Line #91 Anime/SylvanianFamilies


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sylvanian_6068.jpg]]
2
3	->''"What's wrong, everyone? Why do you look so angry?"''
4	-->--'''Rebecca Periwinkle'''
5
6	A 3-episode 3DCGI OriginalVideoAnimation in 2007 based on the [[Franchise/SylvanianFamilies Franchise of the same name]], Sylvanian Families is what you get when you combine Slice of Life stories with {{Talking Animal}}s and a helping of sugar. Basically made in a different concept than the WesternAnimation counterpart but also made (at least in part) to cash in with the franchise it's based on, each of the stories were done accurately to the series's original concept, with a little deep surreal moments and regarding magic in between. The plot of the series varies from silly to being serious. This is the first anime to be based on the franchise (despite its Japanese origins) although the 1987 [=DiC=] TV series had been made with Japanese staff.
7
8	The series is animated by Dyna Method and directed by Akira Takamura of Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa and (believe it or not) ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', written by Hiroko Okada, produced by both Koji Kawaguchi of Anime/DokiDokiPrecure and Yumiko Murai and songs composed by Koichiro Kameyama. All three episodes were released in the same date of June 20, 2007. Two years later, on Febuary 16, 2009, Creator/HiTEntertainment released a compilation of all three episodes on a single DVD in the UK.
9
10	Each episodes as follows (official English title in square brackets):
11
12	!!'''''Heart Pounding Mischief Magic''''' ['''''Magic Tricks''''']
13	The first OVA episode. It focuses on Rebecca and her friends trying to do a revenge prank on Buster, a fox whose magic causes trouble to the other Sylvanian friends. Thought he fell for it, he soon helps everyone to amend his mistakes.
14
15	!!'''''The Longingly Princess''''' ['''''Dreaming of Princess''''']
16	The second OVA episode. This one involves Saffron's disagreement with her father's inventions driving her nuts. And also being a princess for the school's annual school play, in which she had problems. But she had a little help.
17
18	!!'''''The Gift of the Shooting Star''''' ['''''Legend of the Comet''''']
19	The third and final OVA episode. It involves Rebecca and her friends finding the fragments of the Silvery Comet which landed on Acorn Mountain. Thought hilarity ensures that this is more of an expedition.
20
21	----
22
23	In late 2017 and through early 2018, two [=ONAs=] as well as a series of shorts were produced specifically for Creator/{{Netflix}}. The localization work put into the series can be said to be extremely overboard - not only was the series' name and episode titles changed by region, but even the character names differed by region- the show appears on Netflix as ''Calico Critters'' in the US but ''Sylvanian Families'' in the rest of the world. Additionally, the chocolate rabbit girl goes by the name of "Bell" in the US dubs but is known as "Freya" elsewhere, and that's just one example and not even getting into their original names in the Japanese localization. And the changes to the name were reflected in the episode's title card. They even made [[SameLanguageDub two separate English dubs]]- the US one uses talent from Creator/BangZoomEntertainment while the International English dub uses British talents from an unknown agency handpicked by Creator/HalfHPStudio.
24
25	!!'''''A Town of Dreams'''''
26	The first of the two [=OVAs=], the special has Bell/Freya visiting town to visit her big sister, who designed a dress for a fashion show.
27
28	!!'''''The Treasure of [=[=]Sylvanian\|Calico[=]=] Village'''''
29	The second half of the OVA set. The mayor puts on a competition to pick the loveliest thing in the village.
30
31	!!'''''Sylvanian Families (2018-2019)'''''
32	A set of 24 shorts spread across two seasons showcasing the daily life of the children of the village. Season 1 was on Netflix but Season 2 was on Amazon Prime (although also available region-locked on Youtube).
33
34	!!'''''Sylvanian Families: Clover (2020)'''''
35	Another set of 12 shorts, with the show moving back to Netflix then later onto Youtube.
36
37	!!'''''Sylvanian Families: Freya's Happy Diaries (2022)'''''
38	Another set of 13 shorts. It aired on TV in Japan in 2022, but English language dubs was released onto Youtube in 2023, one year later.
39
40	----
41
42	A second set of shorts were produced in late 2018, but those were published to Youtube instead. So far there are 12 episodes, All have been localized to International English. They have not yet been localized to US English.
43	* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYXZZKHiowrUXPLo15Lb-WK4zUqvmkh0 Japanese]]
44	* [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTYXZZKHiowr1CDq4iigdd8LKgoKG1S_h International English]]
45
46	Better hurry, tho- as of January 10, 2019, the episodes are being moved to Amazon Creator/PrimeVideo... [[NoExportForYou who is only making it available to countries that have a dedicated Prime Video site for the country, and not on the Global site]]. Yeah, prepare to proverbially circulate tapes if you treasure your memories of the episodes, and you live in a dump of a country that only gets Prime Video Global.
47
48	A third set of shorts were produced in early 2020. Now called ''Sylvanian Families ~ Clover'', the short marks the move back to Netflix from Amazon Prime. This was accompanied by one more ONA. As of 2022, the videos and [=ONAs=] have disappeared off Netflix and are returning to [=YouTube=].
