Moomin (1990 TV series)

Moomin
Cover of the Official BluRay Box Set, with illustration from Tove Jansson.
楽しいムーミン一家 (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka)
Genre	Fantasy, Adventure
Anime television series
Directed by	Hiroshi Saitô Masayuki Ojima
Produced by	Kazuo Tabata
Written by	Masaaki Sakurai
Music by	Sumio Shiratori
Studio	TV Tokyo Telescreen Japan Inc. Telecable Benelux B.V.
Original network	TV Tokyo
English network	TVBIH (Bosnia and Herzegovina) YLE (Finland) IBA (Israel) NRK (Norway) TVP1 (Poland) SET Metro, FTV (Taiwan) CBBC (UK)
Original run	1990 – 1992
Episodes	104

Moomin (楽しいムーミン一家, Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka) is the third anime TV series adaptation based on the books by the Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson. It was produced in 1990-91 by TV Tokyo, Telescreen Japan Inc., Finlands Broadcasting YLE and Telecable Benelux B.V.. It helped fuel the "Moomin boom" of 1990s and became the second most well known series adaptation based on the books (the other being The Moomins). The series has been broadcast in many parts of the world including Spain, Bosnia, Greece, Hawaii (where it was titled The Tales of Moominvalley), Israel, Nepal, Poland, Scandinavia, South Africa, Taiwan, Mexico, Montenegro and the United Kingdom. The European version of the series considers the Japanese series' sequel Delightful Moomin Family: Adventure Diary (楽しいムーミン一家 冒険日記, Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Bōken Nikki) the second season of the same series and numbers the corresponding episodes 79-104. The series was followed by a film: Comet in Moominland.

Characters

Main characters

The Moomin family and friends. From left to right, Sniff, Moominmamma, Moominpappa, Moomin (Moomintroll) and Little My.

• Moomintroll - The main character, simply referred to as 'Moomin' by his friends. He is highly spirited and with a keen sense of adventure and fun. He is Snufkin and Sniff's best friend, and secretly has a crush on Snork Maiden. Though not the leader of the gang, he is undoubtedly the bravest and is often the catalyst for many of their adventures.
• Snufkin - Moomintroll's best friend, who travels south every winter and returns in the spring. He is the son of the Joxter. Snufkin is an adventurer and a vagabond, loved by those who are small and shy. He is an introverted and silent creature, yet highly admired by his friends, especially Moomin who constantly seeks his approval. Snufkin wears old green clothes and a wide brimmed hat that he's owned since birth. Unlike his friends from Moomin Valley, Snufkin enjoys his own company and lives in a tent near the Moomins' house. He spends his time fishing and playing the harmonica (although he was shown to be smoking a pipe in the books). Snufkin is an environmentalist, who has a great dislike for The Park Keeper and the many regulation signs and fences he puts up. In one episode he sabotages The Park Keeper by planting Hattifatteners in his garden, which then grow and drive him out. Snufkin shows philosophical values similar to those in Buddhism: viewing possessions as a burden, and being happier keeping the memory of a thing rather than the thing itself.
• The Snork Maiden - Moomin's girlfriend and admirer. She is gentle, optimistic and a little vain, but kindhearted and a famous beauty in Moomin Valley. She lives with her brother The Snork. Snork Maiden and The Snork are 'Snorks' - a species related to Moomins. She is identifiable by her fringe and gold anklet.
• Sniff - Sniff resembles a kangaroo. He is one of few characters who, like Stinky, exhibit outright greed and gluttony. Yet unlike Stinky Sniff is loyal and kind, if a little cowardly. He is always on the lookout for another way to make money. He is highly neurotic and hates the water, being normally the first to run away if an adventure gets a little too scary.
• Little My - A small, mischievous and spiteful "Tomboy" who appears not to be afraid of anything. Little My is the younger sister of Mymble. She is very aggressive and often speaks rudely, but can be a good friend. She became a semi-permanent resident of the Moomin household after her sister Mymble was unable to cope with looking after her. She is very small, but makes up for this with her brash and loud personality. Her hair is red and always gathered in a distinctive bun. She wears a simple red dress with black gloves. She is larger in the series than her counterpart in the books, where is is dwarfed by an orange and Jansson's illustration shows her being only slightly larger than an ant.
• Moominpappa - Left on the doorstep of an orphanage as a baby, Moominpappa is a restless soul who went on many adventures in his youth. Moominpappa's lost youth is often referenced in the Moomins, and he can usually be found working on his memoirs. Although determined to be a responsible father, he can sometimes be a little bumbling or ignorant. He is identifiable by his black top-hat.
• Moominmamma - The mother of Moomin, and a motherly figure to all the other characters. She is considerate and stoic, a good host to guests and an excellent cook. She makes medicines from a book she inherited from her grandmother, and loves gardening and cooking. Moominmamma is almost never without her handbag and always wears a red and white striped apron.

