The appeal and evaluation of "Patalliro!": A unique worldview and the pinnacle of humor

Patalliro! - A masterpiece of 80's comedy anime

The TV anime "Patalliro!", which aired from 1982 to 1983, was based on the manga of the same name by Maya Mineo, and attracted attention as a comedy anime that dealt with the theme of homosexuality, which was taboo at the time. Even now, more than 40 years after it began airing, its unique humor and the charm of its characters continue to be loved by many fans. In this article, we will take a closer look at the appeal and background of "Patalliro!", as well as its subsequent influence.

■Overview of the work

"Patalliro!" is a story that revolves around Patalliro VIII, the young king of Marinella, a small country floating in the South Seas. Patalliro is a genius boy with the vitality of a cockroach and the reflexes of a cat, and is an arrogant character with many special skills and a hobby of teasing others. He is surrounded by unique characters, including Major Bancoran of the British Intelligence Service and the assassin Maraich, and the story depicts them confronting various incidents and conspiracies.

■Broadcast information

"Patalliro!" was broadcast on the CX network from April 8, 1982 to May 13, 1983. The broadcast time was originally every Thursday from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m., but changed to every Saturday from October 9, 1982 from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m., and then to every Friday from April 7, 1983 from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. There were a total of 49 episodes, each 30 minutes long.

■ Production staff

The original work was written by Maya Mineo and published in the magazine "Hana to Yume" (Hakusensha). The project was planned by Hatano Yoshifumi and Tsuchiya Tokizo, produced by Sasaki Akira, and chief director Nishizawa Nobutaka. Kasai Yoshikatsu, Hisaoka Takashi, and Serigawa Yugo were involved in the direction, with Suzuki Kinichiro as chief animation director, Tsuchida Isamu as chief designer, and Aoki Nozomu as music. It was produced by CX and Toei (Doga).

■ Main characters

Patalliro (Patalliro de Mariner VIII)
He is 10 years old and the king of Marinella. Although he is a super genius who graduated from university at the age of 9, he is an arrogant protagonist whose hobby is to tease people. Although his life is targeted by numerous organizations, he has the tenacity of a cockroach and gets through it with his jokes and reckless drive. He is also plagued by adult diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Bancoran (Jack Barbarossa Bancoran)
He is an agent of the British Intelligence Section 6, "MI6," and a major with a license to kill. He is also known as the "Pretty Boy Killer," and it is said that there is no beautiful boy who does not love him. He is a professional among professionals, and does not take off his gloves except when he sleeps. He shows no interest in women, but the only one who seems to be moved by him is Patalliro's mother, Etrange.

Malaich <br> He is an assassin whose murderous techniques were honed by Count Laerken, the No. 2 of the International Diamond Export Organization. He fails to assassinate Bangkok, but is persuaded by him to quit being an assassin. He then becomes Bangkok's mistress and they live together in an apartment. He is a stylish, caring, and beautiful boy.

■ Story

Marinella, a beautiful small country floating in the South Seas, is a rich country with one of the world's largest diamond mines. Its young king, Patalliro VIII, has the strong vitality of a cockroach and the reflexes of a cat, and is active around the world, transcending time and space. However, there is no end to dark conspiracies aimed at the country's wealth. Patalliro will protect his country as the young king of Marinella, making full use of his 18 special skills, his hobby of teasing others, and his genius mind that allowed him to graduate from university at the age of 9.

His bodyguard is Major Bancoran of the British Intelligence Service. His cool thinking and drive, hidden behind his beautiful appearance, and his unrivaled marksmanship, save Patalliro from peril. Teased and mocked, mocked and mocked, the energetic Patalliro continues to run through the world today, all while listening to the gentle clapping of "Cook Robin Ondo."

■Explanation

The original manga of the same name, "Patalliro!", began serialization in "Hana to Yume" (Hakusensha) in 1979. 26 years have passed since then, but some people may be hearing about "Patalliro!" for the first time. It began airing as a TV anime in 1982, and with the goal of faithfully recreating the image of the original, "Patalliro!" was aired every Thursday at 7pm as a comedy anime based on the world of homosexuality, which was taboo on television.

The popular TV anime "Patalliro!" ran for about a year and a half, and the movie version "Stardust Project" was released soon after it ended. The "Cook Robin Ondo" song, which appears frequently and without any context, is something that few people will forget after hearing it once.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Patalliro!" are as follows.

