Reevaluating the charm and emotion of Unico: Exploring the deep worldview of this classic anime

Unico - The fantasy world of Osamu Tezuka and its appeal

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

March 14, 1981 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Sanrio Movies

■ Eirin Number

110009

■Frequencies

90 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Osamu Tezuka

■ Director

Toshio Hirata

■Works

©1976,1991 SANRIO CO.,LTD./Tezuka Productions

■ Story

Unico has the power to make people happy. One day, God tells him that no one should be happy without hard work, and banishes Unico to the Hill of Oblivion using the West Wind. There, Unico becomes friends with Devil Boy, but is then banished to the world of nothingness by the night wind sent by God. Even so, Unico fights hard to make people's wishes come true in the world of nothingness.

■Explanation

An anime version of a manga drawn by Osamu Tezuka, based on the mythical creature, the unicorn. It was serialized in the magazine "Lyrica" ​​published by Sanrio. It is not the usual animation with 12 frames per second, but is produced at 24 frames per second for theatrical use, the same as Disney films.

■Cast

・Unico / Katsue Miwa・Chao / Kazuko Sugiyama・Devil / Ayako Hori・West Wind / Chieko Baisho・Baron / Makio Inoue・Grandmother / Ryoko Nakanishi・Night Wind / Ryoko Kurumiya・Gods / Ichiro Nagai, Joji Yanami, Isamu Tanonaka, Koji Yada・Narration / Iruka

■ Main staff

・Producer: Shintaro Tsuji ・Original story and supervision: Osamu Tezuka ・Settings: Masao Maruyama, Jiro Saito ・Director: Toshio Hirata ・Screenplay: Masaki Tsuji ・Chief animation director: Akio Sugino ・Art direction: Kazuo Oga ・Director of photography: Iwa Yamaki ・Sound effects: Mitsuru Kashiwabara ・Sound director: Takashi Miyamoto ・Music director: Ryo Kitayama

■ Main Characters

・Unico An animal based on the legendary creature, the unicorn. It has the ability to make those around it cheerful and happy.

Chao is a cat who lives in the world of Mu. Her dream is to become a human girl. However, when she transforms into a girl, she is kidnapped by a monster disguised as a handsome baron.

・Devil-kun A demon who lives in the Valley of Oblivion. He has a mean personality, but as he interacts with Unico, he becomes his best friend.

-The wind spirit who banished Unico to the distant Valley of Oblivion at the command of the West Wind God.

・The person who kidnapped Baron Chao. He looks handsome, but his true identity is a terrifying monster. When fighting, he transforms into a giant demon.

■ Related works

Movie "Unico to the Magic Island"

■ Review

Tezuka Osamu's works are known for their unique worldviews and deep themes, and "Unico" is one of them. This work is based on the motif of the legendary creature, the unicorn, and tells the story of a creature who has the power to bring happiness to people, but is banished by the command of God. Among Tezuka Osamu's works, the work is characterized by its fantastical and beautiful visuals, and is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults.

"Unico" was released in theaters in 1981 and distributed by Sanrio Pictures. It was based on a manga by Tezuka Osamu that was serialized in Sanrio's magazine "Lyrica." It was produced by an all-star team, including director Hirata Toshio, screenwriter Tsuji Masaki, and animation director Sugino Akio. Of particular note is that while regular animation is done at 12 frames per second, this film was made at 24 frames per second, the same as Disney films. This allows for smoother, more beautiful movement and greatly increases the visual appeal.

The story begins with Unico being banished to the Hill of Oblivion by God's command, where he becomes friends with Devil Boy. However, Unico is further banished to the World of Nothingness by God's command. Even in the World of Nothingness, he struggles to make people's wishes come true. This story deals with deep themes such as what is happiness and what is hardship, and will make the viewer think.

The cast is also impressive, with popular voice actors of the time such as Miwa Katsue as Unico, Sugiyama Kazuko as Chao, and Hori Ayako as Akuma-kun. Veteran voice actors Baisho Chieko as Nishikaze and Inoue Makio as the Baron also take part, further enhancing the depth of the story. Iruka is in charge of the narration, and her beautiful voice envelops the entire work.

The main character, Unico, is a pure being who has the power to make those around her happy. Meanwhile, Chao is a cat who lives in a world of nothingness and dreams of becoming a human girl. Akuma-kun is a demon who lives in the Valley of Oblivion, and opens up to him after meeting Unico. The West Wind is a wind spirit who banishes Unico by order of God, and the Baron is a monster who kidnaps Chao. The drama woven by these characters moves the viewer.

"Unico," like other works by Tezuka Osamu, is characterized by its profound themes and beautiful visuals. In particular, the setting in which Unico has the power to make people happy but is banished by the command of God deeply moves viewers. The 24-frame animation also greatly enhances the visual appeal. This work is recommended not only for fans of Tezuka Osamu, but for anyone who loves anime and fantasy.

■Recommendation

"Unico" is one of Tezuka Osamu's works that is characterized by its fantastical and beautiful visuals. The story also deals with deep themes, making the viewer think. In particular, the setting in which Unico has the power to make people happy, but is banished by God's command, deeply moves viewers. The 24-frame animation also greatly enhances the visual appeal. This work is recommended not only for fans of Tezuka Osamu, but for anyone who loves anime and fantasy.

Be sure to check out the related work "Unico to the Magical Island." This is also a beautiful fantasy work depicting Unico's adventures. You will be able to experience the worldview of Tezuka Osamu even more deeply.