The appeal and reviews of "Space Runaway Ideon: Contact Chapter": A thorough analysis of the profound worldview of this classic robot anime

Space Runaway Ideon: Contact Chapter - Space Runaway Ideon: Contact Chapter

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

July 10, 1982 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Shochiku

■ Eirin Number

110671

■Frequencies

84th minute

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original story by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Director

General Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Production

Japan Sunrise

■Works

©Sunrise

■ Story

In the future, Earthlings have spread across space and are beginning to develop the planet Solo, 2.5 million light years away from Earth. However, the alien Buff Clan arrives there searching for the infinite energy "Ide." Contact between the different civilizations escalates into a battle. The Earthlings board a mecha excavated from the ruins and fight to survive, then try to escape into space. However, the Buff Clan continues to pursue them in search of the relic.

■Explanation

This is the first film in the series to be made into a theatrical release of the popular TV series Space Runaway Ideon, with new footage added. It is a re-edited version of episodes that had already aired on TV. In response to the enthusiasm of anime fans inspired by Gundam, a large-scale "From Gundam to Ideon" campaign was launched, with advance tickets being sold in large numbers at the cinemas for Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space, which had been released the previous year.

■Cast

・Yuuki Cosmo／ Tsubasa Shioya・Jordan Beth／ Hideyuki Tanaka・Imhoff Kasha／ Fuyumi Shiraishi・Formosa Sheryl／ Yo Inoue・Afta Deku／ Tatsuya Matsuda・Karara Ajiba／ Keiko Toda・Gije Zaral／ Kazuo Hayashi・Haruru Ajiba／ Yoko Asagami・Narrator／ Nobuo Tanaka

■ Main staff

・Made by Yoshi Kishimoto [with earth on the mouth radical] [a sword with merit]
・Planning / Eiji Yamaura, Masanori Ito ・Original story / Hajime Yatate, Yoshiyuki Tomino ・Screenplay / Hiroyasu Yamaura, Sukehiro Tomita, Yuji Watanabe, Kenichi Matsuzaki ・Character design / Tomotaka Kogawa ・Mechanical design / Yuichi Higuchi, Submarine ・Art director / Mitsuki Nakamura ・Animation director / Tomotaka Kogawa ・Editing / Tomoaki Tsurubuchi ・Audio director / Yasuo Urakami ・Music composition and arrangement / Koichi Sugiyama ・Director / Toshifumi Takizawa ・General director / Yoshiyuki Tomino ・Producer / Toru Hasegawa

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Background and production process of the work

"Space Runaway Ideon: Contact" is an animated feature film released in 1982, which reconstructs episodes from the TV series "Space Runaway Ideon" and adds new footage. The director is Yoshiyuki Tomino, and his unique worldview and philosophy are reflected in the film. Tomino is a master of animation who is also known for the Gundam series, and his influence is immeasurable. This film was inspired by the success of Gundam and was produced to meet the expectations of fans.

During the production process, episodes from the TV series were re-edited and new scenes were added to improve the quality of the film. Particular attention was paid to the battle scenes and portrayal of the characters' emotions, in pursuit of visual impact and depth of story. In addition, the music was composed by Koichi Sugiyama, and the effective background music that livens up the dramatic scenes enhances the overall work.

■ Story and Theme

The story of "Space Runaway Ideon: Contact" depicts the development of the planet Solo, far from Earth, and the battle with the alien Buff Clan. The conflict over the infinite energy "Ide" symbolizes the clash between different civilizations and the difficulty of coexistence. The story is told from the perspective of Earthlings who board the mecha "Ideon" excavated from ruins, and depicts their efforts to survive and escape.

The theme of this work is war and peace, and the conflict between human survival instinct and ethics. It is a common theme in Yoshiyuki Tomino's works, and encourages viewers to think deeply. In particular, the fear and hope that contact with aliens brings, and the tragic ending that it leads to, make a strong impression on viewers.

■Characters and Acting

Each character in Space Runaway Ideon: Contact has a carefully drawn background and emotional state. Tsubasa Shioya, who plays the main character Yuuki Cosmo, skillfully expresses the passion and anxiety of a young man. Hideyuki Tanaka, who plays Jordan Beth, and Fuyumi Shiraishi, who plays Imhof Kasha, also deliver performances that delve deeply into the inner worlds of their characters.

In particular, Keiko Toda's performance as Kalara Ajiba exquisitely expresses the strength and fragility of a mother, moving the viewer's heart. The calm narrator Nobuo Tanaka's narration also adds depth to the progression of the story. The powerful performances of these voice actors further enhance the appeal of the work.

■Video and Music

The visuals in "Space Runaway Ideon: Contact" are of very high quality for an animation from the 1980s. You can enjoy the dynamic battle scenes and the beauty of outer space visually. In particular, the Ideon transformation scenes and the Buff Clan's mecha design make a visual impact.

The music, composed and arranged by Koichi Sugiyama, effectively enhances the dramatic scenes. It heightens the tension in battle scenes and enhances the viewer's emotions in moving scenes. The fusion of music and visuals gives a deeper feel to the worldview of the work.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

Space Runaway Ideon: Contact is a highly acclaimed 1980s animation, and is especially recommended for fans of Yoshiyuki Tomino and robot anime enthusiasts. It is praised for its depth of story, portrayal of the characters' emotions, and visual impact. It is also an interesting work for fans of the Gundam series, as it allows you to feel Tomino's philosophy.

This work has profound themes depicting the conflict between war and peace, survival and ethics, and will give the viewer much to think about. In particular, the contact with a different civilization and the resulting tragedy raise issues that are relevant to modern society. The beautiful visuals and powerful music will also leave a strong impression on the viewer.

■ Related works and recommendations

For viewers who enjoyed "Space Runaway Ideon: Contact", we also recommend the following related works:

• Mobile Suit Gundam series - Also created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, this series delves deeply into themes of war and peace. Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space was made into a feature film, just like Ideon, and has been highly praised by fans.
• "Space Runaway Ideon: Activation" - A sequel to "Contact" and depicts the conclusion of the story. The themes depicted in "Contact" are further developed, leaving viewers with a strong emotional response.
• "Space Runaway Ideon" TV series - This is the origin of the movie version, and you can enjoy a more detailed story and character background. In particular, it is recommended to pay attention to the development of each episode and the growth of the characters.

Through these works, viewers will be able to gain a deeper understanding of Yoshiyuki Tomino's worldview and philosophy, and rediscover the appeal of animation. Space Runaway Ideon: Contact is a work of visual beauty and profound themes, and is worthy of being recommended to many viewers.