The appeal and reviews of "To Earth": A thorough explanation of the moving space adventure

"To Earth...": A sci-fi anime film that questions the journey to the future and the nature of humanity

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

April 26, 1980 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

110024

■Frequencies

119 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Keiko Takemiya

■ Director

Hideo Onchi

■ Production

Toei Animation

■ Story

In the distant future, humans have migrated to colonized planets to save the Earth from environmental destruction. While people live their lives under computer control, a group of people with special abilities called "Mew" have been born. One day, a boy named Jomy, who lives in the nurturing city of Ataraksia, is appointed as the successor to Soldier Blue, the leader of the Mews. This marks the beginning of an encounter and battle with Keith, and a long journey to Earth.

■Explanation

This is a science fiction anime film based on the manga of the same name by Keiko Takemiya. The film has a strong message, warning against computer addiction and environmental destruction. The episodes differ slightly from the original as they approach the end.

Coming Home to Terra is a 1980 Japanese anime film that is highly acclaimed for its blend of science fiction and human drama. It was directed by Hideo Onchi, written by Hideo Onchi and Chigusa Shiota, and the character designs and animation direction were by Masami Suda. The music was composed by Masaru Sato, and the theme songs are "Coming Home to Terra" and "All We Need is Love" by Da Capo.

The film depicts the problems humanity will face in the future, while questioning the nature of humanity through the growth and conflicts of each character. In particular, the conflict between people with special abilities called Mew and a society controlled by machines prompts viewers to think deeply. The contrast between Jomy Marquis Singh and Keith Anyan symbolically expresses themes of freedom and control, individuality and uniformity.

The film's visuals are also noteworthy. Masami Suda's character designs realistically portray a futuristic worldview, while Akira Hio and Masami Suda's mecha designs are advanced beyond the technological standards of the time. Masaru Sato's music effectively enhances the tension and emotion of the story.

■Cast

・Jomy Marquis Singh/Junichi Inoue/Keith Anyan/Masaya Oki/Soldier Blue/Taro Shigaki/Physis/Kumiko Akiyoshi/Jonah Matsuka/Hiroko Yakushimaru/Tony/Toru Furuya, Chiyoko Kawashima (as children)
・Seki Rei Shiroe/Akira Kamiya・Grandmother/Kyoko Kishida・Computer Terra/Yasuo Hisamatsu・Terra's Number 5/Eiko Masuyama・Mother Eliza/Masako Ikeda・Karina/Mami Koyama・Sam Houston/Hiroya Ishimaru・Rio/Keiji Mikage・Alfred/Tsubasa Shioya

The cast includes many popular voice actors from the time, who vividly express the individuality of each character. In particular, Junichi Inoue as Jomy and Masaya Oki as Keith realistically portray the conflict and growth of the two characters at the center of the story. Taro Shigaki as Soldier Blue and Kumiko Akiyoshi as Physis also add depth to the work with their performances.

■ Main staff

・Director: Hideo Onchi ・Screenplay: Hideo Onchi, Chigusa Shiota ・Animation direction: Yoshikatsu Kasai ・Character design and animation director: Masami Suda ・Mecha design: Akira Hio, Masami Suda and others ・Music: Masaru Sato

・Theme song
OP
"Coming Home To Terra"
Lyricist: Ryu Machiko
Composer: Yuichiro Oda
Arrangement: Ryo Kawakami
Song: Da Capo

ED
"All We Need is Love"
Lyricist: Ryu Machiko
Composer: Mickey Yoshino
Arrangement: Mickey Yoshino, Hiroshi Kishimoto
Song: Da Capo

The film's production team is made up of experts in various fields, whose technical and creative talents bring out the film's quality. Hideo Onchi's directing skills provide a consistent vision for the story's development and character portrayal. Masami Suda's character design and animation direction bring out the film's visual appeal to the fullest. Masaru Sato's music delves deeply into the emotions of the story and has the power to move the viewer's heart.

■ Main Characters

Jomy Marquis Shin A boy with strong ESP abilities and tough mental strength. He was an ordinary boy who grew up in Asthanasia, but he was discovered by Soldier Blue and became the leader of Mew and the others. He later led them on a journey to "Earth," which Mew had been waiting for for many years.

Keith Anian is an elite who is called the child of the machine (Mother). He is a central figure on Earth's side in the battle against Mew, and Jomy's biggest rival. He has no memories of his childhood, and there is a big secret about his birth.

Soldier Blue: The leader who has led Mew and the others for a long time. After learning that he doesn't have much time left, he finds Johnny and entrusts him with his will as his successor.

・Fisci A blind Mew girl who helps Johnny and his friends with her precognitive abilities using Tarot readings. She has a variety of knowledge, including the appearance of the Earth, but her true identity is shrouded in mystery.

・The first child born naturally under the special governance of Tony Mother. He uses his powerful thought waves to help Jomy, whom he respects. On the other hand, he has a strong hatred for Keith and Physis.

Seki Rei Shiroe is an excellent elite, but he is known for his rebellious behavior against the system and other anti-government words and actions. He uncovers the secret behind Keith's departure for war, but is deeply hurt by the deep psychological test.

The main characters are depicted as each with their own background and beliefs, but moving towards a common goal. The conflict between Jomy and Keith symbolically expresses the themes of freedom and control, individuality and uniformity, encouraging deep reflection from the viewer. Characters such as Soldier Blue, Physis, Tony, and Sekirei Shiroe also add depth and breadth to the story.

■ Related works

・TV anime "To Earth..."

"To Earth" was produced not only as a movie but also as a TV anime, which depicts a more detailed story and character background. The TV anime version delves into episodes and character growth that were not depicted in the movie version, so by watching it together with the movie version, you can gain a deeper understanding of the work.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Toward Earth" has been highly praised as a science fiction anime film, especially for its message and visual perfection. While depicting the problems humanity will face in the future, the film questions the very nature of humanity through the growth and conflicts of each character, encouraging viewers to contemplate deeply. In addition, the technical skills and creativity of experts in each field, such as character design by Suda Masaki, mecha design by Hio Akira, and music by Sato Masaru, enhance the film's perfection.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

1. **Strong message**: The film depicts themes that are relevant to modern society, such as warnings about computer addiction and environmental destruction. Viewers can get an opportunity to think deeply about their own lives and society through the problems that future humanity will face.

2. **Depth of Characters**: The story revolves around the conflict between Jomy and Keith, and the personalities and growth of characters such as Soldier Blue, Physis, Tony, and Sekirei Shiroe are depicted. Each character's background and thoughts are explored in depth, allowing viewers to empathize with their actions and feelings and be drawn into the story.

3. **Visual perfection**: Masami Suda's character designs and Akira Hio's mecha designs realistically portray the futuristic world view and maximize the visual appeal. Masaru Sato's music also effectively enhances the tension and emotion of the story.

4. **Linkage with related works**: Not only the movie version, but also the TV anime version was produced, which depicts a more detailed story and character background. By watching the movie version and the TV anime version together, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world view of the work.

As mentioned above, "To Earth" is a work with many appealing features, including a strong message, deep characters, perfect visuals, and connections to related works. It is a work that I would highly recommend to viewers who enjoy science fiction anime films and human dramas.