Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: A thorough review of Tyltyl and Mytyl's adventure journey

Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Mytyl's Adventure Travels - Review and Recommendation

■Overview of the work

"Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Michiru's Adventure Journey" is a TV anime series based on Maurice Maeterlinck's fairy tale "The Blue Bird." A total of 26 episodes were broadcast on Fuji TV from January 9 to July 9, 1980. Each episode is 30 minutes long, directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa, and produced by Office Academy. This work tells the adventure story of siblings Tyltyl and Michiru as they search for a blue bird to cure their mother's illness. Every night, they travel to various worlds aboard the mysterious mecha Slipper.

■ Story

Siblings Chiruchiru and Michiru hear from the fairy Perilyunne about a blue bird that brings happiness to anyone who obtains it. In order to cure their mother's illness, the two decide to go on a journey to find the blue bird. Every night, they board the mysterious mecha Slipper and adventure through different worlds. Each episode depicts encounters with different worlds and characters as they search for the path to the blue bird.

■Explanation

This work is a modern adaptation of Maeterlinck's fairy tale "The Blue Bird," and like "Wansa-kun," it was produced as a "musical anime." As such, it contains many scenes in which the cast sings and insert songs. It is also worth noting that it was broadcast in stereo, which was unusual at the time. Matsumoto Reiji was in charge of the original character designs, and Ashida Toyoo was in charge of character design and animation direction. Miyagawa Tai was in charge of the music, and he also composed the theme song and insert songs.

■Cast

• Chilchil: Toru Furuya
• Michiru: Mami Koyama
• Chiro: Ichiro Nagai
• Chilette: Fuyumi Shiraishi
• Perilyunne: Tenchi Souko
• Queen of the Night: Akihiro Miwa
• Narrator: Toshio Furukawa

■ Main staff

• Original story: Maurice Maeterlinck
• Producer: Tetsuhisa Yamada
• Production manager: Yoshikazu Tochihira
• Composition and supervision: Yoshinori Nishizaki
• Screenplay: Keisuke Fujikawa, Maru Tamura
• Chief Director: Hiroshi Sasagawa
• Character design: Reiji Matsumoto
• Character design: Toyoo Ashida
• Animation Director: Toyoo Ashida
• Art: Kazue Ito
• Music: Yasushi Miyagawa
• Lyricist: Michio Yamagami
• Record: Columbia Records
• Sound Director: Atsumi Tashiro, Yasunori Honda
• Produced by: Office Academy

■Theme song

• OP "Happy Babyla Torarira"
  Lyrics: Michio Yamagami Composition and Arrangement: Yasushi Miyagawa Singer: Midori Fukuhara
• ED "Window Light"
  Lyrics: Michio Yamagami Composition and Arrangement: Yasushi Miyagawa Singer: Hideki Osuga

■ Main Characters

• Chiruchiru: A boy looking for a blue bird.
• Michiru: Chiruchiru's younger sister. She goes on adventures every night with her brother.
• Chiro: Chiruchiru and Michiru's pet dog. A loyal dog.
• Chilette: Chiltille and Michiru's pet cat. For some reason, she often sides with the Queen of the Night.
• Queen of the Night: A witch who uses her evil fairy minions to prevent Chiruchiru and Michiru from catching the blue bird. She only appears at night.

