Pinocchio: The Series

Mokku is a wooden puppet grown from an oak stump who keeps trying to become more human, but his path is far from simple. Set across 52 episodes adapted from Carlo Collodi's original story, the series follows Mokku as he faces a string of misfortunes, harsh punishments, and bizarre accidents that leave him scarred and confused. Unlike lighter adaptations, this version gives the character little respite, showing repeated setbacks and emotional strain rather than easy fixes or cheerful resolution. The episodes are episodic and often grim, with each installment piling on new challenges that shape Mokku's outlook and behavior without resolving every question about fate or forgiveness.

Created by Jinzo Toriumi and produced by Tatsunoko Productions, the anime first aired on Fuji Television in 1972. It ran for 52 episodes and was distributed overseas under titles like Mokku of the Oak Tree, Mokku Woody the Oak Tree, and Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio in the United States.

The series didn't rack up major international awards or mainstream prize recognition. Its profile comes mainly from its broadcast history and a dedicated niche audience rather than trophy cases, so there are no widely reported Emmy or equivalent accolades tied to the show.

Over time Mokku developed a certain notoriety for taking a well known children's fable into darker territory, and that reputation kept it in conversations about difficult children's programming from the 1970s. The Saban-dubbed release helped it reach English speaking viewers, and fans and critics often point to its bleak episodes when discussing how anime can handle childhood trauma and moral ambiguity in ways Western cartoons usually avoided then.

Critical responses are mixed, and modern viewers tend to split between admiration for its ambition and discomfort with its relentless harshness. On aggregator data it has an average rating near 6.0 out of 10 from a small pool of votes. Major themes include suffering, punishment and resilience, with recurring questions about identity, responsibility and whether kindness can survive in a world that often seems indifferent.