Other characters

• Snork - Snork Maiden's brother and good friend of the Moomins. He is an inventor whose dream is to fly, and throughout the series builds a giant flying ship for this purpose. He is bespectacled and a stickler for rules, and keeps himself somewhat distant from the rest of the group.
• The Hemulen - A senior from the 'Hemulen' species who are famed collectors. Having finished collecting stamps, he moves onto botany, before finally becoming a Birdwatcher. He is goodhearted yet pitiful, partly due to his bumbling personality. He helps Moomin and Snork Maiden whenever they are in need of help. Other characters frequently find Hemulen's annoying or overwhelming, as they can be somewhat loud, bossy, abrasive and insensitive, but they are well intentioned and usually have other redeeming qualities. He, like the rest of his species, wears a dress. In the books he is known as "The Hemulen".
• Mrs Fillyjonk - A highly neurotic, female weasel-like being who is the opposite of the Moomin family. She never feels a single moment of fantasy or joy, only duties and discipline. She is an extremely methodical individual tied down with principles and has a deep rooted belief in prestige and tradition. But in a catastrophe, Fillyjonk may behave totally irrationally. A Fillyjonk (presumably Mrs Fillyjonk's aunt) raised Moominpappa in an orphanage (a Hemulen in Tove Jansson's original book). Deep inside she probably has a wish to live like the Moomin family, without any worries. She is most often accompanied by her three children, of whom she is very protective.
• Mymble's daughter - later known as simply the Mymble, she is the oldest of Mymble's many children. Every bit as independent as her youngest sibling, Little My, but much calmer and more mature, Mymble's daughter is very proud of being the oldest sibling, and considers it her duty to raise Little My.
• The Police Inspector - a by-the-book yet bumbling Hemulen in charge of law enforcement in the valley. He has a crush on Mymble.
• The Witch - The Witch looks quite scary but is just a harmless old lady. For a long time she's unfriendly towards the Moomins and is against her granddaughter, Alicia, spending time with them. She warms up to them somewhat after they help her out on a few occasions, though, and allows Alicia to see them when not busy with her training.
• Alicia - the Witch's granddaughter and witch-in-training, likes the Moomins and plays with them secretly whenever the Witch is otherwise occupied.
• The Groke - The most terrifying figure in Moomin Valley. She is cold and ghostlike, and represents loneliness and all that is scary in the world of Moomin. She seeks warmth and friendship, but is unable to attain these as her touch freezes everything. Although she has a scary appearance and is dangerous to get close to due to the cold that she's radiating, she's not really evil - just very lonely.
• Hattifatteners - Small white ghost-like creatures that resemble fingers. Hattifatteners are always on the move and travel in large groups (but always in odd numbers), such as boat convoys. Their only goal in life is to reach the horizon. During their travels they never say a word to each other, and it's doubtful that they have the ability to talk at all as they seem to communicate solely by telepathy. The Hattifatteners cannot see very well, but their sense of touch is very strong, and they can feel ground vibrations and electricity. Hattifatteners assemble once a year when they "recharge" in a thunderstorm. At this time they should be avoided since they are highly charged and can give electrical burns - which the Hemulen is to learn himself when he steals their barometer and has to take refuge up a pole. Despite physiologically resembling animals, Hattifatteners grow from seeds. Planting Hattifattener seeds where someone has taken up residence is an effective way to get rid of him/her.
