A thorough evaluation of the incredible performance of the Tondemo Rat!

The Amazing Mouse - A World of Fantasy and Adventure

■Overview of the work

"The Amazing Mouse" is a TV anime series that aired in 1979 and is based on a fairy tale by Paul Gallico. Set in a small village in England, the story follows a mouse doll accidentally made by a ceramic artist named Old Myer, who comes to life and sets off on an adventure as a Amazing Mouse. This work was produced as a special program for Nissei Family Theatre and aired on Fuji TV. Only one episode was aired from June 30, 1979 to June 30, 1979, for 84 minutes from 7:30 to 8:54 PM on Saturdays.

■ Story

A mouse doll that old man Meyer, a potter in a small village in England, accidentally makes comes to life. The mouse has long ears, a blue body and a short tail like a rabbit, and calls himself Tondemo Mouse. Tondemo Mouse sets out on an adventure in search of friends. Along the way, he meets and befriends the ghost Dororon, the hawk Captain Hawk, and the introverted girl Wendy. As Tondemo Mouse continues his journey, he learns courage by facing hardships, but unknowingly, he is threatened by a mysterious enemy called Tondemo Cat, who is trying to eat Tondemo Mouse.

■Explanation

"The Crazy Mouse" is an animated film based on a fantasy story written by Paul Gallico for Princess Grace of Monaco. It was produced as a special program for the Nissei Family Theatre, with character designs by Mori Yasuji for animals and Momose Yoshiyuki for characters. Another notable feature is that the narration is done by Ishizaka Koji. This work skillfully combines elements of fantasy and adventure, making it enjoyable for both children and adults.

■Cast

・The crazy rat/Masako Nozawa・Grandpa Meyer/Ryuji Kai・Dororon/Ichiro Nagai・Mr. Petten/Tamio Kinoshita・Wendy/Kazuko Sugiyama・Bulakhan/Teiji Omiya・The crazy cat/Kazuo Kumakura・Captain Hawk/Shojiro Kihara・Mr. Amalta/Toshiya Ueda・Eric/Kazuhiko Inoue・The circus leader/Masashi Amemori・The captain dog/Masato Tsujimura・The soldier dog/Ken Mine・The husband rat of the Meyer family/Takashi Tanaka・The wife rat of the Meyer family/Chiyoko Kawashima・The policeman on the cordon/Kazunari Masamune・Marjulie/Akiko Tsuboi・Father frog/Takuzo Kamiyama・Mother frog/Yuko Maruyama・Narrator/Koji Ishizaka

■ Main staff

・Original work by Paul Gallico・Producer by Koichi Motohashi・Production manager by Mitsuru Takakuwa・Planning by Shoji Sato・Music by Masaru Nakagawa・Direction by Hiroshi Saito・Producer by Ryuji Matsudo・Screenplay by Shunichi Yukimuro and Hiroshi Saito・Storyboard by Hiroshi Saito・Character design by Yasuji Mori and Yoshiyuki Momose・Chief animation director by Yoshiyuki Momose・Art director by Toshikazu Yamaguchi・Director of photography by Keiichi Kuroki・Sound recording by Yasuo Urakami and Shigeharu Shiba・Color design by Akiko Koyama・Animation director by Noriko Moritomo・Animation by Shuichi Seki, Kokichige Kosa, Shunichi Sakai, Sadahiko Sakamaki, Trans Arts, Studio Aton, Doga Kobo, (Tadashi Shirakawa, Hirokazu Ishino, Yukiko Terada, Tomoo Sugaya, Mariko Iioka, Kenichi Nakata, Emiko Sato, Takumi Noda, Nobuyuki Kitajima)
Finishing touches: Studio Robin, Studio Kiri, Studio Look, Studio M
・Background / Atelier Roku, Studio SF, Numai Hajime, Numai Nobuo, Yajima Miyoko, Takano Masamichi, Sato Makoto, Shimojyu Emiko, Kinoshita Tomohiro, Sawai Yuji ・Cinematography / Trans Arts, Ogihara Toru ・Mixer / Nakatogawa Tsuguo ・Sound effects / Matsuda Akihiko ・Sound recording studio / Abaco Studio ・Editing / Okayasu Hajime, Kakesu Shuichi, Onodera Keiko ・Title / Michikawa Akira ・Developing lab / Toyo Developing Lab ・Assistant director / Inami Kunihiro ・Production assistant / Kumase Tetsuro ・Production desk / Hosoda Nobuaki ・Production manager / Miyashita Yuji ・Production cooperation / Trans Arts ・Production / Nippon Animation, Fuji Television

・OP "I Was Born" Lyrics: Goto Etsujiro, Composition: Goto Etsujiro, Arrangement: Nakagawa Masaru, Sung by Kamifusen ・ED "Wedding Love Song" Lyrics: Goto Etsujiro, Composition: Goto Etsujiro, Arrangement: Nakagawa Masaru, Sung by Kamifusen

■ Main Characters

The main character, the Crazy Mouse, was originally a ceramic mouse. He was made by Grandpa Meyer while drunk, so his ears look like a rabbit's and his feet look like a kangaroo's.

