Usop Sontorian
Usop Sontorian[lower-alpha 1] is a Malaysian animated cartoon series aired on TV1 from 1996 to 1997.[1][2][3] The country's first animated series, it was created by Ujang[4][5] and produced by Kharisma Pictures.[6][7] The series was directed by Kamn Ismail, who was also the voice actor for one of the series' characters.
| Usop Sontorian | |
|---|---|
 Title card, displaying the then-new logo of the series. | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Ujang |
| Developed by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Kamn Ismail |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer | Produksi Rakam Zalikamari |
| Opening theme | "Usop Sontorian" |
| Ending theme | "Usop Sontorian" |
| Composer | Zalikamari |
| Country of origin | Malaysia |
| Original language | Malay |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 50 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Michael Lum |
| Producer | Othman Yusof |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 22-23 minutes |
| Production company | Kharisma Pictures |
| Release | |
| Original network | RTM |
| Original release | 27 January 1996 – 5 April 1997 |
Ismail was the managing director of Quest Animations until his death in 2019. Ujang, the series' creator, was not permitted to create any cartoon characters which have similarities to Usop Sontorian, after a failed legal battle to acquire rights to the character. After the series demise and Kharisma Pictures' closure in 1997, many of the production team were switched to different animation companies while others become full-time cartoonist for magazines Ujang and APO?, both under Kharisma Publications (renamed to MOY Publications).
Overview
Usop Sontorian is created by Malaysian cartoonist, Ibrahim Anon or Ujang as he affectionately known, with the concepts, storyline and script all done by him.[4] In an exclusive interview with New Straits Times in December 1993, Ujang describes the anticipated production as a Malaysianised version of The Simpsons, stating that: "It is basically about a Malay family and their culture".[4] Together with series director Kamn Ismail, he took charge of the technical aspects. By March 1993, Ujang teamed up with a group of layout artists and animators to work on the series. Usop Sontorian was made as a comic strip within the Ujang magazine and later as a standalone magazine before its TV series was produced.[8] Malaysian public broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) acquire the broadcast rights of the series with Eurofine handling the distribution.
Synopsis
Usop Sontorian tells the story of the village life of Malaysian boy, Usop and his friends Abu, Dol, Ah Kim, Vellu, and Singh. Usop is the third and youngest child in his family. He has two elder siblings: a sister, Kak Kiah, and a jobless brother named Abang Budin. The story is set in Kampung Parit Sonto, not far from the town of Ayer Hitam, Johor; hence the name "Sontorian". The theme of the series was to promote unity and harmonious relationships between all races in multi-ethnic Malaysia.[9][10]
Characters
Main
- Usop – voiced by Farriz Izwan Khairulanuar
- Abu – voiced by Faizal Hairie Khairulanuar
- Dol – voiced by Faizal Haredz Mohd Johari
Recurring
- Singh – voiced by Ruslan Ayob
- Sashi Veloo – voiced by Marzuki Abdullah in some episodes and by Ameirkhannaz Mohammed in "Anugerah"
- Ah Kim – voiced by Ahmad Nazri Mahmood
- Pak Mat (Usop's father) – voiced by Kamn Ismail and Azrinorhadi Che Din in some episodes, also voiced by Syed Rahiman in "Lawan Bola" and Yahya Khalid in "Tetamu"
- Mak Som (Usop's mother) – voiced by Zaharah Jidin
- Kak Kiah (Usop's sister) – voiced by Norwati Ismail
- Abang Budin (Usop's brother) – voiced by Dielfitri Tajudin
- Abu's father – voiced by Ahmad Dzulkarnain Adnan
- Abu's mother – voiced by Wan Ayumi Wan Yusof
- Dol's grandfather – voiced by Norhairil Azwa Abd Aziz
- Dol's grandmother – voiced by Mazian Joary
- Singh's father – voiced by Azhar Ahmad
Other characters
- Selebet (Usop's pet chicken), Salleh and Abu's younger brother – voiced by Azhar Saad
- Lan – voiced by Zulkefli Mohd Yusof
- Jeff – voiced by Norhaili Ithnin
- Saidon – voiced by Raja Zaharuddin Shah Raja Chik
- Saodah – voiced by Sherinaazlin Bakar
- Seipun – voiced by Adzlan Sulong
Episodes
Although Usop Sontorian started airing in 1996, all of the episodes were already produced between 1993 and 1996. During its run, the series spanned 3 seasons and 50 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 18 | January 27, 1996 | June 1, 1996 | |
| 2 | 16 | August 3, 1996 | November 23, 1996 | |
| 3 | 16 | December 21, 1996 | April 5, 1997 | |
Season 1 (1996)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Lari Dari Rumah" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | January 27, 1996[11] |
| 2 | 2 | "Kawan Baru" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | February 3, 1996[12] |
| 3 | 3 | "Main Gitar" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | February 10, 1996[13] |
| 4 | 4 | "Tetamu Istimewa[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | February 17, 1996[14] |
