Thomas and the U.K. Trip

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“Ya, Tōmasu! Boku Gachapin, Nippon kara kitanda! (Hi, Thomas! I'm Gachapin, I came from Japan.)"
"Anō, Anō, Watashi wa Mukku desū. (Um, Um, I am Mukku.)"
"Yā! Yoku kitane! (Hi! Welcome to!)”

―Gachapin, Mukku and Thomas

Thomas the Tank Engine and the U.K. Trip (Japanese: きかんしゃトーマスとイギリスのたび) is a Japanese Thomas & Friends/" Ponkicki" crossover special. It aired in December 1991 exclusively in Japan.

Plot

Two children's television characters from Japan, Gachapin and Mukku, travel to the United Kingdom. During their visit, they stop on Sodor to meet Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt, and the other engines. During the second half of the programme, they visit real railways as recommended by Sir Topham Hatt and learn how steam locomotives work.

Production

According to producer Yōichi Fujita, in 1991, Fuji Television Network submitted the plan of this special to the Britt Allcroft Company.^[1] Later, Britt Allcroft requested Fuji TV to submit the storyboard, and Atsuo Sugano completed and submitted it overnight.^[1]

In the fall, the special was photographed in the UK with the filming cooperation of FCI London, a Fuji TV group company, and the cooperation of Japan Airlines, the British Tourist Authority and Kensington, Inc. Also, the scenes of Thomas and his friends interacting with Gachapin and Mukku were filmed at Shepperton Studios for this special during the production of the third series with the filming cooperation of the Britt Allcroft Group Limited.^[2]

The special was broadcast in Japan on 30 and 31 December 1991, the year before the third series broadcast.

Characters

Thomas
Gordon
Percy
Sir Topham Hatt
Gachapin and Mukku
Edward (Introduction only)
Toby (Introduction only)
Duck (Introduction only)
Donald and Douglas (Introduction only)
Bill and Ben (Introduction only)
Henry (does not speak)
James (does not speak)
Oliver (does not speak)
Mavis (does not speak)
Bulgy (does not speak)
Diesel (cameo)
BoCo (cameo)
Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
Henrietta (cameo)
Troublesome Trucks (cameos)
Toad (cameo)
Bertie (cameo)
Trevor (cameo)
Harold (cameo)
Peckett No. 1900 (cameo)
Wilbert (basis only)

Locations

Episodes

First day

Second day

Songs

Cast

Keiko Toda as Thomas
Kenji Utsumi as Gordon
Chisato Nakajima as Percy
Kōhei Miyauchi as Sir Topham Hatt
Kuniko Amamiya as Gachapin
Juuji Matsuda as Mukku
Yoshimi Shūei as Facilitate

Trivia

This was the first mark of several things:
- Oliver, Mavis and Bulgy's nameboards first appeared.
- I'm Thomas the Tank Engine was first debuted.
There are four instances of songs by The Beatles being played (of which Ringo Starr was the drummer) and one instance of a song that was covered by Marmalade (of which Junior Campbell was part):
- "Magical Mystery Tour" can be heard during the intro.
- An instrumental version of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", covered by David Arnold, Paul Hart & the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from the 1989 album 'Pop Go The Beatles', is used when different locations on the Island of Sodor are being introduced.
- An instrumental version of "The Fool on the Hill" is used when Tidmouth Sheds first appears.
- "When I'm Sixty-Four" plays during the end credits.
Thomas' Anthem is played in English, thus being the first time a Thomas song is broadcast in English outside the UK and the USA.
Fuji Television produced "I'm Thomas the Tank Engine" as Thomas' image song for Japan,^[1] so they did not acquire the right to produce a music video. After that, it officially acquired the right.
This is the last Thomas the Tank Engine production produced in 1991.
Because this production was only aired exclusively in Japan, there is no English dub for both the UK and the US making it one of the only pieces of Thomas & Friends media not to be dubbed in English.

Goofs

When Thomas is talking to Gachapin and Mukku, a wire is hanging from underneath Thomas' running board.
Henry's firebox is crooked.
When James and Henry puff out of the shed, they are going slowly, but the sound of them puffing is fast.
Bulgy was incorrectly referred to as "バルギー(Barugī)" instead of "バルジー(Barujī)".

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Ponkicki Days 3 chapter 3
↑ "A Britt Allcroft production in association with Fuji Television Network, Inc." was credited at the ending of the third series.