"Flone of the Mysterious Island": A thorough analysis of a fascinating, adventurous and moving story

Flone of the Mysterious Island - A moving deserted island survival story

The 1981 TV anime series "Flone of the Strange Island" was produced by Nippon Animation and Fuji Television and was based on the novel "Swiss Robinson" by Johan David Wyss. This anime is a touching story about family ties and growth, and how a family overcomes obstacles while surviving on a deserted island.

■ Story

The Robinson family is on a ship bound for Australia from Switzerland when it runs aground in a storm. The five members of the family are unable to board a lifeboat and are left stranded on the ship. After the storm subsides, they land on a nearby island, only to find that it is deserted. The whole family grows as they overcome various difficulties, such as procuring food, building a home, and fighting wild animals. Furthermore, a new castaway joins the family and they try to escape from the deserted island.

■Explanation

"Flone of the Strange Island" is an animated adaptation of Johann David Wyes's novel "Swiss Family Robinson." In 1960, Disney made a film called "Swiss Family Robinson" (Japanese title: South Sea Drifter). While the original story only features brothers, this film adds the eldest daughter, Flone, as the main character. This allows for a realistic portrayal of life on a deserted island from the family's perspective, which deeply moved viewers. It was also selected as the winner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Excellent Children's Television Film Award in 1981, proving its high acclaim.

■Cast

The cast of this production is Yoshiko Matsuo as the main character Flone, Michiko Hirai as the mother, Katsuhiko Kobayashi as the father (changed to Osamu Kobayashi from #10), Toru Furuya as Franz, Makoto Kosaka as Jack, Kaoru Kurosu as Emily, Ichiro Nagai as Morton, Tsubasa Shioya as Tamtam, Tamio Oki as Harriot, and Keiko Hanagata as Louise Kopp. Each character's unique personality is expressed vividly, adding excitement to the story.

■ Main staff

The story is based on Johann David Wyes's "Swiss Robinson" and is set on a deserted island in Oceania. The production is by Koichi Motohashi, the production manager is Mitsuru Takakuwa, the planner is Shoji Sato, the music is by Koichi Sakata, the director is Masao Kuroda, the producer is Ryuji Matsudo, the scriptwriter is Shozo Matsuda, the character designer is Shuichi Seki, the animation directors are Yutaka Oka, Hidemi Maeda, Koichi Murata, Michiyo Sakurai, Noriko Moritomo, the art director is Keiichi Kuroki, the sound director is Tsunehiro Komatsu, the color design is Akiko Koyama, the animation check is in-house, the animations are Yoshiharu Sato, Natsuyo Yasuda, Kiyoe Iwasaki, Kazuo Ushigoe, Toshiko Nakagawa, Kumiko Hida, Masahiro Kase, the O production is Studio Howling, the finishing touches are Studio Robin, the backgrounds are Keiko Kobayashi, Shigeko Kuwamura, Studio SF/Studio Aqua, the photography is Trans Arts, the sound system is The film was produced by Audio-Visual System, the mixer was Tanaka Hideyuki, the effects were by Yoda Yasuyuki, the recording studios were Taihei Studio and Eihiro Studio, the developing lab was Toyo Development Laboratory, the title was by Michikawa Akira, the positive editors were Seyama Takeshi and Warita Masuo, the negative editor was Kamitono Hidetoshi, the storyboards were Okabe Eiji, Suzuki Takayoshi, Okuda Seiji, Yokota Kazuyoshi, Kuroda Masao, Baba Kenichi, Koshi Shigeo, Sakurai Michiyo, Yamanaka Shigeru, Yoshizawa Hideo, Kurokawa Fumio, Saito Hiroshi, Sugiyama Taku, Kusunoki Kozo, the assistant directors were Baba Kenichi and Suzuki Takayoshi, the production desk was Takasago Katsumi, the production managers were Sekiguchi Shuichi, Kimiya Yuji, Kasahara Yoshihiro, Yamaguchi Takeshi, Kotaki Masami, and Kozō Shunichi, and the film is produced by Nippon Animation and Fuji Television.

