Review of "The Hero of Daisetsuzan Gaoh": A grand adventure and deep characters

"Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu": A moving story about the coexistence of humans and nature

The TV anime series "Gaoh: The Brave of Mount Daisetsu," which aired in 1978, is based on the novel "Gaoh Monogatari" by Yukio Togawa. Set in the Daisetsuzan mountains in Hokkaido, this work depicts the growth and adventures of Taki, a boy born to a wolf and a dog, and was loved by many viewers as a moving story that delves deeply into the relationship between nature and humans. Below, we will introduce detailed information and the appeal of this work.

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

novel

■ Broadcast period

September 23, 1978 - January 1, 0000 Saturday 14:35-15:50

■Broadcasting station

Broadcast on Fuji TV

■Frequencies

75 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original work: "Gaoh Monogatari" by Yukio Togawa

■ Director

Director: Eiji Okabe

■ Production

Produced by Nippon Animation, Fuji Television

■Works

©NIPPON ANIMATION CO.,LTD.1978

■ Story

Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido. Devil, a European wolf who escaped from a circus, had five puppies with Tetsu, a Sakhalin dog, and raised them in the mountains, but Devil was attacked and killed by Gon, a man-eating bear. However, one of the puppies was saved by Sanae, a farm girl, who named him Taki and decided to raise him as a human. Taki, who has wolf blood, was unable to fit in with his surroundings and was left in the care of Kaneto and Yoshito, a father-son hunter family, but he still returned to nature. After experiencing many trials and growing up, Taki challenges Gon to a fateful showdown with his fellow wild dogs.

■Explanation

The original work is the newspaper novel "Gaou Monogatari" serialized from 1956 by Togawa Yukio, a writer of animal literature. The story is told from the perspective of animals, with the theme of the coexistence of humans and nature. The anime adaptation has faithfully retained the deep themes of the original work, while adding visual appeal through its visual expression. In particular, the beautiful landscapes depicted against the backdrop of Hokkaido's vast natural scenery have left a strong impression on viewers.

■Cast

・Sanae/Miyuki Ueda・Yoshito/Yasuhara Yoshito・Kaneto/Kinshiro Iwao・Aichiro/Kiyoshi Kawakubo・Mr. Hoshino/Shunsuke Shima・Shepherd/Masayuki Kato・Leader/Hiroshi Masuoka・Narrator/Osami Nabe

■ Main staff

・Original work: "Gaoh Monogatari" by Yukio Togawa
・Setting: Hokkaido

・Production Manager: Mitsuru Takakuwa
・Planning/Akiyoshi Sato・Music/Kosuke Onozaki・Direction/Eiji Okabe・Producer/Yoshio Kato・Script/Ryuzo Nakanishi・Storyboard/Masu Masu・Character design/Takao Kozai, Susumu Shiraume・Chief animation director/Susumu Shiraume・Scene setting/
・Art director／Shokei Ito・Director of photography／Toru Ogiwara・Sound recording director／Shiwa Shigeharu・Color design／Akiko Koyama・Video check／Mariko Iioka, Takako Yokokawa・Animation／Tamotsu Tomaru, Shinichi Tsuji, Trans Arts, Tomi Production・Finishing touches／Studio Robin・Background／Doukoubou・Cinematography／Trans Arts・Mixer／Kunio Kuwahara・Effects／Kenichi Ishida Sound・Sound recording studio／Cinebeam・Development lab／Tokyo Developing Lab・Positive film editing／Hajime Okayasu, Shuichi Kakesu

・Assistant Director: Katsuyuki Otaki ・Production Desk: Tetsuro Kumase (Trans Arts)
・Production: Shuji Uchiyama, Emiko Kurosawa ・Production: Nippon Animation, Fuji TV

