Lucy of the Southern Rainbow
1982 • Animation, Drama
Lucy of the Southern Rainbow is a Japanese anime series by Nippon Animation. The 1982 adaptation of the studio's popular World Masterpiece Theater franchise, the anime is based on Southern Rainbow by Australian writer Phyllis Piddington, and tells the story of a young girl named Lucy and the hardships and excitement she and her family encounter when they move from England to Adelaide in Australia to start a farm.
The anime has been dubbed into French, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, German and Persian.
One interesting note is that this was the only World Masterpiece Theater series to be produced while the original creator of the story was still alive. Another adaptation of the story, written by Ken Wakasaki as a tie-in to the anime, was also published in Japan in 1982.
Why you should read the novel
If you’re captivated by historical family adventures, the novel 'Southern Rainbow' by Phyllis Piddington offers a richer, more authentic experience than the animated Lucy of the Southern Rainbow TV series. Reading the source novel allows you to immerse yourself in the lively descriptions and nuanced emotions of life in 19th-century Australia. Discover the depth of Lucy’s character growth, the challenges she and her family faced, and the unfiltered reality of colonial settlement—all elements beautifully portrayed by Piddington’s storytelling. For lovers of classic children’s literature and history, the book uniquely connects you with the era’s culture, offering subtleties that no screen adaptation can fully capture. Choosing the book over the anime empowers readers to interpret the narrative through their own imagination, making it a timeless and unforgettable journey.
Adaptation differences
The TV adaptation, Lucy of the Southern Rainbow, introduces several narrative and structural changes that set it apart from Phyllis Piddington’s original novel. One notable difference is the pacing and scope of the storyline: the anime often simplifies or condenses events for episodic storytelling, while the book takes time to develop settings, relationships, and the emotional arcs of Lucy and her family. Additionally, the anime sometimes injects new characters or modifies existing ones to create a more child-friendly appeal, diverging from the book’s nuanced and historically grounded portrayals. Emotional depth and complexity are further expanded in the novel, where Piddington explores Lucy’s inner thoughts and the Australian landscape with greater literary detail than the visual medium allows. While the TV series offers a visually engaging introduction to Lucy’s journey, only the book provides a full appreciation of the socio-historical context of colonial Australia, as well as the hardships and triumphs that shaped Lucy’s coming-of-age experience. Fans of the series will find the novel a more profound and satisfying exploration of themes like family resilience, adaptation, and hope in challenging times. For those seeking an authentic literary adventure, 'Southern Rainbow' is a must-read for both its historical relevance and its heartfelt storytelling.
Lucy of the Southern Rainbow inspired from
Southern Rainbow
by Phyllis Piddington