■ Main Characters

The main character, Flone, is a lively and tomboyish 10-year-old girl. She is very curious and sometimes gets lost or in danger, but her initiative and courage support her family. Her mother, Anna Robinson, is anxious and cautious, and although she was born into a farming family, she is afraid of mice. Her father, Ernst Robinson, is a doctor but also has a wealth of other knowledge, which is very useful for life on the deserted island. Franz is Flone's older brother, and he loves music and wanted to go to a school in that field, so he planned to stay in Switzerland at first, but he eventually comes to the deserted island with his family. Jack is Flone's younger brother, and although he doesn't talk much and is a crybaby, he shows his talent as a collector after coming to the deserted island. Morton is a new shipwrecked person they encounter on the deserted island. At first, he closes his heart to the Robinson family, but he gradually opens up to them and cooperates with them to escape the island. Tamtam is an apprentice sailor who worked on Morton's ship.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• 01/A Letter (1981/01/04)
• 02／Departure (1981/01/11)
• 03/Flone's Change of Heart (1981/01/18)
• 04/Aiming for Australia (1981/01/25)
• 05 / Captain Frohne (1981/02/01)
• 06/Scary Storm (1981/02/08)
• 07/Dad Who Can Do Anything (1981/02/15)
• 08/Towards the Island (1981/02/22)
• 09/New Family (1981/03/01)
• 10/Sad Reunion (1981/03/08)
• 11/Ghost Tree (1981/03/15)
• 12/Mother's Achievements (1981/03/22)
• 13/Franz's Eyes (1981/03/29)
• 14/I can hear the song of the shells (1981/04/05)
• 15/The Tree House (1981/04/12)
• 16/Our Family's Daily Routine (1981/04/19)
• 17 / Mother's Farm (1981/04/26)
• 18/Save Merkle! (1981/05/03)
• 19 / Fronne Goes Hunting (1981/05/10)
• 20/I can see a ship (1981/05/17)
• 21/Baby Turtle (1981/05/24)
• 22/Jack is a Collector (1981/05/31)
• 23/Holiday on a Deserted Island (1981/06/07)
• 24 / Fronne's Runaway (1981/06/14)
• 25/The Night is Pitch Black on a Deserted Island (1981/06/21)
• 26/Is your brother a master archer? (1981/06/28)
• 27/Deserted Island Concert (1981/07/05)
• 28/Jack's Illness (1981/07/12)
• 29 / Fronne goes missing (1981/07/19)
• 30/Severe Punishment (1981/07/26)
• 31/Am I an outcast? (1981/08/02)
• 32/The ship is done! (1981/08/09)
• 33 / Rain, Rain, Rain (1981/08/23)
• 34/Find the Cave! (1981/08/30)
• 35/The Secret of the Cave (1981/09/06)
• 36/Ghosts Appear! (1981/09/13)
• 37/New Castaway (1981/09/20)
• 38/Boy and Girl (1981/09/27)
• 39 / Morton the Twisted (1981/10/04)
• 40/Boy Tamtam (1981/10/11)
• 41/Mr. Morton Has Gone (1981/10/18)
• 42/ Terrible Earthquake (1981/10/25)
• 43 / Morton Returns (1981/11/01)
• 44/Once More Ships! (1981/11/08)
• 45 / Don't Die, Mr. Donkey (1981/11/15)
• 46/Don't Throw Away the Goat (1981/11/29)
• 47 / Don't Throw Away the Goat (1981/12/06)
• 48/Goodbye Deserted Island (1981/12/13)
• 49/I can see the land! (1981/12/20)
• 50/Until We Meet Again (1981/12/27)

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Hadashi no Flone," with lyrics and music by Katsuo Inoue, arrangement by Nozomi Aoki, and singing by Keiko Han (Canyon Records). The ending theme is "Flone no Yume," also written by Katsuo Inoue, arrangement by Nozomi Aoki, and singing by Keiko Han (Canyon Records). These songs play a role in further deepening the emotion of the story.

■ Evaluations and Awards

"Flone of the Mysterious Island" was selected as the winner of the 1981 Agency for Cultural Affairs' Outstanding Children's Television Film Award. The award recognized the high quality of the film and its educational value to children, and the film has been highly praised by many viewers. In particular, the storyline depicting family ties and growth has touched not only children but adults as well. In addition, the realistic portrayal of survival life on a deserted island has provided viewers with a new perspective.

■Production Background

"Flone of the Mysterious Island" was produced jointly by Nippon Animation and Fuji Television. The original story, "Swiss Robinson," is an adventure novel published in 1812, depicting a family's life on a deserted island. In adapting this work into an anime, the essence of the original was retained, while by making the eldest daughter, Flone, the main character, it was possible to depict life on the deserted island from the family's perspective. Furthermore, thanks to the efforts of the production staff, the realistic scenery of the deserted island and the characters' emotions were expressed in detail.

■Charm of the characters

Each character in "Flone of the Strange Island" is unique and charming. The main character, Flone, is a lively and tomboyish girl, but she also has a sensitive side that sometimes makes her feel lonely. Her drive and courage are important factors that support the family. Anna, the mother, is a worrisome and cautious person, and puts the safety of her family first. Ernst, the father, supports life on the deserted island by utilizing not only his knowledge as a doctor but also various other knowledge. Franz loves music and has a sensitive personality, providing a different perspective within the family. Jack is still young and a crybaby, but he grows through life on the deserted island. Morton and Tam-Tam appear as new castaways and work together with the Robinson family to struggle to escape the island. The growth and bonds of these characters deepen the movingness of the story.

■ Viewer reactions

"Flone of the Mysterious Island" was loved by many viewers when it was first broadcast. In particular, the storyline depicting family ties and growth touched not only children but adults alike. In addition, the realistic portrayal of survival life on a deserted island provided viewers with a new perspective. Viewers have commented, "I was reminded of the importance of family ties," "I was moved by the characters' growth through life on a deserted island," and "The opening and ending songs really touched my heart."

■ Recommendation points

"Flone of the Mysterious Island" is a moving story about family ties and growth, and how the family overcomes difficulties through survival life on a deserted island. The film is particularly appealing for its protagonist Flone's drive and courage, the strength of the family ties, and the realistic portrayal of life on a deserted island. The opening and ending songs also have beautiful, heart-warming melodies that add to the moving story. This work can move not only children but adults too, so be sure to give it a watch.