The appeal and evaluation of "The Condor Hero": A moving story and the depth of the characters

Condor Hero - Shincho Kyoryo Condor Hero

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

novel

■ Broadcast period

October 11, 2001 - April 18, 2002

■Broadcasting station

BS Fuji

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 26

■Original Story

Jin Yong

■ Director

Masami Anno

■ Production

Produced by BS Fuji, Nippon Animation, JADE ANIMATION

■Works

©Hisui Animation, Nippon Animation, BS Fuji

■ Story

Set during the reign of Emperor Lizong in the Southern Song Dynasty, Yang Guo is a boy who lost his father and mother at an early age, leaving him all alone in the world. He is taken in by his father's adopted brother, the martial artist Guo Jing, but after he is chased off the island due to his violent temper, Yang Guo has no choice but to train in kung fu alone. He is saved by Xiao Long Nu, the successor to the Kobo School of kung fu. Yang Guo begins training under Xiao Long Nu. Yang Guo eventually grows to 16 years old and shoulders the burden of a harsh fate, but overcomes hardships with his innate chivalry.

■Explanation

This is an anime adaptation of the original work by Jin Yong, a nationally popular Chinese author. Jin Yong's works continue to be loved not only in China but all over the world, with "The Return of the Condor Heroes" being particularly popular. This work maximizes the appeal of the original work while winning new fans with the unique expression of animation. A major challenge was how to portray the epic storyline and character depth of the original work in animation, but thanks to the efforts of the staff including director Masami Anno, this challenge was brilliantly overcome.

■Cast

・Yang Guo/Daisuke Namikawa・Little Bear Girl/Mie Sonozaki・Kuo Jing/Joji Nakata・Kuo Rong/Jun Karasawa・Kuo Fu/Akiko Kimura・Tsunru Take/Daisuke Ishikawa・Osamu Take/Yasuhiro Takato・Grandma Sun/Ayako Hori・Nenci Mu/Tomoko Otsuka・Wushuang Lu/KAORI
・Cheng Ying / Watanabe Naoko / Prince Kudu / Goda Hozumi / King Kanrin / Matsuyama Takashi / Dalba / Sugino Hiroomi / Wang Chongyang, Yin Zhiping / Takemoto Hidefumi / Lin Chaoying, Wan Yanping / Honda Chieko / Hong Qigong / Iida Kazuhei / Ouyang Lu / Komura Tetsuo / Li Mochou / Takano Rei / Hong Lingbo / Ikeda Hikaru / Yelu Chucai / Shinagawa Toru / Yelu Jin / Hachinohe Yu / Yelu Qi / Goda Hozumi / Yelu Yan / Kikuchi Shiho / Feng Tieshou / Usui Takayasu / Oka Masato / Tamura Katsuhiko / Zhao Zhijing / Sakuta Osamu / Lu Qingatong / Goto Fumihiko / Qian Datong / Oki Tamio / Zhou Botong / Mugi Ren / Gongsun Zhi / Koyama Takeshi / Qiu Qianjiao / Hibino Akari / Gongsun Luchuan / Yamazaki Yuki /? Ichio, Kenji Tachibana, Tenso Gyoin, Takeshi Koyama, Shu Shiryu, Katsuhiko Tamura, others, Masaru Hachinohe, Shingo Tanabe, Ken Ishizuka, Norihisa Mori, Zenichi Nagano, Etsuko Tokunaga, Tomoko Matsuno, Hitoshi Kamibeppu, Shiori Ota

■ Main staff

・Production management: Koichi Motohashi ・Original story: Jin Yong (published by Tokuma Shoten as "Shinku Kenkyo")
・Planning / Shoji Sato, Masao Kurosu ・Production management / Junzo Nakajima ・Screenplay / Mayumi Koyama ・Music / Kanae Shinozuka ・Director / Masami Anno ・Producer / Jin Nakajima (BS Fuji), Masumi Tanaka ・Character design / Mitsuto Sugi ・Art director / Kenji Matsumoto ・Color design / Mari Miyashita ・Sound director / Hiroyuki Hayase ・Animation directors / Mitsuto Sugi, Masahiro Kase, Kiyotoshi Aoi, Joji Yanase, Hisatoshi Motoki, Itaru Saito, Kudo Masashi, Tameie Tsunehito, Kitahara Takeo, Saito Hironobu, Hosono Akemi・Storyboards by Masami Anno, Takagi Jun, Morita Hiromitsu, Hayakawa Keiji, Tameie Tsunehito, Fukushima Kazuzo, Kagawa Yutaka, Soeda Kazuhiro, Suzuki Takayoshi, Koshiba Junya, Kusuba Kozo, Suzuki Rinryuu・Episode direction by Masami Anno, Takagi Jun, Morita Hiromitsu, Hayakawa Keiji, Miyazaki Kazuya, Tameie Tsunehito, Miyata Ryo, Nigorikawa Atsushi, Suzuki Takayoshi, Sadohara Takeyuki, Nishida Kenichi・Animation by JADE ANIMATION
・Each episode color specification/JADE ANIMATION
・Digital Color/JADE ANIMATION
・Video inspection/Shin Ohba, JADE ANIMATION
・Background／JADE ANIMATION
・Digital photography/JADE ANIMATION
・Sound recording production/audio-visual system, Masakatsu Aida ・Sound adjustment/Chiaki Sato ・Sound effects/Akihiko Matsuda (Fizz Sound)
・Recording studio/Studio T&T
・Video editing: Tokyo Development Laboratory, Susumu Toyoda ・Offline editing: Shinichi Natori, Kazuho Nakano (#01-#05), Hideaki Murai (#06-#26)
Art assistant: Shigeru Morimoto (#22-#26)
・Production desk: Masahiko Miyoshi ・Production: Kenichi Sato, Jun Togawa, Ai Aoki, Takaaki Suzuki, Kazuya Masumoto (Märchensha) and others ・Gross production: Storyboard to original drawings and animation supervision: Märchensha, Artland, Sunshine

