TVFinished AiringG
Animation Kikou: Marco Polo no Bouken
Marco Polo's Adventures
Produced byMadhouse
AdventureHistorical
Airing: Apr 7, 1979 to Apr 5, 1980— spring 1979
Score
6.70420 users
Rank
#6426Global Ranking
Popularity
#13109Community Trend
Episodes
Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Marco Polo leaves his home in Venice on a trip to the little-known country of "Yuan", in the company of his father Nicolo and his uncle Matteo. Their mission is to deliver the sacred oil from the Tomb of Christ and a letter from the Pope to the Kublai.
Background Insight
This was an animated documentary on Marco Polo, mixed in with live-action footage. 43 episodes were broadcast on NHK from 1979 to 1980, but only the first and last episodes survive. While the cel animation was shot on film, post-production and editing were done on videotapes (normal for NHK programs), which have since been wiped. (Source: Cartoon Research) In 2021, NHK announced that they had successfully collected recordings of all 43 episodes from viewers and individuals involved with the show. NHK began a complete re-broadcast of the show on April 5, 2025. (Source: NHK)
Catalog Information
SourceOriginal
Episode Duration27 min per ep
Seasonspring 1979