• The Hobgoblin - A powerful magician and wizard who travels the Universe with his flying panther, looking for the King's Ruby. His hat is found in the Lonely Mountains by Moomintroll, Snufkin and Sniff in the first episode, who take it back to Moominhouse. Chaos ensues, as anything you put inside the hat is transformed. Moomintroll himself is changed into a strange creature by the hat when he uses it to hide in during a game. The Hobgoblin himself appears in the second episode to take his hat back, and then in episode 8 when Thingumy and Bob are revealed to possess the King's Ruby. The Hobgoblin seems dark and imposing, but is really quite fair-minded and kind. He has the ability to grant wishes, however it only works for others and never himself.
• Thingumy and Bob - Two little creatures who turn up in Moominvalley with a large suitcase, which contains the King's Ruby. They speak a strange language and are pursued by the Groke who wants the contents. They upset Moominmamma by stealing her handbag. They eventually return it and the whole family throws a party to celebrate. The Hobgoblin arrives when Thingumy and Bob open the suitcase, exposing the King's Ruby for all to see. While they didn't give him the ruby, when the Hobgoblin gave everyone there a wish they wished for the Hobgoblin to have a ruby as beautiful as theirs; the Queen's Ruby.
• Stinky - A criminal by profession, trickster, and a dangerous influence who tempts the Moomin family to do things that are against the law. He has a code of conduct of his own, and is offended when the Moomins want to give him a large sum of money which has been causing them much trouble. Physically, Stinky looks like some sort of furry mammal, whose most characteristic attribute is his constant, unbearable stench, which also reflects his general attitude. His tricks are cruel and often dangerous - such as releasing wild animals from the zoo so they can get the Moomin family, or pressuring the Fillyjonk children into using a perilous rope swing. Luckily, he always gets his comeuppance.
• The Mymble - Mother of Little My and The Mymble's Daughter. She has many, many children, but is very jolly, her name was mentioned in Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 2 as well her appearance as a child between The Mymble's Daughter and Little My's ages.
• Too-Ticky - A friend of the family, craftsman and practical philosopher. She resembles a sailor, and seems wise beyond her years in a similar way to Snufkin.
• Ninny - A young girl who was turned invisible, shy and speechless due to the sarcastic and cold treatment from her Aunt. She was made to wear a bell so that others could be aware of her presence. The Aunt decided she could not look after an invisible child and so left her in the care of Too-Ticky, who decided the best place for her was with the warm, loving Moomin family. Their kindness gradually turned most of her visible, and a spout of anger at Moomin Papa revealed her head, which had remained hidden for weeks. Stinky tried to stop her from becoming visible again so that he could use her for a bank robbery, but his plans were foiled by Moomin and his friends. Too-Ticky returned to collect her, with her visibility, speech and confidence restored.
• Lady of the Cold - A strange and mystical character that glides through the ice and snow during winter. She has three legs and two arms, all of which have star shaped appendages on the end. Too-Ticky creates horses out of snow that the Lady brings to life in order to ride them through the sky, thus bringing an end to winter. She has the power to freeze people with her gaze, as Little My is to learn. Luckily My is soon thawed out by Too-Ticky and Moomin.

