Little Pollon (Ochamegami Monogatari Korokoro Polon) is an anime series based on the 1977 manga Olympus no Pollon created by Hideo Azuma, who is best known for this series and Nanako SOS.
It tells the story of a little girl named Pollon, daughter of the sun-god Apollo, who lives her adventures on Mount Olympos along with the gods of Classical Mythology. Pollon really wants to become a goddess and, to prove herself of being worthy of this, tries to do many good deeds… with very poor results. Even if her attempts usually end up as Epic Fail, she never gives up and keeps trying to achieve her goal.
The anime television series was made by Movie International Co. (MIC)note , taking over the Saturday 6pm timeslot on Fuji Television from the same company's Honey Honey.note It consisted of 46 episodes and aired from May 1982 to March 1983, and was also popular in some European countries. Especially Italy. In Japan, it was popular enough for MIC to adapt Nanako SOS into anime the following year (with Pollon making a cameo in one episode). The anime is licensed in the US by Enoki Films, but there is no official English release as of yet.
Features Parental Bonuses galore although the show is definitely overall aimed at kids.
The series provides examples of:
- Adaptational Ugliness:
- Eros, the Greek god of sexual attraction, is supposed to be very handsome and is usually depicted as a Pretty Boy at the very least. In this anime he’s made fun of for his ugly Gonk appearance.
- Dionysus is often portrayed as a Hot God as well, but here he's a bald, short, stout man with dark glasses.
- Zeus, the king of the gods, looks much more ridiculous than usual.
- Adaptational Wimp: In contrast to their usual portrayals, the gods are anything but infallible and all powerful and have many human weaknesses.
- Alcoholic Parent: Apollo to Pollon. He's not that bad, just a bit neglectful even though he cares for his daughter.
- Alternative Foreign Theme Song: In the Italian and French dubs.
- Barbie Doll Anatomy: This is averted in the manga where you see Eros' genitals on full display, however in the anime, Eros has no visible genitals to speak of.
- Bungling Inventor: Hephaestus, whose inventions often tend to malfunction.
- Canon Foreigner: The main heroine. Pollon certainly wasn't part of Classical Mythology.
- Character Development: Pollon is initially clumsy and prone to get into troubles. She later starts to mature in order to become a real goddess.
- Cheeky Mouth: While this trope is common in anime of this era (indeed, any era), this series takes it up a notch. It's in virtually every side shot, with Pollon anyway.
- Cheerful Child: Pollon is very happy and lively.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Wouldn't be Hera without being this.
- Denser and Wackier: A wacky and humorous portrayal of the Classical Mythology characters.
- Dirty Old Man: Zeus. Despite his age, he has a strong attraction to younger women, which often gets him in trouble with his wife, Hera.
- Dreadful Musician: Pollon is terrible in both singing and playing musical instruments.
- Dub Name Change: Pollon is renamed Olympe in the French version.
- Grandpa God: Zeus is Pollon's grandfather.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Pollon is a kind-hearted but somewhat naive little girl with curly blonde hair.
- Henpecked Husband: Zeus who is married to Hera, a Clingy Jealous Girl with a Hair-Trigger Temper.
- King of All Cosmos: This series depicts Zeus as a Dirty Old Man, Hera as a sadistic and crazy wife, Apollo as a lazy drunk who forgets to do his job, Eros as an awkard and ugly Butt-Monkey, Poseidon as a red-skinned giant who can't swim, etc.
- Limited Animation: While not even close to being as bad as Chargeman Ken! or Twinkle Nora Rock Me!, this anime has animation so limited that it more resembles something from the 1960s than something made in 1982 (its year of release).
- Loser Deity: Almost all the gods of Greek mythology are portrayed as losers and have many human weaknesses. Zeus is a short perverted guy who is often beaten up by his wife, Apollo is a lazy drunk who forgets to do his job, Eros is so ugly that his mother is ashamed of him, Poseidon can't swim, etc. Even Athena, despite being the wise Only Sane Woman, is disliked by the others for her prickly attitude and is considered an "old spinster".
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Many of the troubles of the gods are caused by Pollon's actions.
- Not a Morning Person: Apollo despite his main job is to drive the Sun's chariot across the sky each day and start the day.
- Pink Means Feminine: Pollon's pink dress.
- Platonic Life-Partners: Pollon and Eros, bordering on Puppy Love.
- Proud Beauty: Like every incarnation of Aphrodite, she’s a vain Hot Goddess. But here she's also dismissive of her ugly son Eros.
- Related in the Adaptation: In this version Hera is the mother of Apollo (and grandmother of Pollon). In Classical Mythology she was just her step-mother and Apollo was born from Zeus's relationship with Leto.
- Series Goal: Pollon's goal is to grow up to become a beautiful and powerful goddess.
- Super Drowning Skills: Poseidon's big shame. He is the god of the sea, but ironically can't swim.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Inverted. Eros is the ugly son of his beautiful mother Aphrodite.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife:
- Zeus and his wife Hera.
- Hephaestus, the biggest Gonk on the show, is Aphrodite's husband. Fitting, since they were also this in Greek mythology and probably the Ur-Example.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Pollon and Eros frequently fight and insult each other but they are still best friends.
