"The Star of Cottonland" review: A moving story and beautiful visuals

The appeal and evaluation of "Watanokuninhoshi"

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

February 11, 1984 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Herald Films

■ Eirin Number

111337

■Frequencies

92 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Yumiko Oshima (published by Hakusuisha's "LaLa")

■ Director

Shinichi Tsuji

■ Production

・Production: Mushi Production ・Production cooperation: AIC, Gokusha

■Works

©Yumiko Oshima/Hakusensha, Mushi Productions

■ Story

One day, a small female abandoned cat was picked up by a kind-hearted young man named Tokio. The two-month-old cat was named "Chibineko" and Tokio became fond of her. Chibineko began to have feelings for Tokio and began to believe that one day she, a cat, would become a human and be united with Tokio. However, the silver cat Raphiel appeared before Chibineko and told her that cats cannot become humans...

■Explanation

Based on the manga by Yumiko Oshima, the animated feature film "Star of Cottonland" depicts the interactions between an anthropomorphized female kitten and her owner, as well as the other cats around her, in a fairytale style. Released in 1984, the film deeply touched audiences at the time, and its appeal remains strong even today. Director Shinichi Tsuji faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while developing the story from his own unique perspective. In particular, the scenes depicting the little cat's growth and longing for humans are notable for their visual beauty and rich emotional expression. The beautiful soundtrack by music director Mitsuo Hagita also enhances the moving story.

■Cast

・Little cat / Tominaga Mina・Raphiel / Nozawa Nachi・Voice of the moon / Nagai Ichiro・Tokio / Shimada Satoshi・Father / Hasama Michio・Mother / Ueda Miyuki・Mitsuko / Han Keiko・Cat maniac / Shiozawa Kaneto・Spotted cat / Nagai Isao・Tramp cat (A) / Kanemoto Shingo・Tramp cat (B) / Hase Sanji・Owner of Uohachi / Nojima Akio・Apartment landlord / Muramatsu Yasuo・Female student (A) / Mita Yuko・Female student (B) / Saito Masaru・Cat catching old man (A) / Tanaka Yasuo・Cat catching old man (B) / Sawa Ritsuo・Hostess / Nakatani Yumi・Announcer / Shioya Kozo

■ Main staff

・Director / Shinichi Tsuji・Screenplay / Masaki Tsuji, Yumiko Oshima・Character design and animation director / Katsumi Aoshima・Assistant animation supervisors / Yasuomi Umezu, Noboru Furuse, Fujiko Motohashi, Yuzo Tomizawa, Yuri Chiaki・Character color setting / Etsuko Inoue・Art director / Kazusuke Yoshihara・Director of photography / Masaaki Fujita・Sound director / Noriyoshi Matsuura・Music director / Mitsuo Hagita・Editor / Harutoshi Ogata・Production manager / Kazufumi Nomura・Producer / Tateo Haraya・Art setting / Yukio Abe, Kazusuke Yoshihara・Theme music / Richard Clayderman・Sound effects / Katsumi Ito・Sound recording / Harutoshi Otsuka・Sound recording assistant / Hiroshi Nakagawa・Animation / Chikao Katsui, Shinya Takahashi, Shunichi Sakai, Akira Kitazato, Akihiro Kanayama, Jun Kawagoe, Shigetaka Kiyoyama, Seiji Arihara, Norikazu Tsuda, Okada Seiji, Keiko Shirai, Yasuhiro Nagura, Noboru Takano, Joji Yanase, Takekatsu Kikuta, Teruo Handa, Masakazu Ikeda, Kuni Tomita, Katsumi Shimazaki, Jiro Tanaka, Yasuyo Nakajima, Yoshimi Imagawa, Tamotsu Seo, Hiromitsu Ota, Toshikatsu Shinozaki, Toru Sato, Minoru Yamazawa, Zaen-do, video check/Shigeru Yamazaki, Keizo Iwashita, Ryokichi Yoshizawa, video/Chiharu Haraguchi, Yukari Ikeda, Mayumi Sekiguchi, Hiromitsu Kaneshima, and Ozo Ne, Y., Murakami, S., Nakamura, C., Hachiya, K., Saegusa, N., Tomimoto, K., Ikagame, N., Omiya, Y., Okuda, J., Tateyama, S., Nonaka, S., Bessho, M., Mochizuki, N., Katsumata, T., Watanabe, M., Hachiya, A., Tsuwada, K., Seki, M., Shimura, Y., Ando, ​​N., Shiina, R., Otani, K., Yamada, M., Mori, Y., Nakano, Y., and Yoshiko. Kawa Manami, Ito Yukiko, Komamiya Shingo, Kato Hiroshi, Studio Dub, Studio Pokke, Random, Shindo Productions, Oh Productions, Studio Ao Pencil & Color Specification, Inspection: Shinohara Kazuko, Shimada Junko, Irie Fumiko, Shimanuki Emiko, Anzai Hiromi, Tanaka Setsuko, Kiyama Yumiko, Mito Yuko, Inoue Mariko, Finishing: Okano Kenichi, Imai Hidenori, Takeshima Kazuyo, Honda Masahiro, Tanigoe Haruki, Kishi Kazuko, Kimura Tachiko, Ishikawa Yuriko, Kamiizumi Reiko, Sakakibara Masumi, Kanno Tomoko, Arahata Harumi, Kanamaru Yuko, Saito Hiroki, Studio Zepp, Studio Bogie, Studio Can, Kato Group, Yamaguchi Masako, Amari Masako, Isobe Etsuko, Oshima Kiyoko, Saito Akiko, Yoshino Toshiko, Toyoda Kimiko, Miyazawa Hirokazu, Kengo Matsuo, Kazuko Omura, Kazuko Sakamura, Eiko Shirahata, Kimiko Nakabayashi, Emiko Nakahara, Yoko Masui, Hideko Miyashita, Hiroko Moriya, Yoriko Haraya; Photography by Kenichi Yoshizaka, Hiroshi Isakawa, Norihide Kubota, Hideharu Kato, Toshiaki Yamaguchi, Hideo Suzuki, Zen Goto, Norihiko Sawada; Photography cooperation by Hideki Takayama; Background by Hideo Koide, Chikako Shibata, Mariko Kadono, Hiromi Ando, ​​and Norihiko Fukuda; Noriko Ino, Kuniko Nishimura, Saburo Kameya, Tomie Akiho, Mitsuyo Kobayashi, Artland, Production Manager, Kazufumi Nomura, Production Assistant, Atsushi Nakajima, Kinya Watanabe, Hiromichi Mashiko, Assistant Director, Shigeo Yagi, Special Effects, Toyohiko Sakakibara, Tomoji Hashizume, Assistant Editor, Yukiko Ito, Production Administration, Chieko Matsumoto, Recording Studio, Sound Editing Planning, Sound Production, Current, Development, Toyo Development

