Appeal and evaluation of the anime "Cry of the Wild"

The animated film "Cry of the Wild": a moving story about the preciousness of nature and life

Overview

"Cry of the Wild" is a TV anime series that aired from 1982 to 1984, and is based on an animal novel by Muku Hatoju, a writer active in the postwar literary world. This anime is known for depicting the importance of life through the interactions between humans and animals living in the wild. The series consists of 26 episodes, with 22 episodes aired in 1982, and the remaining 4 in 1984.

■Broadcast information

"Wild Call" was broadcast on Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo). The broadcast period is as follows:

• May 5, 1982 - September 25, 1982 (1st to 22nd times)
• Every Saturday 19:30-20:00
• 22 episodes, 30 minutes each, total 22 episodes
• March 7, 1984 to March 28, 1984 (23rd to 26th times)
• Every Wednesday from 17:55 to 18:25
• 4 episodes, 30 minutes each

■ Story

Each episode of "Cry of the Wild" is self-contained and depicts the harshness and meaning of life through the animals living in the great outdoors. The story conveys the preciousness of life and the beauty of nature through the way animals live and their relationships with humans. For example, the first episode, "Taro the Bear of the Mountains," depicts Taro the Bear surviving in the wild, while the 22nd episode, "Hoshitaro the Baby Deer," depicts the growth of a baby deer and the kindness of humans.

■Explanation

"Cry of the Wild" is based on Muku Hatoju's animal literature, and its realistic portrayal of nature and animal ecology has deeply moved viewers. By depicting the world from the perspective of animals, the anime conveys the importance of humans coexisting with nature. Furthermore, after the 22 episodes were broadcast in 1982, the remaining four episodes were aired as a filler program about two years later. These four episodes were aired in response to viewer requests, completing the entire series.

■Cast

Narration was done by Teizo Muta, whose deep voice makes the animal stories even more moving.

■ Main staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of "Cry of the Wild." Below is a list of the main staff members.

• Planning and Producers: Heita Gotsu (TV Tokyo), Sumio Takahashi, Saburo Goda (all from Wako Productions)
• Original author: Hatoju Muku
• Chief Director: Shigeru Omachi, Takeshi Tamazawa
• Animation director: Yasuhiko Suzuki
• Composition: ToriPro
• Directed by Shigeru Omachi and Eiji Onosato
• Art director: Junichi Mizuno
• Director of photography: Masayuki Hirono
• Recording Director: Koichi Chiba
• Assistant Director: Toru Sakata
• Production desk: Kenji Sugiyama
• Color designation: Watsuko Nagasawa
• Trace: Chiaki Uno
• Coloring: Keiko Kaneko
• Inspection: Tsutomu Kosuga
• Title: Shoji Ichino
• Background: Kida Pro
• Photography: Shuichi Tsunoda, Masashi Takekawa
• Edited by: Araragi Promotion
• Developed by Tokyo Developing Laboratory
• Recording: Central Recording
• Adjustment: Akiyoshi Yoda
• Effects: Kazutoshi Sato (E&M)
• Music: Yoshinobu Nakata
• Audio Production: Keiko Senda (Cruise)
• Produced by: TV Tokyo, Wako Productions

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode of "Cry of the Wild" are as follows:

• Episode 1: Taro the Bear of the Mountains (1982/05/05)
• Episode 2: Mirror Monster
• Episode 3: The One-Eared Deer
• Episode 4: The Black Gang
• Episode 5: The Mountain Leader
• Episode 6: The Little Monkey Brothers
• Episode 7: The story of the slim cow
• Episode 8: Return to the Mountain
• Episode 9: Golden Footprints
• Episode 10: King of the Forest
• Episode 11: The King's Throne
• Episode 12: Mikazuki and the Raccoon
• Episode 13: The missing stray dog
• Episode 14: The Sea of ​​Otters
• Episode 15: Inuzuka
• Episode 16: Friends in the Forest
• Episode 17: Maya's Life
• Episode 18: The White Shark
• Episode 19: White-eared lion from the southern islands
• Episode 20: Moon Ring Bear
• Episode 21: The Antelope of the Bottomless Valley
• Episode 22: Hoshitaro the Fawn (1982/09/25)
• Episode 23: Island of Beasts (1984/03/07)
• Episode 24: Red frost pillars
• Episode 25: Living in the Sky (Part 1)
• Episode 26: Living in the Sky (Part 2) (1984/03/28)

■ Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes for "Scream of the Wild" are as follows:

• OP1: On the beloved Earth
• Lyricist: Kaze Kouji
• Composer: Chito Kawachi
• Arrangement: Kuni Kawauchi
• Sung by: Tairaisao
• ED1: Four Seasons Rondo
• Lyricist: Kaze Kouji
• Composer: Chito Kawachi
• Arrangement: Kuni Kawauchi
• Sung by: Tairaisao

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Cry of the Wild" is a work that deeply moves viewers by realistically depicting nature and the ecology of animals. In particular, by depicting the world from the perspective of animals, it conveys the importance of humans coexisting with nature. In addition, by faithfully adapting Muku Hatoju's original work into an anime, the emotions and messages contained in the original work are conveyed to viewers.

This anime is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults, and is highly regarded as a work that makes viewers realize the preciousness of nature and life. In particular, the story, which depicts the lives of animals and their relationships with humans, deeply moves viewers and makes them think again about the importance of coexisting with nature.

■ Recommendation points

"Cry of the Wild" is a work that deeply moves viewers by realistically depicting nature and the ecology of animals. In particular, by depicting the world from the perspective of animals, it conveys the importance of humans coexisting with nature. In addition, by faithfully adapting Muku Hatoju's original work into an anime, the emotions and messages contained in the original work are conveyed to viewers.

This anime is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults, and is highly regarded as a work that makes viewers realize the preciousness of nature and life. In particular, the story, which depicts the lives of animals and their relationships with humans, deeply moves viewers and makes them think again about the importance of coexisting with nature.

■ Related works

Like "Cry of the Wild," other anime works that have nature and animal themes include the following:

• "Animal Yokocho": A comedy anime set in a town where animals live.
• "Jungle Emperor": An animated story based on the original by Osamu Tezuka, an adventure story about animals
• "Kiki and Lala's Blue Bird": A fantasy anime themed around nature and animals

■How to watch

"Cry of the Wild" is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. Some episodes are also available on video streaming services. You can watch them on the following sites:

• Amazon Prime Video
• Netflix
• U-NEXT

■ Summary

"Cry of the Wild" is a work that deeply moves viewers by realistically depicting nature and the ecology of animals. In particular, by depicting the world from the perspective of animals, it conveys the importance of humans coexisting with nature. Furthermore, by faithfully adapting Muku Hatoju's original work into animation, the emotions and message of the original work are conveyed to viewers. This anime is loved by a wide range of people, from children to adults, and is highly acclaimed as a work that makes viewers reaffirm the preciousness of nature and life. In particular, the story, which is told through the way animals live and their relationships with humans, deeply moves viewers and makes them think again about the importance of coexisting with nature. Please give it a watch.