Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette

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Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette (レ・ミゼラブル少女コゼッ "Les Misérables: A Girl Named Cosette") is a Japanese anime inspired by Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables. It aired from Jan 7, 2007 to Dec 30, 2007 and was produced by Nippon Animation. The anime ran for 52 episodes. Each episode was 24 minutes long.

Plot Edit

Set in nineteenth century-era France, the series begins with Cosette, a 2 year old girl, traveling with her mother Fantine, who is trying to find a job and a place to live, but have always been shunned away due to few employers hiring single mothers. When her mother is promised with the prosperity of working in the big city, Cosette is separated from her in the hopes a caretaker named Thénardier will watch over her while her mother earns some money.

Unfortunately, this was a trick and the caretaker is a corrupt man who makes Cosette his indentured servant, or more precisely: his slave. Then, the kind mayor - formerly a convict named Jean Valjean - of the town that Cosette makes her new home in, sees how winds of change are so detrimental for children and families, and decides to do something about it, but forces Cosette to go on the run to escape his returning, difficult past.

Differences From NovelEdit

Fantine does not become a prostitute; however, she still sells her hair.
In Montfermeil, Cosette and Gavroche are portrayed as friends.
Gavroche has a pet dog named ChouChou.
- This dog later saves his life and he does not die.
Javert does not kill himself.
The two unnamed younger brothers of the Thénardier family do appear and are given names: Hugues and Bressole.
Cosette is the protagonist.
A new character named Alain makes an appearance.
Cosette and Marius Pontmercy had a daughter. While in the novel it's unknown if both of them had children, since the novel ended with Jean Valjean's death.
Cosette knows about Jean Valjean's criminal history, which was him stealing a loaf of bread to save his sister's children and going to Bishop Myriel for shelter and food. She also knows about the silver candlesticks given by the bishop.
Bishop Myriel replaces the spirit of Éponine in Valjean's death. This also happened in the 2012 film.

CastEdit

Kaori Nozuka as eight-year-old/17-year-old Cosette
- Tamaki Matsumoto as three-year-old Cosette
Masashi Sugawara as Jean Valjean
Emiko Hagiwara as Fantine
Takashi Matsuyama as Javert
Yumiko Kobayashi as Gavroche Thénardier
Masahito Yabe as Monsieur Thénardier
Mami Horikoshi as Madame Thénardier
Yūki Sasamoto as eight-year-old/17-year-old Éponine
- Yūki Ōtomo as three-year-old Éponine
Kurumi Mamiyo as seven-year-old/16-year-old Azelma
- Chihiro Yarita as two-year-old Azelma
Anri Katsu as Marius Pontmercy and Alain
Yūji Kishi as Enjolras
Wataru Hatano as Combeferre
Eiji Takemoto as Courfeyrac
Yoshinori Fujita as Jean Prouvaire
Norihisa Mori as Grantaire
Ryō Naitō as Lesgle
Daisuke Matsubara as Feuilly
Takahiro Yoshimizu as Bahorel
Yūki Chiba as Joly