Stitch!


Stitch! is a Japanese anime spin-off of Disney's Lilo & Stitch franchise. It is the franchise's second television series, after . The anime series aired in Japan from October 2008 to March 2011, later receiving additional television specials in 2012 and 2015. It features a Japanese girl named Yuna Kamihara, who takes the place of Lilo Pelekai as the best friend of the titular Stitch, and is set on a fictional island in the Ryukyus off the shore of Okinawa called Izayoi instead of Kauai, Hawaii.
The first arc of the series, which serves as the first season outside Japan, was produced by Madhouse and aired from 8 October 2008 to 25 March 2009. A second arc of the original series, called Stitch! ~The Mischievous Alien's Great Adventure~ aired in Japan from 13 October 2009 to 29 June 2010, completing Madhouse's 56 original episodes of the show. A 29-episode sequel series from the original two-arc anime, entitled Stitch! ~Best Friends Forever~ aired on TV Asahi from 6 July 2010 to 8 March 2011, with Shin-Ei Animation taking over production. Then, a TV special continuing from the sequel series entitled Stitch and the Planet of Sand aired on 16 June 2012. Following this, three years following the release of Stitch and the Planet of Sand and announced on 26 June 2015, a TV special entitled Stitch! Perfect Memory aired on 7 August 2015 as part of a "Stitch! New Specials" series. However, the anime would nonetheless be succeeded in the franchise by the Chinese animated series Stitch & Ai in 2017, effectively ending the anime's run.

Production

In March 2008, Walt Disney Television International Japan started procuring its own animated shows with their first two debuting at Tokyo International Anime Fair 2008, producing Stitch! with Japanese animation studio Madhouse. Seasons one and two of Stitch! were animated by Madhouse, and season three was animated by Shin-Ei Animation.
At the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair, the pilot for the series was showcased for attendees at the Madhouse booth. Information was also shown around Disney's booth, showing the cast of characters who would appear in the anime. Many of the past characters, such as Jumba Jookiba and Pleakley, appear, as well as five villains: Gantu, Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel, Experiment 625/Reuben, Experiment 627, and a new villain named Delia. In addition, two characters, Experiment 624/Angel, Experiment 221/Sparky and Experiment 010/Felix, also appear in the anime due to their popularity from the American franchise.
Stitch! started on TV Tokyo and following affiliates at 7:00 p.m. on October 8, 2008, and had an hour premiere of the first two episodes. Afterwards, it aired on every Wednesday after at 7:26 p.m. time slot, essentially replacing Bleach.
Where the Hawaiian culture was featured in the original version, the culture of Okinawa Prefecture and the other Ryukyu Islands is featured. For example, Yuna's karate has replaced Lilo's hula.
The Stitch! anime is influenced by children's manga. It was originally aimed in Japan at young kids aged 4 to 14 years. Most of the main characters are young children ranging from 8–12 years old, including Yuna. However, unlike the movies and American series, the anime contains darker and more mature content.
The series is edited and localized for younger English-speaking and Western audiences and a lower TV rating. Every English-speaking country aired the American English dub.

Characters

Main characters

; Stitch
; List of Lilo & Stitch characters#Yuna Kamihara
; List of Lilo & Stitch characters#Jumba Jookiba
; List of Lilo & Stitch characters#Pleakley
; Obaa Kamihara
; Kijimunaa

Other characters

; List of Lilo & Stitch characters#Angel
; List of Lilo & Stitch characters#Sparky
; Felix
; Piko
; Sae
; Zuruko
; Takumi
; Reika
; Lilo Pelekai

Villains

; Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel
; Gantu
; Reuben
; Delia
; Dark End
; Cyber