■Subtitle

• Episode 1: A Cheerful Night Visitor
• Episode 2: Happy Fairies
• Episode 3: The Dark Forest is full of mysteries
• Episode 4: Guardian of Darkness, Queen of the Night
• Episode 5: Good evening ghost
• Episode 6: Birds with Guns
• Episode 7: Welcome to the Land of Disease!
• Episode 8: A country where time stands still
• Episode 9: The Happiness of Being Overweight
• Episode 10: Nice to meet you, Mother's Love
• Episode 11: The Secret of the Palace of the Night
• Episode 12: A desert without an oasis
• Episode 13: The Clockwork Bluebird
• Episode 14: Invitation to the Graveyard
• Episode 15: Animal Rebellion
• Episode 16: The Country of the Future: Children Before They Were Born
• Episode 17: The Country of the Future (2) Now, We Are Being Born...
• Episode 18: The Golden Country is Full of Dreams!
• Episode 19: The Giant of Upside Down Island
• Episode 20: The Deep Sea is the Devil's Meeting Place
• Episode 21: The Devil's Mansion
• Episode 22: Confronting the Queen of the Night
• Episode 23: Fight the Demon Beast! Risking my Mother's Life
• Episode 24: Break through the devil's trap!
• Episode 25: The Queen of the Night Dies in Darkness!
• Episode 26: Where to, Blue Bird...?

■Review

"Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tiltil and Michiru's Adventure Travels" is a particularly unique work among Japanese television animations of the 1980s. The original fairy tale "The Blue Bird" by Maeterlinck depicts the universal theme of the pursuit of happiness, and this anime inherits that spirit. The story of the siblings Tiltil and Michiru, who encounter various worlds and characters through their journey in search of the blue bird, and their growth, deeply moves viewers.

The greatest feature of this work is its structure as a musical anime. Each episode contains a wealth of singing scenes, and the voices of the cast liven up the story. In particular, the Queen of the Night, played by Miwa Akihiro, has an overwhelming presence, and her singing voice resonates strongly in the hearts of viewers. In addition, Miyagawa Tai's music not only enhances the atmosphere of the story, but also has the power to stir the emotions of the viewer.

The character designs are by Reiji Matsumoto, whose unique style gives the entire series a consistent beauty. The designs of Chiruchiru and Michiru in particular are adorable and resonate with viewers. The designs of the alternate worlds that appear in each episode are also very creative and provide a visual treat.

The storyline is also very clever, with each episode being an independent adventure, but with a consistent theme throughout. The process in which Chiruchiru and Michiru learn what happiness and family ties are through their journey to find the blue bird deeply touches the viewer. The otherworldly settings and characters depicted in each episode are also very fascinating, stimulating the viewer's imagination.

This work is one of the most highly acclaimed Japanese television animations of the 1980s. The reason for this is that while it retains the spirit of the original work, it adds its own interpretation and creativity. It is also highly acclaimed for its high level of fusion of various elements, such as the structure of the musical anime, character design, and music.

■Recommendation

I highly recommend "Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tyltyl and Michiru's Adventure Travels" as a film the whole family can enjoy. It is a particularly good opportunity to teach children about what happiness is and what family ties are. It has also been praised for its high level of fusion of various elements, such as its structure as a musical anime, character design, and music. It is a work that can be enjoyed both visually and aurally, and is one of the most highly acclaimed Japanese television animations of the 1980s.

This work not only deeply moves viewers, but also has the power to stimulate the imagination and bring out creativity. Through the adventures of Chiruchiru and Michiru, viewers will be forced to think about their own happiness and family ties. In addition, the otherworldly settings and characters depicted in each episode are also very fascinating, stimulating the imagination of viewers.

Furthermore, this work is one of the most highly acclaimed Japanese television animations of the 1980s. The reason for this is that while it retains the spirit of the original work, it adds its own interpretation and creativity. It is also highly acclaimed for its high level of fusion of various elements, such as the structure of the musical anime, character design, and music.

As mentioned above, I highly recommend "Maeterlinck's Blue Bird: Tiltil and Michiru's Adventure Journey" as a work that the whole family can enjoy. In particular, it will be a good opportunity to teach children what happiness and family ties are. It is also a work that can be enjoyed visually and aurally, and is one of the most highly acclaimed Japanese television animations of the 1980s. It not only deeply moves viewers, but also has the power to stimulate the imagination and bring out creativity. Through the adventures of Tiltil and Michiru, viewers will be forced to think about their own happiness and family ties. In addition, the otherworldly settings and characters depicted in each episode are very fascinating and stimulate the viewer's imagination.