• Episode 1: Beautiful Boy Killer (April 8, 1982)
• Episode 2: Flowers Fall on a Foggy Night (April 15, 1982)
• Episode 3: Roses Blooming on a Grave (1982/4/22)
• Episode 4: Patalliro in Danger! (1982/4/29)
• Episode 5: The Angel of Death, Maraich (1982/5/13)
• Episode 6: Sadness of Etranger (1982/5/20)
• Episode 7: Kung Fu Rampage! (1982/5/27)
• Episode 8: From Patalliro with Love (June 3, 1982)
• Episode 9: The Cherry Blossom Storm (1982/6/17)
• Episode 10: Snow Falling on Marinella (June 24, 1982)
• Episode 11: Malaihi Malaihi (1982/7/8)
• Episode 12: Marinella's Vampire (1982/7/22)
• Episode 13: America Takeover! (1982/7/29)
• Episode 14: Patalliro VII and VIII (1982/8/12)
• Episode 15: Prince Maraich (1982/8/26)
• Episode 16: The Legend of Diamonds (September 2, 1982)
• Episode 17: The Targeted Red Mermaid (September 9, 1982)
• Episode 18: Shine Onion! (1982/9/16)
• Episode 19: Journey to the Moon (September 23, 1982)
• Episode 20: Bancoran Dies! (1982/9/30)
• Episode 21: Super Robot Plasma X (1982/10/9)
• Episode 22: Plasma Love (1982/10/16)
• Episode 23: License to Kill (1982/10/23)
• Episode 24: Departure Jack (1982/10/30)
• Episode 25: Plasma Papa (1982/11/6)
• Episode 26: Patalliro VIII and X (1982/11/13)
• Episode 27: 24 Hours of Teasing (1982/11/20)
• Episode 28: The Story of the Tree of Loyalty (1982/11/27)
• Episode 29: The Return of the Assassin (December 4, 1982)
• Episode 30: My Beloved Purara (1982/12/11)
• Episode 31: Captive of the Germanic Castle (1982/12/18)
• Episode 32: Kitty is Kitty (1982/12/25)
• Episode 33: I'll Wait (1/8/1983)
• Episode 34: Purara After All (1983/1/15)
• Episode 35: When the Snow Stops (1983/1/22)
• Episode 36: The Patalliro Incident (1983/1/29)
• Episode 37: Sunflowers of Versailles (February 5, 1983)
• Episode 38: I Love Malaich (February 12, 1983)
• Episode 39: That Man, Bancoran (1983/2/19)
• Episode 40: Purara's Brother (February 26, 1983)
• Episode 41: The Season of Malaich (March 5, 1983)
• Episode 42: Patalliro's Great Gathering (1983/3/12)
• Episode 43: The Love of Death for Bancoran (1983/3/19)
• Episode 44: Phantom (1983/3/26)
• Episode 45: Ah, the Flowery New School Term (April 8, 1983)
• Episode 46: Purara's First Love (1983/4/15)
• Episode 47: Goodbye Afro (April 22, 1983)
• Episode 48: London Airport in the Fog (May 6, 1983)
• Episode 49: London Airport in the Fog (Part 2) (1983/5/13)

■ Related works

The following DVDs have been released as related works to "Patalliro!"

Patalliro! Stardust Project DVD
Specifications: 16:9, color / 48 minutes / single-sided, single layer, Japanese mono, new print component master, 3,990 yen (tax included)
Bonuses: Video bonuses (planned): Movie trailer, art gallery Release date: December 9, 2005
Publisher: Toei Video Distributor: Toei

Patalliro! DVD-BOX Vol.1
Specifications: 4:3 standard, color / approx. 600 minutes / single-sided dual layer / 4-disc set (episodes 1-24 included), Japanese mono DB Digital, BBBA-9088, 24,990 yen (tax included)
Publisher: Hakusensha, Toei Animation Distributor: Happinet Pictures

Patalliro! DVD-BOX Vol.2
Specifications: 4:3 standard, color / approx. 625 minutes / single-sided, dual-layer / 5-disc set (episodes 25-49 included), Japanese mono, DB Digital, BBBA-9089, 26,040 yen (tax included)
Publisher: Hakusensha, Toei Animation Distributor: Happinet Pictures

■ Theme songs and music

The theme songs and music for "Patalliro!" are as follows.

OP
・"Patalliro!"
Lyrics by Kaoru Ito Music by Kaoru Ito Arrangement by Nozomi Aoki Vocals by Fusako Fujimoto

ED1
"Beauty is a sin"
Lyrics: Kaoru Ito Composition: Kaoru Ito Arrangement: Nobuyuki Nakamura Vocals: Eri Takeda

ED2
・"Cock Robin Ondo"
Lyrics: Nobu Tanaka; Composition: Nozomi Aoki; Arrangement: Nozomi Aoki; Vocals: Slapstick, Fuyumi Shiraishi

■ Evaluation and impact

"Patalliro!" was highly praised as a comedy anime from the 80s. In particular, the novel premise of a comedy anime with a homosexual theme was a bold attempt at the time, and shocked many viewers. In addition, the unique characters such as Patalliro, Bancoran, and Maraich left a strong impression on viewers and were loved by many fans.

Even after the broadcast ended, "Patalliro!" continued to maintain its popularity, and was expanded into various media, such as the movie version "Stardust Project". In addition, there was also a lot of fan service, such as the release of DVD-BOX and holding events, and it still has a large fan base today.

The influence of "Patalliro!" extended to the anime industry, and had a major impact on later comedy anime and BL (Boys Love) works. In particular, the unique characters and humorous storyline inspired many creators, leading to the creation of a wide variety of works.

■ Recommendation points

"Patalliro!" is a landmark of comedy anime in the 80s, and its unique humor and distinctive characters are still loved by many fans today. In particular, the story is worth watching, depicting the growth and relationships of the characters, such as Patalliro's cockroach-like vitality and cat-like reflexes, Bancoran's charm as a beautiful young killer, and Maraich's transformation from assassin to lover. In addition, the songs, such as "Cook Robin Ondo," are also memorable, and have a charm that you will never forget once you hear them.

"Patalliro!" is recommended for those who like gag anime and BL works, as well as those who are interested in 80's anime culture. If you purchase the DVD-BOX, you can enjoy all 49 episodes at once, so be sure to check it out.