fbpx
Wikipedia

The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon

January 01, 1970

The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (わんぱく王子の大蛇退治, Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji, lit. "the naughty prince's Orochi slaying") is a Japanese animated fantasy adventure film, the 6th feature produced by Toei Animation (then Tōei Dōga), released in Japan on March 24, 1963. English-dubbed versions have been released under several titles, including The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon, Prince in Wonderland and Rainbow Bridge.[1]

The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon
Susanoo and friends fighting Orochi
Directed byYūgo Serikawa
Screenplay byIchirō Ikeda
Takashi Iijima
StarringMorio Kazama
Yukiko Okada
Chiharu Kuri
CinematographyMitsuaki Ishikawa
Hideaki Sugawara
Edited byIkuzō Inaba
Music byAkira Ifukube
Production
company
Distributed byToei Company
Release date
  • March 24, 1963 (1963-03-24)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Based on the Shintō myth of the storm god Susanoo's battle with the Yamata no Orochi, the color, "ToeiScope" anamorphic format film is scripted by Ichirō Ikeda and Takashi Iijima and directed by Yūgo Serikawa. It is considered one of the very best of the Tōei Dōga features and a landmark in anime and animated features in general,[2] placing 10th in the list of the 150 best animated films and series of all time compiled by Tokyo's Laputa Animation Festival from an international survey of animation staff and critics in 2003.[3]

It features distinctively modernist, abstracted character, background and color design, formalised the role of supervising animator (performed on this film by Yasuji Mori) in the Japan and drew attention to the talents of animators Yasuo Ōtsuka and Yōichi Kotabe (who made his debut as a key animator on the film, though he is inaccurately credited on screen an in between artist)[4] and assistant directors Isao Takahata and Kimio Yabuki.

The score, composed by Akira Ifukube, is also acclaimed.[5]

Plot edit

The film tells the story of the deity Susanoo (as a cute boy), whose mother, Izanami, has died. He is deeply hurt by the loss of his mother but his father, Izanagi, tells him that his mother is now in heaven. Despite Izanagi's warnings, Susanoo eventually sets off to find her.

Along with his companions, Akahana (a little talking rabbit) and Titanbō (a strong but friendly giant from the Land of Fire), Susanoo overcomes all obstacles in his long voyage. He eventually comes to the Izumo Province, where he meets Princess Kushinada, a little girl whom he becomes friends with (he also thinks that she is so beautiful that she looks like his mother). Kushinada's family tells Susanoo that their other seven daughters were sacrificed to the fearsome eight-headed serpent, the Yamata no Orochi. Susanoo is so infatuated with Kushinada that he decides to help her family protect her and slay the Orochi once and for all and he, Akahana, and Bō prepare for the showdown.

Cast edit

Notes edit

This film eschewed the soft, rounded look of previous Toei animated features for a more stylized one. It is also one of the few animated films to have music by famed composer Akira Ifukube (the other being the posthumously released Tetsujin 28 film Hakuchū no Zangetsu).

A symphonic suite of five movements based on the score's cues was created by Ifukube in 2003, the first recording of which was performed by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tetsuji Honna and released on Compact Disc by King Records within the same year. Some of the film's music was also redeployed in the 1st and 32nd episodes,[6] first broadcast in 1972 and 1973 respectively, of the Toei Animation television series Mazinger Z.

The film's theme song, "Haha no Nai Ko no Komoriuta" (母のない子の子守歌, lit. "lullaby for a motherless child"), is also composed by Ifukube, with lyrics by Takashi Morishima, and is sung by Setsuko Watanabe.

The original, monaural soundtrack recording has been released three times on Compact Disc, two of which are now out of print. The first was a two disc set released by Futureland in 1992, which paired it with a disc of alternate takes and Ifukube's score for Mitsubishi's Expo '70 exhibit.[7] The second release was part of a ten-disc collection of Toei Animation soundtracks released by Nippon Columbia in 1996; it featured better audio quality but lacked the alternate takes.[8] On May 23, 2018, Japanese record label Cinema-kan released the score for a third time as a remastered, two-disc set, titled The Naughty Prince's Orochi Slaying Original Soundtrack (CINK-51-52). The first disc contains the complete score while the second disc contains alternate takes, sound effects, and trailer music.[9] The English translated track list of the Cinema-kan release reads as follows:

