Marine Express: The Appeal and Evaluation of Deep Sea Adventure

Marine Express - Deep sea adventures and environmental warnings

■ Public Media

TV Special

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

August 26, 1979 - January 1, 0000
Sunday, August 26, 1979 10:00-12:00

■Broadcasting station

Broadcast on Nippon Television Network

■Frequencies

91 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

Produced by Nippon Television Network, Tezuka Productions

■Works

©Tezuka Productions

■ Story

In the year 2002, the Pacific Ocean undersea railway, Marine Express, was jointly constructed by Japan and the United States with the aim of developing the last remaining resource for mankind, the undersea mineral deposits. A group of people plot to use the train for smuggling, and the passengers, including detective Higeoyaji and doctor Black Jack, are caught up in a murder case. Meanwhile, the train's designer, Dr. Nazenkopf, is planning to blow up the railway, which is destructive to nature. As the intentions of each party intersect, and at the moment of near disaster, the train is taken on an incredible journey through time...!

■Explanation

Following "Banderbook," this is the second feature-length animated film produced for the charity program "Love Saves the Earth." Like the previous film, this special animated series features all of Osamu Tezuka's popular characters, and in keeping with the program's concept of "Love Saves the Earth," has as its main theme a warning against environmental destruction. This is a masterpiece sci-fi anime that features familiar characters from Osamu Tezuka, such as Higeoyaji, Black Jack, Atom, Sapphire, and Sharaku. A mystery that takes place on an express train running under the sea, and a spectacle that unfolds in the uncharted land of Mu Empire.

■Cast

・Rock/Junichi Takeoka・Shunsaku Ban (Bearded Man)/Kosei Tomita・Black Jack/Nachi Nozawa・Adam/Mari Shimizu・Nazenkop/Hisashi Katsuta・Sharak/Kaneta Kimotsuki・Credit/Noriaki Otsuka・Fumizou Marukubi/Masashi Amemori・Sapphire/Yoshiko Ota・Millie/Mami Koyama・Dondra/Koichi Chiba・Sasaki/Shinji Toyoda・Skunk/Kouji Yada

■ Main staff

・Original story, storytelling: Tezuka Osamu ・Planning: Yoshikawa Bin (Nippon Television), Tsuzuki Tadahiko (Nippon Television)
・Produced by Shimakata Dotoshi
Producers: Hidehiko Takei (Nippon Television), Satoshi Yamamoto (Tezuka Productions)
・Director / Tezuka Osamu, Dezaki Tetsu ・Set design / Sakaguchi Hisashi ・Chief director / Dezaki Tetsu ・Art director / Makino Mitsunari ・Chief animation director / Kiyoyama Shigetaka ・Animation director / Nishimura Hiroshi ・Mechanical animation supervisor / Shimizu Keizō ・Color setting / Shinohara Hakase ・Animation directors / Yobuichi Setsuko, Senda Yukiya, Suzuki Mariko ・Staff / Handa Teruo, Kanayama Akihiro, Tsuchida Koichi, Jingu Satoshi, Udagawa Kazuhiko, Murata Shiro, Kagi Yutaka, Seya Shinji, Tamaki Tsuyoshi, Nomatoshi, Kano Kaoru, Inoue Satoshi, Komuro Kotaro, Hiramatsu Osamu, Kai Kenji, Hattori Kazuo, Ishihara Shun, Saito Hisao, Miyakoshi Yoshikatsu, Mimori Akira, Ban Toshio, Akashi Teiichi, Miyamoto Seiji, Akiho Tomie, Koide Hideo, Tasaki Masao, Ozaki Masanori, Terada Norifumi, Sato Mika・Sound Director / Sato Toshio・Cinematography / Sugaya Nobuyuki, Miyamoto Katsuhiro・Editing / Inoue Kazuo・Assistant Director / Yasumura Shoichi, Shimizu Yoshihiro・Production Manager / Kotoku Minoru, Wakai Yoshiharu, Tsuchiya Takahiko, Kamii Hiroyuki・Production / Nippon Television Network, Tezuka Productions

