The appeal and evaluation of "The Mysterious Medicine": A unique world view and depth of characters

"The Mysterious Medicine": A short animation depicting the world of Shinichi Hoshi

The short animation "The Mysterious Medicine" released in 1965 was based on the short story "The Stolen Documents" by Shinichi Hoshi. This work is an animation released in theaters, and in its short length of just 14 minutes, it depicts Shinichi Hoshi's unique worldview. Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of this work, as well as recommended points.

Overview

The Mysterious Medicine was produced by Dentsu Eigasha and Okamoto Tadanari and distributed by Toei. It was directed by Okamoto Tadanari, written by Murajio, and had music by Manabe Riichiro. The cinematography was by Yoshioka Ken, the lighting by Nomura Ryuzo, the production design by Sango Ryo, Saito Mikio, and Saito Ken, and the editing by Nagae Tsuneo. The film is based on the short story "The Stolen Documents" by Hoshi Shinichi, which was published in the Sunday edition of the Asahi Shimbun.

story

The story of "The Mysterious Medicine" begins with a man coming into possession of a mysterious drug that, when taken, allows the person to temporarily impersonate another person. The man plans to use the drug to steal important documents from a company. However, the plan takes an unexpected turn, and the man faces one difficulty after another. Eventually, the effects of the drug wear off and the man returns to his old self, but he learns many lessons in the process.

character

The protagonist of this work is a man who tries to steal company documents. He tries to achieve his goal by using drugs to impersonate someone else, but his actions ultimately backfire. There are many other characters who appear in the work, but the most memorable is the company executive whom the man ends up impersonating. This executive's use of drugs to impersonate him has a major impact on the development of the story.

Visuals and Music

The visuals of "The Mysterious Medicine" are very sophisticated for animation from the 1960s. In particular, the scene in which the man changes into a different person due to the effects of the drug is depicted with skillful animation techniques. The music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the film, and Manabe Riichiro's music effectively brings out the tension and humorous parts of the story.

Rating and Recommended Points

"The Mysterious Medicine" is based on a short story by Shinichi Hoshi, and faithfully recreates the unique worldview of the story. In just 14 minutes, the story unfolds and the characters are portrayed very skillfully, making it a very worthwhile work to watch. As an animation from the 1960s, the quality of the images and music is also high, making it enjoyable for modern audiences as well.

The first thing I would like to recommend about this film is that it is a must-see for fans of Shinichi Hoshi. Based on Shinichi Hoshi's short story "The Stolen Documents," this film allows you to enjoy the worldview of the original story in the form of animation. It is also recommended for people who like the short animation format. The story unfolds in a short time of just 14 minutes, so even busy people can enjoy it easily. It is also recommended for people who are interested in animation from the 1960s. This is a valuable work that allows you to feel the technology and artistry of the time.

Related information

"The Mysterious Medicine" is based on the short story "The Stolen Documents" by Shinichi Hoshi, but there are many other animations and movies based on his works. For example, "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" released in 1987 and "Shaun the Sheep" released in 2012 are some of them. You can also enjoy Shinichi Hoshi's unique worldview in these works, so be sure to check them out after watching "The Mysterious Medicine."

In addition, Tadanari Okamoto, the director of "The Mysterious Medicine," has also worked on many other films, such as "Astro Boy" released in 1963 and "The Jungle Emperor" released in 1966. These films also feature Tadanari Okamoto's unique directing style, so be sure to check them out after watching "The Mysterious Medicine."

summary

"The Mysterious Medicine" is a short animated film based on Shinichi Hoshi's short story "The Stolen Documents." In just 14 minutes, the story unfolds and the characters are portrayed skillfully, making it a very worthwhile film to watch. As an animation from the 1960s, the quality of the visuals and music is also high, making it enjoyable for modern audiences as well. This is a film that I would highly recommend to fans of Shinichi Hoshi, people who like short animated films, and people who are interested in animation from the 1960s.