The appeal and evaluation of "Elf 17": In-depth review

The appeal and reviews of ELF 17 - ELF Seventeen

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

January 14, 1987 1 movie

■Release and sales

・Distributor: Toei Video Co., Ltd. ・Distributor: Toei Co., Ltd.

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original story by Takatsugu Yamamoto

■ Director

・Director: Junichi Sakata

■ Production

・Production cooperation: Animate Film ・Production: Toei Video, Agent 21

■Works

©Takashi Yamamoto/Hakusensha, Comicomi, Agent 21, Toei Video

■ Story

The Grand Galactic Martial Arts Tournament, the prize for which is a trip around the Galactic Empire, is held. Ruu jumps in to take part in the finals and wins. In fact, this tournament was an event to decide who would accompany Muscat Tyler, Prince of the Galactic Empire, who was planning to travel around the stars of the Galactic Empire. Ruu will accompany Tyler on his journey along with K.K., who came second in the tournament.

■Explanation

An OVA of Yamamoto Takatsugu's sci-fi comedy manga. It is a space opera by Mito Mitsukuni in the style of a travelogue of various countries, and is primarily a comedy. The manga went on hiatus when the magazine it was published in, Monthly Comicomi, ceased publication in October 1988. Since then, no further work has been drawn, at Yamamoto Takatsugu's request. On December 10, 1986, ahead of this work, Warner Pioneer released "Image/Soundtrack Album Elf 17".

■Cast

Muscat Tyler/Akira Kamiya・Lou/Chieko Honda・K.K./Kazuki Yao・Driver/Yusaku Yara・Elder/Takashi Mikimoto・Announcer/Kazunari Futamata・Referee/Shinya Otaki・Bodyguard/Kouzo Shioya・Hammerman/Fumihiko Tachiki・Aide/Kenichi Ono

■ Main staff

・Original story by Takashi Yamamoto (published by Hakusensha in the monthly Comicomi magazine)
・Planning / Yoshida Tatsu, Saito Yoshio ・Producer / Kato Kazuo, Fujiya Kazumasa ・Screenplay / Tomita Sukehiro ・Director / Sakata Junichi ・Character design and animation director / Tsukasa Tadashi ・Mechanic design / Nishimae Kenji ・Art director / Katsumata Geki ・Director of photography / Moriguchi Yosuke ・Sound director / Matsuura Noriyoshi ・Assistant sound director / Watanabe Jun ・Sound production / Present ・Music / Tanaka Kouhei ・Production / Agent 21
・Production cooperation: Animate Film ・Production: Toei Video, Agent 21

■ Main Characters

Ruu is an elven girl with extraordinary powers who can fly. She is curious and acts only for the sake of "fun," but she also has a kind heart and will not abandon anyone in trouble.

K.K.
A boy wearing a powered suit equipped with a large amount of heavy weaponry. He is knowledgeable but has a frail constitution and cannot exercise properly without wearing the powered suit.

Muscat Tyler / Akira Kamiya He is the 108th prince of the Galactic Empire, but with the mindset of "I just want to do something interesting," he begins his pilgrimage to Moroboshi without any consideration for the trouble he causes to those around him. He is said to be the most eccentric person since the founding of the Galactic Empire, and is basically unfazed by anything.

■ Theme songs and music

・ED1
・"Do Do Pink Power"
Lyrics: Kazunori Sonobe; Composition and Arrangement: Kohei Tanaka; Vocals: Hiroko Kasahara; Records: Warner Pioneer

The appeal and reviews of ELF 17 - ELF Seventeen

"Elf 17 - Elf Seventeen -", released as an OVA in 1987, is based on a sci-fi comedy manga by Takashi Yamamoto. Although this work is a space opera set in the Galactic Empire, it is known as a highly entertaining work full of comedy elements. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and evaluation of this work.

