SF New Century Lensman: A thorough analysis of the appeal and modernity of space adventure

SF New Century Lensman - Space Heroes and Epic Adventures

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

July 7, 1984 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho Towa

■ Eirin Number

111413

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

E. E. Smith

■ Director

Kazuyuki Hirokawa and Yoshiaki Kawajiri

■ Production

Produced by Kodansha Production cooperation: MK, Madhouse

■ Story

In the 25th century AD, the Great Galactic Union, which boasts peace and prosperity, is facing a crisis. The evil dictatorial empire Boskone is invading from far away in the dark nebula. The Galactic Patrol, under the command of Director Haynes, seizes top-secret data from Boskone and heads to Earth on the Britannia. The Boskone spaceship is relentlessly pursuing them. Meanwhile, on the planet Mukenye, Gary, who has left the Galactic Patrol to work as a farmer, is about to send his son Kimball (nicknamed Kim) to Earth, entrusting him to his friend Buskirk. The Britannia makes an emergency landing on Mukenye, and the blonde lensman asks Kim to deliver the data to Director Haynes, and the lens that was in his hand is also transferred to Kim. Kim and Buskirk head to Earth on the Britannia, and Gary sacrifices himself to help them escape. Galactic Patrol member Chris takes refuge on the planet Delgon while the Britannia is sailing. Caught by the carnivorous plants of this planet, Buskirk and Chris are taken to a cave where Delgon nobles live. Only Kim is rescued by Worzel, a dragon-like lensman. Kim and Worzel infiltrate the cave and rescue Chris and Buskirk. They then escape using the Britannia's torpedoes and make an emergency landing on the planet Radirix. The drug Zionite is mined on this planet, and Buskirk is captured and forced to mine it. With the help of DJ Bill, Kim rescues Buskirk and blows up the mining and refining plant. When they return to Bill's house, they find that Chris has been kidnapped by Boskone Emperor Hermus. In order to save her, Kim boards Boskone's battleship as Herman tells her. After being tortured there, she holds up the lens, and both the battleship and Hermus explode and disappear into space. After the dizzying explosion, the core of Hermus disappears into the darkness of space without being destroyed.

■Explanation

Lensman is a hero created by American science fiction writer E.E. Smith. It was made into a movie in 1984 and released by Toho Towa. The production cost was 1.2 billion yen and the number of frames was 70,000. E.E. Smith's original work is a series of novels published between 1934 and 1948, depicting a grand space-scale adventure and the hero's exploits. The movie version condenses these elements and succeeds in maximizing the visual impact. In particular, the special abilities of Lensman and the spaceship battle scenes are depicted using the technology of the time, making them visually appealing. In addition, while the story development is faithful to the original, the movie adds its own interpretation and direction, providing fresh surprises for fans of the original work.

■Cast

Kim/Toshio Furukawa・Gary/Tadashi Nakamura・Buskirk/Nobuo Otsuka・Chris/Mami Koyama・Chief Haynes/Hidekatsu Shibata・Helmus/Seizo Kato・Worzel/Natsumi Nozawa・Old Man Bill/Katsuya Kobayashi・Blonde Lensman/Tadashi Yokouchi・Robot Sol/Yuko Saito

■ Main staff

・Directors: Kazuyuki Hirokawa, Yoshiaki Kawajiri・Screenplay: Hoshi Yoshikawa・Original story: E.E. Smith・Planning: Akihiko Ito, Mitsuru Kaneko・Producer: Hiroshi Sudo・Producers: Michihiro Tomii, Tadami Watanabe, Masao Maruyama・Storyboard, storyboards: Yoshiaki Kawajiri・Character design: Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Kazuo Tomizawa・Mechanical design: Takashi Watanabe・Animation director: Kazuo Tomizawa, Nobuyuki Kitajima・Cinematography: Iwa Yamaki・Art: Katsushi Aoki・Music: Akira Inoue・Sound recording: Ichiro Tsujii・Sound effects: Susumu Aketagawa・Editing: Osamu Tanaka・Production cooperation: MK, Madhouse

■ Main Characters

Kim's real name is Kimball K. Kinnison. He is an Earthling, commonly known as Kim. He is a second stage Lensman. He graduated from Lensman training school at the top of his class. After undergoing retraining by the Arisians, he becomes the first second stage Lensman. He is a master of Delameter's quick-draw technique. Not only is he an excellent operative, but he also uses his free-thinking to propose the development of various new weapons, driving the fight against the Boskones and leading them to victory.
Chris: Earthling. Second-stage Lensman. She worked as a nurse under Lacy. She became Kim's lover and later married her. She became the first female Lensman in history, and was affectionately called "Red" Lensman because of her red hair.
Chief Haynes is an Earthling. He is Kim's superior and a good friend. Having evolved in extremely low temperatures, he is a cold-blooded being who has expanded part (or most) of his body in the fifth dimension and metabolizes in another dimension.
- Worzel Verancian. Second stage Lensman. A winged dragon-like creature (appearance is similar to that of an oriental dragon) with a total length of nearly 10 meters.

