PEACHBOY LEGEND - A review exploring the fusion of classic and modern

Momotaro Legend PEACHBOY LEGEND - Momotaro Legend Peach Boy Legend -

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

game

■ Broadcast period

October 2, 1989 - October 1, 1990
October 2, 1989 - October 1, 1990 Every Monday 18:30 - 19:00
51 episodes, 30 minutes each

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 51

■Original Story

・Original work: Akira Sakuma

■ Director

・Chief Director/Kiyoshi Fukumoto

■ Production

Produced by TV Tokyo, I&S, Knack
Produced by NAC Films

■ Story

Demons attack the village where dog Pochi, pheasant Kiko, and monkey Monta live, trying to turn the human world into hell. The villagers are forced to flee to the mountain behind the village, and Pochi and his friends set out on a journey to find helpers who can defeat the demons. By chance, they meet Momotaro, who they hire to defeat them for a reward of five ryo, but he turns out to be a mischievous, playful boy. The three are filled with anxiety, but the adventure to defeat the demons begins anyway.

■Explanation

A TV anime based on the game "Momotaro Densetsu" released by Hudson in 1987. In addition to the fairy tale protagonists such as "Kintaro" and "Urashima Taro", many original characters appear. In the battle scenes, the characters fight wearing armor called "Transformation Techter", so the story development has little relation to the aforementioned game.

■ Main staff

・Planning/Seiichi Nishino ・Original Story/Akira Sakuma ・Chief Director/Kiyoshi Fukumoto ・Concept Planner/Oji Hiroi (Red Company)
・Original character design/Doi Takayuki・Armor design/Okamoto Hideo・Series composition/Yamazaki Takayuki・Art director/Sakamoto Nobuto・Director of photography/Ozawa Tsugio・Sound director/Honda Yasunori・Music producer/Shigematsu Hidetoshi・Music/Namba Hiroyuki, Kanezaki Junichi・Character design and chief animation director/Mori Toshio・Producers/Kurabayashi Shinsuke (TV Tokyo), Kano Masashi (I&S), Masuda Shoji (I&S), Nishino Noriko・Production/TV Tokyo, I&S, Knack
Produced by NAC Films

■ Main Characters

The main character loves to play pranks. He was loved by his grandparents. Kintaro was tempted by the reward of five ryo, but he was asked to defeat a demon, but he won the request in a sumo match and won the job. He is accompanied by three pets: Pochi the dog, Kiko the pheasant, and Monta the monkey.

Kintaro is a strong boy who is good at sumo wrestling. He has a greedy side and tries to solve everything with money. He is accompanied by Kumagoro the bear.

Urashima Taro A somewhat serious boy who travels with Momotarou and friends. He is accompanied by the turtle Kamekichi, and when he opens the Tamate Box, he equips himself with a Transformation Techter.

■ Main robot items

- Transformation Techter: Armor made by Momotarou's grandfather, concerned about his journey. He wears it when fighting demons.

