The appeal and reviews of "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea": Reassessing the thrill of deep sea adventure

"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea": A story about a boy and a princess who adventure in an unknown underwater world

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

July 19, 1970 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

16272

■Frequencies

60 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Shotaro Ishimori

■ Director

Takeshi Tamiya (director)

■ Production

Toei Animation

■Works

© Ishimori Productions, Toei

■ Story

A young boy named Isamu goes to see a volcano under the pretense of an underwater adventure, and there he meets a strange girl named Angel. Then, the two of them are attacked by a monster robot, the Flame Dragon, that suddenly appears from the crater. The two escape from the crisis with the help of the See-Through, a robot summoned by Angel, and head straight for the underwater kingdom.

■Explanation

An original feature-length animated film based on the work of Shotaro Ishinomori. The Apollo 11 moon landing had occurred the year before the film's release, and the "space" craze was beginning to show signs of fading. This was a science fiction work created to satisfy new intellectual desires, with the theme of "unknown ocean floors." The story is not social satire or realistic, but rather a conventional style ocean adventure story.

■Cast

・Isamu/Masako Nozawa・Angel/Kurumi Kobato・Tuttle/Akira Hitomi・Underground King Magma VII/Gorou Naya・Octopus/Katsuo Umino・Undersea King/Kunihiko Kitagawa・Isamu's mother/Reiko Senou・Isamu's father/Tetsuya Kaji・Captain/Ichiro Murakoshi・Announcer/Keiichi Noda

■ Main staff

・Original story by Shotaro Ishinomori ・Planning by Minoru Yamanashi, Seiichi Moro, Kenji Yokoyama ・Script by Katsumi Okamoto ・Direction by Takeshi Tamiya ・Chief animation director: Sadahiro Okuda (jointly under the names of Reiko Okuyama, Masatake Kita, Sadao Kikuchi, and Michihiro Kanayama)
Art direction: Makoto Yamazaki; Background direction: Eiji Ito, Iwamitsu Ito, Kazuo Ebisawa, Motomu Kido; Finishing inspection: Masatoyo Ogura, Hiroshi Morita; Cinematography: Yoichi Takanashi, Yoshihiro Yamada; Editing: Masaaki Hanai; Music: Takeo Watanabe; Theme song
OP
"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
Lyrics by Katsumi Okamoto Music by Takeo Watanabe Vocals by The Coconuts

Insert song "Uproar Tango"
Lyrics by Katsumi Okamoto Music by Takeo Watanabe Vocals by Ado Mizumori, Vocal Shop

■ Main Characters

- Isamu: The main character. His parents are oceanographers. He is an active boy who loves adventure and soccer.

Angel: Princess of the underwater kingdom of Atlas. A strong-willed beautiful girl who always wears a red leotard.

Underground King Magma VII The king of the underground kingdom. He uses the Flame Dragon to plot to rule the surface world.

■ Related works

・Simultaneous screening (Toei Manga Festival)
"Tiger Mask: Mask League"
"Extraordinary Ataro: Nyarome's Lullaby"
"Secret Akko-chan: The Tearful Spinning Receive"
Live-action "Judo Straight Line"

Appeal and evaluation of "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a feature-length animated film based on the original work by Shotaro Ishinomori, released in 1970. This work attracted attention because it chose the bottom of the sea as the setting for a new adventure after the "space" boom of the time had died down. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and reviews of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" depicts the adventures of a young boy named Isamu who sets out on an underwater adventure with Angel, the princess of the underwater kingdom of Atlas. While they are touring a volcano, a monster robot called the Flame Dragon suddenly appears and attacks them. In order to escape, Angel summons a robot called the See-Through and heads to the underwater kingdom, stimulating children's sense of adventure.

The underwater world in which the story takes place is depicted as an unknown realm, making it visually appealing. The beautiful depictions of the underwater creatures and topography, as well as the underwater kingdom of Atlas, draw the audience into an extraordinary world. The ambitions of the Underground King Magma VII and the theme of the conflict between the land and the seabed also add depth to the story.

Character Appeal

The main character, Isamu, is an active boy whose parents are oceanographers, and he loves adventure and soccer. His curiosity and courage are key elements that drive the story. Meanwhile, Angel is the princess of the underwater kingdom of Atlas, and is portrayed as a strong-willed and beautiful girl. Her presence brings new perspectives and tension to Isamu's adventure.

In addition, the Underground King Magma VII appears as a villain who plots to rule the surface world using the Flame Dragon. His character adds tension and drama to the story, and draws the audience in. The personalities and growth of these characters enrich the story.

The appeal of video and music

The visuals of "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" are characterized by an underwater world depicted using the animation techniques of the 1970s. The technical skills of the animation director, Sadahiro Okuda, and the other staff members are outstanding, and the beauty of the seabed and the power of the monster robots are realistically expressed. In addition, the background art and cinematography are also excellent, enhancing the mysterious atmosphere of the seabed.

In terms of music, the soundtrack by Takeo Watanabe adds to the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the theme song "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and the inserted song "Much Ado Tango" are used impressively to match the development of the story, enhancing the emotions of the viewer. The vocals by The Coconuts, Ado Mizumori, and Vocal Shop also enhance the appeal of the work.

Evaluation and impact

"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was a work that had a great impact on children at the time. The theme of undersea exploration was accepted as a new adventure stage to replace space exploration, and stimulated the dreams of many children. In addition, this work, which brought together Shotaro Ishinomori's original work and Toei Animation's production skills, can be said to be a work that shows the possibilities of animation films.

The film has been highly praised for its story development, the appeal of its characters, and the quality of its visuals and music. In particular, the depiction of the underwater world and the design of the monster robots have a strong visual impact and have captured the hearts of children. In addition, the story of adventure and friendship has resonated with many people as a universal theme.

Comparison with related works

"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was shown as part of the Toei Manga Festival. Other works shown at the same time included "Tiger Mask: The Masked League", "Ataro the Extraordinary", "Himitsu no Akko-chan: The Spinning Receive of Tears", and the live-action "Judo Icchokusen". Compared to these works, "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" has its own unique appeal as a sci-fi adventure.

"Tiger Mask" and "Himitsu no Akko-chan" gained popularity as hero and magical girl stories, but "30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" surprised audiences by dealing with a new theme of undersea exploration. Although it is in a different genre from "Ataro the Extraordinary" and "Judo Icchokusen," it shares a commonality of stimulating children's sense of adventure.

Recommendations and how to watch

"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a fascinating work with a theme of undersea exploration and a story of adventure and friendship. It is highly recommended for children and people who love animation movies, as well as those who are interested in Shotaro Ishinomori's original work and Toei Animation's productions.

You can watch it on DVD or Blu-ray, or on streaming services. If you value the quality of the video and music, we recommend watching it on Blu-ray. You can also enjoy the atmosphere of the Toei Manga Matsuri at the time by watching it together with related works.

Conclusion

"30,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a feature-length animated film based on the original work by Shotaro Ishinomori, released in 1970, and attracted attention for its new theme of undersea exploration. It was highly praised for the appeal of its story, the appeal of its characters, and the quality of its visuals and music, and it had a major impact on children at the time. We've mentioned how to compare it to related works and how to watch it, but this work still has a universal appeal that makes it loved by many people today. We encourage you to watch it and experience its charm for yourself.