# Nils Holgerson (1980)

> A cruel farm boy is shrunk by a goblin's curse and must travel across Sweden with wild geese, learning to see the world from the animals' side.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/18033

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 52
- Episode runtime: 25 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, family, adventure
- Network: NHK G
- Cast: Mami Koyama, Masane Tsukayama, Joji Yanami, Masako Ikeda, Tadashi Yamazaki, Hideyuki Tanaka, Yoshito Yasuhara, Keiko Yokozawa
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0296386/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: warm, wistful, gentle, whimsical, hopeful

## What critics say

Viewers rate it positively as a warm, faithful animated adaptation of the classic Swedish children's story, with an audience rating around 7.5/10.

## Synopsis

The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1980-1981) is a Japanese animated family adventure series created for NHK G and produced by Pierrot, adapted from the Swedish tradition of Selma Lagerlof's storytelling. Nils Holgersson, a careless young boy on a farm, is shrunk by magic after a prank on the farm's little goblin, and the animals he once tormented turn on him. Voiced by Mami Koyama, Nils flees on the back of the goose Morten and joins a flock of wild geese led by Carrot-speaking companions, traveling the length of Sweden while hoping to find a way back to his full size. Each episode is built around a new landscape, a new encounter with animals and people, and small acts of kindness and danger along the route, giving the series a steady episodic rhythm within one continuing journey. The tone is warm and wistful, with gentle humor, pastoral scenery and a quiet current of empathy as Nils slowly learns to see the world from the creatures he once mistreated. Across fifty-two episodes it shares the gentle, character-driven heart of World Masterpiece Theater classics such as Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Anne of Green Gables, appealing to families and to anyone who loves a patient, scenic animated journey.

## Shows like Nils Holgerson

- [3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1976)](https://ember.film/tv/8303)
- [Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics (1987)](https://ember.film/tv/9182)
- [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1980)](https://ember.film/tv/39645)
- [Heidi, Girl of the Alps (1974)](https://ember.film/tv/27148)
- [Belle and Sebastian (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/9388)
- [The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/34752)
- [The Mysterious Cities of Gold (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/10509)
- [Moomin (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/59423)
- [Emil of Lönneberga (1975)](https://ember.film/tv/37504)
- [Future Boy Conan (1978)](https://ember.film/tv/17776)

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