■Subtitle

・Episode 1: Harmless to humans and animals! I am the best Momotaro in Japan! (1989/10/02)
Episode 2: Wanted? Capture the villain, Momotaro! (1989/10/09)
Episode 3: Fast Delivery! Kintaro is a Rich Boy! (1989/10/16)
Episode 4: Moonflower! Princess Kaguya's naughty secret (1989/10/23)
Episode 5: Like water off a duck's back! Urashima Taro is a strange guy. (1989/10/30)
Episode 6: Defeating the monster! Surprising in the dark, and a surprise face! (1989/11/06)
Episode 7: A Complex Mystery! A Maiden's Heart and a Flower-Blooming Old Man (1989/11/13)
Episode 8: The nemesis appears! The demon prince returns from England! (1989/11/20)
Episode 9: Detailed Interview! Momotaro is a Bodyguard. (1989/11/27)
Episode 10: The journey of the monsters! The scary and mysterious forest of the ghosts. (1989/12/04)
Episode 11: Martial Arts Tournament! Urashima Taro's Transformation Ceremony (1989/12/11)
Episode 12: Fantastic! It's the Karakuri Temple, Thank You! (1989/12/18)
Episode 13: Appearing out of nowhere! I'm Onihime! Got a problem? (1989/12/25)
Episode 14: Dragon and Tiger Fight! Ryujin Taro Has Arrived! (1990/01/08)
Episode 15: Unprecedented! A cold hell that freezes the heart! (1990/01/15)
Episode 16: The Egocentric! Mad Genius, Kikkikaikaikai! (1990/01/22)
Episode 17: The Thousand-Year Actor! Kachikachiyama and Issunboshi! (1990/01/29)
Episode 18: Natural Disaster! Onihime Calls for Arashi! (1990/02/05)
Episode 19: Once in a lifetime! Pochi is on the side of the demons! (1990/02/12)
Episode 20: A desperate comeback! A mission to rescue Princess Otohime! A duel in Ryugu-jo! (1990/02/19)
Episode 21: Crisis! Who is the real Urashima Taro? The two Urashima Taro's (1990/02/26)
Episode 22: Unprecedented! Elekiteru Hell, Princess Kaguya (1990/03/05)
Episode 23: In disarray! Will the Red Demon's wife run away? (1990/03/12)
Episode 24: Let's unite! Hurry! Pochi's village is in danger! (1990/03/19)
Episode 25: A quick and easy solution! Ryujin Taro's deadly transformation dragon (1990/03/26)
Episode 26: The hilarious story of Princess Kaguya making tea with the Bunpuku tea kettle (1990/04/02)
Episode 27: Demon God Transformation! Giant Yama Appears in the UFO Crash! (1990/04/09)
・Episode 28: Talentless glutton! The jar of gears picked up by Onihime. (1990/04/16)
Episode 29: Sweet and Spicy Dialogue! Demon Prince and Candy Seller Kasa Jizo (1990/04/23)
Episode 30: A digression! It's Oniko-chan from the hidden village! (1990/04/30)
Episode 31: Super Different Dimension! Kikaikai and the Magic Broom (1990/05/07)
Episode 32: Explosive! Ryujin Taro and the Egg Fight (1990/05/14)
Episode 33: The Rumored Master! The Secret of Momotaro's Birth! (1990/05/21)
Episode 34: Transformation and Combination! The Bio Monster Targets Momotaro (1990/05/28)
Episode 35: Breaking through the labyrinth! Urashima Taro, I have discovered Onigashima! (1990/06/04)
Episode 36: Groping in the dark! The trump card of the joyful and mysterious! The invisible demon! (1990/06/11)
Episode 37: Forgive me! We are the Haritsuke Brothers! (1990/06/18)
Episode 38: Fainting and fainting! Princess Kaguya, the ally of justice, is here! (1990/06/25)
Episode 39: Auspicious day! Kintaro and the beautiful girl with the crane get revenge! (1990/07/02)
Episode 40: Choju Jinbutsu Giga! Grandpa's Super Remote Control Combination Device (1990/07/09)
Episode 41: Gorgeous and Splendid! Tama and Kaniya's Fireworks Festival (1990/07/16)
Episode 42: A sudden reversal! The secret trick of the Kabuki demon, the mysterious Nyoki-Nyoki (1990/07/30)
Episode 43: The Five Demons of the Evil Valley! (1990/08/06)
Episode 44: Joy, anger, sorrow and happiness! The secret of the flowering village and the white demon (1990/08/13)
Episode 45: The Strongest Corps, the Black Berets' Trap (1990/08/20)
Episode 46: Purification of the Six Roots! The Great War of the Elderly Robots! (1990/08/27)
Episode 47: Don't Die, Kintaro! Scorpion Bullet Assault (1990/09/03)
Episode 48: Carelessness is the greatest enemy! Recommendation! The enemy is the moving fortress Onigashima! (1990/09/10)
Episode 49: Blast Hell! Farewell! Onihime, Oni no Ouji! (1990/09/17)
Episode 50: Charge forward! Escaping the underground castle trap and the haunted corridor! (1990/09/24)
Episode 51: Unrivaled! Defeat Enma! The Best Heroes in Japan (1990/10/01)

■ Related works

・TV anime "PEACH COMMAND New Momotaro Legend"

■ Theme songs and music

OP1
・Period: 1 to 48
・Let's go with the peach transformation!
Lyrics by Akira Sakuma, Composition by Hiroyuki Namba, Arrangement by Jun Irie, Singers by Manami Komori, Nozomu Sasaki, Tomohiro Nishimura, Takeshi Kusao, Daiki Nakamura, and Taku Takemura


OP2
・Period: 49-51
・Dream・Sharibari・Lyrics by Masashi Kano・Composition and Arrangement by Chojin Mita・Singer by Peach Boys


ED1
・Peach Boy Boogie Woogie ・Lyrics by Masashi Kano ・Music by Takayuki Baba ・Arrangement by Jun Irie ・Vocals by Manami Komori, Nozomu Sasaki, Tomohiro Nishimura, Takeshi Kusao, Daiki Nakamura, and Taku Takemura →Peach Boys *The name was changed from episode 49.

