Snork. Floren is a friend of Moomintroll and seems to have a crush on him. There are some romantic scenes between them, like gazing at sceneries or sleeping together on a hammock. Snork is quite different from the Snork we know in the books, and his main purpose in life is to create an aircraft. He studies all day to achieve this.
Snufkin is a mysterious Mumrik (different from Moomins and Snorks, Mumriks resemble tiny humans) who is quite a philosopher and thinker. He might have a strong bond with Moomintroll, but in fact, he has another best friend: solitude. His main hobbies include playing the harmonica and fishing. He loves wandering around, and in winter, he always leaves the Moomin Valley and goes south. His departure is always saddening, then he enjoys visiting new places, and when he returns to the Moomin Valley he is overjoyed.
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Little My (pronounced “mee”) is a Mymble; another human-like species from the Moomin Valley, which resembles Mumriks. She is a tiny girl with orange hair, full of energy and living her life to the fullest. Sometimes she causes trouble for the Moomins because her actions might put her in a dangerous position, but she is loved by them and always welcomed into their house.
Sniff’s appearance is unique; looking like a kangaroo-dog, he is quite the mascot character. He loves going on adventures but he is always scared and lazy, so eventually, he starts whining and falls back. He is a character that either gets loved or hated, depending on the watcher. To me, he’s a fun addition to the group.
Last but not least, I want to add Hemulen-san to this list. Not many consider him an important character, but I personally love his character. He is an old man who tries to find a romantic meaning in life and collects stamps. When he completes his collection, he sets for a new adventure: to collect flowers, that is. His character design and reactions fit his goofy character perfectly, and he’s fun to watch. Originally, in Tove Jansson’s books, the Hemulens are more and they share the traits Hemulen-san has, but in Tanoshii Muumin Ikka, he represents the species by himself.
There are no villains in the Moomin Valley. Even the valley’s police officer is living a 100% peaceful and calm life, and there was a hilarious episode where he almost lost his job because he wouldn’t bring any criminals to the prison, outside of the valley. But there are two creatures whose roles are somehow close to that of a villain.
Stinky is the first one. He is a bug-looking creature whose main hobby is playing pranks on the main characters. He is supposedly not bad, but that is the way he tries to get Moomin and his friends’ attention. Some of the pranks are terrifying, and there were a few times some of the main characters almost faced death. Still, he is supposed to be a humoristic character. Stinky lives under a rock, all alone. He is usually not invited to parties or events due to his irritating behavior, but he likes showing up out of the blue.
The other one is Moran / “The Groke”. Moran’s character includes heavy symbolism, and she is something like an incarnation of loneliness and terror. As you can see, she looks like a big ghost with a… duckface. Every resident of the Moomin Valley is frightened at the sight of Moran, and no one likes her. Moomintroll pities her because she is always lonely and sad. Moran appears uninvited and she does not talk, but her negative energy freezes the ground around her. Sometimes, she may cause destruction. The Groke is probably too scary for kids, due to her intimidating appearance and the vibes she radiates.
The most important character additions in Tanoshii Muumin Ikka are Alisha and her grandmother. They both firstly appear 30+ episodes in, and then they become part of the Moomin Valley. Alisha is a young girl who wants to hang out with the Moomins, but her grandmother, who is a witch, does not let her do so. That is because the witchcraft studies are more important in her mind, and she wants her granddaughter to succeed. Hanging out with friends would leave her behind. But Alisha learns to appreciate friendship and meets a new lifestyle; that of having both friends and studying.
Moomintroll’s dreams. They were all colorful, adventurous, and surrealistic. As dreams are in our world, well, at least to me.
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Snufkin’s departures and arrivals to the Moomin Valley. The atmosphere was always melancholic at the departure, and when he returned it was heart-melting.
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Hemulen’s house, or other places that were not important but were animated perfectly.
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Moominpappa’s backstory. It added color to the Moomin world and it was wonderful seeing him recite his old stories.
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Conclusion
Tanoshii Muumin Ikka creates a beautiful world, full of color and fun adventures, away from daily responsibilities. It is a great watch for kids, but I am sure their parents would appreciate it even more. If I were a father, I would definitely watch this with my kids, and both sides would be satisfied. Watching Tanoshii Muumin Ikka feels like home; and that is thanks to its peaceful, tranquil and comforting vibe.
With this review, I express my satisfaction and congratulate both Tove Jansson for her great books, and Telescreen’s staff that produced such an amazing adaptation. It is clearly one of the best TV shows out there. Thank you for sharing this show with us!
