Stitch!

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Stitch!
Logo for the first season of the series.
スティッチ! (Sutitchi!)
Genre	Kodomo
TV anime
Stitch!
Director	Masami Hata
Studio	Madhouse, Walt Disney Animation Japan
Network	TV Tokyo Disney Channel Japan
Other networks: Disney Channel Malaysia Disney Channel Asia Disney Channel Latin America Disney Channel (Australia)
Original run	October 8, 2008 – March 25, 2009
Episodes	26
TV anime
Stitch! ~ The Mischievous Alien's Great Adventure ~
Director	Masami Hata
Studio	Madhouse, Walt Disney Animation Japan
Network	TV Asahi Disney Channel Japan
Original run	October 13, 2009 – ongoing
Anime and Manga Portal

Stitch! (スティッチ!, Sutitchi!^?) is a new anime project from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is an adapted version of the US animated feature film Lilo & Stitch and the subsequent spin-off series. It takes place in the future after the film and started in Japan in October 2008.^[1][2][3] The show features a Japanese girl named Yuna in place of Lilo, and is set on a fictional island in the Ryukyus off the shore of Okinawa instead of Hawaii. The island is called Izayoi. A second anime season, called Stitch! ~ The Mischievous Alien's Great Adventure (スティッチ!悪戯エイリアンの大冒険, Sutitchi! Itazura Eirian no Daiboken^?) began airing in Japan on October 13 2009.^[4]

The first season began airing in English on Disney Channel (Australia) on Friday, 4 December 2009 at 3:30 PM, and on Disney Channel Asia December 19 2009.

Production

Logo for "Stitch! ~The Mischievous Alien's Great Adventure~," the second season of the series.

The show is animated and co-produced by the Japanese animation house Madhouse LTD.^[1][2][3]

At the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair, the pilot for the series was showcased for attendees at the Madhouse booth. Information was also shown around Disney's booth, showing the cast of characters who will appear in the anime. From the information available, many of the past characters, such as Jumba Jookiba, Pleakley, and Captain Gantu will be appearing, as will three villains; Dr. Jacques von Hamsterviel, Experiment 627, and Leroy. In addition, the two experiments that came before him, Reuben and Angel, are in the anime.

Stitch! started on TV Tokyo and following affiliates at 7:00pm on October 8, 2008 and had an hour premiere of the first two episodes. Afterwords, it aired on every Wednesday after at 7:26PM timeslot, essentially replacing Bleach.

There are lots of Japanese culture in the anime. Lots of Japanese writing is shown on signs on buildings all over the town and even on the dojo that Yuna practices her karate in, as Izayoi is part of Japan along with Okinawa.

The Stitch! anime is a kodomo anime or kids anime. It is aimed at children aged 6 to 14 years. The storyline took on a lot younger and lighter tone in nature than some other anime. But unlike the movie and TV series and like all other anime, there are some darker, and mature content and themes as they were appropriate and friendly to the young little kids in Japan.

In the English dub of Stitch!, the series takes place after Lilo and Stitch: The Series. In it, Lilo has abandoned Stitch for a friend, causing him to revert to his destructive ways. Jumba and Pleakly promptly took him to Japan under the pretenses of making him stronger in order to rehabilitate him with the Spiritual Stone.

Characters

Yuna, initially given the name Hanako, is the new girl who replaces Lilo in this new adaptation.

Main characters

Yuna (ユウナ^?)

Seiyū: Motoko Kumai

She is a young 9-year old 4th grader, elementary-school student who lives on a fictional island off the shore of Okinawa called Izayoi. Living on Izayoi, she learned and studies karate, living a rather normal life, but having to deal with minor problems living with her grandmother, Obaa. However, one day she meets a strange creature that has come from the depths of space, Stitch.

Stitch (スティッチ, Sutitchi^?)

Seiyū: Kōichi Yamadera

Stitch, an alien from outer space, one day ends up falling to an island located on Earth, called Izayoi. He discovers "The Spiritual Stone" on Okinawa and learns it can grant his wish of becoming the strongest in the universe...provided he does enough good deeds.

Doctor Jumba (ジャンバ博士, Janba Hakase^?)

Seiyū: Shōzō Iizuka

He is an evil genius alien and Stitch's creator. He is assigned by the Galactic Council to watch over Stitch, and lives with Yuna and Obaa. He is much friendlier in this series than the original, and has less of a penchant for evil.

Pleakley (プリークリー, Purīkurī^?)

Seiyū: Yūji Mitsuya

He is a one-eyed alien working for the Galactic Council and Earth expert. He is Jumba's best friend, and lives with him along with Yuna, Obaa, and Stitch.

Obaa

Seiyū: Hisako Kyōda

Yuna's grandmother.