Staff 2
・Music: Yuji Ohno ・Theme song "The Marine Express" Columbia Records ・Song: Tommy Snyder ・Composition and Arrangement: Yuji Ohno
・Lyrics by Yoko Narahashi

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

Story and Themes

"Marine Express" is a work filled with the creativity and imagination of Tezuka Osamu, and as a TV special that aired in 1979, it has a timeless appeal. The story is set in the year 2002, on the Pacific Ocean undersea railway, the Marine Express, which was jointly constructed by Japan and the United States. This railway was built to develop the undersea mineral deposits that are the last resource for humanity, but behind the scenes, a group of people plotting smuggling is secretly operating. The story becomes increasingly tense as a murder case in which detective Higeoyaji and doctor Black Jack are involved as passengers, and a plan by the railway's designer, Dr. Nazenkopf, to blow up the railway, which is destroying nature, intertwines.

The greatest attraction of this work is the appearance of all of Tezuka Osamu's popular characters. The cast is not to be missed for fans of Tezuka's work, including Higeoyaji, Black Jack, Atom, Sapphire, and Sharaku. The way these characters utilize their individual personalities to unfold mysteries on the undersea train and spectacles in the unexplored Mu Empire has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, as the story progresses, the train is taken on a journey through time, bringing out the maximum interest of this science fiction anime.

Furthermore, because this work was produced as part of the charity program "Love Saves the Earth," the main theme is a warning against environmental destruction. Through Dr. Nazenkopf's actions and the entire story, viewers are made to think deeply about the relationship between nature and humans. This theme remains as important as it was when the show was first broadcast in 1979, and leaves a deep impression on viewers.

Characters and cast

The characters in "Marine Express" are some of the most memorable among all of Tezuka Osamu's works. The voice actors, including Tomita Kosei as detective Higeoyaji and Nozawa Nachi as doctor Black Jack, also perform superbly, bringing out the best in the characters. The exchanges between Higeoyaji and Black Jack in particular are full of humor amid the tension, entertaining viewers. Additionally, the voices of Ota Yoshiko as Sapphire and Shimizu Mari as Atom also express the individuality of the characters in a rich way.

In addition, the voice actors who support the unique characters, such as Hisashi Katsuta as Professor Nazenkop and Kaneta Kimotsuki as Sharak, also give superb performances. The drama woven by these characters deeply moves and excites the viewers.

Visuals and Music

Visually, the depiction of the express train running under the sea and the magnificent scenery of the unexplored Mu Empire are impressive. The images, which combine Tezuka Osamu's unique style of drawing with Dezaki Tetsu's direction, are visually very beautiful and express the worldview of the story richly. In addition, the design of the Marine Express by mechanical animation director Shimizu Keizo also enhances the appeal of this sci-fi anime.

In terms of music, Yuji Ohno's music adds excitement to the story. In particular, the theme song "The Marine Express" is a masterpiece that combines Tommy Snyder's powerful singing voice with Yuji Ohno's composition and arrangement and Yoko Narahashi's lyrics, and resonates deeply with viewers. This theme song symbolizes the story's themes of adventure and environmental awareness, and leaves a strong impression on the entire work.

Recommendations and ratings

"Marine Express" is a masterpiece science fiction anime filled with the creativity and imagination of Tezuka Osamu, and depicts the important theme of sounding a warning against environmental destruction. With a star-studded cast featuring all of Tezuka Osamu's popular characters, a suspenseful story, and beautiful images and music, this work deeply moves and excites viewers. It is a must-see for fans of Tezuka Osamu's works and science fiction anime in particular. The content also makes you think about environmental issues, so it is a work that can be recommended to a wide range of generations.

This work has remained as appealing as ever since it was first broadcast in 1979, and is acclaimed as a timeless masterpiece. With a story and characters that leave a deep impression on viewers, combined with beautiful images and music, "Submarine Super Express Marine Express" is one of Tezuka Osamu's most highly recommended works.