The appeal and reviews of "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima": Rediscovering a nostalgic anime classic

"Hyokkori Hyoutanjima": A glimpse of fantastic adventure and humor

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

July 21, 1967 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

14848

■Frequencies

61 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Hisashi Inoue, Mamoru Yamamoto (NHK TV program "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima")

■ Production

Toei Animation

■Works

©Toei

■ Story

After being cut off from the mainland by a volcanic eruption, Cape Gourd begins to drift as Gourd Island. In addition to Mr. Sunday and the children who came to the island to hike, Torahige who came ashore on a raft, and President Don Gabacho who was pushed off the TV screen, all became residents of Gourd Island. One day, the island comes into conflict with Bulldogia, a dog nation that hates humans, and a war breaks out between the two. Don Gabacho heads to the opposing country to negotiate, but is captured and sentenced to death by firing squad.

■Explanation

Toei Animation produced a feature-length animated film based on the popular Hitomiza puppet show on NHK TV, with the voice actors for each character remaining the same. It was shown as part of the Toei Manga Festival, alongside Sally the Witch, Golden Bad, and Captain Ultra. This film was hugely popular with children at the time, and is known for its exquisite blend of humor and adventure. In particular, the script by Hisashi Inoue and Morihisa Yamamoto was written for children, but had depth that adults could enjoy as well, captivating many viewers.

■Cast

・Doctor/Chinatsu Nakayama・Kid/Yoshiko Fujita・Teke/Eiko Masuyama・Chappy/Kyoko Emi・Dump/Makiko Ito・Lion/Junpei Takiguchi・Mr. Sunday/Tosie Kusunoki・Machine Gun Dandy/Kyoji Kobayashi・Torahige/Kazuo Kumakura・Don Gabacho/Arihiro Fujimura

■ Main staff

・Original story and script: Hisashi Inoue, Morihisa Yamamoto (from the NHK TV program "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima")
・Production manager: Hiroo Kubota ・Director: Yasushi Yabushita ・Assistant director: Tokiji Shogi ・Character concept and supervision: Masaru Kataoka (Hitomiza)
・Chief animation director: Masatake Kita・Key animation: Teruo Hosoda, Makoto Kuniho, Masashi Hayashi, Tsuyoshi Shinagawa, Tetsuhiro Wakabayashi, Hidenori Sato, Makoto Hotta, Kinichiro Suzuki・Art: Hideo Chiba・Color design: Shigeyoshi Endo・Finishing inspection: Atsuko Nishimoto, Masatoyo Ogura・Special effects: Fukie Hayashi, Yoshiaki Okada・Cinematography: Miki Hirao・Editing: Yutaka Senkura・Music: Seiichiro Uno・Sound recording: Yukio Ishii・Sound effects: Noriyoshi Ohira・Recording: Miyoko Maeno・Production: Toei Animation

■ Main Characters

The narrator of the Doctor's Story. He is one of the children who came to Hyotan Island for a hike. He is a super genius boy who has memorized the entire encyclopedia, and holds the record of getting perfect scores 1600 times in a row. He is characterized by his round glasses.

Kid: A boy who appeared from Captain Kid's treasure. He loves to play pranks. His real name is Little Kid.

Don Gabacho: A politician from Dondon City in the country of Igirikka who appeared on the TV brought by Torahige. He became the first president of Gourd Island. He is seen as an annoyance by those around him because he gives frequent speeches.

・Ms. Sunday A beautiful teacher who was leading her students on a hike to Hyotan Island. She is an exemplary teacher who is always concerned about the children, but once she gets angry, she is uncontrollable. She has a fifth-degree black belt in naginata.

Torahige: A dropout pirate who washed up on Gourd Island with a lot of stolen goods. He uses the stolen goods to start a department store on the island. He is greedy for money and extremely stingy. He has a crush on Mr. Sunday.

Machine Gun Dandy is a former Chicago gangster who escapes by parachute during an airplane transport and lands on Calabash Island. He becomes a resident there, but wears a fake beard to hide his identity as a former gangster.

Chief Pitts is responsible for the defense of the dogs of Burdokia. He has a ruthless personality and orders Don Gabacho, who came to negotiate, to be eaten by man-eating lions.

■ Related works

・Puppet show "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" (NHK General TV)

・Simultaneous screening of "Sally the Witch"
"Golden Bad"
"Captain Ultra"

■ Theme songs and music

・Theme song/OP "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima"
Lyrics by Hisashi Inoue and Morihisa Yamamoto Music by Seiichiro Uno Vocals by Yoko Maekawa

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" is a theatrical animation produced by Toei Animation and released in 1967, based on a popular puppet show by NHK. This work is known for its exquisite blend of humor and adventure, and is enjoyable for both children and adults. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of the work.

Story and Themes

The story of "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" is set on Hyoutan Island, an island cut off from the mainland by a volcanic eruption. The story follows unique characters such as Dr. Sunday, who is washed ashore on the island, the children, Torahige, and Don Gabacho, as they grow through life and adventures on the island. In particular, the war with the dog nation, Bulldogia, is a highlight that combines humor and tension, and also includes themes that teach children the horrors of war and the importance of peace.

character

Each character in this series is unique and charming. The characteristics of each character are clearly drawn, such as the professor's genius, Kid's love of pranks, and Don Gabacho's love of speeches, and they leave a strong impression on the viewer. The series also praises the way the characters' humanity is explored in depth, such as Professor Sunday's kindness and strictness, and Torahige's stinginess and affection for Professor Sunday. In particular, Machine Gun Dandy's past as a gangster and Chief Pitts' ruthlessness add depth to the story.

Animation and performance

The animation produced by Toei Animation is characterized by beautiful visuals drawn using the technology of the time. In particular, the scenery of Gourd Island and the movements of the characters are full of visually enjoyable elements. In addition, Yasushi Yabushita's direction skillfully manipulates humor and tension, and has the power to draw the viewer into the story. The facial expressions and movements of the characters, created by animation director Masatake Kita, are also important elements that add excitement to the story.

music

Seiichiro Uno's music plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the theme song "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" has become a masterpiece that, together with Yoko Maekawa's singing voice, has left a deep impression on viewers. The background music in the play also effectively brings out the excitement and humor of the adventure, and it can be said that the power of music enriches the story.

Recommendation

"Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" is a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults, and is especially great to watch with the family. The story is full of humor and adventure, and will leave viewers smiling and moved. You can also learn the importance of peace and friendship through the personalities and growth of the characters. In addition, you can enjoy the beautiful animation that made full use of the technology of the time, as well as the famous song "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima", so be sure to give it a watch.

Related works and their appeal

"Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" was also popular as a puppet show on NHK, and the animated feature film further enhanced its appeal. In addition, "Sally the Witch," "Golden Bad," and "Captain Ultra," which were shown at the same time, were also beloved by children at the time, and by watching this film together with these works, you can gain a deeper understanding of Japanese entertainment culture in the 1960s.

summary

"Hyokkori Hyoutanjima" is a charming work filled with humor and adventure, and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It is full of many charms, such as the personalities and growth of the characters, the beautiful animation, and the famous song "Hyokkori Hyoutanjima," so be sure to watch it at least once. Also, by watching it together with related works, you can gain a deeper understanding of Japanese entertainment culture in the 1960s.