Review of "The Adventures of Little El Cid": The appeal and educational value of children's animation

Adventures in Little El Cid - History meets adventure

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Biographies and Autobiographies

■ Broadcast period

February 6, 1984 - March 12, 1984 Broadcast period February 6, 1984 - March 12, 1984 Broadcast time Monday to Friday 19:00-19:30
Broadcasting station: TV Tokyo Network, 30-minute programs x 26 episodes

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo affiliates

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 26

■Original Story

original

■ Director

Fumio Kurokawa

■ Production

Nippon Animation, TV Tokyo

■Works

©NIPPON ANIMATION CO. LTD. 1984

■ Story

In mid-11th century Spain, the conflict between Christians and Moors deepened, and the country was in the midst of social unrest. However, in the village of Bivar, far from the battlefield, Louis, the son of Laines, a loyal retainer of the king, was running around happily as ever. Dreaming of becoming a fine knight like his father, Louis soon leaves the village and overcomes the various challenges that befall him with his natural quick wit and drive, growing up to become El Cid, who brings independence to Spain.

■Explanation

A collaborative animation with Spain. At the time, other collaborative works such as "Around the World in 80 Days," "New Maya," and "Alice in Wonderland" were produced. These were aired in Spain about five years earlier than in Japan. The music was composed in Spain.

■Cast

・Louis/Naoko Watanabe ・Lioness/Hidekatsu Shibata ・Teresa/Akiko Tsuboi ・King Ferdinand/Kinpei Azusa ・Heremias/Joji Yanami

■ Main staff

・Setting: Spain in the mid-11th century ・Producer: Koichi Motohashi ・Production manager: Mitsuru Takakuwa ・Planning: Shoji Sato ・Director: Fumio Kurokawa ・Producers: Junzo Nakajima, Eiko Tanaka ・Screenplay: Toshiyuki Kashiwakura ・Character design: Shuichi Seki ・Layout: Shunichi Sakai, Trans Arts, Takumi Noda, Shun Anakura, Keiichiro Mochizuki, Kazuko Hirose ・Chief animation directors: Takao Ogawa, Mitsuru Suzuki, Akio Sakai, Shunichi Sakai
・Art director: Kazusuke Yoshihara ・Director of photography: Keiichi Kuroki ・Sound director: Hideyuki Tanaka ・Key animation: Junsei Jitsugyo, Trans Arts, Takumi Noda, Satoshi Anakura, Keiichiro Mochizuki, Kazuko Hirose, Sumiko Asato, Takao Ogawa, Mitsuru Suzuki, Shunichi Sakai ・Artwork: Junsei Jitsugyo, Random, Kaze Production, Sumiko Asato, Michiko Noda ・Finishing touches: Trans Arts, Studio Killy ・Background: Junsei Jitsugyo, Studio Uni, Atelier Rourke, Kobayashi Productions, Satoshi Oyama, Atelier 69
Cinematography: Trans Arts, Junsei Jitsugyo Development Laboratory: Tokyo Development Laboratory Storyboards: Yasuo Kageyama, Seiji Okuda, Mitsuo Kusakabe, Kozo Kusuba, Fumio Kurokawa Production: Nippon Animation, TV Tokyo

■Subtitle

・1/Birth of the Little Knight (1984/02/06)
・2/My Father's Teachings (1984/02/07)
・3／The Wild Boy of Shudoin (1984/02/08)
・4/The Donkey in the Chapel (1984/02/09)
5. Punishment for Mischief (1984/02/10)
・6/I'm a Bully (1984/02/13)
・7/Exploring (1984/02/14)
8. Louis Flew Away (1984/02/15)
9. The Evil Magistrate's Castle (1984/02/16)
・10/Louis and the Three Drifters (1984/02/17)
11/ Substitute Duel (1984/02/20)
・12/Tin Knight (1984/02/21)
・13/The Secret of the Cowmen (1984/02/22)
・14/Graveyard of Souls (1984/02/23)
15/Duel in the Valley (1984/02/24)
・16/Louis' Wild Boar Extermination (1984/02/27)
・17/I want a castle (1984/02/28)
・18／The Ghost of the Watermill (1984/02/29)
・19／Castle on the Hill (1984/03/01)
・20／The Bells of Pancorbo (1984/03/02)
・21/Louis on Trial (1984/03/05)
・22／Domingo's Bridge (1984/03/06)
・23/The Texfin Conspiracy (1984/03/07)
・24 / Arrow Flying in the Sky (1984/03/08)
・25/The Crisis of Castile Castle (1984/03/10)
・26/Someday, El Cid (1984/03/12)

■ Related works

・Adventurer (Columbus)

■ Theme songs and music

・BGM Composition: Guido de Angeles, Maurizio Angeles

Adventures in Little El Cid - History meets adventure

"The Adventures of Little El Cid" is a 30-minute TV anime series that was broadcast on TV Tokyo in 1984. Set in mid-11th century Spain, the series depicts the growth and adventures of the young knight Louis against the backdrop of the conflict between Christians and Moors. The original work is a biography and autobiography, and was produced as an original story. It was directed by Fumio Kurokawa, produced by Nippon Animation and TV Tokyo, and the copyright belongs to NIPPON ANIMATION CO. LTD. 1984.