List of episodes

Season 1

#	Title	Original airdate
1 - 101	"The Moomin Valley in Spring" (ムーミン谷の春 Mūmindani no Haru)	April 12, 1990
2 - 102	"The Magic Hat" (魔法の帽子 Mahō no Bōshi)	April 12, 1990
3 - 103	"The Discovery of a Wrecked Ship" (浜で見つけた難破船 Hama de Mitsuketa Nanpasen)	April 19, 1990
4 - 104	"The Moomins Discover the Island" (おばけ島へようこそ Obakejima e Yōkoso)	April 26, 1990
5 - 105	"The Secrets of the Hattifatteners" (ニョロニョロの秘密 Nyoronyoro no Himitsu)	May 3, 1990
6 - 106	"Tiny Guests" (小さな小さなお客様 Chiisana Chiisana Okyakusama)	May 10, 1990
7 - 107	"The Suitcase" (スーツケースの中身 Sūtsukēsu no Nakami)	May 17, 1990
8 - 108	"The Hobgoblin's Magic" (飛行オニの魔術 Hikōoni no Majutsu)	May 24, 1990
9 - 109	"An Invisible Friend" (姿の見えないお友達 Sugata no Mienai Otomodachi)	May 31, 1990
10 - 110	"The Invisible Child" (笑顔がもどったニンニ Egao ga Modotta Ninni)	June 7, 1990
11 - 111	"The Wings" (大空を飛ぶスノーク Ōsora o Tobu Sunōku)	June 14, 1990
12 - 112	"The Pirate" (ムーミン海賊と闘う Mūmin Kaizoku to Tatakau)	June 21, 1990
13 - 113	"The Last Dragon on Earth" (地球最後の龍 Chikyū Saigo no Ryū)	June 28, 1990
14 - 114	"Our Neighbour is a Tough Teacher" (お隣りさんは教育ママ Otonarisan wa Kyōiku Mama)	July 5, 1990
15 - 115	"Snorkmaiden's Lost Memory" (記憶を失ったフローレン Kiyoku o Ushinatta Furōren)	July 12, 1990
16 - 116	"A Close Encounter with Aliens" (ムーミン谷に火星人! Mūmindani ni Kaseijin!)	July 26, 1990
17 - 117	"A Change of Air" (ムーミンパパの家出 Mūminpapa no Iede)	August 2, 1990
18 - 118	"The Wooden Crate" (海から来た魔法の種 Umi kara Kita Mahō no Tane)	August 9, 1990
19 - 119	"Buried in a Jungle" (ムーミン谷はジャングル Mūmindani wa Janguru)	August 23, 1990
20 - 120	"Moomin Saves the Tigers" (ムーミン虎たちを救う Mūmin Tora-tachi o Sukuu)	August 30, 1990
21 - 121	"Snufkin Leaves Moomin Valley" (スナフキンの旅立ち Sunafukin no Tabidachi)	September 6, 1990
22 - 122	"Moomin and Little My's Adventure" (ムーミンとミイの大冒険 Mūmin to Mī no Daibōken)	September 13, 1990
23 - 123	"Visitors in Winter" (ムーミン谷の冬の住人 Mūmindani no Fuyu no Jūnin)	September 20, 1990
24 - 124	"Hurry Up Snufkin" (帰ってこないスナフキン Kaettekonai Sunafukin)	September 27, 1990
25 - 125	"The Lighthouse" (パパの夢をのせて Papa no Yume oo Nosete)	October 4, 1990
26 - 126	"The Day the Lighthouse Lit Up" (灯台に明かりのともる日 Tōdai ni Akari no Tomoru Hi)	October 4, 1990
27 - 127	"Aunt Jane" (お金持ちのジェーンおばさん Okanemochi no Jēn Obasan)	October 18, 1990
28 - 128	"The Floating Theatre" (浮かぶばけもの屋敷 Ukabu Bakemono Yashiki)	October 25, 1990
29 - 129	"The Lost Children" (離れ離れの家族 Hanare Banare no Kazoku)	November 1, 1990
30 - 130	"Midsummer" (喜びの再会 Yorokobi no Saikai)	November 8, 1990
31 - 131	"The Big Explosion" (スノークの空飛ぶ船 Sunōku no Sora Tobu Fune)	November 15, 1990
32 - 132	"The Golden Fish" (まぼろしの金色の魚 Maboroshi no Kin'iro no Sakana)	November 22, 1990
33 - 133	"The Spirit in the Lamp" (魔法のランプに願いを込めて Mahō no Ranpu ni Negai o Komete)	November 29, 1990
34 - 134	"The Kite" (たこに乗ったミイ Tako ni Notta Mī)	December 6, 1990
35 - 135	"The Witch" (帰ってきた魔女 Kaettekita Majo)	December 13, 1990
36 - 136	"Christmas Is Coming" (クリスマスって何? Kurisumasu tte Nani?)	December 20, 1990
37 - 137	"The Midwinter Bonfire" (冬の生物たちのお祭り Fuyu no Seibutsu-tachi no Omatsuri)	December 27, 1990
38 - 138	"The Spell" (眠りの魔法 Nemuri no Mahō)	January 1, 1991