The appeal of the story

The story of "Elf 17" begins with the "Grand Galactic Martial Arts Tournament," where the grand prize is a trip around the Galactic Empire. The protagonist, Ruu, jumps in to take part in the finals of the tournament and wins brilliantly. However, the true purpose of the tournament is to choose a companion for Muscat Tyler, prince of the Galactic Empire, who is planning to travel around the stars of the Galactic Empire. Ruu and K.K., who came second in the tournament, end up accompanying Tyler on his journey.

The story unfolds in a way that is reminiscent of Mitsukuni Mito's Travels Around the World, and various gags and comedic scenes unfold throughout the journey around the stars of the Galactic Empire. Lou's inquisitive personality, K.K.'s eruditeness and frailty, and Muscat Tyler's eccentricity add a unique humor and charm to the story.

Character Appeal

Each character in "Elf 17" is unique and charming. In particular, the main character, Ruu, is a girl of the Lightwing Tribe (elves) who can fly and has extraordinary powers. Her inquisitive personality and kind heart leave a strong impression on viewers. K.K. is a boy who wears a powered suit equipped with a large number of heavy weapons, and is an interesting character with the contrast between his knowledgeable but frail constitution. And Muscat Tyler is the 108th prince of the Galactic Empire, but he is an eccentric person who just wants to do something interesting and begins his pilgrimage to Moroboshi without considering the trouble he causes to those around him. The comedy woven by these characters will never bore the viewers.

Evaluation by the production staff

The production staff of "Elf 17" has been highly praised for their OVA production. Director Junichi Sakata is well-known for his direction of comedy scenes, and in this work he fully demonstrates his talent. Additionally, character design and animation director Tadashi Tsukasa's designs succeed in bringing out the individuality of the characters. The technical skills of each staff member, including mechanic designer Kenji Nishimae, art director Geki Katsumata, cinematographer Yosuke Moriguchi, and sound director Noriyoshi Matsuura, all contribute to the quality of the work. In particular, the background music by Kohei Tanaka, who was in charge of music, plays an important role in livening up the comedy scenes.

Cast evaluation

The cast of "Elf 17" is also an important factor in enhancing the appeal of the work. Kamiya Akira, who plays Muscat Tyler, gives a comical performance as the eccentric prince. Honda Chieko, who plays Ruu, gives a great performance as an elf girl with a brimming sense of curiosity and a kind heart. Yao Kazuki, who plays K.K., gives a realistic portrayal of a knowledgeable but frail boy. Other cast members who add to the appeal of the work include Yara Yusaku as the driver, Mikimoto Takeyuki as the elder, Futamata Kazunari as the announcer, Otaki Shinya as the referee, Shioya Kozo as the bodyguard, Tachiki Fumihiko as the hammerman, and Ono Kenichi as the aide.

Evaluation of theme song and music

The ending theme of "Elf 17", "Do Do Do Pink Power", was written by Kazunori Sonobe, composed and arranged by Kohei Tanaka, and sung by Hiroko Kasahara. This song symbolizes the comedy element of the work, and leaves a strong impression on the viewers. In addition, "Image/Soundtrack Album ELF 17", released by Warner Pioneer, is also a piece that allows you to deeply experience the worldview of the work.

Work evaluation and recommendation

"Elf 17" has been highly praised as a science fiction comedy. The combination of various elements, such as the entertaining comedy scenes, the personalities of the characters, the technical skills of the production staff, and the acting ability of the cast, provides entertainment for the viewers. I would especially recommend this work to those who like comedy anime and space opera. It is also a valuable OVA work from the 1980s, and is valuable for learning about the anime culture of that time.

This work is packed with gag scenes and a journey around the stars of the Galactic Empire in a short 30-minute time. Therefore, even people who don't have much time can enjoy it casually. Furthermore, by taking advantage of the OVA format, you can enjoy high-quality images and sound at home, just like you would in a movie theater.

"Elf 17" is a masterpiece of comedy anime and is loved by many viewers. Please pick up this work and enjoy the journey around the stars of the Galactic Empire and the comedy scenes.