The moving story and reviews of "Homeless Child": A classic anime that cannot be talked about without crying

"Homeless Child": A moving anime masterpiece depicting a journey of love and friendship

"A Homeless Child," which aired on Nippon Television from 1977 to 1978, is an anime series based on a novel by French author Hector-Henri Malot. With 51 episodes, each 30 minutes long, it is still loved today as a work that deeply moved and inspired viewers. In this article, we will take a closer look at the appeal of "A Homeless Child," the background to its production, the cast and crew, and its subsequent influence.

■ Story

The story begins with the life of a young boy named Remi, who lives with his mother, Barblanc, in Chabanon, a rural village in the south of France. Although poor, Remi lives a happy life, but one day, his father, who was injured while working away from home and was emotionally devastated, tells him that he was an abandoned child. He is then sold to a traveling troupe of performers, and must say goodbye to his beloved mother. As Remi travels with the troupe, he learns about love, friendship, and the wonder of life through his interactions with the troupe's leader, Vitalis, who is strict but loving, and guides him, the animals in the troupe, and the various people he meets along the way.

Remi's journey is full of difficulties, but his pure heart and strong will inspire those around him, and the story depicts how they grow together while helping each other. In particular, his master-disciple relationship with Vitalis and his bond with the animals leave a strong impression on viewers. Furthermore, the harshness of society and the kindness of humans are depicted through Remi's interactions with the various people he meets, deeply moving viewers.

■Cast

The cast of "Homeless Child" includes many popular voice actors of the time, including Sugaya Masako as Remi, Kondo Yosuke as Vitalis, and Suzuki Hiroko as Balbran's Mama. Sugaya Masako, who played Remi, was particularly praised for her performance expressing the purity and strength of a boy. Kondo Yosuke, who played Vitalis, captured the hearts of viewers with his realistic portrayal of a character who combines strictness and kindness. Furthermore, Suzuki Hiroko, who played Balbran's Mama, brought tears to the eyes of viewers with her warm, maternal performance.

In addition, many other talented voice actors, such as Takeshi Aono as Jerome, Reiko Muto as Mrs. Milligan, Yoshiko Yamamoto as Arthur, Noriko Obara as Machiya, Makoto Kosaka as Lise Acan, and Jukichi Uno as the narrator, participated in the story and made it more exciting. The performances of these voice actors make Remi's journey more realistic and moving.

■ Main staff

Many talented staff members participated in the production of "Homeless Child." The director in charge was Osamu Dezaki, the planner was Bin Yoshikawa, the scriptwriters were Haruya Yamazaki, Tsunehisa Ito, and Keiko Sugie, the animation director was Akio Sugino, the art director was Shichiro Kobayashi, the screen setting was Manabu Ohashi, the cinematographer was Hiroyuki Takahashi, the sound director was Etsuji Yamada, the production manager was Shunzo Kato, the literary manager was Hiroyuki Onoda, the producers were Hidehiko Takei and Takayuki Yamazaki, and the music was Takeo Watanabe.

In particular, Director Osamu Dezaki paid particular attention to detail in his direction to recreate the emotional impact of the original work in the anime. Scriptwriters Haruya Yamazaki, Tsunehisa Ito, and Keiko Sugie also worked hard to create an emotional impact on viewers while faithfully recreating the storyline of the original work. Animation director Akio Sugino also captured the hearts of viewers by realistically depicting the expressions and movements of Remi, Vitalis, and the animals.

Art director Shichiro Kobayashi realistically recreated the beautiful scenery of southern France and the life of a traveling troupe of performers, drawing viewers into the world of the story. Also, music composer Takeo Watanabe added excitement to Remi's journey with moving melodies and powerful rhythms. The efforts and talents of these staff members have made "A Homeless Child" into a masterpiece of animation.

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme of "Homeless Child" is "Let's Start Walking" and the ending theme is "Hungry March". The opening theme is sung by Ayako Sawada and Singers Three, with lyrics by Tokyo Movie, music by Takeo Watanabe, and arrangement by Yuji Matsuyama. The ending theme is sung by Ayako Sawada and Mizuumi Boys and Girls Choir, with lyrics by Tokyo Movie, music by Takeo Watanabe, and arrangement by Yuji Matsuyama.

