The appeal and reviews of "Hyotan Suzume": A must-see for anime fans?

"Hyotan Suzume": A masterpiece of postwar Japanese animation

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

February 10, 1959 - January 1, 0000

■ Eirin Number

20422

■Frequencies

55 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Director

Ryuichi Yokoyama

■ Production

Otogi Production

■Works

©Otogi Pro

■ Story

An outlaw frog named Danbei and his son Kerohachi arrive by boat in a peaceful frog village. A sparrow named Gourd Sparrow, who lives in a gourd house, is hit by a slingshot by Danbei, who is a violent villager, and dies. Pyonce and Pyonce make a grave for the sparrow, and one day a gourd sprouts from the grave and bears fruit. The fruit contains a lot of rice, and Pyonce and his son become rich. When Danbei tries to imitate this, a creepy gourd full of thorns grows, and from inside it appears a creepy ghost that attacks Danbei and his son.

■Explanation

This is the second work produced by popular manga artist Yokoyama Ryuichi's animation studio Otogi Productions after "Fukusuke" and is an original work inspired by the folktale "The Mysterious Gourd". The original prototype of the film was made after "Piggyback Ghost" was released in 1955 (before "Fukusuke" was released in 1957). With the positive reception of the previous film "Fukusuke", it was remade into a color animation of about an hour over a 15-month production period.

■Cast

・Narrator: Kiyoshi Kawakubo

■ Main staff

・Director and original artist: Ryuichi Yokoyama
・Animation: Shinichi Suzuki, Mitsuhiro Machiyama, Hiroshi Shinsenji, Eiichi Yamamoto, Yukihiro Yamada, Toshiro Nagata, Masashi Ito ・Background: Takeyoshi Nakahara ・Coloring: Katsuko Nagai, Emiko Taguchi, Kyoko Kimura, Ayako Uchiyama, Taeko Ichihara, Teruko Koyama, Sumiko Sekine ・Filming and editing: Yoshitaka Komatsu, Emiko Okada, Hiroshi Okubo
・Music by Koji Taku
・Produced by Otogi Productions

■ Main Characters

・Dambee A violent frog who is good at slingshots.

・Kerohachi Danbei's son.

-A kind-hearted frog who takes care of Gourd Sparrow who was injured by Pyonsuke Danbei's slingshot.

・Pyonko Pyonsuke's daughter.

■Detailed review

"Hyotan Suzume" is a symbol of the dawn of postwar Japanese animation and a culmination of Ryuichi Yokoyama's talent and creativity. Based on the folk tale "The Mysterious Gourd," the film develops its own story and characters, deeply moving and instructive to the viewer.

First, let's look at the story. Danbei, an outlaw, and his son Kerohachi appear in the peaceful frog village and are portrayed as disrupting the order of the village. Their actions clearly contrast good and evil, and pose moral questions to the viewer. In particular, the scene in which the gourd sparrow is hit and killed by Danbei's slingshot deeply stirs the viewer's heart. What is important here is the act of Pyonske and his son Pyoncé building a grave for the sparrow. This is a symbol of goodwill and mercy, and forms the central theme of the story.

Next, let us consider the characters. Danbei is a typical villain, and his actions make the viewer feel disgust. However, his character is not merely a villain, but explores the deeper aspects of humanity by depicting selfish desires and the resulting suffering. On the other hand, Pyonsuké and Pyonkō embody goodness and purity, and their actions give hope and courage to the viewer. In particular, the scene where Pyonsuké takes care of Hyotansuzume is a heartwarming moment that has a healing effect on the viewer's heart.

There are also many noteworthy aspects to the visual expression. For a work made in 1959, this was a very advanced color animation, and the richness of the colors and the beauty of the backgrounds enhance the story. In particular, the scene in which the gourd sprouts and bears fruit exudes a sense of fantastical beauty and leaves a strong visual impact. Furthermore, the music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story, and Taku Koji's music skillfully draws out the emotions of the viewer.

I would also like to touch on the background of the production of this work. During the turbulent postwar period, Ryuichi Yokoyama aimed to give children dreams and hope through the new form of expression known as animation. "Hyotan Suzume" is a work that embodies that ambition, and was completed after a long production period of 15 months. In the process of remaking it from the prototype, the story deepened and the visual expression evolved, making it a work that can be said to be the culmination of Yokoyama's creativity and hard work.

■Reasons for recommendation

"Hyotan Suzume" is a work that can be recommended to a wide range of people, from children to adults. It is especially suitable for parents and children who are looking for a moral lesson to learn together. Through the story, viewers can learn about the contrast between good and evil and the importance of compassion, and it encourages deep emotion and reflection in the viewer. Furthermore, the beauty of the visual expression and the charm of the music are not to be missed. It is also an important work in understanding the history of postwar Japanese animation, and has great cultural value. We recommend that you give it a watch at least once.

Related information

Other works by Ryuichi Yokoyama: "Fukusuke" and "Piggyback Ghost"
・History of Otogi Production: A studio that contributed to the development of postwar Japanese animation ・Outline of the folktale "The Mysterious Gourd": A traditional Japanese folktale with the theme that good deeds are rewarded

■How to watch

Gourd Sparrow is now available on DVD and online streaming services, especially on platforms that specialize in classic animation, and is sometimes shown at libraries and animation film festivals, so be sure to check it out.