Disc 1 - CINK-51 edit

  1. Main Title (M1 · M2)
  2. Susanoo Appears (M3)
  3. Lullaby for a Motherless Child I (M4 · M5)
  4. Izanami's Ascension (M6)
  5. Susanoo's Sorrow (M7 · M8)
  6. Lullaby for a Motherless Child II (M9 · M10)
  7. Departure (M11 · M12)
  8. Monster Fish Akuru (M13 · M14)
  9. Yoru-no-Osukuni (M15 · M16)
  10. Ice Mirror (M17 · M18 · M19)
  11. Susanoo's Rampage (ME137 · M20)
  12. Tsukuyomi and Susanoo (M21 · M21A · M21B)
  13. Land of Fire (M22 · M23 · M24)
  14. Fire God and Susanoo (M25 · M26)
  15. Ice Ball (M27 · M28)
  16. To Takama-ga-hara (M29)
  17. Amaterasu (M30)
  18. Land Reclamation (M31 · M32 · M33 · M34)
  19. Flood (M35)
  20. Ama-no-Iwato (M36)
  21. Omoikane's Trick (M37 · M38)
  22. Iwato Kagura (M39)
  23. Stone Door Opens (M40 · M41 · M42)
  24. To Izumo Province (M43 · M44)
  25. Kushinadahime (M45)
  26. Yamata-no-Orochi (M46)
  27. Ame-no-Hayakoma (M47)
  28. Susanoo and Kushinadahime (M48 · M49)
  29. Waiting for Orochi (M50)
  30. Yamata-no-Orochi Emerges (M51 · M52)
  31. Sake Drinking Orochi (M53)
  32. Susanoo Sortie (M54)
  33. Susanoo vs. Orochi I (M55)
  34. Susanoo vs. Orochi II (M56)
  35. Kushinadahime's Crisis (M57 · M58)
  36. Susanoo vs. Orochi III (M59)
  37. Final Battle (M60 · M61)
  38. Morning of Victory (M62)
  39. Ending (M63)

Disc 2 - CINK-52 edit

  1. Main Title (M1T1)
  2. Lullaby for a Motherless Child (M5) <Alternate Take Without Vocal>
  3. Izanami's Ascension (M6T1)
  4. Izanami's Ascension (M6T2)
  5. Izanami's Ascension (M6) <Alternate Take Without Vocal>
  6. Izanagi and Susanoo (M7T1)
  7. Vision of Izanami (M9) <Alternate Take Without Vocal>
  8. Susanoo's Anger (M19T1)
  9. To Takama-ga-hara (M29T1)
  10. Damming the River (M34T1)
  11. Flood (M35T1)
  12. Omoikane's Trick (M37T1 · M38T1)
  13. Iwato Kagura II (M40T1)
  14. Iwato Kagura II (M40T2)
  15. Leaving Takama-ga-hara (M43T1)
  16. Preparing for Battle (M49T1)
  17. Preparing for Battle (M49T2)
  18. Ending (M63T1)
  19. Ending (M63) <Alternate Take Without Vocal>
  20. Lullaby for a Motherless Child 1 (PS)
  21. Lullaby for a Motherless Child 2 (PS)
  22. Lullaby for a Motherless Child 3 (PS)
  23. Lullaby for a Motherless Child 5 (PS)
  24. ME Collection 1
  25. ME Collection 2
  26. SE Collection 1
  27. SE Collection 2
  28. Yamata-no-Orochi's Cry
  29. Trailer Music

Release edit

The film was distributed in the United States, under the title The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon, as a matinee feature by Columbia Pictures, opening January 1, 1964.[10] Its Japanese origin was downplayed, as was standard practice at the time,[11] with William Ross, the director of the English dubbing, credited as director and Fujifilm and Toei's color and widescreen processes rebranded as "MagiColor" and "WonderScope" respectively.[6]

Though still highly regarded in animation circles, the film is now little-known outside of them. A Japanese DVD-Video was released in 2002 and reissued in limited quantity in 2008. In 2019, a cropped transfer of the English-dubbed version was released in the United States by Mill Creek Entertainment as part of the "Pop Culture Bento Box" compilation set, though early copies of the set accidentally omitted the film. On February 5, 2020, Toei released the film on Blu-ray Disc in Japan.[12]

Reception edit

Accolades received by Wanpaku at the time of its release including being honoured with a Bronze Osella at the Venice Film Festival and the Ōfuji Noburō Award at the 1963 Mainichi Film Awards[13] and making it into the official recommendations of the Japanese Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health's Central Child Welfare Council.

