Rascal the Raccoon (あらいぐまラスカル, Araiguma Rasukaru, lit Raccoon Rascal) is an anime series from World Masterpiece Theater, based on the novel Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era by Sterling North.
The anime series, which was produced by Nippon Animation as part of the World Masterpiece Theater series of anime and aired in 1977, is one of the better loved adaptation on the same level as A Dog of Flanders. While the anime was airing, there were heavy demands for raccoons for pets in Japan that many pet shops started unscrupulously importing raccoons from the US. This ultimately leads to the Japanese population releasing raccoons en-masse into the wild upon the final episode of the anime and the departing of the aesop of the series, environmental damage ensued. Rascal has been cited by many studies to be one of the causes of raccoons becoming an invasive species in the country.
And yet, the Japanese still hold no grudge for the series. Indeed, merchandise continued pouring forth in Japan, and Rascal became a cultural icon. Music for the series was "borrowed" and used in Frogger. There was a SNES game coming out almost 15 years after the anime ended, and in 2016 a VR hide-and-seek game was released for the PC. Nippon Animation had even adapted Rascal as it's own Mascot at one point, and even now Rascal is still heavily marketed, with Web Original shorts still being released from time to time and some of the weirdest crossovers in the world happening.
Tropes:
- A Boy and His X: Sterling and Rascal, a raccoon who he had adopted as a pet and is technically the star of the show. However, Sterling sets Rascal free by the end of the series.
- Adapted Out: This version omits Herschel, Sterling's older brother as he served in the French front in World War I and it doesn't have any refences about that war.
- Aerith and Bob: For a series set in the 2010s, it has some odd names like "Sterling" and "Slammy" amongst some more common ones like Alice, Oscar and Martha.
- Animal Companion: Three, actually. Sterling has a dog named Hauser and a crow named Poe, and Rascal becomes his third pet.
- Animal Stereotypes: The titular raccoon loves to cause trouble, steals shiny things, and is willing to eat anything.
- Artistic License – Biology: Rascal is stated to be a raccoon, but with his adorable features, he looks more like a red panda. He also tends to behave like a cat.
- Berserk Button: Never ask Mr. Conway to buy a car or tell him it is faster than his horse. In Episode 7, he lost his temper after he was told by Mr. Hermann that cars are faster than carts.
- Boxing Lesson: Sterling learned how to box from an African-American boxer in order to defend himself from Slammy. He later used it against Slammy, who stepped Oscar's frog after losing the bet.
- The Bully: Slammy Stillmann, who constantly picks on some students like Sterling and wanted to get anything from them.
- Canon Foreigner: Alice, Aunt Clarissa and Mrs. Hackett are some of the characters who are included in this version.
- Cheerful Child: Sterling is a young boy who's endlessly optimistic and plucky, his resolve to save Rascal eventually paying off with the racoon becoming his best friend.
- Cool Old Guy: Sterling's father Willard, who plays the guitar and and is soft spoken and gentle to every child he meets.
- Does Not Like Spam: While Rascal will eat almost anything, hot food is the one thing he doesn't like.
- Extreme Omnivore: Rascal will eat sugar cubes, candy, corn, honey and turtle eggs.
- Friend to All Living Things: While Sterling's best friend is Oscar, he also has a fondness for animals and rescued Rascal after his mother died. His friend sinclude horses, birds and dogs and he's also a Nature Lover.
- In the Blood: Sterling's mother loves animals just as much as he does, allowing Hauser to stay in her room and also befriending a baby Rascal.
- Late for School: Sterling is introduced this way, but only because he was used to be wake up by his mother before she was sent to hospotal in Milwaukee.
- Lighter and Softer: Than the book - the hunter is cut out and there's no mention of the war. This was likely done to appeal to a child audience.
- Mascots Love Sugar: Rascal likes to eat sweets, such as sugar cubes and candies.
- Meaningful Name: Rascal is quite mischevious and a magnet for chaos. He also has some sticky fingers when it comes to shiny objects.
- Mega Neko: Rascal is a variant, as he is a very plump raccoon that is Sterling's pet and loves eating.
- Nature Lover: Sterling adores all kinds of animals, and met Rascal when him and Oscar had gone fishing and discovered a lonely raccoon in a forest.
- Riches to Rags: The Norths lost majority of their fortune when their farms were destroyed by typhoon and Sterling is temporarily forced to live in his aunt's house.
- The Rival: Slammy views Sterling as this as he wants Rascal as a pet. Rascal, however, couldn't hate him more and bites his hand when he tries to touch him.
- Setting Update: The original novel was set in 1918-19, but here it's the 2010s.
- Token Minority: The African American boxer that's a Cool Teacher to Sterling. It's thanks to him that Sterling is able to put Slammy in his place.
