The Little Prince and the Snake Slayer: A thorough review of the courageous adventure and moving story

The Naughty Prince and the Giant Snake - Wanpakuouujinoorochitaijii

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

March 24, 1963 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

12876

■Frequencies

76th minute

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

Toei Animation

■Works

©Toei

■ Story

One day, the mother of the young boy Susanoo suddenly dies. Unable to accept his mother's death, Susanoo sets off with his good friend Akahana the rabbit to the underworld where his dead mother is said to be. On the way, Susanoo meets his brother Tsukuyomi and sister Amaterasu, but they cannot tell him the way to the underworld. When Susanoo reaches the land of Izumo, he meets the beautiful Princess Kushinada, and for her sake, he challenges the eight-headed monster Yamata no Orochi to be defeated.

■Explanation

This theatrical anime film was produced by Toei Animation and is based on a famous Japanese mythology. With characters that emphasize flatness and stylized background art, this film established the originality of Japanese animation. It was also the first film to adopt the animation director system. It also won awards such as the Ozerla de Blond Award at the Venice International Film Festival and the Ofuji Noburo Award at the Mainichi Film Awards. It was selected by the Ministry of Education and recommended by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Central Child Welfare Council.

■Cast

・Susanoo/Tomohito Sumita (now Morio Kazama)
・Princess Kushinada/Yukiko Okada・Akahana/Chiharu Kuri・Taro/Hideo Kinoshita・Izanagi/Setsuo Shinoda・Izanami/Mitsuko Tomobe・Wadatsumi/Masato Yamauchi・Tsukuyomi/Hideo Kinoshita・Minister of War/Shuichi Kazamatsuri・Amaterasu/Norihiko Shindo・Bou Titanbou/Kiyoshi Kawakubo・God of Fire/Kinshiro Iwao・Omoikane/Mitsuo Yagi・Princess Kushinada's father/Masato Yamauchi・Nezumi/Koji Koga

■ Main staff

・Production manager / Matsushita Hidetami ・Screenplay / Ikeda Ichiro, Iijima Kei ・Director / Serigawa Yugo ・Assistant director / Takahata Isao, Yabuki Kimiro ・Animation supervisor / Yamamoto Sanae ・Key animation director / Mori Koji ・Key animation / Furusawa Hideo, Kumakawa Masao, Otsuka Yasuo, Kusube Daikichiro, Nagasawa Jun, Okuyama Reiko, Kita Masa, Fujii Chikao ・Dance choreography / Hatano Emi・Research / Fukiya Koji・Art / Koyama Reiji・Background / Fukumoto Tomoo, Sugimoto Eiko, Kageyama Isamu, Chiba Hideo・Color design / Yokoi Saburo・Finishing inspection / Sato Shoji・Tracing / Shindo Mitsuko, Sakamoto Yoko, Kariya Sadako, Yuzawa Kayoko・Coloring / Nakamura Fumiko, Totsuka Fusae, Seki Kazue, Ito Shigeko・Cinematography / Ishikawa Mitsuaki, Sugawara Hideaki・Editing / Inaba Ikuzo・Music / Ifukube Akira・Sound recording / Mori Takeshi, Ishii Yukio・Sound effects / Iwafuji Ryuzo・Recording / Kamiyama Eiko・Production / Toei Animation

■ Main Characters

・The son of Susanoo Izanagi and Izanami, he is a prince who lives on Onogoro Island. He has a lively personality and is loved by many of his friends. He sets out on an adventure to the underworld in search of his dead mother.

・Older brother of Tsukuyomi Sanoo. He rules over the Land of Night. As a parting gift, he gives Akahana an "ice ball."

Amaterasu: Susanoo's older sister. The goddess of light who rules over Takamagahara. She gets Susanoo to do things like cultivate fields, but when it doesn't go well, she becomes desperate and withdraws into the cave of heaven.

Princess Kushinada: Princess of the ruined land of Izumo. A beautiful girl, she becomes a candidate for sacrifice to the monster Yamata no Orochi, but is saved by Susanoo.

・Yamata no Orochi
A monster with eight heads, each of which can breathe fire. It demands a human girl as a sacrifice.

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song: "Lullaby for a Motherless Child"
Lyrics: Takashi Morishima
・Composer: Akira Ifukube
・Singer: Setsuko Watanabe

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

The Little Prince and the Serpent is a 1963 animated feature film produced by Toei Animation that tells a story based on Japanese mythology. This work holds an important place in the history of Japanese animation, and we will explain in detail why below.

Story and Themes

The story of this work is about a young boy named Susanoo who loses his mother and travels to the underworld to search for her. Along the way, he meets his brother Tsukuyomi and sister Amaterasu, and ultimately fights Yamata no Orochi to save Princess Kushinada. The story depicts themes of love for one's mother, family ties, courage and adventure. It is particularly notable for the way the story unfolds, moving viewers through the growth of Susanoo and his adventures.

Character design and animation

The character designs in this work place an emphasis on flatness, and established the originality of Japanese animation at the time. In particular, the designs of Susanoo and Princess Kushinada are visually very impressive, leaving a strong impression on viewers. It was also the first work to adopt the animation director system, and the technical skills of the key animation staff, including Mori Koji, are highly praised. The background art is also stylized, beautifully expressing the worldview of mythology.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Akira Ifukube, and the theme song "Lullaby of a Motherless Child" is sung by Setsuko Watanabe, creating a moving finish. Akira Ifukube's music plays a role in deeply enhancing the emotions of the story, especially in the battle scene with Yamata no Orochi, which creates a sense of tension. The recording and sound effects are also realistic, enhancing the viewer's sense of immersion.

Awards and Recognition

This film has won numerous awards, including the Ozerla de Blond Award at the Venice International Film Festival and the Ofuji Noburo Award at the Mainichi Film Awards. These awards are proof that the film's artistry and technical ability have been internationally recognized, and demonstrate that Japanese animation is world-class. It has also been selected by the Ministry of Education and recommended by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Central Child Welfare Council, and is considered to have high educational value.

Recommended points

"The Little Prince and the Snake Slayer" is recommended for the following reasons:

• Moving story : It depicts the adventures and growth of Susanoo as he searches for his mother, and gives a sense of familial love and courage.
• Beautiful character design : The character designs, which emphasize flatness, are visually appealing and leave a strong impression on the viewer.
• Emotional music : Akira Ifukube's music and Setsuko Watanabe's singing deeply enhance the emotional impact of the story.
• Historical value : This work established the originality of Japanese animation and is also important in that it was the first film to adopt the animation director system.
• Awards : The film has received international film awards and has been highly praised for its artistic and technical prowess.

Related works and viewing recommendations

If you enjoyed "The Little Prince and the Giant Snake Slayer," we also recommend the following related works.

• "The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun" : Also produced by Toei Animation, this film explores themes of adventure and growth. Featuring the work of Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, this is a visually stunning animation.
• "Legend of the White Snake" : An animation based on a Chinese legend, featuring a mythical story and beautiful character designs. The story development is also appealing and moves the audience.
• "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" : An animated adaptation of a tale from the Arabian Nights, this film explores themes of adventure and friendship, and has great character designs and music.

In conclusion, "The Little Prince and the Snake Slayer" is a work that can be highly recommended to viewers for its story, character design, music, award history, etc. It is a must-see work, especially for those who like stories with themes of family love and courage. It is also an important work for understanding the history of Japanese animation, and you will feel the value of watching it.