Episode list

Cast

The original English voice cast from the Lilo & Stitch films and Lilo & Stitch: The Series did not reprise their roles for this anime.
CharacterVoice Actor Voice Actor
StitchKōichi YamaderaBenjamin Diskin
Yuna KamiharaMotoko KumaiEden Riegel
Dr. Jumba JookibaShōzō IizukaJess Winfield
Agent PleakleyYūji MitsuyaTed Biaselli
Dr. Jacques von HämstervielHiroshi YanakaKirk Thornton
GantuUnshou IshizukaKeith Silverstein
ReubenKōji OchiaiDave Wittenberg
DeliaRomi ParkMary Elizabeth McGlynn
GrandmaHisako KyōdaGwendoline Yeo
KijimunaaKappei YamaguchiColleen O'Shaughnessey
Mr. Kamihara Kōichi YamaderaJeff Nimoy
TaroTomoe HanbaStephanie Sheh
TedHitomi HaseLaura Bailey
MarvinYuki IshiiKari Wahlgren
Mr. HondaSōryū KonnoDave Wittenberg
SuzukiKanji SuzumoriKirk Thornton
PennyMiyako ItoMeghan Strange
AngelMadoka TakedaKate Higgins
KennyYuka NishigakiDerek Stephen Prince
JJYuri KonnoLaura Bailey
TonboYūki KajiDave Wittenberg
SparkyWataru TakagiSteven Jay Blum
FelixYasuhiro MamiyaSteven Jay Blum
Ms. KawasakiRyōko NagataKari Wahlgren
TachichuTaiten KusunokiSteven Jay Blum
627Takahiro YoshinoBenjamin Diskin
CyberMasao KomayaBenjamin Diskin
PiloloMakoto NaruseBrian Beacock
NosyJunichi EndoRoger Craig Smith
BooGooHitomi HaseSteven Jay Blum
SashaFumiko OrikasaMelissa Fahn
TigerlilyRica MatsumotoLaura Bailey
HiromanHiroaki MiuraSam Riegel
JessicaYoko HikasaKate Higgins
DoloresYumiko KobayashiColleen O'Shaughnessey
TorikoMai KatagariAli Hillis
MakikoKomatsuna SakatoLaura Bailey
Lilo PelekaiSumire Morohoshi
Tomoe Hanba 		Melissa Fahn
Gwendoline Yeo
AniSumire MorohoshiMelissa Fahn

Home media

Soundtrack

Stitch!: Original Soundtrack is a collection of opening, insert, and ending songs based on Stitch!. It was released on April 28, 2010.
Track list:
  1. "Minamikaze to Taiyō" by Mongol800
  2. "Rodeo star mate" by The Pillows
  3. "SMILE" by Kimaguren
  4. "Ichariba Ohana" by Begin
  5. "Aoi Arashi" by All Japan Goith
  6. "TOMODACHI" by Glean Piece
  7. "HERO" by Kiyotaka Ishikawa
  8. "Hitori Janai" by Bless4
  9. "Number One" by LoversSoul
  10. "Kagen no Tsuki" by Chihiro Kamiya
  11. "Stitch is Coming" by Bless4
  12. "Stitch Eisa by LoversSoul
  13. "Izayoi Yoi" by Begin featuring Kanako Hatoma

    Theme songs

Stitch! (Season 1)

;Opening theme:
;Ending themes:
;Insert themes:
;Opening theme:
;Ending theme:
;Insert Song:
;Opening theme:
; Ending theme
The series airs on Seven Network, 7mate, 7Two, and Disney Channel in Australia, on Disney Channel in Singapore and India, on Toon Disney in Italy, on TV3 and TV2 in Malaysia, on TV5 in the Philippines, on RTÉ Two in Ireland, and on Disney Cinemagic in the United Kingdom.
The first season began airing in English on the Australian Disney Channel on 4 December 2009, and later on Disney Channel Asia 19 December 2009. The first season premièred on Disney Channel Latin America on 2 May 2010, in the American Spanish dub. The second season aired on Disney Channel Latin America on 6 June 2011. The third season aired on Disney Channel Latin America on 20 August 2012.
The first season also aired on Finland's Disney Channel 7 June 2010, subtitled in Finnish with English dub. The anime has also aired in other Scandinavian countries on The Disney Channel, on Disney Cinemagic in the UK, and on Toon Disney in Italy. The Dutch version aired on Disney XD Netherlands and Disney Channel Netherlands as well as on the Disney Channel in Belgium. On October 24, 2011, the series began airing on Disney XD in the United States, but was removed from the schedule five days later for unknown reasons, leaving the series unfinished in the country. As a result, it has only five episodes aired in the U.S.

Official Japanese sites