■ Theme songs and music

・TM
"STARSHIP - In Search of Light"
Lyrics by Toshihiko Takamizawa and Ken Takahashi Composition by Toshihiko Takamizawa Arrangement by ALFEE with Akira Inoue Song by ALFEE
・IN
"Heartbeat of Love"
Lyrics by Toshihiko Takamizawa Composition by Toshihiko Takamizawa Arrangement by ALFEE with Akira Inoue

■ Review

"Shinseiki Lensman" is a grand space adventure story based on the original work by E.E. Smith, and is an animated film released in theaters in 1984. This work is a collection of the best of Japanese animation technology at the time, and is praised for its visual impact and clever storytelling. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of the work, as well as the points to recommend it.

Visual appeal

The greatest appeal of "Lensman" is its visual expressiveness. Thanks to a large-scale production system with a production budget of 1.2 billion yen and 70,000 frames of footage, the spaceship battle scenes and Lensman's special abilities are depicted realistically. In particular, the beauty of the light and colors in the scenes using Lensman's lenses stands out, making a visual impact. In addition, each scene, such as the scene of mining the narcotic Zionite on the planet Radilix and the explosion of Boskone's battleship, is drawn in detail and has the power to draw the audience in. These visual expressions are the result of making full use of the technology of the time, and their beauty has not faded even today.

Storytelling

The story, based on the original novel, depicts a grand adventure on a cosmic scale, drawing the audience in. It is easy to empathize with the characters, centering on Kim, as they depict their growth, the battle against the Boskones, and the bonds between the characters. The film also adds its own unique interpretation and direction, providing fresh surprises for fans of the original. In particular, the scene in which Kim holds up a lens to blow up the battleship faithfully recreates the climax of the original novel, while adding the film's own unique dramatic direction, resulting in a moving finale.

character

Each character, including Kim, is unique and charming. Each character adds excitement to the story, such as Kim's bravery and wisdom, Chris' kindness and strength, Director Haines' calmness and leadership, and Worzel's strength and friendship. In particular, the romantic relationship between Kim and Chris adds depth to the story and stirs the audience's emotions. The voice actors' performances are also excellent, bringing out the individuality of each character. The voices of each character, such as Furukawa Toshio's Kim, Koyama Mami's Chris, and Nozawa Nachi's Worzel, match the story well and help viewers empathize with the characters.

music

The music by Akira Inoue is an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. In particular, the theme song "STARSHIP - In Search of Light" by ALFEE is a powerful song that symbolizes the grand space adventure and inspires the audience. "Love's Beat" is a gentle song that symbolizes the romantic relationship between Kim and Kris, deepening the emotion of the story. The fusion of music and visuals further enhances the appeal of the work.

■ Recommendation points

"SF New Century Lensman" is recommended for those who like space adventures, those who want a visual impact, and fans of E. E. Smith's original work. Below are some specific recommended points.

People who like space adventures

"Lensman" is a work depicting a grand adventure on a cosmic scale, and is packed with the best parts of space adventures, such as spaceship battle scenes and adventures on unknown planets. In particular, it depicts the growth of the characters, especially Kim, the battle with Boskone, and the bonds with friends, making it easy to empathize with the characters. It also has a strong visual impact, making it a must-see for fans of space adventures.

People looking for visual impact

"Lensman" is a work with a strong visual impact, thanks to its large-scale production system with a production budget of 1.2 billion yen and 70,000 frames of footage. In particular, each scene, such as the scene using Lensman's lens, the spaceship battle scene, and the scene of mining the narcotic Zionite on the planet Radilix, is drawn in detail, making it visually appealing. Furthermore, as a result of making full use of the technology of the time, the beauty of the film has not faded even today. This is a work that should be seen by anyone looking for a visual impact.

Fans of E.E. Smith's original work

"Lensman" is based on the original novel by E.E. Smith, and brings out the charm of the original to the fullest. In particular, it depicts the growth of the characters, especially Kim, the fight against Boskone, and the bond between friends, and is full of the essence of the original. In addition, the film's unique interpretation and direction provide fresh surprises for fans of the original. This is a must-see for fans of E.E. Smith's original novel.

Conclusion

"Lensman" is a spectacular space adventure story that has been praised for its visual impact and clever storytelling. It is easy to empathize with the characters, centering on Kim, as they grow, fight against Boskone, and bond with their companions. In addition, the story is based on the original work by E.E. Smith, providing fresh surprises for fans of the original work. This is a recommended work for those who want a visual impact, those who like space adventures, and fans of E.E. Smith's original work. Please experience this spectacular space adventure.