・Opening theme "Love is Far Away" Lyrics: Takeshika Etsuko, Composition: Onozaki Kosuke, Arrangement: Onozaki Kosuke, Sung by Ishige Kyoko ・Ending theme "Love Theme" Lyrics: Takeshika Etsuko, Composition: Onozaki Kosuke, Arrangement: Onozaki Kosuke, Sung by Ishige Kyoko

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Love is far away・Lyrics by Etsuko Takeshika・Composition by Kosuke Onozaki・Arrangement by Kosuke Onozaki・Singer by Kyoko Ishige・Ending theme
・Love Theme・Lyrics/Etsuko Takeshika・Composition/Kosuke Onozaki・Arrangement/Kosuke Onozaki・Singer/Kyoko Ishige

■ Appeal and evaluation of the work

The appeal of "Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu" lies in its epic story and beautiful visual expression. In particular, the relationship between nature and humans depicted through Taki's growth and adventures deeply moves viewers. The anime adaptation has also been praised for further enhancing the depth of the original animal literature.

Taki's character is portrayed as someone who, due to his wolf bloodline, is unable to fit into human society and chooses to live in nature. This character's growth and struggles evoke strong empathy from viewers. In addition, the scene in which Taki and his fellow wild dogs face off against Gon is remembered by many viewers as a climax that combines tension and emotion.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of this work. The opening theme "Love is Far Away" and the ending theme "Love Theme" express the emotions of the story deeply, with the singing voice of Kyoko Ishige and the composition of Kosuke Onozaki. These songs help the viewer to become immersed in the story and enhance the emotional impact of the work as a whole.

■Production background and staff's commitment

"Gaoh: The Brave of Mount Daisetsu" was produced jointly by Nippon Animation and Fuji Television. Director Eiji Okabe was particular about adding visual appeal through cinematic expression while firmly retaining the theme of the original work. Additionally, character designers Takao Kozai and Susumu Shiraume succeeded in making viewers empathize with the characters by realistically depicting the expressions and movements of Taki and other animals.

Art director Kazue Ito focused on beautifully depicting the vast nature of Hokkaido. In particular, the scenery of Mount Daisetsu and the changing nature of the seasons leave a strong impression on viewers. Cinematographer Toru Ogiwara also spared no effort in using technical ingenuity to bring out the beauty of the images to the fullest. The attention to detail of these staff members has enhanced the quality of "Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu."

■ Viewer response and impact

"Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu" was loved by many viewers when it was first broadcast. In particular, the relationship between nature and humans depicted through Taki's growth and adventures deeply touched viewers and created many fans. Furthermore, the theme of the work and the beauty of its visual expression were widely supported not only by fans of animal literature and animation, but also by general viewers.

This work also has educational value as a story about the coexistence of humans and nature. It is often viewed in schools and at home, and has been used as a teaching material to teach children the importance of nature and compassion for living things. The moving story of the work also serves as an opportunity to raise awareness of nature conservation and animal welfare among viewers.

■ Related works and recommendations

For viewers who enjoyed "Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu," we also recommend the following related works. These works also tell moving stories about the relationship between nature and humans, or from the perspective of animals.

• "Night on the Galactic Railroad": An animated version of the masterpiece by Kenji Miyazawa. A moving story about the coexistence of nature and humans.
• "Heidi, Girl of the Alps": Based on the novel by Johanna Spyri, it depicts the growth and adventures of Heidi, a young girl who lives in nature.
• Lassie: Based on the novel by Eric Knight, this is a moving story about the adventures of the loyal dog Lassie and the bond between humans.

Also, please read the original novel "Gaoh Monogatari" of "Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu." It contains detailed episodes and character details that are not shown in the anime, allowing you to feel the depth of the story even more.

■ Summary

"Gaoh: The Hero of Mount Daisetsu" is a moving story about the coexistence of humans and nature. The beauty and harshness of nature, and the kindness and cruelty of humans, depicted through Taki's growth and adventures, will deeply move viewers. The beautiful visuals and moving music also enhance the appeal of this work. Please watch this work, think about the relationship between nature and humans, and experience this moving story.