49
50	----
51	!!Tropes appearing include, but are not limited to:
52
53	* AerithAndBob: The International English version, good grief. On one hand you have names like Piers, Créme, Stella, Freya and Rhys, who are hardly common names. Then on the other hand you have name like Lulu, Tiffany, Ralph, Sabrina and Laura.
54	* ADogNamedDog‎: Their Japanese names. Averted with the International English dub and the US English dub tho.
55	* AllCGICartoon: The anime series are completely done in CGI
56	* AllThereInTheManual: Were thankful that the Japanese released the series with English Subtitles, but yet the character's names in English is different to the ones in the original version itself.
57	* BadassAdorable: The kids were this in varying degrees, basically the [=OVA=]s were focused on them.
58	* BarefootCartoonAnimal: The characters do not wear shoes of any kind
59	* CheerfulChild: All of the kids, especially Piers.
60	* CharacterDevelopment: Going in the lines of being dark sometimes, the kids were fleshed out even thought the series is just short.
61	* CompilationRerelease: The UK was lucky to later see a DVD release where all three 2007 [=OVAs=] were combined into a single DVD ([[BadExportForYou even if it meant losing the Japanese audio track]] and [[LateExportForYou waiting two years]]). The other regions [[NoExportForYou were not lucky]].
62	* ConvenientlySeated: The homeroom in Rebecca's class were this. Some of her friend were seated beside each other or in front.
63	* CosmeticCatastrophe: in the short ''Getting Ready''. What do you expect when some kids get their hands on their mom's cosmetics set? Kudos to the animation studio for managing to make it hilarious and ''[[https://imgur.com/a/OyAseXd terrifying]]'' at the same time thanks to a combination of a sudden reveal and strategic use of the vertigo effect[[note]]The only other times these tropes are combined are in ''horror'' flicks[[/note]].
64	* DarkerAndEdgier
65	** In the end of the first OVA, the kids pretended that they were invisble and Buster thinks they were in trouble. In reality they're just hiding from him, and pretending they're hurt or injured. Until Peirs got to scared on being [[NiceJobBreakingItHero invisible that he blew their cover]].
66	** The entire third OVA is this, basically an expedition for the fragments of the comet turned a little grim.
67	* DubNameChange: No doubt the series is guilty of this, to the extent where a lot of the characters have different names in different regions. Even in the International English version, they can't seem to make up their minds on whether to use the International English names or ''English transliterations of the Japanese names'' (i.e., in some of the International English shorts, Freya is referred to as ''Chocolate Rabbit Girl'').
68	* ExplosiveBreeder: As of the Season 2 ''Mini-Episodes'' short "The Baby Is Coming!". Bell's/Freya's Mother gave birth to five baby rabbits. As a result, they now have seven siblings in the family.
69	* FullyDressedCartoonAnimal: Everyone in Sylvania were this.
70	* FunnyAnimal: A variety of species to boot, including porcupines for some reason.
71	* GoodParents: All the kids come from loving and healthy households that offer legitimately good advice and any punishments they dish out are almost always warranted.
72	* GratuitousEnglish: Due to the anime being animated in Japan but set in a quaint English countryside, everything in the show has English as written by a non-native speaker.
73	* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Bell's older sister Stella has a crush on a male rabbit. However, when Stella's crush shows up, his face isn't allowed to be seen. Only his arms, ears, hands, and feet are visible. [[https://youtu.be/RtaRG2B9QGw Finally averted in a Season 2 episode where he is fully revealed]].
74	* {{Kawaiiko}}: Series, the character designs are cutesy and {{Moe}} all the way
75	* LighterAndSofter: The entity of the [=OVA=]s were this softer and lighter compared to the 80's cartoon. However it sometimes crosses to being [[DarkerAndEdgier dark]] in some moments.
76	* MeaningfulName / ThemeNaming: A few characters in the [=OVA=]s had some. Especially Rebecca's Japanese and English names.
77	** The title itself is this. The word Sylvanian means "People Of The Forest".
78	* MerchandiseDriven: The settings in the animation were even based around the dollhouses of the franchise. Unsurprisingly, this is because the anime is supposed to be a vehicle for selling little plush figurines.
79	* NoNameGiven: The male rabbit that Stella has a crush on is never given a name. [[https://youtu.be/RtaRG2B9QGw Finally averted in a Season 2 episode]]. [[spoiler: His name is William Cinnamon]]
80	* NoAntagonist: As opposed to the WesternAnimation series, the Japanese productions are all SliceOfLife and devoid completely of villains.
81	* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed: The [=OVA=]s were still set in the 1970's Great Britain countryside.
82	* TheSongRemainsTheSame: The English and Spanish dubs of the 2007 [=OVAs=] left the opening song in Japanese.
83	* QuirkyTown: Sylvania.
84	* ParentalFavoritism: Completely averted. The parents are GoodParents that love their children equally.
85	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Pretty much all the parents shown.
86	* SceneryPorn: Compared to the western TV series, the OVA's background were well done in [=3D=], even the houses.
87	* SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism: From BarefootCartoonAnimal to FullyDressedCartoonAnimal.
88	* SugarBowl: Sylvania is a cozy, safe and friendly place devoid of villains.
89	* TalkingAnimal: The animals in the series can talk.

Context Anime / SylvanianFamilies