A thorough review of Kenji Miyazawa's masterpiece "The Acorn and the Wildcat"! Rediscover a moving world

Kenji Miyazawa's Works Collection: The Acorn and the Wildcat - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

September 30, 1988

■Release and sales

Konami

■Frequencies

25 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Kenji Miyazawa

■ Director

Toshio Hirata

■ Production

Animation Production: Madhouse

■Works

©1988KONAMI

■ Story

One day, Ichiro receives a letter from a wildcat. The wildcat is the judge in the mountains and has a troublesome trial coming up, so he asks Ichiro to be present. Ichiro heads to the wildcat, asking the squirrels for help. The wildcat's request is to decide who is the most important of the many acorns. How will Ichiro respond to this?

■Explanation

This 25-minute OVA is based on the fantasy picture book of the same title written by fairy tale author Miyazawa Kenji. This work was published by Konami as part of the "Baobab Label/Miyazawa Kenji Masterpiece Anime Series," and "Kaze no Matasaburo" was released at the same time. The narrator for this work is musician Kuni Kawachi. The actual production was handled by project team Argos, who also worked on the movie "Genma Taisen," and character design and animation direction were handled by Nagura Yasuhiro, who also worked on "The Moomins." The finished product has a painterly feel that is a little different from regular cel animation.

■Cast

Narration by Kuni Kawauchi

■ Main staff

Director: Toshio Hirata Animation Production: Madhouse Original Story: Kenji Miyazawa Character Design: Yasuhiro Nagura Animation Director: Yasuhiro Nagura Art Director: Yamako Ishikawa Music: Tomio Miyashita Sound Director: Susumu Aketagawa

■ Main Characters

・Ichiro: He is a boy with a strong sense of independence, as seen in the fact that he goes to court alone without showing Wildcat's letter to his parents or consulting his friends. His age is not specified, but from his flattery towards the carriage chief, we can see that he is a third or fourth grader at an ordinary elementary school. He asks for directions, deals well with the carriage chief and Wildcat, and remembers sermons he has heard from adults when it comes to emergencies, showing that he is quite intelligent and resourceful. He is also considerate of others, as seen in the fact that he comforts the carriage chief when he is ashamed of the poor writing and handwriting on the postcard, showing that he has almost all the common sense of an adult. On the other hand, he does not suspect the strange letter, loves recklessness, and is able to converse with the wildcats, showing that he has not lost any of his wild child elements.
He is dignified, wearing a wildcat jinbaori and a satin suit for court, and smoking a cigar. He is a gentleman to his guest Ichiro, but he is incompetent as a judge, and in order to hide this, he only cares about appearances and is bossy towards his subordinates and Donguri.
・A subordinate of Yamaneko, the carriage master. He is a short, one-eyed man with a creepy blind eye, bent and deformed legs, a happi coat and a whip, making for a strange appearance. He has a servile personality and is always trying to curry favor with Yamaneko. As can be seen from the way he writes postcards, he is not very educated, and although he is ashamed of this, he is also the kind of adult who takes Ichiro's flattery seriously and is happy when he hears him say, "Even a university student couldn't write postcards as well as you."
The Acorns are divided and each one is trying to be number one for their own selfish reasons, showing their ego. After hearing Yamaneko's verdict, which Ichiro gives them wisdom, they stop fighting.
When asked by Ichiro about the whereabouts of the wildcat, the Chestnut Tree, the Fuefuki Falls, the Mushroom, and the Squirrel give Ichiro random directions, leading him astray. They are not telling Ichiro nonsense, but rather conveying that the wildcat is riding in a carriage and galloping around busily. Each contains a musical element, with the Chestnut Tree (a plant) playing random directions, the Fuefuki Falls (a mineral) playing a flute, the Mushroom (a fungus) playing where to go, and the Squirrel (an animal) hopping out.

■Detailed evaluation

Kenji Miyazawa's works are known for their unique worldview and deep messages. "The Acorn and the Wildcat" is one of them, and was made into an anime OVA in 1988. This work faithfully reproduces Kenji Miyazawa's original work, while bringing out new charm with the visual expression unique to anime.

First, let's talk about the story. The story begins when a boy named Ichiro receives a letter from a wildcat and heads to see him. The wildcat asks Ichiro to attend a trial to decide who is the most important of the acorns. This setting symbolizes the "relationship between nature and humans" and the "relativity of values" common to Miyazawa Kenji's works. How Ichiro resolves the conflict between the acorns and what he learns in the process are at the heart of the story, and it is filled with deeply moving and thought-provoking elements for the viewer.

Next, let's talk about the visual expression. This work was animated by Madhouse, with character design and animation direction handled by Yasuhiro Nagura. Nagura's drawings have a painterly beauty that sets them apart from regular cel animation, visually expressing Miyazawa Kenji's fantastical worldview. In particular, the stately appearance of the wildcat and the unique characters of the acorns are impressive. Additionally, the background art was also created by Yamako Ishikawa, skillfully depicting the beauty and mystery of nature.

The music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of this work. The music by Fumio Miyashita resonates with emotion as the story unfolds, drawing the viewer in. In particular, in the scenes where the narrator, Kuni Kawachi, speaks, the music and narration work together to draw you into the world of the story.

Let's take a closer look at the characters. Ichiro is an independent, intelligent and resourceful boy. His actions and thoughts resonate with the viewer and are deeply involved in the progression of the story. Despite his imposing appearance, Yamaneko is only concerned with appearances in order to hide his incompetence as a judge, symbolizing the contradictions in human society. The carriage master is a servile and uneducated character, but his joy at Ichiro's words makes him seem human. It is moving to see the acorns stop fighting thanks to Ichiro's wisdom, despite their selfish ego exposed. Additionally, the inclusion of musical elements in natural elements such as chestnut trees, the Fue Fuki waterfall, mushrooms and squirrels is another appealing feature of Miyazawa Kenji's works.

■Recommendation details

"The Acorn and the Wildcat" is recommended not only for fans of Kenji Miyazawa, but also for those who like anime and fantasy works. It is especially perfect for those who are looking for a work that makes them think about the relationship between nature and humans and the relativity of values. It is also recommended for those who enjoy animation with picturesque beauty and emotional music.

When watching this film, please pay attention to the following points:

• Reflect on your own values ​​and actions from Ichiro's actions and thoughts.
• From the characters of Yamaneko and Basho Betto, one can sense the contradictions in human society and the human side of things.
• Learning the importance of selfish ego and coexistence from the acorns' dispute and its resolution
• To gain a deeper understanding of Kenji Miyazawa's worldview through the musical elements of nature.
• Enjoy the visual and auditory beauty of the painterly animation and emotional music.

"The Acorn and the Wildcat" is a work well worth watching, combining the profound message of Kenji Miyazawa with the beauty of animation. Please give it a watch and experience its charm.