The appeal and evaluation of the musical fantasy "Jack and the Beanstalk"

Musical Fantasy Jack and the Beanstalk - A Journey of Fascinating Music and Adventure

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Fairy tales

■ Release date

July 20, 1974 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Nippon Herald Films

■ Eirin Number

18061

■Frequencies

98 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

British folk tales

■ Director

Sugii Gisaburo

■ Story

One day, Jack was told by his mother to go and sell the slaw of the cow that had stopped producing milk. However, on the way, he met a mysterious old man who asked him to trade the cow for five beans. Jack was persuaded by the old man's enthusiasm and exchanged the slaw for the beans, but as expected, when he returned home, his mother scolded him and threw the beans into the garden. However, that night, the beans had grown into a huge tree. Jack climbed the beanstalk with his dog Grosby and set off on a journey far above the clouds.

■Explanation

This is a musical-style animated film based on the English folk tale "Jack and the Beanstalk." It was produced in full animation with over 40,000 original drawings. It used a "character system" in which each character is assigned a key animator. This film was released in 1974 and was highly praised for its fusion of music and animation techniques that were very advanced at the time. In particular, the unique vision of director Sugii Gisaburo, the musical composition by Aku Yu, and the musical scenes composed and arranged by Miki Takashi, Tokura Shunichi, and Inoue Tadao captivated audiences. The use of the character system also allowed each character's movements and expressions to be depicted very realistically, successfully adding depth to the story.

■Cast

・Jack / Masachika Ichimura・Margaret / Linda Yamamoto・The old bean seller / Akira Nishimura・Madame Noir / Kirin Kiki・The paper priest / Takeshi Kusaka・The tulip prince / Hiroshi Mizushima・Vertical words / Nobue Ichitani・Mother / Miyoko Aso・Grosby / Kazuo Uemura・Introductory remarks / Tonpei Hidari

■ Main staff

・Producer / Mikio Nakata・Assistant producer / Masato Kato・Screenplay / Shuji Hirami・Director / Gisaburo Sugii・Assistant director / Nao Hashimoto・Animation / (Jack) Shigeru Yamamoto, (Margaret) Tsuneo Maeda, (Giant) Teruto Kamiguchi, (Grosby) Takateru Miwa, (Madame Noir) Kazuko Nakamura, (Mee and the Mice) Toshio Hirata, (The Beanstalk and the Harp) Mikihari Mikiji, (Title and Animation) Sadao Tsukioka・Art / Takao Kodama, Yoshiyuki Uchida, Koji Abe, Shiro Fujimoto・Color design / Mihoko Magori・Editing / Masashi Furukawa・Musical director / Morihisa Shibuya・Music composition / Yu Aku・Composition, arrangement / Takashi Miki, Shunichi Tokura, Tadao Inoue・Audio director / Atsumi Tashiro・Sound effects / Mitsuru Kashiwabara・Development / Toyo Development Laboratory・Production / Group TAC, Nippon Herald Films

■ Main Characters

Jack is a boy who lives with the animals on a farm. His mother orders him to go sell the cows.

- Margaret A fairy princess who lives in a castle above the clouds.

-A mysterious old man who offers to trade beans for a cow to Jack, an old bean seller.

-Mother Jack's mother. She scolds Jack for trading the cow for beans.

■Detailed story and character analysis

The story of Jack and the Beanstalk is a beloved British folk tale, and its charm is fully brought out in this animated film. Jack is ordered by his mother to go sell his cow, but on the way he meets a mysterious old man who trades the cow for beans. These beans are the beginning of Jack's adventure. Jack's character is portrayed as an innocent and brave boy, and his sense of adventure and curiosity are the driving forces that drive the story.

After Jack throws the beans into the garden, they grow into a giant tree, and Jack climbs the tree with his dog Grosby. In the world above the clouds, he meets Margaret, a fairy princess, and with her help, he challenges the giant's castle. Margaret is an elegant and beautiful character, and an important figure who supports Jack's adventure. Her singing and dancing add color to the musical scenes and deeply move the audience.

The bean seller is a key character in the story, and his presence is what triggers Jack's adventure. The bean seller is a mysterious character, and his true intentions are not revealed until the end of the story, but his presence plays an important role in encouraging Jack's growth. Jack's mother is a strict but loving character, and while she worries about Jack's adventure, she also believes in his growth.

■ Fusion of animation and music

The greatest appeal of this work is the amazing fusion of animation and music. Director Gisaburo Sugii's unique vision, Aku Yu's musical composition, and musical scenes composed and arranged by Miki Takashi, Tokura Shunichi, and Inoue Tadao draw the audience into the world of the story. In particular, music and animation are depicted in a unified way in scenes such as Jack climbing the beanstalk, his meeting with Margaret in the world above the clouds, and the adventure scene in the giant's castle, which are both visually and aurally moving.

The use of a character system allows each character's movements and expressions to be depicted very realistically, successfully enhancing the depth of the story. The individual personalities of each character, such as Jack's adventurous spirit, Margaret's elegance, and the mysterious aura of the bean seller, are vividly expressed through animation. The attention to detail in the color specifications and art also enhances the beauty of the work.

■ Evaluation and impact

"Musical Fantasy Jack and the Beanstalk" has been highly acclaimed since its release in 1974. This fully animated film used extremely advanced technology for its time, with over 40,000 original drawings, and its beauty and detail captivated audiences. The fusion of music and animation in the musical scenes also deeply moved audiences, making it a work beloved by many.

This work had a major influence on subsequent animation works. The adoption of a character system and the fusion of music and animation were also adopted in subsequent works, contributing to the evolution of the genre. In addition, director Sugii Gisaburo's unique vision, Aku Yu's musical composition, and musical scenes composed and arranged by Miki Takashi, Tokura Shunichi, and Inoue Tadao moved audiences in new ways and expanded the possibilities of animation.

■ Recommendations and how to watch

"Musical Fantasy Jack and the Beanstalk" is recommended for those who enjoy the fusion of music and animation, those who like adventure stories, and those who are interested in British folk tales. It is especially suitable for a wide range of age groups, from children to adults, and is perfect for watching with the whole family.

This work can be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray, and is also available on some streaming services. When you watch it, we recommend watching it in high quality and enjoying the beautiful animation and moving music to the fullest. Also, learning about the background and behind-the-scenes stories of the work will allow you to understand and enjoy it more deeply.

Conclusion

"Musical Fantasy Jack and the Beanstalk" is a work that is appealing for its wonderful fusion of music and animation, and its moving story based on an English folk tale. The characters' personalities, such as Jack's adventurous spirit and growth, Margaret's elegance, and the mysterious aura of the old bean seller, are vividly portrayed, drawing the audience into the world of the story. Director Sugii Gisaburo's unique vision, Aku Yu's musical composition, and the musical scenes composed and arranged by Miki Takashi, Tokura Shunichi, and Inoue Tadao deeply moved the audience and expanded the possibilities of animation. This work can be enjoyed by a wide range of age groups, from children to adults, so we recommend that you give it a watch at least once.