The appeal and evaluation of "The Legend of the White Snake": A legendary story brought to the modern era

"The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden -": A monumental achievement in Japanese animation

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

October 22, 1958 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

10796

■Frequencies

78 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

Toei Animation

■Works

©Toei

■ Story

White snake fairy Bai Niang has never been able to forget Xu Xian, who doted on her as a child, and appears before him as a beautiful young girl. The two fall in love, but the high priest Fahai discovers her true identity and tears them apart. After losing a magical battle with Fahai, Bai Niang leaves Xu Xian, but Xu Xian chases after her and falls off a cliff to his death. Bai Niang pleads with the Dragon King to spare Xu Xian's life in exchange for giving up her fairy powers and magical skills. Bai Niang's wish is granted, and the Dragon King bestows upon her the Flower of Life, which saves Xu Xian's life.

■Explanation

Based on one of the four great Chinese folk tales, "The Legend of the White Snake," this is the first full-scale color animated feature film produced in Japan. When it was released, it surprised people both at home and abroad, who wondered whether such a work could be produced in Japan, and it is a memorable work that instantly brought Toei Animation to the world's attention. It is highly regarded both in Japan and overseas as a masterpiece that will remain in the history of Japanese animated films.

■Cast

・Hisaya Morishige ・Mariko Miyagi

■ Main staff

Produced by Hiroshi Okawa
Planning: Hideyuki Takahashi, Koichi Akagawa, Sanae Yamamoto
・ Original story/Uehara Makoto
・Screenplay and direction: Yasuji Yabushita
Art/Kazuhiko Okabe, Kiyoshi Hashimoto
・Music: Tadashi Kinoshita
Original illustrations: Akira Daikuhara, Koji Mori
・Animation: Yasuo Otsuka, Masatake Kita, Kazuko Nakamura, Daikichirou Kusube, Takeshi Fujii, Tamae Matsusumi, Yusaku Sakamoto, Shuji Konno, Kao Terachi, Sumiko Nagasawa, Yoko Kato, Susumu Akasaka ・Cinematography: Kokichi Tsukahara, Mitsuaki Ishikawa ・Background: Kazuo Kusano, Koichi Maeba ・Tracing: Mitsuko Shindo, Miyo Yamada ・Coloring: Sumiko Ito, Masako Miyazaki, Fumie Motohashi ・Editing: Shintaro Miyamoto
Sound: Takeshi Mori, Tadayuki Komatsu
・Sound effects/Fujio Yoshitake
・Customs research / Yuzo Sugimura ・Recording / Sachiko Yamazaki ・Presentation / Nobuo Inada ・Production / Toei Animation

■ Main Characters

・Xu Xian
A kind-hearted young man who lives by the shores of West Lake. Not knowing that Bai Niang is a white snake, he falls in love at first sight with her beauty.

・White Girl (Pai Nyan)
A white snake spirit that lives in Qingfeng Cave on Mount Emei in Sichuan Province. She transforms into a beautiful girl and appears before Xu Xian.

・Xiao Qing
A blue fish spirit that lives at the bottom of the West Lake and accompanies Bai Niang. She helps Xu Xian and Bai Niang in their love.

・Hokkai
A monk with great spiritual powers. He sees through Bai Niang's true identity as a demonic white snake, and tears apart her relationship with Xu Xian.

・Dragon King
The king of shape-shifting monsters who has the power to control the true identities of fairies. He lives on a planet in the vast universe.

・Catfish King
Xiaoqing's uncle. A giant black catfish that lurks in the deep sea.

■ Theme songs and music

Theme song and lyrics by Shizuichi Yashiro, music by Tadashi Kinoshita

The appeal and evaluation of "The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden -"

"The Legend of the White Snake" was Japan's first full-scale color feature-length animated film, released in 1958, and its historical significance and artistic value are immeasurable. This work is based on "The Legend of the White Snake," one of the four great Chinese folk tales, and captivated audiences with its beautiful visuals and moving story. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and evaluation of this work.

■ Historical Significance

"The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden" is a work that left a huge mark on the history of Japanese animation. In 1958, the Japanese animation industry was still in its infancy, and producing a full-length color animated film was extremely difficult. However, Toei Animation succeeded in this challenge, demonstrating Japan's technological prowess to the world. It can be said that the success of this work had a major impact not only on the development of Toei Animation, but on the development of the entire Japanese animation industry.