| 5 | 5 | "Selebet[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | February 24, 1996[15] |
| 6 | 6 | "Dol Pindah[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | March 2, 1996[16] |
| 7 | 7 | "Basikal Tua[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | March 9, 1996[17] |
| 8 | 8 | "Lampu Ajaib[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | March 16, 1996[18] |
| 9 | 9 | "Melawat Kuala Lumpur[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | March 23, 1996[19] |
| 10 | 10 | "Berkhemah" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | March 30, 1996[20] |
| 11 | 11 | "Pendekar[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | April 6, 1996[21] |
| 12 | 12 | "Meriam Buloh[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | April 20, 1996[22] |
| 13 | 13 | "Bermain Rakit[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | April 27, 1996[23] |
| 14 | 14 | "Olahragawan[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | May 4, 1996[24] |
| 15 | 15 | "Anak Gajah" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | May 11, 1996[25] |
| 16 | 16 | "Burung Kakak Tua" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | May 18, 1996[26] |
| 17 | 17 | "Budin Masuk Lokap" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | May 25, 1996[27] |
| 18 | 18 | "Budin Ke Kuala Lumpur[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | June 1, 1996[28] |
Season 2 (1996)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1 | "Sayang Kak Kiah[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | August 3, 1996 |
| 20 | 2 | "Usahawan Muda" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | August 10, 1996 |
| 21 | 3 | "Perang Bintang" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | August 17, 1996 |
| 22 | 4 | "Budak Jahat" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | August 24, 1996 |
| 23 | 5 | "Hantu Parit Sonto" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | August 31, 1996 |
| 24 | 6 | "Kartini Selamanya[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Azhar Ahmad | September 7, 1996 |
| 25 | 7 | "Pendekar II" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | September 14, 1996 |
| 26 | 8 | "Sakit Gigi" | Kamn Ismail | Lutfi Ismail | September 21, 1996 |
| 27 | 9 | "U.F.O.[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | September 28, 1996 |
| 28 | 10 | "Lawan Bola" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | October 5, 1996 |
| 29 | 11 | "Anugerah" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | October 19, 1996 |
| 30 | 12 | "Abu Oh Abu" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | October 26, 1996 |
| 31 | 13 | "Superhero" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | November 2, 1996 |
| 32 | 14 | "Temberang[lower-alpha 2]" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | November 9, 1996 |
| 33 | 15 | "Tetamu" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | November 16, 1996 |
| 34 | 16 | "Ketua Kelas" | Kamn Ismail | Ujang | November 23, 1996 |
Season 3 (1996–1997)
| No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 1 | "Dunia Air" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | December 21, 1996 |
| 36 | 2 | "Dinasor" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | December 28, 1996 |
| 37 | 3 | "Kisah Seorang Biduan" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | January 4, 1997 |
| 38 | 4 | "Berkhatan" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | January 11, 1997 |
| 39 | 5 | "Seipun" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | January 18, 1997 |
| 40 | 6 | "Terkenang" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | January 25, 1997 |
| 41 | 7 | "Pertandingan Layang-Layang" | Kamn Ismail | Lutfi Ismail | February 1, 1997 |
| 42 | 8 | "Debab Kembali" | Kamn Ismail | Lutfi Ismail | February 8, 1997 |
| 43 | 9 | "Harta Karun" | Kamn Ismail | Azhar Ahmad | February 15, 1997 |
| 44 | 10 | "Misi Mustahil" | Kamn Ismail | Soul Ghazali | February 22, 1997 |
| 45 | 11 | "Berkhemah II" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | March 1, 1997 |
| 46 | 12 | "Panjang Tangan" | Kamn Ismail | Ruslan Ayob | March 8, 1997 |
| 47 | 13 | "Perang Bukit" | Kamn Ismail | Azhar Ahmad | March 15, 1997 |
| 48 | 14 | "Jambatan Runtuh" | Kamn Ismail | Ahmad Kamil Othman | March 22, 1997 |
| 49 | 15 | "Sisa Toksid" | Kamn Ismail | Lutfi Ismail | March 29, 1997 |
| 50 | 16 | "Merdeka" | Kamn Ismail | Azizi Adnan | April 5, 1997 |
Broadcast
Usop Sontorian originally set to be aired in 1994,[29] but it postponed for over 2 years due to uncertain reasons.[30][31] The series was officially launched by the then-Minister of Information, Datuk Seri Mohamed Rahmat on 20 January 1996 at Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC)[32] and debuted on RTM TV1 from January 27, 1996, and ended on April 5, 1997.[33]
Reruns
In 2009, the series was aired on TV9 from May to December 2009, every Monday to Thursday at 8:30am. Previously, Usop Sontorian had reruns on TV1 from 1997 to 1998, and again from 2000 to 2002. The series later aired on TV2 from April 2005 to January 2006. Some episodes of Usop Sontorian are also available on YouTube.
