The appeal and reputation of "Crusher Joe": A thorough analysis of the monumental work of science fiction anime

Crusher Joe: The space jack-of-all-trades' epic adventure

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

March 12, 1983 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Shochiku

■ Eirin Number

110931

■Frequencies

132 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Original story by Haruka Takachiho

■ Director

Director: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

■ Production

Japan Sunrise

■Works

©Takachiho & Studio Nue, Sunrise

■ Story

Joe, a space jack-of-all-trades "Crusher," is asked to secretly transport the head of the prestigious Scorran family for treatment. However, a warp accident during the mission leaves Joe and his crew adrift. The cargo disappears along with the client, who is in cryosleep. Caught in a trap, they are suspended for six months. Seeking the truth of the incident, Joe and his crew head to Lagoal, an emerging space nation where the Murphy Pirates are hiding.

■Explanation

This was Sunrise's first original theatrical film, produced following the Mobile Suit Gundam trilogy and Space Runaway Ideon. Takachiho Haruka, who wrote the original novel version, wrote the original script, and Yasuhiko Yoshikazu was extremely active in all areas, directing, co-writing, character design, and animation direction. It was a rare attempt at the time, with various creators collaborating on the design.

■Cast

・Jo/Taku Takemura・Alfin/Run Sasaki・Taros/Kiyoshi Kobayashi・Ricky/Noriko Obara・Kowalski/Gorou Naya・Bird/Osamu Kobayashi・Dan/Akira Kume・Mature/Reiko Muto・Murphy/Norio Otsuka

■ Main staff

・Planning and production by Nippon Sunrise ・Production by Kishimoto Yoshinari [The sword of merit] and Ito Masanori ・Planning by Yamaura Eiji ・Original story by Takachiho Haruka ・Screenplay by Takachiho Haruka and Yasuhiko Yoshikazu ・Character design by Yasuhiko Yoshikazu ・Mechanical design by Kawamori Shoji ・Art design by Sato Michiaki ・Art director by Nakamura Mitsuki ・Animation director ・Storyboard by Yasuhiko Yoshikazu ・Director of photography by Misawa Katsuji ・Editing by Inoue Editing Office, Inoue Kazuo and Fuse Yumiko ・Sound director by Fujino Sadayoshi and Chiba Koichi ・Music by Maeda Norio ・Director by Yasuhiko Yoshikazu ・Producer by Yoshii Takayuki

Crusher Joe's Appeal and Evaluation

Crusher Joe is a science fiction animated film produced by Sunrise Japan and released in 1983, based on a novel by Haruka Takachiho. The story depicts the adventures of Joe, a space jack-of-all-trades "Crusher," and his friends, and is characterized by thrilling plot developments set in the vast universe.

The story begins when Joe and his team receive a request to secretly transport the head of the prestigious Scorran family for treatment. However, a warp accident occurs during the mission, and Joe and his team are adrift. Furthermore, when the cargo disappears along with the client who is in cryosleep, they realize that they have fallen into a trap. Suspended for six months, Joe and his team head to Lagoal, a new space nation where the Murphy Pirates are hiding, in search of the truth behind the incident. This development provides tension and thrills that draw the viewer in, enhancing the appeal of the story.

According to the commentary on this work, it is Sunrise's first original theatrical production following the Mobile Suit Gundam trilogy and Space Runaway Ideon, and it highlights the versatility of Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, who was in charge of directing, scriptwriting, character design, and animation direction all at once. It is also worth noting that various creators, including Kawamori Shoji and Sato Michiaki, collaborated on the design, which was a rare endeavor at the time. The combination of these elements makes Crusher Joe a very appealing work both visually and narratively.

The cast also includes a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Takemura Taku as Jo, Sasaki Run as Alfin, Kobayashi Kiyoshi as Talos, and Obara Noriko as Ricky. In particular, Takemura Taku's powerful acting as Jo and Sasaki Run's cute voice as Alfin bring out the charm of the characters. Another point not to be missed is the powerful acting of Otsuka Norio as Murphy.

The main staff includes professionals from various fields, such as Nippon Sunrise, which was in charge of planning and production, as well as producers Yoshinari Kishimoto and Masanori Ito, planner Eiji Yamaura, original author Haruka Takachiho, screenwriters Haruka Takachiho and Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, mechanical designer Shoji Kawamori, art designer Michiaki Sato, art director Mitsuki Nakamura, animation director and storyboard artist Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, cinematographer Katsuji Misawa, editors Inoue Henshushitsu, Kazuo Inoue, and Yumiko Fuse, sound directors Sadayoshi Fujino and Koichi Chiba, music composer Norio Maeda, director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, and producer Takayuki Yoshii. Thanks to the cooperation of these staff, Crusher Joe has achieved high quality.

Crusher Joe Review and Recommendation

Crusher Joe has been highly praised as a sci-fi animated film, especially for its storytelling and visual perfection. Viewers have commented that the film is a thrilling adventure set in a spectacular universe, that the characters are well-rounded, and that the visuals are beautiful and well worth watching. Additionally, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko's versatility and the design collaboration with creators such as Shoji Kawamori have also been highly praised.

This work is especially recommended for fans of science fiction animation and action movies. Through Joe and his friends' adventures, you will be able to feel the vastness of the universe and the desire to explore unknown worlds. In addition, the personalities and relationships of the characters are deeply depicted, making it easy to empathize with the story. In addition, the beauty of the visuals and the quality of the mechanical design are also points not to be missed.

Crusher Joe has been loved by many fans since its release in 1983, and its appeal has not faded to this day. We hope you will experience this epic space adventure.