・A ghost that scares the Dororonton Demo Nezumi.

-Wendy A human girl that the Tondemomouse meets during his journey.

A tiger from the Burakhan Circus. A timid character.

・Tondemo Neko A tailless cat that lives on the Isle of Man in the UK. It is destined to eat Tondemo rats.

Captain Hawk is a hawk that flies with the Tondemo Rat on its back. It tells the Tondemo Rat its fate.

■Subtitle

First aired on 30 June 1979

■ Related works

・The Great Animal Mission in Nodoka Forest

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・I was born・Lyrics by Etsujiro Goto・Composition by Etsujiro Goto・Arrangement by Masaru Nakagawa・Singer by Kamifusen・Ending theme
・Wedding Love Song・Lyrics by Etsujiro Goto・Composition by Etsujiro Goto・Arrangement by Masaru Nakagawa・Singer by Kamifuusen

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Story and Theme

"Tondemo Nezumi" is a work that skillfully combines elements of fantasy and adventure. The main character, Tondemo Nezumi, comes to life from a porcelain doll and goes on a journey to find his friend. Throughout his journey, Tondemo Nezumi meets various characters and learns the importance of friendship, courage, and self-discovery. The theme of the story is friendship and courage, providing a good opportunity to teach these values ​​to children. In addition, the difficulties that Tondemo Nezumi faces and his confrontation with his antagonist (Tondemo Neko) provide excitement and suspense for the audience.

■ Characters

The Tondemo Nezumi is a character with a unique design and a charming personality. With rabbit ears and kangaroo feet, the Tondemo Nezumi is visually striking and beloved by children. The characters that the Tondemo Nezumi meets on his journey are also unique and add depth to the story. Each character, such as the ghost Dororon, the timid tiger Burakhan, and the introverted girl Wendy, contributes to the growth of the Tondemo Nezumi. In particular, the confrontation with the Tondemo Nezumi forms the climax of the story and leaves a strong impression on the viewer.

■Animation and Art

The animation in "Tondemo Nezumi Daikatsu" reflects the technology of 1979, but the character designs and background art are of extremely high quality. The character designs by Yasuji Mori and Yoshiyuki Momose bring out the individuality of each character. Under the art direction of Toshikazu Yamaguchi, the background art is rich in expressing the atmosphere of the story. In particular, the small English villages and natural landscapes are visually beautiful and reinforce the worldview of the story.

■Music and Sound

The music by Nakagawa Masaru is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. The opening theme "I Was Born" and the ending theme "Wedding Love Song" were written and composed by Goto Etsujiro, and Kamifusen's singing voice enhances the moving story. In addition, Ishizaka Koji's narration smooths the progression of the story and leaves a deep impression on the viewer. The sound effects by sound directors Urakami Yasuo and Shiba Shigeharu also enhance the realism of the story.

■ Background and influences

The film is based on a fairy tale by Paul Gallico, but was produced as a special program for the Nissei Family Theatre. The program aimed to provide entertainment for families, and The Incredible Mouse was produced as part of that effort. The film also reflected the animation technology of 1979, providing a fresh experience to audiences at the time. The film also influenced later animation works, showing the possibilities of stories that combined fantasy and adventure elements.

■Recommendation

"The Crazy Mouse" is a work that skillfully combines elements of fantasy and adventure, and is enjoyable for both children and adults. In particular, the themes of friendship and courage deeply touch the audience. In addition, the unique characters and high-quality animation and music are also attractive elements. If you like fantasy animation and adventure stories, this is a work that I would highly recommend. It will also be enjoyed by fans of Paul Gallico's original work and those interested in the 1979 animation.

■ Related works and how to watch them

A related work to "The Amazing Mouse" is "The Animal Mission of Nodoka Forest." This work is also a fantasy story with animals as the main characters, and is recommended for fans. "The Amazing Mouse" is also available on DVD and streaming services. It is especially recommended for those looking for family entertainment.

Conclusion

"The Amazing Mouse" is a work that skillfully combines elements of fantasy and adventure, and depicts themes of friendship and courage. The unique characters, high-quality animation, and music are attractive elements, making it enjoyable for both children and adults. If you like fantasy animation and adventure stories, are a fan of Paul Gallico's original work, or are interested in the 1979 animation, this is a work that I would highly recommend. Please also watch "The Animal Mission of Nodoka Forest" as a related work.