Our journey through the cartoons that kept us company in our childhood in the eighties and nineties continues. After dealing with the stories of Lady Oscar, Pollon, Kiss me Lygia, Holly and Benji and many others, it's up to Carletto: The Prince of Monsters, a cartoon with a deceiving title. Broadly humorous, Carletto and his friends teach us to laugh at our fears with protagonists who are a parody of the various monsters that have made the history of cinema.
- Carletto: The Prince of Monsters, the landing in Italy
- Carletto: the plot
- Some curiosities about Carletto: the Prince of Monsters
- Carletto: the acronym has become a must
- The protagonists of Carletto the Prince of Monsters
- More 80s cartoons
Carletto: The Prince of Monsters, the landing in Italy
Carletto, prince of monsters, whose original title is Kaibatsu kun, is based on the manga comic by Fujiko Fujio, which many know for Doraemon. Shinei Doga produced it in 1980 and arrived in Italy in 1983 on the Italian television channel 1. The cartoon is made up of two series composed respectively of 50 and 47 episodes. Carletto is also the protagonist of two animated films entitled: "The sword of the demon" and "Invitation to the land of monsters".
Carletto: the plot
The series focuses on the little one Carletto who has the honor of being the prince of the Land of Monsters who is on a planet called Monsterland. On this planet we can meet all the monsters of the imagination. Meanwhile, the king of Monsilandia has opened an embassy in Japan, inside an old abandoned castle, and it is here that he sent his son Carletto. However, the prince is not alone, on the contrary there are three exceptional monsters with him: Count Dracula, Frankenstein e the Wolf Man. The peculiarity of these monsters is that, unlike the appellation they carry, they are more comical than scary. All are painted in a funny way and in no way reflect the protagonists of horror cinema who have troubled the dreams of several generations.
Carletto and the 'particular' abilities of monsters
If the Count Dracula, as we know it, aspires to feed on human blood, Carletto's trusty companion has as his favorite food tomato juice. Instead Frankenstein, called Frankie, is the classic character with superhuman strength but with little brain, but at the same time he is very sweet and is Carletto's butler. The Wolf Man, on the other hand, called Wolf, delights in the kitchen, preparing excellent culinary specialties. Like a good werewolf, Wolf, he can transform himself in the event of a full moon, taking on brown fur, but also if he is enchanted by looking at other types circles; in this case, however, the hair takes on a gray color.
Also Carletto De Spettis is endowed with special abilities. Our protagonist can take any shape, stretch considerably (7 meters and 33) and, like Frankenstein, is endowed with considerable strength. During his adventures Carletto uses a flying broom, while Frankie and Wolf use a flying carpet. Upon arriving in Japan, he will befriend Hiroshi, a child who lives with his sister Sis in a small apartment near the Monstership embassy. A beautiful friendship will be born between the two but this will inevitably involve him in all the misadventures that Carletto and his monster friends will have to experience during his stay.
Monsters and friendship with humans
In each episode, we remember being autoconclusive, Carletto, Frank, Dracula and Wolf find themselves dealing with monsters that threaten the serenity of humans. Just the little one Hiroshi will often be the target of these attacks: the group will have to deal with villains like the Mummy, the invisible man, the dinosaurs, the flying octopus, the mosquito man and many others. Carletto, given the important position held, will have the task of 'indoctrinating' these bad guys for good. In fact, he will try to teach them that evil is not the only way forward. Once the lesson is understood, the monsters will make friends with men, who in turn will understand that they need not be afraid of them anymore. On the other hand, Carletto's mission is precisely this: to free the earth from monsters.
Fujiko Fujio's noble goal
It is clear that the representation of the monsters made in this cartoon is far from being the 'canonical' one. The works of Fujiko Fujio, on the other hand, they are never banal and in Carletto: The Prince of Monsters it is shown how diversity can often be a point of strength and growth. Carletto teaches us to abandon 'preconceptions', not to frame something as such just because others have done so. In Carletto the word 'monster' is therefore emptied of its usual meaning; after all, how can you be afraid of a vampire who drinks tomato juice or a Frankenstein butler? The teaching ad abandon preconceptions and fears from these exalted it is certainly made easier thanks to the protagonist who is, in fact, a child. A choice that says a lot: if the little ones manage to laugh at their fears and monsters, we can all live with what torments us, often, unnecessarily.
By analyzing all these aspects, it becomes clear how Carletto: the Prince of Monsters has been so successful. The comic key mixed with the noble teaching that each episode wants to give to the viewer, such as integration and respect for the different, has made this cartoon unique in its genre.
Some curiosities about Carletto: the Prince of Monsters
The TV series that came to us in 83 was broadcast in Japan between 80 and 82, but it is the second anime dedicated to the character. From the manga dei Fujiko Fujio a black and white series was born, in '68, never landed in Italy. But also a part of the 80's color series is unpublished in our country. Carletto de Monsteris (in original Tarō Kaibutsu) was voiced by Massimo Corizza, the Italian voice of Guglia / Nobita in the first version of Doraemon. Lupo / Wolf had the voice of Rodolfo Baldini, Count Dracula that of the late Roberto del Giudice.
In 2009 a new home video version of Carletto the prince of monsters. This features a new dubbing and added some unreleased episodes to those already known, but not all. In fact, there are 44 episodes out of 94. Furthermore, the following year a live action TV series in 10 episodes inspired by Carletto was broadcast in Japan, followed in 2011 by a film with the same cast.
Carletto: the acronym has become a must
Mauro Goldsand, through statements made to the Repubblica portal last year, he told how the cartoon song has become one of the most loved. We are talking about the one who composed the theme song of our nice prince. These are his words: “Carletto was a very different cartoon compared to all the robots that were seen in the 80s. To write the theme song I was inspired by the comedians: we had a lot of fun making it ".
There were two acronyms: at the opening "Carletto and the monsters" and at the end "What a fear it makes me", both sung by The Monsters.
The protagonists of Carletto the Prince of Monsters
Carletto De Spettis: he looks like a child, even if you quickly realize that he is bigger than he looks. He is the son of the king of Monsterland,
Hiroshi Ichikawa: he is a human child and is Carletto's best friend.
Wolf: also called Wolf or Wolf Man, he is the cook of the house where the monsters live.
Frank: is the parody of Frankenstein. He is the butler of the house, tall, large and endowed with enormous strength.
Count Dracula: Spends the day sleeping, only goes out at night and drinks tomato juice instead of human blood.
Sis: is Hiroshi's sister.
Secondary monsters
Doctor No: is the doctor of monsters.
The fish man: seems to come from the Amazon.
Noble: it's a monster that looks like a green dinosaur.
Kong: is a parody of King Kong.
Kaiko: she is Carletto's keeper friend.
Willy: it's the windbreaker monster.
The snow boy: apparently it comes from the Himalayas.
Grugno: it is a pink monster less like a cat.
Haniwa: he is a kind of devil who becomes Carletto's friend.
Gameru: it's a kind of turtle.
The invisible man: it is a being who becomes visible with a blindfold and glasses.
Good: an alien enemy of Carletto.
Grandmother Grimm: aide to Carletto.
Granny Crow: Kaiko's helper.
Carletto The Prince Of Monsters - First Part (8 Dvd) (Box ...
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Other 80s cartoons
Do you like eighties cartoons? Check out our 80s anime column now and enjoy all the articles on the subject. Lady Oscar, Pollon, Kiss me Lygia, Holly and Benji and many others are waiting for you!
Carletto the Prince of Monsters Count Dracula Frankenstein Fujiko Fujio the Wolf Man Carletto the Prince of Monsters: how to neutralize our fears
