Marco Polo's Adventures
Animation Kikou: Marco Polo no Bouken
アニメーション紀行 マルコ・ポーロの冒険
Synopsis
At age seventeen, Marco Polo leaves Venice for the mysterious land of Yuan, accompanied by his father Nicolo and his uncle Matteo. They are tasked with delivering holy oil from the Tomb of Christ and a letter from the Pope to Kublai.
Background
This was an animated documentary on Marco Polo, mixed in with live-action footage. 43 episodes were broadcast on NHK from 1979 to 1980, but only the first and last episodes survive. While the cel animation was shot on film, post-production and editing were done on videotapes (normal for NHK programs), which have since been wiped.In 2021, NHK announced that they had successfully collected recordings of all 43 episodes from viewers and individuals involved with the show. NHK began a complete re-broadcast of the show on April 5, 2025.