■Subtitle

・01/Unforgettable・02/Toad Gong・03/Tomb of the Living Dead・04/Introduction to the Ancient Graves・05/The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra・06/Dragon Stone・07/Wang Chongyang's Testament・08/Misunderstanding・09/In Search of an Illusion・10/Revenge・11/Bitter Memories・12/The Mysterious Man of the Snowy Mountain・13/The Two Elders Return to Heaven・14/Heroic Feast・15/Leader of the Martial Arts・16/Love Breaking the Rules・17/Two Torn Apart・18/Chasing the Face・19/Fire Feast・20/Thread of Fate・21/The Bride of the Valley of Passion・22/Flower of Love in Hell・23/The Depths of the Abyss・24/Secrets of the Underworld・25/Blood Wedding・26/As the Stars Decide

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Blaza
Lyrics: Eri Taniguchi Composition: Eri Taniguchi, Yoko Kitano Arrangement: Kazuya Takayama Singer: NoR (Pony Canyon)
・ED
・Yae ・Lyrics: Yae
Composer: Torahiko Yukawa; Arranger: Joji Sawada; Singer: Yae (Leafage, Pony Canyon)

■Detailed evaluation

"The Condor Hero" is an anime based on Jin Yong's original work, and is characterized by its epic story and deep character portrayal. I would like to provide a detailed review of this work, which has been widely accepted not only by fans of the original work but also by anime fans.

Story and Characters

Yang Guo, the protagonist of this work, lost his parents at a young age and was raised by Guo Jing, but was chased off the island due to his violent temper. He was saved by Xiao Long Nu of the Ancient Graves Sect, and his encounter with her changed Yang Guo's life dramatically. Yang Guo's growth and his relationship with Xiao Long Nu have been animated with the same charm as the original, drawing viewers in.

In particular, the relationship between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu is faithful to the essence of the original work. The way the two support each other and grow together is moving and leaves a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the supporting characters such as Guo Jing and Guo Fu are also unique and add depth to the story. In particular, the character of Guo Fu brings out the charm of the original work to the fullest, and her actions and feelings evoke sympathy from viewers.

Animation and performance

The quality of the animation is extremely high, especially the depiction of the fight scenes. The kung fu movements and techniques are realistic and have the power to draw the viewer in. The backgrounds and art are also beautiful, realistically recreating the historical setting of the Southern Song Dynasty. Director Masami Anno's direction captures the atmosphere of the original work well, allowing the viewer to feel the world of the story.

The character designs are also faithful to the original, with Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu especially satisfying for fans of the original. The color scheme is also beautiful, making it a visually enjoyable work. In addition, under the direction of sound director Hiroyuki Hayase, the sound effects and background music also play a role in livening up the story, stirring the emotions of the viewer.

Music and theme song

The music was written by Kanae Shinozuka, and many beautiful songs are included that faithfully convey the atmosphere of the original work. The opening theme "blasa" and the ending theme "Yu" in particular express the theme of the story well and resonate with the viewers. The singing voices of singers NoR and Yae are also wonderful, making them very memorable as theme songs.

Viewer reactions and ratings

This work was highly praised not only by fans of the original work, but also by anime fans. In particular, the relationship between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, as well as the quality of the battle scenes, were highly praised, and many viewers were moved. In addition, the story development, which firmly retained the charm of the original work, was also praised, and it received high support from viewers.

However, some people were dissatisfied with the differences from the original and the portrayal of characters. In particular, fans of the original criticized the fact that some of the details and episodes from the original were cut. However, overall, the film has been praised as a work that has firmly retained the charm of the original.

■Recommendation details

"The Condor Hero" is a work that is attractive for its epic story and deep character portrayal based on Jin Yong's original work. In particular, the relationship between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, as well as the quality of the battle scenes, are superb and have the power to draw viewers in. In addition, the music and theme songs also play a role in livening up the story and resonate with the viewers.

This is a work that is recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for anime fans, and especially for those who like kung fu and martial arts novels. The moving story and beautiful animation will touch the hearts of viewers and you will be able to enjoy it for a long time without getting bored.

■ Related works

For viewers who enjoyed "The Condor Hero," we also recommend the following related works:

• "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" - an animated work based on Jin Yong's original work, it is a prequel to "The Condor Heroes". It depicts the story of Guo Jing and Huang Rong, and is a work that is also attractive for its epic story and deep character portrayal.
• "The Legend of the Heavenly Sword" - an animated work based on Jin Yong's original novel and a sequel to "The Return of the Condor Heroes". It tells the story of Zhang Wuji, and is also a work with a grand story and deep character portrayals.
• "The Dragon and the Eight Parts" - an anime based on Jin Yong's original work, with a magnificent story and deep character portrayals. In particular, Joe Mine's character is memorable and touches the hearts of viewers.

■ Summary

"The Condor Hero" is a work that is attractive for its epic story and deep character portrayal based on Jin Yong's original work. In particular, the relationship between Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu, as well as the quality of the battle scenes, are superb and have the power to draw viewers in. The music and theme song also play a role in livening up the story and resonate with the viewers. This work is recommended not only for fans of the original work but also for anime fans, and is especially recommended for those who like kung fu and martial arts novels. The moving story that touches the viewer's heart and the beautiful animation will allow you to enjoy it for a long time without getting bored.