The appeal and reviews of "Kenya Boy": The depth of an anime that depicts the brilliance of youth

Boy Kenya - Shounen Kenya

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

March 10, 1984 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

111264

■Frequencies

109 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original work by Soji Yamakawa

■ Director

Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Tetsuo Imazawa

■ Production

Produced by Kadokawa Haruki Corporation and Toei Animation

■ Story

November 1941, Nairobi, the capital of the British colony of Kenya. Daisuke Murakami, a cotton and silk merchant here, sets off with his 10-year-old son Wataru to make a final trade with the hinterlands. As the sun sets, the group sleeps outdoors, but suddenly the sound of a truck starting up echoes through the air. Hearing news of the outbreak of war, the servant Buchi runs away, fearing he will be captured. Murakami also runs away with Wataru, but Wataru is taken away by a two-horned rhinoceros that appears. Wataru wakes up to find himself on the side of a river. The rhino has died in a deadly battle with a hippopotamus. Wataru saves an old man who has been ill for five days. He is Zega, the great chief of the primitive Maasai tribe, and has handed over his position as chief to his son Wakagi to search for Murakami for Wataru. Three years pass. One day, Wataru enters a cave on the mountainside and meets a beautiful blonde girl named Kate. She was kidnapped by Gre of the Pora tribe and forced to participate in Gre's evil deeds as a god. Wataru rescues Zega, who has been captured by the Pora tribe, and Kate. At that moment, Murakami, who was nearby, sees Wataru and chases after him. However, he is attacked by the Pora tribe and escapes into the water, where he is saved by Gerhin, a German man who was passing by on a steamship. As Wataru and the others make their way through the jungle, they discover a strange building and enter it. It is the laboratory of Dr. Stein, who is manufacturing an atomic bomb under orders from the Nazis. Wataru is reunited with his father, but Gerhin takes Wataru hostage and orders Murakami to supervise the doctor, who is reluctant to complete the bomb, in order to force him to complete it. The doctor, who is sympathetic to Murakami's feelings, demands the release of the hostages in exchange for the completion of the atomic bomb, and Wataru and the others are released from their ropes. Wataru and the others leave Murakami, who insists on staying at the laboratory. At that moment, a mushroom cloud appears with a thunderous sound. After the doctor let Murakami escape, he pressed the button to activate the atomic bomb. A primitive world unfolds, and dinosaurs slaughter each other. Wataru and his friends are attacked by a Tyrannosaurus, but a giant snake named Dana appears and saves them. A train approaches along the railroad tracks, and Wataru's mother Yoko and Murakami get off the car. Kate boards the train with Wataru and his friends to search for her parents.

■Explanation

The film depicts the free-spirited adventures of a boy who is separated from his father in the depths of Kenya in the year the Pacific War breaks out. It is an animated adaptation of the illustrated story of the same name by Soji Yamakawa, and the screenplay was co-written by Chiho Katsura ("Abandoned City"), Makoto Naito ("Abandoned City"), and Wataru Kenmochi ("The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" (1983). The directors are Nobuhiko Obayashi ("Abandoned City") and Tetsuo Imazawa ("Godmars").

■Cast

Takayanagi Ryoichi Harada Tomoyo Otsuka Norio Inoue Makio Masuyama Eiko Nagai Ichiro Yanami Joji Shiozawa Kaneto Utsumi Kenji Shibata Hidekatsu

■ Main staff

・Producers: Haruki Kadokawa, Tomonori Imada・Producer: Takeshi Tamiya・Original story: Souji Yamakawa・Screenplay: Chiho Katsura, Makoto Naito, Wataru Kenmochi・Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Tetsuo Imazawa・Editor: Nobuhiko Obayashi, Masaaki Hanai・Chief animation director: Hiroshi Wagatsuma・Cinematography: Masatoshi Fukui, Yoshinao Sakamoto・Music: Ryudo Uzaki・Art: Sukeyuki Tanaka, Kazuo Satsuya・Sound recording: Isao Hatano・Sound effects: Katsumi Ito・Assistant directors: Michihiro Kanayama, Katsunori Haruta・Pictorial design: Tatsuo Shimamura・Theme song: Noriko Watanabe

■ Review

"Kenya no Kiseki" is a Japanese anime film released in 1984, characterized by its unique story and epic adventure. The film is based on the manga of the same name by Yamakawa Soji, and depicts the adventures of a young boy named Wataru who is separated from his father in the depths of Kenya against the backdrop of the outbreak of the Pacific War. Directors Obayashi Nobuhiko and Imazawa Tetsuo pursued visual beauty and deep narrative while making the most of their individual personalities. The appeal of this film is, above all, its epic adventure and the many difficulties that Wataru faces. After being separated from his father, Wataru meets Zega, the chief of the primitive Maasai tribe, and Kate, a beautiful blonde girl, and confronts the Pora tribe and the Nazi conspiracy. The story depicts the horror of war and the human survival instinct, while emphasizing friendship and family ties. The film's visuals are also noteworthy. The realistic depiction of Kenya's natural environment and the life of the primitive tribes creates a visual impact. In particular, the scenes featuring dinosaurs and the giant snake Dana are powerful enough to draw the audience in. Music also plays an important role, with Ryudo Uzaki's soundtrack enhancing the tension and emotion of the story. Noriko Watanabe, who composed the theme song, also expresses the theme of the film through her lyrics and melody, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the film. The cast is also impressive, with voice actors such as Ryoichi Takayanagi, Tomoyo Harada, and Norio Otsuka breathing life into the characters. In particular, their performances supporting Wataru's growth and adventure deeply move the audience. "Kenya" is not only acclaimed as a story of adventure and growth, but also as a work that depicts the horror of war and human dignity. This film, which combines visual beauty with deep themes, will make the audience think and be deeply moved.

■Recommendation

"Kenya" is a film I would highly recommend to anyone who likes adventure anime or is looking for something with deep themes. It is especially perfect for those who are looking for a film that depicts the background of war or an opportunity to think about the relationship between nature and humans. Also, watching it with the family will help you reaffirm the importance of parent-child bonds and friendship. This film combines visual beauty with a deep narrative, and you will discover something new no matter how many times you watch it. I hope you will watch it in the theater or on DVD and experience its epic adventure and excitement.