Gulliver's Space Travels: An Appraisal of an Epic Adventure and Profound Themes

Appeal and evaluation of Gulliver's Space Travels

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

March 20, 1965 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

13207

■Frequencies

80 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

Toei Animation

■Works

©Toei

■ Story

Ted, an orphaned boy living a poor life, happens to meet an elderly Dr. Gulliver in the forest. Hearing Gulliver's story of going on a space trip to the "Blue Star of Hope", Ted decides to accompany him. However, after setting off, the spaceship is guided to a planet just before the destination. There, he encounters aliens who are neither human nor robot. They tell Ted that the Blue Star of Hope is ruled by robots, so he boards the Blue Star of Hope to defeat the boss robot.

■Explanation

An original science fiction film produced by Toei Animation. Production began at the same time as "Woof Woof Chushingura" (released in 1963), but it was released about two years later. The overall atmosphere is strongly fantasy-like, but there are also many modern elements, such as the ingenious robot design. The direction of the final scene was changed from the original, adopting an idea by Miyazaki Hayao. Filmed alongside the film are "Ken the Wolf Boy: The Cowardly Lion" and "Fujimaru the Ninja of the Wind: The Phantom Magic Troupe."

■Cast

・Ted / Kyu Sakamoto・Princess of the Purple Kingdom / Chiyoko Homma・Dr. Gulliver / Seiji Miyaguchi・Mac / Ayako Hori・Colonel / Shoichi Ozawa・Cupid, the Messenger of Dreams / Yukiko Okada・King of the Purple Kingdom / Akira Oizumi・Scientists of the Purple Kingdom / Danny Iida and Paradise King・Robot of the Blue Planet / Masao Imanishi・Kuro / Makiko Ito

■ Main staff

・Producer / Hiroshi Okawa・Planning / Hiroshi Onozawa, Yoshifumi Hatano・Production assistant / Yoshiharu Furusawa・Screenplay / Shinichi Sekizawa・Supervision / Sanae Yamamoto, Yasuji Yabushita・Director / Masao Kuroda・Assistant directors / Hiroshi Shitara, Yasuo Yamaguchi・Chief animation director / Hideo Furusawa・Key animation / Yasuo Otsuka, Jun Nagasawa, Tomekichi Takeuchi, Sadao Tsukioka, Katsuya Oda, Sadao Kikuchi, Akemi Ota, Akinori Matsubara, Koji Mori・Art / Saburo Yokoi・"Song of the Earth" art / Takao Kodama・Finishing inspection / Shoji Sato・Special effects / Chiaki Yamamoto・Cinematography / Fumio Shinozaki, Akio Hayashi・Editing / Ikuzo Inaba・Music / Isao Tomita・Sound recording / Yukio Ishii・Sound effects / Ryuzo Iwafuji・Recording / Setsuko Sugawara・Produced by Toei Animation

■ Main Characters

Ted is a boy who lives alone and has no place to live. He often sneaks into movie theaters to watch "Gulliver's Travels" without paying. He meets the Colonel and Mac, and goes on a space adventure with them.

Dr. Gulliver: The protagonist of the movie "Gulliver's Travels" that Ted was watching. Even in his old age, his sense of adventure is still strong, and he is building a spaceship to travel to the "Blue Star of Hope" at the end of his life.

The princess of the purple planet where Ted and his friends' spaceship stopped. She welcomes Ted and his friends aboard the Gulliver. She is forcibly taken away when the robots that control the "Blue Star of Hope" attack.

- A stray dog ​​who can speak human language and meets Mack Ted. He becomes Ted's playmate and they act together. He also plays an active role in the battle against robots.

The Colonel is an abandoned soldier doll. He can communicate with humans. He becomes friends with Ted and together they set out on Gulliver's spaceship, heading for the blue star of hope.

Robots rule the Blue Star of Hope. They resent the humans who have been living off the advances of science by leaving everything to the robots, and launch a coup. Their evil egos are beginning to emerge.

