The appeal and evaluation of "The Three-Eyed One": A unique world view and character depth

"The Three-Eyed One" - The fantastical world of Osamu Tezuka

Broadcast as a TV anime series in the early 1990s, "Mitsume ga Tooru" is a work that fully demonstrates Osamu Tezuka's unique worldview and creativity. This anime depicts the adventures of Sharaku Hosuke, a boy with a third eye on his forehead, and its story and characters left a strong impression on viewers. In this article, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of this work, as well as recommended points.

Overview

"The Three-Eyed One" was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 18, 1990 to September 26, 1991. It consisted of 48 episodes, each 25 minutes long, and aired every Thursday from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m. This work is an original anime, based on the original story by Tezuka Osamu. It was directed by Ueda Hidehito and produced by Tezuka Productions.

story

The main character, Sharaku Hosuke, is a boy with a third eye on his forehead. This third eye is usually covered with a bandage, and while in this state, Sharaku behaves like an innocent child. However, when the bandage is removed, he transforms into a demonic superhuman who possesses the power of the three-eyed tribe that built an ancient civilization. Using this transformation ability, Sharaku faces various incidents and adventures.

The story depicts Sharaku's battle to protect the Earth while uncovering the secrets of the three-eyed tribe. In each episode, Sharaku takes on new enemies and mysteries, growing in the process. Sharaku is also surrounded by friends and comrades who support him, and the bonds he forms with them are also an important element of the story.

character

Sharaku Hosuke (CV: Kazue Ikura): The protagonist. A boy with a third eye on his forehead, he transforms into a superhuman when the bandage is removed. He has an innocent and pure personality, but has powerful powers after transforming.

Wato Chiyoko (CV: Matsui Naoko): Sharaku's friend and a girl who supports him. She has a bright and cheerful personality and always accompanies Sharaku on his adventures.

Inumoto (CV: Shima Shunsuke): Sharaku's friend, a boy with a dog-like appearance. He is loyal and brave, and becomes a good partner for Sharaku.

Higeoyaji (CV: Kenichi Ogata): Sharaku's mentor, an old man with a wide range of knowledge and experience. He watches over Sharaku's growth and gives him advice.

Osamu (voiced by Megumi Tanno): A friend of Sharaku, a boy with a talent for science. His inventions often help Sharaku on his adventures.

Kidou (CV: Hayami Shou): Sharaku's rival and a powerful enemy. Although he is at odds with Sharaku, he helps him grow.

staff

Original author: Osamu Tezuka

Planning: Susumu Gotoda (Nihon Keizaisha), Hideki Furuoka (Gakken), Takayuki Matsutani (Tezuka Productions)

Producers: Mitsunobu Konaga (TV Tokyo), Toshishige Arai (Nihon Keizai Sha), Kuniaki Onishi (Gakken)

Director: Hidehito Ueda

Character design and animation director: Kazuhiko Udagawa

Animation Directors: Tomoaki Matsumoto, Satoshi Shishikura, Kazuhiko Udagawa, Teruo Handa, Eiji Uemura, Shinnosuke Kon

Storyboard: Hidehito Ueda, Takeshi Ashizawa, Kenjiro Aota, Keiichiro Mochizuki, Hiroyuki Yokoyama, Yusaku Satsukime, Yoshino Shino, Akinori Ohrai, Shinichi Matsumi, Takaaki Ishiyama, Mineo Fuji

Original illustrations: Yuya Kawai, Kaoru Kano, Junichi Kikawa, Masayoshi Nishida, Atsuya Miura, Toshio Kawaguchi, Shigeru Kato, Akira Noma, Yoshinori Tanabe, Junji Kobayashi, Masateru Yoshimura, Shinji Seya, Yoshiyuki Ito, Keiichiro Mochizuki, Koji Watanabe, Shinji Takeuchi, Yasuhiko Ogata, Yoshio Chatani, Kazunori Takahashi, Midori Yamakubo and others.

Video: Yoshinobu Zenpo, Yoshiyuki Ito, Tomoko Kawaguchi, Tsunenori Saito, Toshio Kazamaki, Nobuko Sugihara, Tetsuhiko Nagashima, Sachiko Misawa, Keiko Nakajima, Mie Sato, Jun Kiguchi, Michiru Toyonaga, Kazuhiro Miyawaki, Atsushi Fujimoto, Akiko Higaki, Michiko Fujiwara, Miki Ujihara, Norikatsu Ogawa, Ryuichi Fujishima, Etsuko Kimura, and others.

Video check: Yoshihiro Takeda, Naoko Kitamura, Tsutomu Ishikawa, Yuichi Suzuki, Hironobu Takai

Art Director: Kazuo Okada

Mechanical design: Kimitoshi Yamane

Background: Kiyohiro Iwasaki, Takanobu Kanno, Kazuyoshi Shimoide, Tomoko Maeda, Mayumi Hijikata, Izumi Wada, Yumiko Ogata, Yuko Saito, Takashi Watanabe, Takeshi Watanabe, Teiichi Akashi, Tatsuo Imamura, Masato Shibata, Eriko Akashi, Hiromi Kurajo, Mina Watanabe, Takeo Yamamoto, Seiji Miyamoto, Hiroshi Sawai, et al.