Legacy edit

Genndy Tartakovsky watched the film and identifies it as a primary influence on the direction and design of his TV series Samurai Jack.[6]

According to Yōichi Kotabe, a character animator on the film who later worked for Nintendo, the art direction of the Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was likely influenced by the film.[14]

Tomm Moore, the director of the Oscar-nominated films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers, and Kris Pearn, the director of The Willoughbys, have identified the film as a major influence.[15]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Stanley, John (2000). Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide. New York: Berkley Books. p. 312.
  2. ^ Ettinger, Benjamin. "Tōei Dōga". AniPages Daily. Retrieved 3 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "150 best animations of all time (from 2003 Laputa Festival)". Animatsiya in English. May 29, 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  4. ^ Ettinger, Benjamin (October 29, 2011). . Anipages. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  5. ^ "COMPLETE RECORDINGS: AKIRA IFUKUBE TOEI-DOGA FILM MUSIC". godzillamonstermusic.com. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  6. ^ a b c . Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Complete Recordings: Akira Ifukube Toei-Doga Film Music (TYCY-5213·14)". godzillamonstermusic.com. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Prince Wanpaku Slays the Great Serpent (COCC-13504)". godzillamonstermusic.com. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  9. ^ "The World of Japanese Film and Television Scores: The Naughty Prince's Orochi Slaying Original Soundtrack (CINK-51-52)". 9 June 2018.
  10. ^ Wanpaku ôji no Orochi taiji at IMDb  
  11. ^ "Anime At The Movies", The Mile Toole Show, Anime News Network, March 27, 2011
  12. ^ "「わんぱく王子の大蛇退治」特集 | 東映ビデオオフィシャルサイト". 東映ビデオ株式会社 (in Japanese). 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  13. ^ Hotes, Cathy Munroe. "Nishikata Film Review: The Noburo Ofuji Award (大藤信郎賞)" (Blogspot). Nishikata eiga. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  14. ^ Audureau, William (6 December 2018). "Les confidences du dessinateur historique des personnages Nintendo". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  15. ^ Campbell, Kambole (June 21, 2021). "Annecy: Leading Animation Filmmakers Discuss Anime's Influence On Their Work". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved June 22, 2021.