■ Related works

・Simultaneous screening of "Ken the Wolf Boy: The Cowardly Lion"
"Fujimaru the Ninja Boy: The Phantom Magic Troupe"

■ Theme songs and music

・Insert song ・Lyrics by Shinichi Sekizawa ・Music by Isao Tomita ・Singers by Nishirokugo Boys and Girls Choir, Kyu Sakamoto, Danny Iida and Paradise King

Appeal and evaluation of Gulliver's Space Travels

"Gulliver's Space Travels," released in 1965, is an original science fiction work by Toei Animation, and its unique worldview and storytelling are still loved by many fans today. This work is an adventure story about Ted, an orphan boy living in poverty, who aims for the "Blue Star of Hope" with Dr. Gulliver. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Gulliver's Space Travels" is a moving tale of adventure, friendship, and hope. Ted meets Dr. Gulliver in the forest and is fascinated by his story of space travel. Dr. Gulliver dreams of reaching the "Blue Star of Hope" at the end of his life, and Ted sympathizes with this dream and decides to accompany him. However, during the journey, the spaceship is guided to a planet just short of its destination, where it meets aliens who are neither human nor robot. Ted learns from them that the Blue Star of Hope is controlled by robots, and renews his resolve to defeat the boss robot.

This story depicts the power of courage and friendship in the face of difficulties, deeply moving viewers. Ted's progress toward his goal of creating a blue star of hope resonates with people who pursue their dreams and hopes. Furthermore, the setting of a planet ruled by robots includes elements that make us think about the progress of science and technology and its impact.

Character Appeal

Each character in "Gulliver's Space Travels" is unique and charming. The main character, Ted, is a brave boy who never loses hope and embarks on an adventure despite living in poverty. His purity and strong will leave a strong impression on viewers. Dr. Gulliver, meanwhile, never loses his sense of adventure even in old age, and continues to pursue his dreams, which is inspiring.

Ted's companions, Mac and the Colonel, are also charming characters. Mac is a stray dog ​​who can speak human language, and he accompanies Ted and plays an active role in the battle against the robots. The Colonel is an abandoned soldier doll who becomes friends with Ted and together they aim for the blue star of hope. The friendship and cooperation between these characters is an important element that makes the story exciting.

The princess of the Purple Kingdom is also an important character, and the dramatic development of her welcoming Ted and his friends, only to be taken away by the robots, adds depth to the story. The robots who rule the Blue Planet of Hope also symbolize the progress of science and technology and its drawbacks, making the viewer think.

The appeal of video and music

The visuals of "Gulliver's Space Travels" have a strong fantasy feel, and many modern elements can be seen, such as the ingenious robot designs. In particular, the direction of the final scene is noteworthy, as it was changed from the original plan, based on an idea by Hayao Miyazaki. This direction further enhances the moving ending of the story.

The music is also an important element in enhancing the appeal of this work. The music by Isao Tomita effectively expresses the thrill and excitement of the adventure, enhancing the emotions of the viewer. The inserted songs, sung by the Nishirokugo Boys and Girls Choir, Kyu Sakamoto, Danny Iida and Paradise King, also add to the atmosphere of the story.

Historical background and behind the scenes

"Gulliver's Space Travels" began production at the same time as "Doggie Chushingura" (released in 1963), but was released about two years later. This delay is thought to have been due to production difficulties and technical issues. It was also shown alongside "Ken the Wolf Boy: The Cowardly Lion" and "Fujimaru the Ninja of the Wind: The Phantom Magic Troupe," and it is thought that the intention was for audiences to enjoy the film alongside these films.

The production staff included the talents of the leading animation industry at the time, including director Masao Kuroda, animation director Hideo Furusawa, and key animator Yasuo Otsuka. In particular, the use of Hayao Miyazaki's ideas for the final scene is said to have had a major impact on the animation industry.

Evaluation and impact

"Gulliver's Space Travels" was highly acclaimed when it was released, and was especially praised for its story and characters. The unique worldview that combined fantasy and science fiction gave viewers a fresh surprise and created many fans. In addition, the final scene, which adopted an idea by Hayao Miyazaki, is said to have influenced later anime works.

The film also includes elements that make viewers think about the progress of science and technology and its impact, providing viewers with deep insight. Ted's adventure in search of the blue star of hope has been praised as a touching story that resonates with people who pursue their dreams and hopes, and depicts the power of courage and friendship.

Recommendations and how to watch

"Gulliver's Space Travels" is a moving story about adventure, friendship, and hope, with a unique worldview that combines fantasy and science fiction. It is especially recommended for those who pursue their dreams and hopes, and for those who are looking for a work that makes them think about the progress of science and technology and its impact.

This work can be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray. It may also be available on streaming services, so if you're interested, be sure to check it out. Furthermore, by watching the related works "Ken the Wolf Boy: The Cowardly Lion" and "Fujimaru the Ninja of the Wind: The Phantom Magic Troupe," which were screened at the same time, you can get a deeper feel for the appeal of Toei Animation from this era.

"Gulliver's Space Travels" is a wonderful work that gives viewers inspiration and courage, and its appeal has not faded even today, and it is loved by many people. Please watch this work and experience its excitement and charm.