This anime is a collaboration between Japan and Spain, and is one of several collaborations made by Nippon Animation at the time, such as "Around the World in 80 Days," "New Maya," and "Alice in Wonderland." Interestingly, it was aired in Spain about five years earlier than it was in Japan. In addition, the music used was produced in Spain, making it a work that shows cultural fusion.

Story and Characters

The story revolves around Louis, the son of Lainez, a loyal retainer of the king who lives in the village of Bivar. Louis dreams of becoming a great knight like his father, and overcomes various obstacles with his innate wit and drive. In the end, we see him grow into the hero El Cid, who led Spain to independence.

The main characters are played by Naoko Watanabe as Louis, Hidekatsu Shibata as Lioness, Akiko Tsuboi as Teresa, Kinpei Azusa as King Ferdinand, and Joji Yanami as Heremias. These characters play an important role in supporting Louis' adventure and growth.

Production and staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of this work. Set in mid-11th century Spain, it was produced by Motohashi Koichi, production management by Takakuwa Mitsuru, and planning by Sato Shoji. It was directed by Kurokawa Fumio, produced by Nakajima Junzo and Tanaka Eiko, and written by Kashiwakura Toshiyuki. Character design was by Seki Shuichi, and layouts were by Sakai Shunichi and Trans Arts, Noda Takumi, Anakura Shun, Mochizuki Keiichiro, and Hirose Kazuko. The animation directors were Ogawa Takao, Suzuki Mitsuru, Sakai Akio, and Sakai Shunichi, the art director was Yoshihara Kazusuke, the cinematographer was Kuroki Keiichi, and the sound director was Tanaka Hideyuki. Many staff members worked together on key animation, animation, finishing, backgrounds, cinematography, the development lab, and storyboards to complete this work.

Episodes and subtitles

This series consists of 26 episodes, each of which tells a different story of adventure and growth. Below are the subtitles of each episode.

• Episode 1: The Birth of the Little Knight (February 6, 1984)
• Episode 2: My Father's Teachings (1984/02/07)
• Episode 3: The Rogues of Shudoin (1984/02/08)
• Episode 4: The Donkey in the Chapel (1984/02/09)
• Episode 5: Punishment for the Prank (1984/02/10)
• Episode 6: I'm a Bully (1984/02/13)
• Episode 7: Playing Explorations (1984/02/14)
• Episode 8: Louis flies through the sky (1984/02/15)
• Episode 9: The Evil Magistrate's Castle (1984/02/16)
• Episode 10: Louis and the Three Wanderers (1984/02/17)
• Episode 11: Substitute Duel (1984/02/20)
• Episode 12: The Tin Knight (1984/02/21)
• Episode 13: The Secret of the Cowmen (1984/02/22)
• Episode 14: Graveyard of Souls (1984/02/23)
• Episode 15: Duel in the Valley (1984/02/24)
• Episode 16: Louis' Wild Boar Extermination (1984/02/27)
• Episode 17: I Want a Castle (1984/02/28)
• Episode 18: The Ghost of the Watermill (1984/02/29)
• Episode 19: Castle on the Hill (1984/03/01)
• Episode 20: The Bell of Pancorbo (1984/03/02)
• Episode 21: Louis on Trial (1984/03/05)
• Episode 22: Domingo's Bridge (March 6, 1984)
• Episode 23: The Techsphin Conspiracy (1984/03/07)
• Episode 24: The Flying Arrow (1984/03/08)
• Episode 25: The Crisis at Castile Castle (1984/03/10)
• Episode 26: Someday, El Cid (1984/03/12)

Related Works and Music

"The Adventures of Little El Cid" is also linked to other historical adventures, especially "The Adventurer (Columbus)". In terms of music, Guido de Angeles and Maurizio Angeles composed the background music, which reflects Spanish culture.

Ratings and Recommendations

"The Adventures of El Cid" has been highly praised as a work that combines history and adventure. In particular, the story of the growth and adventures of the young knight Louis, faithfully recreating the historical background of mid-11th century Spain, moved viewers. It is also worth noting that it is a joint production with Spain, making it a work that gives a sense of cultural exchange.

This work is recommended for a wide range of people, from children to adults. It is especially a must-see for those who love history and adventure. The music and art are also carefully selected, making it a work that can be enjoyed both visually and aurally. Please give it a watch.