External links edit

January 01, 1970
little, prince, eight, headed, dragon, わんぱく王子の大蛇退治, wanpaku, Ōji, orochi, taiji, naughty, prince, orochi, slaying, japanese, animated, fantasy, adventure, film, feature, produced, toei, animation, then, tōei, dōga, released, japan, march, 1963, english, dubbed. The Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon わんぱく王子の大蛇退治 Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji lit the naughty prince s Orochi slaying is a Japanese animated fantasy adventure film the 6th feature produced by Toei Animation then Tōei Dōga released in Japan on March 24 1963 English dubbed versions have been released under several titles including The Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon Prince in Wonderland and Rainbow Bridge 1 The Little Prince and the Eight Headed DragonSusanoo and friends fighting OrochiDirected byYugo SerikawaScreenplay byIchirō IkedaTakashi IijimaStarringMorio KazamaYukiko OkadaChiharu KuriCinematographyMitsuaki IshikawaHideaki SugawaraEdited byIkuzō InabaMusic byAkira IfukubeProductioncompanyToei AnimationDistributed byToei CompanyRelease dateMarch 24 1963 1963 03 24 Running time86 minutesCountryJapanLanguageJapanese Based on the Shintō myth of the storm god Susanoo s battle with the Yamata no Orochi the color ToeiScope anamorphic format film is scripted by Ichirō Ikeda and Takashi Iijima and directed by Yugo Serikawa It is considered one of the very best of the Tōei Dōga features and a landmark in anime and animated features in general 2 placing 10th in the list of the 150 best animated films and series of all time compiled by Tokyo s Laputa Animation Festival from an international survey of animation staff and critics in 2003 3 It features distinctively modernist abstracted character background and color design formalised the role of supervising animator performed on this film by Yasuji Mori in the Japan and drew attention to the talents of animators Yasuo Ōtsuka and Yōichi Kotabe who made his debut as a key animator on the film though he is inaccurately credited on screen an in between artist 4 and assistant directors Isao Takahata and Kimio Yabuki The score composed by Akira Ifukube is also acclaimed 5 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Notes 3 1 Disc 1 CINK 51 3 2 Disc 2 CINK 52 4 Release 5 Reception 6 Legacy 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksPlot editThe film tells the story of the deity Susanoo as a cute boy whose mother Izanami has died He is deeply hurt by the loss of his mother but his father Izanagi tells him that his mother is now in heaven Despite Izanagi s warnings Susanoo eventually sets off to find her Along with his companions Akahana a little talking rabbit and Titanbō a strong but friendly giant from the Land of Fire Susanoo overcomes all obstacles in his long voyage He eventually comes to the Izumo Province where he meets Princess Kushinada a little girl whom he becomes friends with he also thinks that she is so beautiful that she looks like his mother Kushinada s family tells Susanoo that their other seven daughters were sacrificed to the fearsome eight headed serpent the Yamata no Orochi Susanoo is so infatuated with Kushinada that he decides to help her family protect her and slay the Orochi once and for all and he Akahana and Bō prepare for the showdown Cast editMorio Kazama as Susanoo Yukiko Okada as Princess Kushinada Chiharu Kuri as Akahana Masato Yamanouchi as Wadatsumi Kushinada hime s father Kiyoshi Kawakubo as Titan bo Hideo Kinoshita as Taro Tsukuyomi Kinshiro Iwao as Hi no kami God of Fire Notes editThis film eschewed the soft rounded look of previous Toei animated features for a more stylized one It is also one of the few animated films to have music by famed composer Akira Ifukube the other being the posthumously released Tetsujin 28 film Hakuchu no Zangetsu A symphonic suite of five movements based on the score s cues was created by Ifukube in 2003 the first recording of which was performed by the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tetsuji Honna and released on Compact Disc by King Records within the same year Some of the film s music was also redeployed in the 1st and 32nd episodes 6 first broadcast in 1972 and 1973 respectively of the Toei Animation television series Mazinger Z The film s theme song Haha no Nai Ko no Komoriuta 母のない子の子守歌 lit lullaby for a motherless child is also composed by Ifukube with lyrics by Takashi Morishima and is sung by Setsuko Watanabe The original monaural soundtrack recording has been released three times on Compact Disc two of which are now out of print The first was a two disc set released by Futureland in 1992 which paired it with a disc of alternate takes and Ifukube s score for Mitsubishi s Expo 70 exhibit 7 The second release was part of a ten disc collection of Toei Animation soundtracks released by Nippon Columbia in 1996 it featured better audio quality but lacked the alternate takes 8 On May 23 2018 Japanese record label Cinema kan released the score for a third time as a remastered two disc set titled The Naughty Prince s Orochi Slaying Original Soundtrack CINK 51 52 The first disc contains the complete score while the second disc contains alternate takes sound effects and trailer music 9 The English translated track list of the Cinema kan release reads as follows Disc 1 CINK 51 edit Main Title M1 M2 Susanoo Appears M3 Lullaby for a Motherless Child I M4 M5 Izanami s Ascension M6 Susanoo s Sorrow M7 M8 Lullaby for a Motherless Child II M9 M10 Departure M11 M12 Monster Fish Akuru M13 M14 Yoru no Osukuni M15 M16 Ice Mirror M17 M18 M19 Susanoo s Rampage ME137 M20 Tsukuyomi and Susanoo M21 M21A M21B Land of Fire M22 M23 M24 Fire God and Susanoo M25 M26 