Kijimuna

Seiyū: Kappei Yamaguchi

He is a little being who is Yuna & Stitch's friend.

Angel (エンジェル, Enjeru^?)

Seiyū: Keiko Toda

She is an experiment numbered 624 and is Stitch's sweetheart.

Sparky

Seiyū: Yūji Mitsuya

He is an experiment numbered 221 who can create crippling electric surges.

Felix

Seiyū: Kappei Yamaguchi

He is an experiment numbered 010 who can use his vacuum-like trunk to sterilize, disinfect, and clean everything in sight.

Other characters

Piko (Penny)

Seiyū: Miyako Ito

Yuna's rival. She is also a black-team karate leader.

Koji (Kenny)

Seiyū: Yuka Nishigaki

Piko's brother.

Taka

Seiyū: Hitomi Hase

Piko's friend. His skin is like a langsat-colour skin.

Masa

Seiyū: Yuki Ishii

Piko's friend. He wears a cap and has orange hair.

Tarou

Seiyū: Tomoe Banba

Yuna's karate student and classmate.

Honda-san

Seiyū: Sōryū Konno

He is a postman.

Suzuki

Seiyū: Kanji Suzumori

He is a policeman.

Kawasaki-sensei

Seiyū: Ryōko Nagata

She is a teacher of Yuna's school

Sae-chan

Seiyū:

A new human girl in the new series, and Yuna's new friend. She is also a stylish transfer student.

BooGoo

Seiyū:

A new Japanese spirit. She is now Pleakley's pet.

Yuna's father

Seiyū:

Villians

Dr. Jacques Von Hämsterviel

Seiyū: Hiroshi Yanaka

The villain who is a college buddy of Jumba. He has been seen in Leroy and Stitch and Stitch The Movie.

Reuben

Seiyū: Kōji Ochiai

Experimented number 625, he has all powers of Stitch, but he is lazy and eats sandwiches.

Captain Gantu

Seiyū: Unshou Ishizuka

Use to be Captain of the galactic armada. He now works with Hamsterviel to steal Stitch's Gadget.

Episode list

Cast

Please note that the original voice cast from Lilo & Stitch did not reprise their roles for this anime.

Differences between the Japanese and the English

• The opening and ending in the English version is just electric guitars, taiko drums and character voices.
• The background music is different in the English version than the Japanese version.
• Some scenes were cut in the English version.

Crew

• Project Planning: Masao Maruyama
• Producers: Yasuteru Iwase, Satoru Yoshimoto
• Series Composition: Shoji Yonemura, Yuuko Kakihara
• Director: Masami Hata
• Animation Production: Madhouse
• Production: TV Tokyo, Madhouse, Walt Disney Animation Japan

DVD

The first DVD box set of the series will be out on Aug 05, 2009 in Japan, which will have episodes 1-13.^[5] A single DVD called Stitch! Kessaku Episode Shu / Sukisuki! Angel will also be out on the same day,^[6] but with only three episodes which are Episodes 6, 8 & 11 (Lovely! Angel - Episode 6, Stitch lost! - Episode 8 & Panic in the Pineapple Plant - Episode 11) & the 2nd half of the series (Episode 14-26) in another DVD box set will be out on Oct 07, 2009.^[7]

Theme songs

In the English version of the show, the opening theme song only uses generic music instead of any of the Japanese songs.

Stitch! (Season 1)

Opening theme

• "Ichariba Ohana" (イチャリバオハナ, "If We've Met Before, We're Ohana"^?) by Begin

Ending themes

• "Izayoi Yoi" (イザヨイヨイ^?, "Izayoi Evening") by Begin w/ Hatoma Kanako
• "Stitch is Coming" by Bless4

Stitch! ~Itazura Alien no Daibouken~ (Season 2)

Opening theme

• "SMILE" by Kimaguren

Ending theme

• "Stitch Eisa "by LoversSoul

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Disney seals Japan anime and "Lilo and Stich" deal, International business times, 2008-03-06
2. ^ ^{a b} Disney says to produce Anime 'made in Japan' (2008-03-08)
3. ^ ^{a b} Disney plans Japan animation effort, International Herald Tribune, 2008-03-06
4. ^ "Stitch! 2nd Season Announced". Animekon. http://www.animekon.com/news-955-Stitch-2nd-Season-Announced.html. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
5. ^ Play-asia.com
6. ^ Play-asia.com
7. ^ Play-asia.com

External links

Official Japanese Sites

• Disney's Stitch! website
• Disney's Stitch character page (Hawaii)
• Disney's Stitch character page (Okinawa)
• Official TV Asahi page of Stitch!

South East Asian Sites

• Official site from Disney Channel Asia (South East Asian)

American Fan Sites

• Stitch! on SaveLiloAndStitch.org

Others

• Stitch! (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia