Dog Prince Epan-kun (1977 anime)

Dog Prince Epan-kun (犬の王子エパンくん - Inu no ōji Epan-kun) is a 1977 anime series directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa and produced by Tatsunoko Pro for broadcast on Fuji TV running 26 episodes due to low ratings. The series was, like Princess Felicia, based on a series of novels by Jean-Pierre Renard. The series only covered up to the end of the first novel because it aired in the same timeslot as the 2nd Super Sentai series J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai.

The series aired on Fuji TV (and its affiliates) from June 4 to November 26, 1977 in Japan. Because Fuji TV opted to air the show in re-runs in a different timeslot during 1978, the series managed to gain the viewership it deserved and was popular enough to warrant a sequel series running 52 episodes in 1979, produced jointly by Tatsunoko and Toei Animation (with the former eventually leaving production by episode 26) and directed by Rintaro. Both TV series used character designs by Osamu Tezuka since he also adapted the novels into manga along with Princess Felicia.

Because both TV series have very few differences, they have both been broadcast as a single show in many countries outside of Japan. The series has not only gained popularity in France and Canada, but also in much of Europe (particularly Scandinavia, Germany and the Benelux region), the Middle East and parts of North Africa (including Turkey, Egypt, Israel and Morocco), Australia and New Zealand and most of Asia (including the Philippines, Hong Kong and South Korea).

Premise
Prince Épagneul (French for Spaniel and shortened to Epan in Japanese) is the heir to Canine Kingdom (populated by humans with dog ears and tails), which is at war with the Feline Empire. On his tenth birthday, Épagneul receives a scepter and a magic pendant that will allow him to become either a dog or a cat, and sets out with his dog companion and two cats to settle conflict with the empire.

International broadcast
Both shows first aired in French language on SRC (the French-language network owned by CBC) in Canada beginning late 1980 while the English dub's broadcast was, by contrast, aired mostly on independent stations in Canada, including CFCF-12 in Montreal (now owned by CTV), NTV in Newfoundland, CHCH in Hamilton and also airing on TVOntario.

In France, the series was broadcast on La Cinq (a short-lived free terrestrial television network owned by Mediaset) as part of ''Youpi ! L'école est finie'', the network's children's program where some anime shows have also been shown, starting in the fall of 1987 with the theme song sung by Claude Lombard.