Mrs. Pepperpot,[1] known in Japanese as Spoon Oba-san (スプーンおばさん, Supūn Oba-san, lit. "Aunt Spoon" or "Old lady Spoon"), is a Japanese anime television series, based on the children's books of Mrs. Pepperpot by the Norwegian author Alf Prøysen. The series was broadcast on NHK General TV from April 4, 1983, to March 30, 1984, spanning a total of 130 10-minute episodes.[2]
Plot
Mrs. Spoon Pepperpot lives in a small little village with her husband Fork. She wears a small magical teaspoon around her neck which every now and then shrinks her to the size of her teaspoon which does not shrink as well, and she must drag it along with her on her back when she gets shrunk. She always changes back to her original size after a certain amount of time. This special condition had its advantages — she can communicate with animals and enjoy wonderful adventures in the woods. This way she wins new and interesting friends on a regular basis.
She is a good friend of Lily, a mysterious little girl who lives in the forest alone, she is also friends with a mouse family. She can not reveal her secret or show herself in the shrunk condition, which sometimes gets quite difficult. Her husband eventually finds out his wife's secret later on in the series.
Characters
Mrs. Spoon Pepperpot: the main character of the series. She possesses a magic spoon which changes her size unexpectedly.
Mr. Fork Pepperpot: Mrs. Pepper Pot's husband. He is a professional painter. A stubborn and hotheaded character, he is initially unaware of his wife's secret.
Fluffy: the Pepperpot family dog
Cleo: the Pepperpot family cat
Mr. and Mrs. Björn Halken: a mouse couple and their five mice children Dee, Dum, Fa, La, and Thump. They live in a wall of the Pepperpot's house.
Lily: a mysterious girl who lives in the forest with her pet minkLou. Initially, she is the only one who knows Mrs. Pepperpot's secret, which she helps her keep.
Andy, Buck, and Cappa: three young boys who often play together
Parsley and Chip: a young girl and her baby brother
Carl and Sara: a lumberjack and his wife
Clara, Nellie, Samantha, and Ms. Jolebiene: friends of Mrs. Pepperpot
Dr. Prøysen: the town doctor. He enjoys giving shots.
Jahn: the town mailman
Mrs. Vienne and Aurélie: a well-to-do woman and her daughter
Mint: a town store owner and Andy's father
Mrs. Red Top, Chickie, and Chirpie: A mother hen and her two chicks
Olina: a crow
Michael: a fox
King Jaw: a wolf
Frogger: a frog
Buzzy: a bee
Black Jack: a one-eyed alley cat
Release
The series has been licensed in North America by Discotek Media who released it on Blu-ray in Japanese with English subtitles, and the English dub on April 26, 2022.[3]