The opening theme, "Let's Start Walking," gave courage to viewers with its powerful melody and lyrics that symbolized Remi's departure. The ending theme, "Hara Peko March," brought smiles to viewers' faces with its cheerful melody and lyrics that depicted the fun life of Remi and her troupe. These theme songs played an important role in further deepening the emotion of the story.

■Production Background

The production of "Homeless Child" took place during the booming Japanese animation industry in the late 1970s. At the time, television animation was at its peak, and many masterpieces were being produced. There was a particular demand for animation for children, and there was a demand for works that would captivate viewers with moving stories and beautiful visuals.

The original version of "The Homeless Child" was written by French author Hector-Henri Malot and published in 1878. The original is a moving story about the journey and growth of a poor boy named Remi, and is loved all over the world. The original was translated into Japanese in the 1970s and touched many readers. Tokyo Movie Shinsha has done everything in its power to recreate the emotion of the original novel in an anime.

The production of the film faithfully reproduced the story of the original work, while taking great care to impress viewers. In particular, in order to portray Remi's journey realistically, the scenery of southern France and the life of the traveling troupe of performers were recreated in minute detail. Furthermore, animation director Akio Sugino worked hard to portray the expressions and movements of Remi, Vitalis, and the animals realistically. These efforts bore fruit, making "A Homeless Child" a masterpiece anime that deeply touched viewers.

■ Impact and evaluation

"Homeless Child" was highly praised when it was first broadcast, and touched many viewers. In particular, viewers were deeply touched by the pure heart and strong will of Remi, the master-disciple relationship with Vitalis, the bond with the animals, and the love and friendship depicted through the interactions with the various people they meet on their journey, as well as the wonder of life. In addition, the beautiful visuals that realistically recreated the beautiful scenery of southern France and the life of a traveling troupe of performers were also highly praised.

Even after the series ended, "A Homeless Child" continued to be loved by many viewers through reruns and the release of video software, DVDs, and Blu-rays. The success of "A Homeless Child," which recreated the moving story of the original in animation, had a major impact on subsequent animation productions. In particular, it can be said that the influence of "A Homeless Child" was great in creating a demand for works that could attract viewers with moving stories and beautiful images.

Furthermore, "A Homeless Child" was highly praised overseas and was broadcast in many countries. In particular, in European countries such as France, Italy, and Spain, "A Homeless Child," which recreated the moving story of the original in animation, was highly praised and loved by many viewers. These evaluations and influences led to "A Homeless Child" being recognized around the world as a masterpiece anime.

■ Recommendation and Summary

"Homeless Child" is a moving masterpiece that depicts love, friendship, and the wonder of life. The story, which is told through Remi's pure heart and strong will, his master-disciple relationship with Vitalis, his bond with the animals, and the interactions with the various people he meets on his journey, will deeply impact the viewers' hearts. Also, do not miss the beautiful visuals that realistically recreate the beautiful scenery of southern France and the life of a traveling troupe of performers.

In particular, the efforts and talent of the production staff who paid attention to every detail to realistically depict Remi's journey, and the power of animation director Akio Sugino, who realistically depicted the expressions and movements of Remi, Vitalis, and the animals, made "Homeless Child" a masterpiece of animation. In addition, the opening theme "Let's start walking" and the ending theme "Hara Peko March" played an important role in further deepening the moving story.

"A Homeless Child" was highly praised when it was first broadcast, and touched many viewers. Even after the broadcast ended, it continues to be loved by many viewers through reruns and the release of video software, DVDs, Blu-rays, etc. Furthermore, the success of "A Homeless Child," which recreated the moving story of the original in animation, had a major influence on subsequent animation productions. It was also highly praised overseas, and was broadcast in many countries. These acclaims and influences led to "A Homeless Child" being recognized around the world as a masterpiece anime.

"Homeless Child" is still loved today as a work that attracts viewers with its moving story and beautiful images. In particular, the love, friendship, and wonder of life depicted through Remi's pure heart and strong will, his master-disciple relationship with Vitalis, his bond with the animals, and the interactions with the various people he meets on his journey strike a strong chord with viewers. Please watch "Homeless Child" and feel its moving and courageous nature.