Reception
In 1995, Usop Sontorian received recognition as the "Malaysia's First Animated Series" by The Malaysia Book of Records.[34][35]
It also well received in Japan when it was screened at the Asian Animation Festival held in Hiroshima, Japan in June 1996. The series was distributed in Malaysia by Eurofine and for international release, it is distributed by Arief International under the titles Adventures Of Usop and Usop & Geng.[36][37][38] It was also dubbed in English and Spanish.[9]
Notes
- Sometimes misspelled as Usop Santorian on some print medias.
- Episodes which have different background music in the ending credits instead of the main theme music.
References
- Rozila Saibi (25 January 1996). "Usop mantap". Harian Metro. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- "Usop Sontorian siri animasi TV pertama negara". Berita Harian. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- "Mengimbas Kembali Siri Animasi Pertama di Malaysia 'Usop Sontorian'". Sarawakiana. 9 May 2014. Archived from the original on 19 Jun 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- Zieman (31 December 1993). "Why dreams come true for Ujang". New Straits Times. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- Afiezy Azaman (8 December 2019). "Pencipta watak 'Keluang Man' dan 'Usop Sontorian' meninggal dunia". Astro Awani. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
- Zubairi Zabidin (13 May 1994). "Usop Sontorian siri kartun pertama". Berita Harian. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- Zuhri Kamarzaman (8 August 1994). "Usop lawan Doraemon". Harian Metro. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- Sriyanti (18 September 2021). "Usop Sontorian, Siri Animasi Pertama di Malaysia". Aku Papan Kekunci. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- Manan Samad (2 March 2008). "Semangat Usop Sontorian". Metro Ahad. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- Hassan 2007, p. 288–297.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 27 January 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 3 February 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 10 February 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 17 February 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 24 February 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 2 March 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 9 March 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 16 March 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 23 March 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 30 March 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 6 April 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 20 April 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 27 April 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 4 May 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 11 May 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 18 May 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 25 May 1996. p. 2.
- "TV Guide". Life & Times. New Straits Times. 1 June 1996. p. 2.
- Jahabar Sadiq (24 December 1993). "Malaysia's own 'Walt Disney' shows to make debut in '94". Business Times. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- Rozila Saibi (4 January 1995). "Ujang risaukan Usop Sontorian". Harian Metro. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- Fauzi (22 April 1995). "Time for our own 'toons". New Straits Times. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- "Kementerian mahu anjur pasaran TV, filem Malaysia". Berita Minggu. 21 January 1996. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- Harny Abu Khair (8 June 1998). "First local animated love story on video". The Malay Mail. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- Aliah Zainul (22 January 2019). "10 Fakta Menarik Mengenai Siri Animasi Usop Sontorian". I Am Lejen. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- Khalis 2020, p. 1–25.
- "Usop Sontorian pikat pembeli". Berita Harian. 12 December 1998. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- Irma Musliana (7 September 2017). "Animasi Malaysia ini paling banyak merentas benua!". Soscili. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- "Kartun, drama Malaysia mula dapat perhatian dunia". Berita Harian. 27 December 1997. p. 9.
Bibliography
- Hassan Abdullah Muthalib (June 2007). "From Mousedeer to Mouse: Malaysian Animation at the Crossroads". Inter-Asia Cultural Studies: Southeast Asian Cinema. Hong Kong: Dow Jones & Company. 8 (2): 288–297. doi:10.1080/14649370701238755. ISSN 1464-9373. S2CID 54991062. IDNumber: 512199.
- Faryna Mohd Khalis (2020). "The Evolution of Malaysian Cartoon Animation" (PDF). Voice of Academia (VoA). Kedah: Universiti Teknologi MARA. 16 (2): 1–25. ISSN 2682-7840.