■ Visual beauty

The visuals of this film are known for their beauty that surpassed the technical standards of the time. In particular, Bai Niang's transformation scene and the landscape depiction of West Lake left a strong impression on audiences. Art directors Kazuhiko Okabe and Kiyoshi Hashimoto's team faithfully reproduced traditional Chinese scenery and culture while adding the fantastical expressions unique to animation, maximizing the visual appeal. The work of background artists Kazuo Kusano and Koichi Maeba was also highly praised, supporting the beauty of the film as a whole.

■ The moving story

The story of "Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden" revolves around the tragic love between Bai Niang and Xu Xian. The story of Bai Niang's self-sacrifice, in which she gives up her fairy powers to save Xu Xian, deeply touched the hearts of the audience. Yasushi Yabushita, who wrote and directed the play, skillfully incorporated the essence of the original work while adding his own interpretation to create a more moving story. In addition, the voice actors, Hisaya Morishige as Xu Xian and Mariko Miyagi as Bai Niang, realistically expressed the emotions of their characters, further deepening the emotion of the story.

■ The appeal of music

The film's music was written by Kinoshita Tadashi. Kinoshita created a unique atmosphere by basing the music on traditional Chinese music while incorporating elements of Western music. In particular, his collaboration with Yashiro Seiichi, who wrote the lyrics for the theme song, played an important role in heightening the emotion of the film as a whole. The music skillfully changes in line with the progression of the story, effectively drawing out the emotions of the audience.

■Charm of the characters

Each character in this work is unique and charming. The characteristics of each character are clearly depicted, such as Xu Xian's purity and kindness, Bai Niang's beauty and strength, Xiao Qing's loyalty, and Fa Hai's strictness. In addition, fantastical characters such as the Dragon King and the Catfish King also play an important role in enriching the worldview of the work. In particular, the relationship between Bai Niang and Xu Xian evokes deep sympathy in the audience, further deepening the emotional impact of the work.

■ Evaluation and impact

"The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden" was highly acclaimed from the time of its release. In Japan, it was praised by audiences and performed well at the box office. It was also well received overseas, winning awards at international animation film festivals and gaining global recognition. In particular, the beauty of the visuals and the moving story left a strong impression on many audiences and raised the film's acclaim. The success of this work had a major influence on subsequent Japanese animation works and can be said to have contributed to the development of today's animation industry.

Recommended points of "The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden -"

"The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden -" is a work that can be highly recommended for the following reasons.

■Learn about historical significance

"The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden" is an essential work for understanding the history of Japanese animation. Through this work, you can feel the evolution of Japan's technical capabilities and creativity. It will also be a valuable resource for understanding the social background and culture of the time.

■Enjoy the visual beauty

The visuals of this film are known for their beauty that exceeds the technical standards of the time. In particular, Bai Niang's transformation scene and the landscape depiction of West Lake will leave a strong impression on the audience. Please enjoy the beautiful world created by the team of art directors Kazuhiko Okabe and Kiyoshi Hashimoto.

■ Experience a moving story

The story revolving around the tragic love between Bai Niang and Xu Xian will deeply touch the hearts of audiences. The tale of self-sacrifice will evoke deep empathy in the audience and provide a deeply moving experience. The skillful storytelling by Yasushi Yabushita, who wrote and directed the play, also adds to the appeal of the work.

■ Feel the charm of music

The music by Tadashi Kinoshita skillfully combines elements of traditional Chinese music and Western music, enhancing the overall emotion of the work. In particular, the collaboration with Shizuichi Yashiro, who wrote the lyrics for the theme song, will further deepen the impact of the work. Through the music, you will be able to feel the worldview of the work more deeply.

■Enjoy the charm of the characters

Each character in this work is unique and charming. You can enjoy the characteristics of each character, such as Xu Xian's purity and kindness, Bai Niang's beauty and strength, Xiao Qing's loyalty, and Fa Hai's strictness. In addition, fantastical characters such as the Dragon King and the Catfish King will enrich the worldview of the work.

Conclusion

"The Legend of the White Snake - Hakujaden" is a work that has left a huge mark on the history of Japanese animation, and its historical significance and artistic value are immeasurable. This work, which combines beautiful visuals, a moving story, charming characters, and the appeal of music, will provide a deep emotional impact on the audience. I hope that you will experience the evolution of Japan's technical capabilities and creativity through this work and have a moving experience.