Review of "Camelot": A moving story woven by Marina's time slip

Camelot of Love and Swords Manga Artist Marina's Time Slip Incident - Fascinating Time Slip and the Mystery of Excalibur

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

August 25, 1990 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■Frequencies

45 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

・Original work: Hitomi Fujimoto (published by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko)

■ Director

・General Supervision/Osamu Kobayashi

■ Production

・Production cooperation: Ashi Productions ・Production and copyright: Shueisha, Toho

■Works

©1990 Hitomi Fujimoto, Amu Taniguchi/Shueisha, Toho

■ Story

Marina is taken by the mysterious dragon Ron and travels back in time to the Middle Ages with some beautiful young boys! Having landed in war-torn medieval England, Marina and her friends are caught up in a battle for the throne over Excalibur, the sword of love and justice. Marina and her friends learn that the key to solving the mystery of the holy sword Excalibur lies in the will of the mysterious dragon Ron... but at that time, the evil hand of the witch Dora is already lying in wait...

■Explanation

The long-awaited anime adaptation of Cobalt Bunko's super series "Mangaka Marina". The original author, Hitomi Fujimoto, wrote the script herself. A great adventure of love and dreams featuring all the popular characters!

■Cast

・Marina/Megumi Hayashibara・Kazuya/Koji Tsujitani・Charles/Sho Hayami・Kaoru/Keiko Toda・Bijomaru/Toshihiko Seki・Kirk/Keiichi Nanba・Arthur/Kazuhiko Inoue・Dora/Naoko Matsui・Simon/Kenyu Horiuchi

■ Main staff

・STORY/Hitomi Fujimoto (published by Shueisha Cobalt Bunko)
・CHARACTER／Amu Taniguchi ・General Supervision／Osamu Kobayashi ・Direction／Fumiko Ishii ・Script／Hitomi Fujimoto, Asami Watanabe ・Music／KAZZ TOYAMA
・Production cooperation: Ashi Productions ・Production and copyright: Shueisha, Toho

■Subtitle

NULL

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

■ Background and production process of the work

"Camelot of Love and Swords: The Mangaka Marina Time Slip Incident" is an anime film based on Hitomi Fujimoto's popular Cobalt Bunko series "Mangaka Marina." Released in 1990, this work attracted attention for its unusual production structure, in which the original author herself wrote the screenplay. Hitomi Fujimoto succeeded in faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work while developing the story from a new perspective. In addition, under the guidance of Osamu Kobayashi, who served as general supervisor, and with the cooperation of Ashi Productions, beautiful visuals and intricate storytelling were achieved.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of this film is an adventure filled with fantasy elements, in which the main character, Marina, is guided by the mysterious dragon Ron and travels back in time to medieval England. The plot draws viewers in as Marina and the beautiful young men become embroiled in a battle for the throne over Excalibur. In particular, the presence of the witch Dora adds tension to the story, making the showdown scene at the climax well worth watching. The setting in which Ron's will is the key to solving the mystery of Excalibur adds depth to the story.

■Charm of the characters

Hayashibara Megumi, who plays Marina, perfectly expresses the protagonist's courage and kindness, evoking sympathy from viewers. The voice actors who play each character, including Tsujitani Kouji as Kazuya, Hayami Sho as Charles, and Toda Keiko as Kaoru, also deliver superb performances, highlighting the individuality of each character. In particular, Seki Toshihiko's performance as Bijomaru brings out the charm of the beautiful boy character to the fullest. Matsui Naoko, who plays the witch Dora, leaves a strong impression with her presence as the villain.

■Visuals and Music

The visuals of this work are based on Amu Taniguchi's character designs, and bring out the beauty of the medieval British scenery and the charm of the characters to the fullest. In particular, the glow of Excalibur and the magical scenes of the witch Dora are visually very impactful. In addition, the music by KAZZ TOYAMA has an emotional effect that moves you as the story unfolds, and the music at the climax is particularly moving.

■ Evaluation and influence of the work

"Camelot of Love and Swords: The Manga Artist Marina Time Slip Incident" was highly praised when it was released. It was supported not only by fans of the original work, but also by many viewers who love fantasy anime. This work also had a major influence on the production of fantasy anime that followed, and triggered an increase in works with themes of time slip and Excalibur. In particular, the portrayal of the beautiful young boy character and the confrontation scene with the witch have influenced many works.

■ Recommendation points

This film is highly recommended for fans of fantasy and adventure, especially those who are interested in time travel and medieval British history. It is also recommended for fans of beautiful young boys and those who enjoy the performances of voice actors such as Megumi Hayashibara and Toshihiko Seki. Furthermore, even if you have never read the original manga, this anime film will deepen your interest in the entire series.

■ Related works and recommendations

For those who enjoyed "Camelot of Love and Swords: Manga Artist Marina's Time Slip Incident," we also recommend the following related works.

• "Mangaka Marina" series (original work) - The original Cobalt Bunko series on which this work is based. You can learn more about Marina's adventures.
• "Excalibur" - Other anime and movies themed around Excalibur, such as the "Fate/stay night" series.
• Works with a time travel theme - We also recommend works with a time travel theme, such as "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" and "Steins;Gate."
• Works featuring "beautiful boy" characters - You can also enjoy works featuring beautiful boy characters, such as "Saint Seiya" and "Sailor Moon."

■ Summary

"Camelot: The Time Slip Incident of Manga Artist Marina" is a wonderful anime film filled with the charm of fantasy and adventure. While faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work, this film succeeds in developing the story from a new perspective, moving and exciting the viewer. The story woven by beautiful visuals, moving music, and charming characters can be said to be a monumental achievement in fantasy anime. Please watch this film and experience its charm for yourself.