39 - 139	"Things That Go Bang in the Night" (真夜中の不思議な音 Mayonaka no Fushigina Oto)	January 1, 1991
40 - 140	"The Secret Fireworks" (花火の秘密 Hanabi no Himitsu)	January 10, 1991
41 - 141	"Crooks in Moomin Valley" (ムーミン谷の怪事件 Mūmindani no Kaijiken)	January 17, 1991
42 - 142	"The Solar Eclipse" (魔女のほうき Majo no Hōki)	January 24, 1991
43 - 143	"The Prima Donna" (サーカスのヒロイン Sākasu no Hiroin)	January 31, 1991
44 - 144	"The Birthday Present" (すてきなお誕生日 Sutekina Otanjōbi)	February 7, 1991
45 - 145	"Moomin Builds a House" (ムーミンの建てた家 Mūmin no Tateta Ie)	February 14, 1991
46 - 146	"Dame Elaine" (パパは大金持ち? Papa wa Ōkanemochi?)	February 21, 1991
47 - 147	"The Hot Spring" (温泉が出た! Onsen ga Deta)	February 28, 1991
48 - 148	"The Bubbles" (シャボン玉に乗ったムーミン Shabondama ni Notta Mūmin)	March 7, 1991
49 - 149	"The Giant Pumpkin" (ママの秘密 Mama no Himitsu)	March 14, 1991
50 - 150	"The Imp" (枯木の中の声 Kareki no Naka no Koe)	March 21, 1991
51 - 151	"Snorkmaiden Goes Psychic" (フローレンの超能力 Furōren no Chōnōryoku)	March 28, 1991
52 - 152	"The Treasure Hunt" (宝探しで大騒ぎ Takarasagashi de Ōsawagi)	April 4, 1991
53 - 153	"The Water Nymph" (水の妖精 Mizu no Yōsei)	April 4, 1991
54 - 154	"Mymble's Diamond" (ミムラに贈り物 Mimura ni Okurimono)	April 18, 1991
55 - 155	"Moominpappa's Second Youth" (寂しそうなパパ Sabishisōna Papa)	April 25, 1991
56 - 156	"The Secret Dish" (旅に出たママ Tabi ni Deta Mama)	May 2, 1991
57 - 157	"Motherly Love" (フローレンの子育て Furōren no Kosodate)	May 9, 1991
58 - 158	"Artists in Moominvalley" (ムーミン谷のコンテスト Mūmindani no Kontesuto)	May 16, 1991
59 - 159	"Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 1" (パパの思い出 Papa no Omoide)	May 23, 1991
60 - 160	"The Terrible Little My" (ミイのいたずら Mī no Itazura)	May 30, 1991
61 - 161	"Moomin's the Fortune-Teller" (ムーミンは天才占い師 Mūmin wa Tensai Uranaishi)	June 6, 1991
62 - 162	"Witch-Walking" (魔法の言葉 Mahō no Kotoba)	June 13, 1991
63 - 163	"Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 2" (オーケストラ号の冒険 Ōkesutora-gō no Bōken)	June 20, 1991
64 - 164	"Moomin and the Birds" (巣立ちの日 Sudachi no Hi)	July 4, 1991
65 - 165	"The Fancy-Dress Ball" (ムーミンの秘密 Mūmin no Himitsu)	July 11, 1991
66 - 166	"The Vampire" (ムーミン谷の吸血鬼 Mūmindani no Kyūketsuki)	July 18, 1991
67 - 167	"The Chair" (壊れたパパの大事な椅子 Kowareta Papa no Daiji na Isu)	July 25, 1991
68 - 168	"Adventures of Moominpappa: Part 3" (ママと運命の出会い Mama to Unmei no Deai)	August 1, 1991
69 - 169	"The Phoenix" (伝説の不死鳥の危機 Densetsu no Fushichō no Kiki)	August 8, 1991
70 - 170	"Moomin's Big Fish" (お魚パーティーで仲直り Osakana Pātī de Nakanaori)	August 15, 1991
71 - 171	"The Slug-a-Bed Mushrooms" (光るキノコの正体 Hikaru Kinoko no Shōtai)	August 22, 1991
72 - 172	"Moomin and the Dolphin" (ムーミンとイルカの友情 Mūmin to Iruka no Yūjō)	August 29, 1991
73 - 173	"The Cave" (ムーミン探検隊 Mūmin Tankentai)	September 5, 1991
74 - 174	"A Wonderful Present" (歌う花のプレゼント Utau Hana no Purezento)	September 12, 1991
75 - 175	"The Fabulous Emerald" (ムーミンのすてきな夢 Mūmin no Suteki na Yume)	September 19, 1991
76 - 176	"Painting a House" (こわれたおうち Kowareta Ouchi)	September 26, 1991
77 - 177	"The Great Race" (完成!空飛ぶ船 Kansei! Sora Tobu Fune)	October 3, 1991
78 - 178	"Going South" (ムーミン大空へ Mūmin Ōzora e)	October 3, 1991