Color setting: Kumiko Sakuma

Color designation: Chinami Fujikawa, Ryunosuke Nishimura, Kiyoe Ikeda, Mieko Seki, Shinobu Nakamura, Fumiko Tanaka, Satomi Murai

Edited by: Masaki Sakamoto

Assistant Director: Jun Takada

Effects: Masakazu Yokoyama

Production desk: Yukio Noda, Shigeru Okazaki, Noriaki Iguchi, Sumio Udagawa

Production Supervisors: Mitsuo Hattori, Tetsuji Ohno, Satoshi Kuwahara, Katsuhiko Koide, Yukio Noda, Noriaki Iguchi, Yukinari Sasaki, Tsunenori Saito, Kazuhisa Nagauchi, Toshiyuki Fukino, Shigeru Murata

Music: Toshiyuki Watanabe

episode

Episode 1: The Three-Eyed One Appears: I'm Sharaku

Episode 2: Ramen Wars! An angry blow

Episode 3: Cute Babies are Invaders

Episode 4: Find the lost UFO

Episode 5: Chasing the High-Tech Runaway Car

Episode 6: Are beautiful girls snake charmers?

Episode 7: Sharaku is taken over

Episode 8: The Birth of the Three-Eyed Dog

Episode 9: The Secret of the Three Rocks

Episode 10: No way! Sharaku is the devil

Episode 11: Protect My Treasure!

Episode 12: Protect the Underground City!

Episode 13: Protect the Third Eye!

Episode 14: Explosion! Space Power

Episode 15: Superpower VS Super Magic

Episode 16: Discovery! The Legendary Monster

Episode 17: Exam War and Peace!?

Episode 18: The Mysterious Bird Moa!!

Episode 19: The Ancient Demon Awakens

Episode 20: Open Your Heart, Ancient Demon

Episode 21: 321 Boom!

Episode 22: The Challenge of Phantom Thief Ozma

Episode 23: The Mystery of the Three-Eyed Tribe: An Ancient Messenger

Episode 24: The Mystery of the Three-Eyed Tribe: The Secret at the Bottom of the Lake

Episode 25: Find the Three-Eyed Tribe's Mysterious Treasure

Episode 26: The Mystery of the Three-Eyed Tribe and Their Hidden Mission

Episode 27: Sharaku in Wonderland

Episode 28: The Villain Bunpuku Appears

Episode 29: Ancient Prince Godal, Another Sharaku

Episode 30: Search for Ancient Prince Godal's Ultimate Weapon!

Episode 31: Ancient Prince Godal, Get Started! Gomorrah

Episode 32: Ancient Prince Godal's Plan to Take Over Earth

Episode 33: Recover the soul of ancient prince Godal!

Episode 34: Bunpuku Appears Again

Episode 35: The mysterious plant Bolbocc appears! The Seven Pillars

Episode 36: The Mysterious Plant Bolbocc and the Mysterious Girl Moegi

Episode 37: The Mysterious Plant Bolbocc: A Shadow Lurking Underground

Episode 38: The Strange Plant Bolbocc and the Earth Begin to Move

Episode 39: Battle against the mysterious plant Bolbocc! Sharaku vs. Bolbocc

Episode 40: The Easter Island Voyage Monkey Spoke!

Episode 41: Voyage to Easter Island! The Devil's Island

Episode 42: Easter Island Voyage Marriage?

Episode 43: Voyage to Easter Island Goodbye, Pogo

Episode 44: Moa is Targeted!

Episode 45: The Great Battle Over Mexico

Episode 46: The Assassination Plot

Episode 47: Resurrection! Super Bolbocc

Episode 48: A Promise for Tomorrow

Theme songs and music

Opening theme:

"Boomerang of ?"

Lyricist: Tomoko Tokugaki

Composer: Yasuo Kosugi

Arrangement: Kazuo Shinada

Vocals: Tomoko Tokugaki

Ending theme:

"A Little Magic to Make a Band-Aid"

Lyricist: Tonomori Kayoko

Composer: Tsuno Kouji

Arrangement: Kazuo Shinada

Vocals: Tomoko Tokugaki

Evaluation and Impressions

"Mitsume ga Tooru" is a work filled with Tezuka Osamu's unique worldview and creativity, and its story and characters left a strong impression on viewers. In particular, the transformation and powers that Sharaku's third eye brings have stimulated children's imaginations and won many fans. In addition, each episode features a different adventure and mystery solving, allowing viewers to experience new surprises and excitement every time.

The appeal of the characters is also a major part of the appeal of this work. Each character is unique and beloved by viewers, such as Sharaku's innocence and strength, Wato Chiyoko's cheerfulness and courage, and Inumochi's loyalty and bravery. Supporting characters such as Higeoyaji and Osamu also play important roles in enriching the story.

The technical skills of the staff are also highly praised. Thanks to the efforts of the staff, including Kazuhiko Udagawa, who was in charge of character design and animation direction, Tezuka Osamu's worldview is beautifully depicted. The music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and Toshiyuki Watanabe's music has captured the hearts of viewers.

Recommended points

"The Three-Eyed One" is a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. The following points are especially recommended.

1. Tezuka Osamu's unique worldview: The stories and characters, packed with Tezuka Osamu's creativity, will give viewers new surprises and excitement.

2. The appeal of the characters: The unique characters, including Sharaku, are loved by viewers.

3. Adventures and mysteries in every episode: Each episode features new adventures and mysteries to solve, so viewers will never get bored.

4. High technical skills: The staff's technical skills, including character design, illustration, and music, are highly praised.

5. Educational elements: Through Sharaku's adventures, children can learn values ​​such as friendship, courage and justice.

summary

"The Three-Eyed One" is a work filled with Osamu Tezuka's unique worldview and creativity, and its story and characters left a strong impression on viewers. This work can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, and is recommended not only for fans of Osamu Tezuka, but for anime fans in general. Please watch it at least once and experience Sharaku's adventure and growth.