■ Main Characters

・Chibineko: A female cat who was originally a pet but was abandoned and nearly died of the cold, and was picked up by Tokio. She wants to become a human.

Tokio
An 18-year-old college student who failed the entrance exam and was in despair, but after meeting a small cat, he slowly begins to change.

・Raphiel, a male cat. He is the leader of the neighborhood and is a handsome man. His body is a beautiful silver color.

■ Theme songs and music

・TM
・"Main Theme of Star of Cottonland"
・Composer: R. Stolz
・Piano/Richard Clayderman TM2
・Cotton Field Illusion ・Lyrics by P. de Senneville
・Composition: P. de Senneville
・Piano／Richard Clayderman・IN
・"Birds to birds"
Lyrics: Yumiko Oshima, Hiroko Taniyama Composition: Hiroko Taniyama Arrangement: Mitsuo Hagita Singer: Yuko Endo IN
・Let's Have Sandwiches・Lyrics by Yumiko Oshima・Music by Yayoi Tanaka・Arrangement by Mitsuo Hagita・Singer by Mina Tominaga・Ending theme
・"Blue Heart"
Lyrics by Etsuko Kisugi, Music by Yayoi Tanaka, Arrangement by Mitsuo Hagita, Singer by Yuko Endo (Victor Music Industries)

■ Evaluation and impressions

"The Star of Cottonland" is an animated feature film released in 1984 that has captivated many fans with its beautiful visuals and moving story. The world of cats depicted by the original author, Oshima Yumiko, is anthropomorphized yet has realistic emotions, allowing the audience to experience the story from the perspective of Chibi-neko. In particular, the scene in which Chibi-neko wishes to become human portrays her pure heart and strong will, eliciting sympathy from many viewers. Her relationship with Tokio is also depicted in depth, and his growth and the bond between him and Chibi-neko are at the heart of the story.

Director Shinichi Tsuji faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original work while developing the story from his own unique perspective. In particular, the scenes depicting the growth of the little cat and its yearning for humans are visually beautiful and expressive. The beautiful soundtrack by music director Mitsuo Hagita also enhances the moving story. The theme song "The Main Theme of Star of Cottonland," with its piano performance by Richard Clayderman, resonates deeply with the audience and further enhances the atmosphere of the film.

The cast is also very impressive, with the performances of the voice actors, such as Mina Tominaga as Chibi-neko and Nachi Nozawa as Raphiel, enriching the story. In particular, Mina Tominaga's voice, which expresses Chibi-neko's pure heart, deeply moved the audience. Bin Shimada, who plays Tokio, also carefully portrays his growth and his love for Chibi-neko.

"The Star of Cottonland" is a film that can be recommended not only to cat lovers, but to anyone looking for a moving story. This film combines beautiful visuals, a moving story, and wonderful music, and you will find something new no matter how many times you watch it. In particular, the scenes depicting the little cat's growth and his longing for humans are visually beautiful and emotionally rich, deeply moving to the audience. His relationship with Tokio is also depicted in depth, and his growth and the bond between him and the little cat are at the heart of the story.

■ Recommendation points

・Beautiful visuals and a moving story ・Scenes depicting the growth of the little cat and its yearning for humans ・The deep relationship and growth between Tokio and the cat ・A gorgeous cast and superb voice acting ・A theme song with Richard Clayderman's piano performance

"The Star of Cottonland" is a film that can be recommended not only to cat lovers, but to anyone looking for a moving story. This film combines beautiful visuals, a moving story, and wonderful music, and you will find something new no matter how many times you watch it. In particular, the scenes depicting the little cat's growth and his longing for humans are visually beautiful and emotionally rich, deeply moving to the audience. His relationship with Tokio is also depicted in depth, and his growth and the bond between him and the little cat are at the heart of the story.