The appeal and reviews of "Poron Guitar": A fusion of music and adventure

Poron Guitar - Beautiful melodies that move the heart and the charm of puppet animation

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

September 5, 1959 - January 1, 0000

■Frequencies

27 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Director

Go Ono

■ Production

Gakken (Gakken Film Department)
Masaru Furuoka Shinichi Kanbayashi

■ Story

The poor flower girl has a beautiful heart. A poor old man travelling through town comes into a restaurant, but is thrown out because he has no money. The townspeople ignore her. The girl helps the old man up and, although she cannot give him any money or bread because she cannot sell any flowers, she offers him at least a flower. The old man disappears without anyone noticing, leaving behind an old guitar. When the girl touches the guitar, it starts to play and dance by itself. The tune is so joyful that the girl starts dancing too. Everyone in the town starts to dance, and everyone is intoxicated with happiness. All the flowers are sold. The girl sleeps with the guitar carefully placed next to her pillow. In the middle of the night, a thief sneaks in and steals the guitar, but is frightened when the guitar makes a loud buzzing sound throughout the town and runs away. The next morning, the brothers who were fighting in the square also start to dance to the beautiful sound of the guitar. Everyone in the town dances happily again. Then a mysterious old man appears and quietly takes the guitar away. (Source: History of Japanese Animation Films, p. 257)

■Explanation

A musical puppet film that required 43,000 shots. It won the top prize in the video category at the 6th Educational Film Festival and came in 4th in the 7th Kinema Junpo Cultural Films Best Ten Awards.

■ Main staff

・Planning: Masatsugu Hara, Hideo Yamamoto ・Script and direction: Go Ono ・Puppet animation: Seiko Arima, Ikuko Shinmen, Reiko Chihara ・Puppet set: Ryosaku Takayama, Akira Sasaki (only mentioned on p. 256 of the History of Japanese Animation Films)
Costumes: Toshiko Takayama (only listed on page 256 of the History of Japanese Animation Films)
・Cinematography and lighting: Kiyoshi Nakamura, Hiroshi Hirai ・Music: Hikaru Hayashi ・Sound: Yoshizo Tanaka ・Choreography: Momoko Tani Ballet Company (only listed on p. 256 of the History of Japanese Animation Films)
Cast: Kiyoshi Kawakubo, Hiroshi Sunaga, Tamae Kato, Sachiko Ijima, Takashi Saito, Michiko Shirasaka (only NFC listed)

■Detailed evaluation

"Poron Guitar" is a Japanese animated film released in 1959, and is highly praised for its beautiful story and puppet animation techniques. This work depicts the warmth of people's hearts and the power of music through a poor flower girl and a mysterious guitar. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Poron Guitar" is simple yet deeply moving. At the heart of the story is a poor flower girl who has a kind heart and tries to help an elderly traveller. The way her pure heart brings happiness to the townspeople through her guitar is deeply moving to the viewer. In addition, the scene where the guitar resonates throughout the town strongly conveys the message that the power of music can bring people together. Stories like this one give viewers a sense of hope and warmth, and have a healing effect on the heart.

Puppet Animation Techniques

"Poron Guitar" was produced using a technique called puppet animation. The film involved 43,000 shots, and its precision and beauty are outstanding. Puppet animation requires a great deal of time and effort, as each frame is shot by hand, but the result is realistic and beautiful movements. In "Poron Guitar," the puppet movements are natural and smooth, and the high level of skill can be felt especially in the scene where the guitar plays and dances by itself. Furthermore, the emotions are conveyed through the puppet's facial expressions and movements, allowing the viewer to become deeply immersed in the story.

The role of music

In "Poron Guitar," music is an important element of the story. Hayashi Hikaru's composition plays beautiful melodies that match the development of the story, evoking emotions in the viewer. The sound of the guitar in particular not only makes the townspeople dance, but also captivates the viewer. The theme that music brings people together and makes them feel happy is effectively expressed. Additionally, the choreography by the Momoko Tani Ballet Company also works in unison with the music to add excitement to the story.

Recognition and Awards

"Poron Guitar" has received many awards for its high artistic quality and technical prowess. Its value has been proven by the numerous awards it has received, including the highest award in the video category at the 6th Educational Film Festival and fourth place in the 7th Kinema Junpo Cultural Films Top 10. These accolades show that "Poron Guitar" is not just an entertainment piece, but also has high value as a work of art.

■Recommendation details

"Poron Guitar" is highly recommended for those who want to enjoy the beauty of music and animation, and for those who want a heartwarming story. It is also a work not to be missed by those who are interested in the technology of puppet animation. In particular, watching it with your family will be a good opportunity to teach your children about kindness and the power of music. Furthermore, this work may inspire you to enjoy other Japanese animation films.

■ Related works

Like "Poron Guitar," the following works are recommended as works that feature puppet animation and music.

• "Pinocchio" - A Disney classic that tells the touching story of a puppet.
• "Fantasia" - A Disney masterpiece that combines music and animation.
• "Spirited Away" - A Studio Ghibli film that stands out for its beautiful music and animation.

■ Summary

"Poron Guitar" is a wonderful work that combines a beautiful story, the techniques of puppet animation, and the power of music. The story of a poor flower girl's kind heart and her magical guitar that warms people's hearts will move viewers. The precision and beauty of the puppet animation and the charm of the music are also major attractions of this work. This work has won many awards and is highly worthy of being a work of art, which the whole family can enjoy. We hope you will experience the beauty of music and animation through "Poron Guitar."