PEACHBOY LEGEND - Review and Recommendation

"Peachboy Legend", which aired from 1989 to 1990, is a TV anime series based on the original work by Akira Sakuma, and is inspired by the game "Peachboy Legend". This work, which consists of 51 episodes, was broadcast on TV Tokyo every Monday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. and gained great popularity among children. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and features of this work, as well as recommended points.

Story and Characters

The story of "Peachboy Legend" begins with demons attacking the human world and trying to turn it into hell. The village where Pochi the dog, Kiko the pheasant, and Monta the monkey live is attacked, and the villagers flee to the mountain behind the village. Pochi and his friends go on a journey to find helpers to defeat the demons, and meet Momotaro. Attracted by the reward of five ryo, Momotaro agrees to defeat the demons, but he is a mischievous and playful boy, and the three animals feel uneasy, but they start their adventure.

The main character, Momotaro, is a mischievous, playful character, which is a fresh setting and sets him apart from the traditional image of Momotaro. He was raised loved by his grandparents, and after winning a sumo match against Kintaro to defeat a demon, he sets off on an adventure. Momotaro's character is easy for children to sympathize with, and is an important element in making the story more exciting.

In addition, Japanese legendary characters such as Kintaro and Urashima Taro also appear, and each character brings their own personality to the story. Kintaro is portrayed as a strong man who is good at sumo, but also has a greedy side, while Urashima Taro is portrayed as a serious boy. The story woven by these characters provides children with an opportunity to learn about Japanese legends and culture while having fun.

Animation and performance

The character designs for this work were done by Toshio Mori, and the original character designs were done by Takayuki Doi. The armor designs were done by Hideo Okamoto, and one memorable scene is when he dons the armor called "Hanken Techter" during the fight against the demon. The animation was produced by NAC Films, and it beautifully depicts the dynamic battle scenes using the technology of the time, as well as humorous direction.

In particular, there are many scenes in which Momotarou and his friends put on their transformation armors during battles with demons, creating a strong visual impact. The sight of Momotarou and his friends fighting while wearing their transformation armor stimulates children's imaginations and stirs their sense of adventure. The subtitles for each episode are also unique, and are designed to draw the viewer's attention.

Music and theme song

The music was composed by Hiroyuki Nanba and Junichi Kanesaki, and the theme song is also memorable. The opening theme, "Let's Go Momohenge!", is written by Akira Sakuma, composed by Hiroyuki Nanba, arranged by Jun Irie, and sung by Manami Komori, Nozomu Sasaki, Tomohiro Nishimura, Takeshi Kusao, Taiki Nakamura, and Taku Takemura. The song features an energetic melody and lyrics that make you feel like an adventure is about to begin, drawing the viewer into the world of the story.

The ending theme "Peach Boy Boogie Woogie" was written by Masashi Kano, composed by Takayuki Baba, and arranged by Jun Irie, and was also sung by Manami Komori, Nozomu Sasaki, Tomohiro Nishimura, Takeshi Kusao, Daiki Nakamura, and Taku Takemura. From episode 49, the name was changed to Peach Boys, giving viewers a fresh impression. The ending theme is also an important element in livening up the atmosphere of the story.

Related works and influences

"Momotaro Densetsu PEACHBOY LEGEND" is based on the game "Momotaro Densetsu", but the story development is very different from the game. The anime's unique story and characters are appealing, and it was widely accepted by children. In addition, there is a related work, "PEACH COMMAND New Momotaro Densetsu", which further increased the popularity of the Momotaro Densetsu series.

The series features stories and characters based on Japanese legends and culture, providing children with an opportunity to learn about Japanese traditions while having fun. The series also attracted viewers with its dynamic battle scenes, humorous direction, memorable music and theme songs, making it a long-loved series.

Recommended points

"Peachboy Legend" offers children the opportunity to learn about Japanese legends and culture while having fun. Featuring legendary Japanese characters such as Momotaro, Kintaro, and Urashima Taro, children can learn about Japanese traditions through their adventures. In addition, dynamic battle scenes and humorous productions stimulate children's imaginations and arouse their sense of adventure.

Furthermore, the memorable music and theme songs enhance the atmosphere of the story and draw the viewer in. The opening theme "Let's Go Momohenka!" and the ending theme "Peach Boy Boogie Woogie" leave a strong impression on the viewer and enrich the worldview of the story.

This work is enjoyable for both children and adults, and offers an opportunity to rediscover Japanese traditions and culture. It is highly recommended for people who are interested in Japanese legends and culture, parents who want to teach their children Japanese traditions, and people who want to enjoy nostalgic anime. "Peachboy Legend" is a work that will be loved for a long time, giving viewers laughter and emotion.