Season 2

#	Title	Original airdate
1 - 201	"The Ring on a Finger" (ムーミンが結婚!? Mūmin ga Kekkon!?)	???
2 - 202	"The Girl With Birds" (スニフの恋 Sunifu no Koi)	???
3 - 203	"A Wind of Freedom" (新しい生き方のすすめ Atarashii Ikikata no Susume)	???
4 - 204	"Mr Caramel" (世話好きなおばさん Sewazuki na Obasan)	???
5 - 205	"A Real Gold Mine" (金色のしっぽ Kin'iro no Shippo)	???
6 - 206	"Sand Sculptures" (ムーミン谷の彫刻展 Mūmindani no Chōkokuten)	???
7 - 207	"The Beach" (僕らの浜辺をかえして Bokura no Hamabe o Kaeshite)	???
8 - 208	"A Bothersome Nephew" (署長さんの悩み Shōchō-san no Nayami)	???
9 - 209	"The Time Travel Machine" (ご先祖様で大さわぎ Gosenzo-sama de Ōsawagi)	???
10 - 210	"The Circle of Secrets" (チン入者で大騒動 Chinnyūsha de Ōsōdō)	???
11 - 211	"The Dragon" (からの招待状 Kara no Shōtaijō)	???
12 - 212	"The Desert" (タイムマシーンふたたび発動 Taimumashīn Futatabi Hatsudō)	???
13 - 213	"Queen Cleothystra" (女王陛下とドッキンコ Joō Heika to Dokkinko)	???
14 - 214	"The Treasure Map" (ニョロニョロがぞろぞろ Nyoro Nyoro ga Zoro Zoro)	???
15 - 215	"A Sniff at Everything" (便利屋さんはコーリゴリ Benriya-san wa Kōrigori)	???
16 - 216	"Funny Disguises" (ムーミンが大変身 Mūmin ga Daihenshin)	???
17 - 217	"Moomin in Cowboy Country" (ムーミン西部に行く Mūmin Seibu ni Iku)	???
18 - 218	"Moominson Crusoe" (ムーミン一家漂流記 Mūmin Ikka Hyōryūki)	???
19 - 219	"Hidden love of Pretty Mee" (ミィが恋わずらい? Mī ga Koiwazurai?)	???
20 - 220	"Tears of the Dragon" (竜の涙を捜せ! Ryū no Namida o Sagase!)	???
21 - 221	"Chouca Lisa" (ムーミンルネッサンスへ行く Mūmin Runessansu e Iku)	???
22 - 222	"The Night of the Red Moon" (お月様が落っこちる?! Otsuki-sama ga Okkochiru?!)	???
23 - 223	"Return to childhood" (パパのいたずら大作戦 Papa no Itazura Daisakusen)	???
24 - 224	"The Birthday Surprise" (ミィのやけくそ誕生日 Mī no Yakekuso Tanjōbi)	???
25 - 225	"The Moomins and the Fake Yeti" (秘密の薬を捜せ! Himitsu no Kusuri o Sagase!)	???
26 - 226	"The Starry Voyage" (笑顔の戻ったムーミン谷 Egao no Modotta Mūmindani)	???

Differences from the books

The series has some differences from the books, more strongly than the 1977-82 The Moomins series, but not as much as the 1969-70 Moomin anime series. Some notable differences include:

• Moomintroll is called "Moomin", except the first episode in the Japanese version, where the narrator introduces him as "Moomintroll".
• Little My appears in the series from the beginning, but appears only in later volumes in the books.
• Lady of the Cold looks very different from the description in the books.
• In the books the Moomins exchange the King's Ruby for the Hobgoblin's top hat and the Hobgoblin later arrives, to collect the King's Ruby, with a new hat. In the series however, Hobgoblin gets his top hat back in the second episode and in the seventh episode the Moomins instead exchange the King's Ruby for a heart-shaped sea-shell Snorkmaiden gave Moomin.
• A Fillyjonk raises Moominpappa in the orphanage in the series, while in the books it's a Hemulen who raises him.
• Snorkmaiden and Sniff who disappear occasionally in the book series have bigger roles in the TV series and they appear quite often throughout the series.　
• Snufkin takes a friendly attitude towards people who are not in the Moomin family. He doesn't smoke a pipe in the series.
• Alicia and her grandmother (the witch) are characters who were invented for the series, they did not exist in books.
• 80 of the 104 episodes have nothing to do with the books; being either based on the Moomin comic strips or original creations.

Home video

Selected episodes of the English dub were released on VHS, and in 2005 a R2 DVD of the first five episodes, entitled Moomin Mania was released by Maverick Entertainment, but was later discontinued.

As of 2009, four DVD volumes has been released in the UK by STAX Entertainment, while Telescreen has released eight volumes and two box sets for the American market.

In Scandinavia, the series was released by Svensk Filmindustri and by Finnkino in Finland. The Finnish DVD release had both the Finnish and the Swedish dub, while the Swedish release had only the Swedish.

In Japan, the series was released both as individual DVD volumes and box sets by Victor Entertainment. A BluRay Box Set is also been released on December 21, 2012.

External links

• Moomin at Telescreen
• Moomin at IMDb
• Moomin (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Moomin (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Moomin at ClassicKidsTV.co.uk