Ice Ball M27 M28 To Takama ga hara M29 Amaterasu M30 Land Reclamation M31 M32 M33 M34 Flood M35 Ama no Iwato M36 Omoikane s Trick M37 M38 Iwato Kagura M39 Stone Door Opens M40 M41 M42 To Izumo Province M43 M44 Kushinadahime M45 Yamata no Orochi M46 Ame no Hayakoma M47 Susanoo and Kushinadahime M48 M49 Waiting for Orochi M50 Yamata no Orochi Emerges M51 M52 Sake Drinking Orochi M53 Susanoo Sortie M54 Susanoo vs Orochi I M55 Susanoo vs Orochi II M56 Kushinadahime s Crisis M57 M58 Susanoo vs Orochi III M59 Final Battle M60 M61 Morning of Victory M62 Ending M63 Disc 2 CINK 52 edit Main Title M1T1 Lullaby for a Motherless Child M5 lt Alternate Take Without Vocal gt Izanami s Ascension M6T1 Izanami s Ascension M6T2 Izanami s Ascension M6 lt Alternate Take Without Vocal gt Izanagi and Susanoo M7T1 Vision of Izanami M9 lt Alternate Take Without Vocal gt Susanoo s Anger M19T1 To Takama ga hara M29T1 Damming the River M34T1 Flood M35T1 Omoikane s Trick M37T1 M38T1 Iwato Kagura II M40T1 Iwato Kagura II M40T2 Leaving Takama ga hara M43T1 Preparing for Battle M49T1 Preparing for Battle M49T2 Ending M63T1 Ending M63 lt Alternate Take Without Vocal gt Lullaby for a Motherless Child 1 PS Lullaby for a Motherless Child 2 PS Lullaby for a Motherless Child 3 PS Lullaby for a Motherless Child 5 PS ME Collection 1 ME Collection 2 SE Collection 1 SE Collection 2 Yamata no Orochi s Cry Trailer MusicRelease editThe film was distributed in the United States under the title The Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon as a matinee feature by Columbia Pictures opening January 1 1964 10 Its Japanese origin was downplayed as was standard practice at the time 11 with William Ross the director of the English dubbing credited as director and Fujifilm and Toei s color and widescreen processes rebranded as MagiColor and WonderScope respectively 6 Though still highly regarded in animation circles the film is now little known outside of them A Japanese DVD Video was released in 2002 and reissued in limited quantity in 2008 In 2019 a cropped transfer of the English dubbed version was released in the United States by Mill Creek Entertainment as part of the Pop Culture Bento Box compilation set though early copies of the set accidentally omitted the film On February 5 2020 Toei released the film on Blu ray Disc in Japan 12 Reception editAccolades received by Wanpaku at the time of its release including being honoured with a Bronze Osella at the Venice Film Festival and the Ōfuji Noburō Award at the 1963 Mainichi Film Awards 13 and making it into the official recommendations of the Japanese Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health s Central Child Welfare Council Legacy editGenndy Tartakovsky watched the film and identifies it as a primary influence on the direction and design of his TV series Samurai Jack 6 According to Yōichi Kotabe a character animator on the film who later worked for Nintendo the art direction of the Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda The Wind Waker was likely influenced by the film 14 Tomm Moore the director of the Oscar nominated films The Secret of Kells Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers and Kris Pearn the director of The Willoughbys have identified the film as a major influence 15 See also edit nbsp Fantasy portal nbsp 1960s portal List of animated feature films List of Japanese films of 1963 Japanese mythologyReferences edit Stanley John 2000 Creature Features The Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Movie Guide New York Berkley Books p 312 Ettinger Benjamin Tōei Dōga AniPages Daily Retrieved 3 April 2011 permanent dead link 150 best animations of all time from 2003 Laputa Festival Animatsiya in English May 29 2008 Retrieved 3 April 2011 Ettinger Benjamin October 29 2011 The seconding system at Toei Doga Anipages Archived from the original on November 7 2011 Retrieved October 31 2011 COMPLETE RECORDINGS AKIRA IFUKUBE TOEI DOGA FILM MUSIC godzillamonstermusic com Retrieved 7 September 2015 a b c Cartoon Brew Archived from the original on 5 April 2012 Retrieved 7 September 2015 Complete Recordings Akira Ifukube Toei Doga Film Music TYCY 5213 14 godzillamonstermusic com Retrieved 3 March 2019 Prince Wanpaku Slays the Great Serpent COCC 13504 godzillamonstermusic com Retrieved 7 September 2015 The World of Japanese Film and Television Scores The Naughty Prince s Orochi Slaying Original Soundtrack CINK 51 52 9 June 2018 Wanpaku oji no Orochi taiji at IMDb nbsp Anime At The Movies The Mile Toole Show Anime News Network March 27 2011 わんぱく王子の大蛇退治 特集 東映ビデオオフィシャルサイト 東映ビデオ株式会社 in Japanese 2019 10 09 Retrieved 2021 03 23 Hotes Cathy Munroe Nishikata Film Review The Noburo Ofuji Award 大藤信郎賞 Blogspot Nishikata eiga Retrieved 7 September 2015 Audureau William 6 December 2018 Les confidences du dessinateur historique des personnages Nintendo Le Monde in French Retrieved 6 March 2023 Campbell Kambole June 21 2021 Annecy Leading Animation Filmmakers Discuss Anime s Influence On Their Work Cartoon Brew Retrieved June 22 2021 External links editWanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji at AllMovie Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji at Anime News Network s encyclopedia Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji at the British Film Institute better source needed Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji at Rotten Tomatoes Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji at the TCM Movie Database The Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon at IMDb nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Little Prince and the Eight Headed Dragon amp oldid 1219914406, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.