The appeal and reviews of "The Merry Kingdom": A world of laughter and emotion

Merry Kingdom - Youkinaoukoku

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

1956

■Frequencies

11 mins

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Kanemitsu ■ (NFC data included)

■ Director

Ashida Iwao

■ Production

Yomiuri Films, Inc., Chuji Yamada, Sankyo KK, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare

■ Story

The king of hippos and other cheerful citizens of the zoo, who enjoy their peaceful days, fall ill with dysentery due to the devil's minions, flies. This video teaches how to prevent and treat dysentery.
History of Japanese Animation Films P250

■ Main staff

・Screenplay: Masuhiro Saito ・Cinematography: Iwao Ashida ・Music: Hirohisa Yamamoto, Yoshio Ozaki ・Sound: Kanaya Makita

A detailed review and recommendation of the cheerful kingdom

The 1956 animated film "The Jolly Kingdom" is a theatrically released film that tries to convey a lot in its short 11 minutes. This is an educational animation that teaches how to prevent and treat dysentery through the story of the hippo king at the zoo and his cheerful citizens who contract dysentery from flies, which are minions of the devil. Below is a detailed review and recommendation of this film.

Story and Themes

The story of "Yokinaoukoku" is about a hippopotamus king and his friends living in a peaceful zoo who suddenly fall ill with dysentery after being attacked by flies, minions of the devil. The story was created to emphasize the importance of public health in Japanese society at the time. Dysentery was a serious problem at the time, and this animation was used as a visual way to communicate prevention and countermeasures.

The story is very simple and easy for children to understand. The scene where the hippopotamus king catches dysentery is visually impactful and leaves a strong impression on the audience. Also, the appearance of flies, minions of the devil, emphasizes the importance of hygiene. This type of storytelling is very effective in achieving educational objectives.

Characters and Design

The characters in this work are centered around the animals at the zoo, especially the hippopotamus king, who is portrayed as a cheerful and friendly character, while the flies are depicted as minions of the devil, and their design is visually striking, impressing on the viewer the importance of hygiene.

The character designs reflect the style of Japanese manga and animation at the time, and are simple yet attractive. The expressions and movements of the Hippo King in particular are easy for viewers to empathize with, and help convey the educational message. The fly's design also uses a black and red color scheme to emphasize its demonic elements, maximizing its visual impact.

Music and Sound

The music for "Yokinaoukoku" was composed by Hirohisa Yamamoto and Yoshio Ozaki. The music changes as the story progresses, enhancing the viewer's emotions. In particular, the scene in which the Hippo King suffers from dysentery uses music that heightens the tension, leaving a strong impression on the viewer. In addition, in the scene where flies appear, music is used to emphasize the demonic atmosphere, further enhancing the visual impact.

Sound effects are also used effectively to progress the story. The buzzing of flies in particular emphasizes the importance of hygiene by making the audience feel uncomfortable. The voices of the hippopotamus king and other animals are also used effectively to bring out the personalities of the characters.

Director and staff

The film was directed by Iwao Ashida, a director who was active in the Japanese animation industry at the time, and his unique style is reflected in the film. The screenplay was written by Masuhiro Saito, who had a major influence on the flow of the story and the character settings. The cinematography was also done by Iwao Ashida, and was done with great care to maximize the visual impact.

The music was composed by Hirohisa Yamamoto and Yoshio Ozaki, who provided music that matched the progression of the story. The sound was recorded by Kaneya Makita, and the effective use of sound effects played a role in enhancing the emotions of the viewers. The film was produced by Yomiuri Film Company and Chuji Yamada, and commissioned by Sankyo KK. In addition, the film was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, which helped to convey an educational message to the viewers.

Background and influences

"Yōkinaōkoku" was released in 1956 and was created to emphasize the importance of public health in Japanese society at the time. Dysentery in particular was a serious problem at the time and this animation was used as a visual means of communicating prevention and treatment. The work was very effective in achieving its educational objectives and was able to convey its message to a large audience.

The impact of this work was huge on the Japanese education scene at the time. It was particularly shown in schools and public facilities and used as a way to teach children the importance of hygiene. It is also regarded as one of Japan's earliest animated films and is highly regarded for its historical value.

Recommendations and ratings

"Yokinawa Kingdom" is a very effective film for educational purposes, with excellent visual impact and storytelling. It is especially great for use as a means to teach children the importance of hygiene, and we recommend screening it in schools and public facilities. It is also recognized as one of Japan's early animated films, and is highly valued for its historical value.

The evaluation of this work is comprehensively judged from the following elements: story and theme, characters and design, music and sound, director and staff, production background and influence. The story and theme are very effective in achieving the educational purpose, and have excellent visual impact and storytelling. The characters and design reflect the style of Japanese manga and animation at the time, and are simple yet attractive. The music and sound change as the story progresses, and play a role in enhancing the viewer's emotions. The director and staff were members who were active in the Japanese animation industry at the time, and their unique style is reflected in this work. The production background and influence was created to emphasize the importance of public health in Japanese society at the time, and its influence had a great impact on the Japanese education scene.

Overall, "Yokinawa Kingdom" is a very effective film for its educational purpose, with excellent visual impact and storytelling. It is especially suitable for use as a means to teach children the importance of hygiene, and we recommend screening it in schools and public facilities. It is also recognized as one of Japan's early animated films, and its historical value is highly valued.