The appeal and reviews of "Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi": A thorough explanation of this moving adventure story

Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi - The appeal of this classic anime and its background

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Fairy tales

■ Release date

March 17, 1970 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

15825

■Frequencies

81 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

From "The Homeless Child" by Hector Henri Marot

■ Director

Yugo Serigawa (director name)

■ Production

Toei Animation

■Works

©Toei

■ Story

Remi was sold to a traveling performer named Vitalis by Jerome, the husband of his foster mother Barblanc. Remi and his troupe toured together, and though it was hard but fun, their companions died one by one along the way, and Vitalis was thrown into prison. Now alone, Remi meets a wealthy woman and her daughter...

■Explanation

A feature-length animated film based on a classic piece of literature. Instead of filming on location, the film uses famous paintings by artists such as Monet and Millet in its visuals to depict the European landscapes. A shortened 53-minute version was later shown at the Toei Manga Festival in 1975. It won the Ministry of Education's Youth Film Award, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Child Welfare Culture Encouragement Award, and was selected by the Ministry of Education.

■Cast

・Remi/Yukari Asai ・Barblan/Etsuko Ichihara ・Jerome/Kosei Tomita ・Mrs. Milligan/Haruko Mabuchi ・Lisa/Reiko Katsura ・Vitalis/Masao Mishima ・Capi/Frankie Sakai

■ Main staff

・Original story/based on Hector Henri Marot's "The Homeless Child"・Producer/Okawa Hiroshi・Planning/Yamanashi Minoru, Ito Kiyoshi, Iijima Kei・Screenplay/Segawa Shoji・Direction/Serigawa Yugo・Chief animation director/Daikuhara Akira・Art/Fukumoto Tomoo・Background/Uchikawa Fumihiro, Ito Eiji, Tsuchida Isamu・Color design/Endo Shigeyoshi・Inspection/Niiro Saburo・Color matching/Morita Ryoichi・Special effects/Hirao Chiaki, Hayashi Fukie・Cinematography/Hayashi Akio, Ikeda Shigeyoshi・Editing/Senkura Yutaka・Music/Kinoshita Tadashi・Theme song
OP
"Remi's Song"
Lyrics by Michiko Horiuchi Music by Tadashi Kinoshita Vocals by Fondine Harmony, Etsuko Ichihara, Yukari Asai, Masanori Tomotake

■ Main Characters

・Remi: The protagonist. A boy with the mental strength to overcome adversity.

・A good friend of Capiremi and a somewhat useless pet dog. He chases after Remi, who was sold to Vitalis.

- Remi's adoptive mother who lives in the village of Chapanon on the banks of the Barblanloire River.

Vitalis is an old traveling entertainer. He was once a very popular opera star, known as Carlo Balsani.

Mrs. Milligan: The wife of a wealthy man whom Remi met while traveling. Remi's biological mother.

■ Related works

・Simultaneous screening (Toei Manga Festival)
"Tiger Mask"
"The Secret of Akko-chan"
"Smooth smoosh bang bang"
・"The Homeless Child" from Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi
(Released on July 26, 1975, a revised and shortened version of this film)

■ Review

Released in 1970, "Little Remy and the Famous Dog Capi" is a feature-length animated film based on Hector Henri Malot's classic fairy tale "The Little Boy Without a Home." This work is a coming-of-age story about a boy who overcomes adversity, and has captivated many audiences with its heartwarming story and beautiful visuals. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and background of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi" depicts the journey and growth of a young boy named Remi. Remi is sold to a traveling entertainer named Vitalis by his adoptive mother Barblanc and her husband Jerome, and sets off on a difficult journey. During the journey, he loses his companions and Vitalis is imprisoned, while Remi learns to survive on his own. Through his interactions with Mrs. Milligan and her daughter Lisa, whom he meets on the road, Remi comes to terms with his roots and finds his true family. This story depicts courage and hope in the face of difficulties, and deeply moves the audience.

Visual beauty

The visuals of this work beautifully depict the European landscapes. Of particular note are the background art, which references famous paintings by artists such as Monet and Millet. Incorporating the atmosphere of famous paintings into the animation without filming on location adds artistic depth to the entire work. This is where the technical skills of background artists Tomoo Fukumoto, Fumihiro Uchikawa, Eiji Ito, and Isamu Tsuchida shine, providing visual delight to the audience.

The power of music

Music is also an important element of this work. The music by Tadashi Kinoshita enhances the emotion of Remi's journey. In particular, the theme song "Remi's Song", with lyrics by Michiko Horiuchi and music by Tadashi Kinoshita, is a beautiful melody that symbolizes Remi's journey of the heart. The singing by Fondine Harmony, Etsuko Ichihara, Yukari Asai, and Masanori Tomotake is also impressive and leaves a deep impression on the audience.

Cast performances

The acting of the cast is also superb. Yukari Asai, who plays Remi, skillfully expresses the purity and strength of a young boy. The voice actors of each character, including Etsuko Ichihara as Barblanc, Kosei Tomita as Jerome, Haruko Mabuchi as Mrs. Milligan, Reiko Katsura as Lisa, Masao Mishima as Vitalis, and Franky Sakai as Capi, bring their respective roles to life. These performances play a role in further deepening the emotional impact of the story.

Background

"Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi" was produced by Toei Animation (now Toei Animation). It was directed by Yugo Serigawa and written by Shoji Segawa. The film was completed by a team of many staff members, including animation director Akira Daikuhara, art director Tomoo Fukumoto, background designers Fumihiro Uchikawa, Eiji Ito, and Isamu Tsuchida, color designer Shigeyoshi Endo, special effects designers Chiaki Hirao and Fukie Hayashi, cinematographers Akio Hayashi and Shigeyoshi Ikeda, and editor Yutaka Senkura. Thanks in part to the efforts of producer Hiroshi Okawa, and planners Minoru Yamanashi, Kiyoshi Ito, and Kei Iijima, the film was highly praised.

Awards and Recognition

This work received the Ministry of Education's Youth Film Award, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's Child Welfare Culture Encouragement Award, and the Ministry of Education's Selection. These awards recognize the high quality and social significance of the work, and it was loved by many audiences. In particular, it was praised as a story that gives courage and hope to children, and its educational value was also highly praised.

Related works and influences

A 53-minute shortened version of "Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi" called "Homeless Child from Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi" was released as part of the "Toei Manga Festival" in 1975. It was loved by many children along with "Tiger Mask," "Himitsu no Akko-chan," "Chu Chu Bang Bang," and other works that were shown at the same time. This work influenced later animation works, and the theme of a story about a protagonist who overcomes adversity has been passed down.

■Recommendation

"Little Remi and the Famous Dog Capi" is a touching story that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. This work depicts courage and hope in the face of adversity, and will deeply move audiences. Beautiful visuals, moving music, and the performances of a fantastic cast come together to weave a heartwarming story. Please watch this film and experience Remi's journey and growth. I'm sure it will deeply move and inspire you.