"The Golden Law" Review: A Captivating Story and Character Depth

The Golden Law - Ogonnoho - Movie Reviews and Recommendations

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

novel

■ Release date

October 11, 2003 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■Frequencies

110 minutes

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Ryuho Okawa

■ Production

Animation Production: Group Tac

■Works

©IRH Press 2003

■ Story

The year is 2403, and the futuristic city of New Atlantis has risen from the bottom of the ocean. Satoru, a 15-year-old boy attending an elite school, is worried about his lack of dreams for his future. While searching for summer vacation report materials, he comes across a book called "The Golden Law." As Satoru is engrossed in reading it, a mysterious girl named Arisa from the distant future of the 30th century appears in front of him in a time machine. And that is the beginning of Satoru's time rafting...
Satoru and Arisa board the time machine and embark on a journey through time. However, the rapid current of time sweeps them through different eras.

■Cast

・Satoru/Kiriko Aoyama・Arisa/Satsuki Yukino・Hermes, Shakyamuni/Takehito Koyasu・Aphrodite, Manjusri/Miki Ito・Tendai Zhiyi/Kazunari Kojima・Demes/Takeshi Aono・Moses/Hirohiko Kakegawa・King Ajase, Sea Dragon King/Daisuke Gori・Devadatta/Nachi Nozawa・Jesus Christ/Bin Shimada・Mary Magdalene/Yuko Sumitomo・Promethius/Banjō Ginga・Pan/Ako Mayama・Agape/Makiko Omoto

■ Main staff

・Executive production director, original story, original concept / Ryuho Okawa・Scenario / Creative direction / "Golden Law" scenario・Project producers / Masami Oda, Kujo Ogawa, Naofumi Sato・Animation director / Takaaki Ishiyama・Animation director (Hermes, Shakyamuni) / Masami Suda・Animation director (Satoru, Alisa, Zhiyi) / Keizo Shimizu・Animation director (Jesus, Moses) / Akiyoshi Hane・Animation director (Promethius) / Marisuke Eguchi・Music / Yuichi Mizusawa・Art director / Akira Suzuki・VFX creative director / Tomomi Awaya・VFX staff / VISUAL MAGIC, NICE+DAY, Colorado FX, SimEX digital studio
・VFX Supervisor / Norihiko Ito ・Color Setting / Sachiko Harada ・Composite Coordinator / Masahiro Ito ・Editor / Masashi Furukawa ・Animation Producer / Kenjiro Kawato ・Animation Production / Group TAC ・Distribution / Toei ・Production / Happy Science Publishing

■ Main Characters

Satoru
Satoru is a 15-year-old student at a prestigious school in the 25th century city of New Atlantis. He is an elite who always comes in at the top of his class, but he is worried that he has no dreams for his future. His encounter with Arisa draws Satoru into an unexpected incident...
Arisa
A 15-year-old girl from the 30th century. She came alone in a time machine without her father's knowledge. She has a bright, honest, and sensitive personality. For some reason, Arisa knows Satoru. And it seems she has come all the way to meet Satoru in the 25th century...
Hermes was the king of Crete, which boasted the greatest civilization. In modern Greek mythology, Hermes is counted as one of the twelve Olympian gods and the son of Zeus, but in reality, he was a real hero who lived 2300 years before Zeus and led Greece to prosperity.
A beautiful and intelligent princess born on the island of Aphrodite. She became famous for her beauty and beautiful voice, and later became the legend of "Venus born from foam." After a fateful encounter with Hermes in Lindos on the island of Rhodes, where she was imprisoned, she supported him as his wife and brought prosperity to all of Greece.
・Shakyamuni
He attained great enlightenment in India 2,600 years ago, preaching the law and guiding people. His teachings have been transmitted from India to China and then to Japan.
- Manjusri
He was a disciple of Buddha in India 2600 years ago. He was respected as a man of wisdom, and there is even a proverb that goes, "Three heads are better than one."
・Tiantai Zhiyi
A Chinese monk from 1,400 years ago (during the Liang, Chen and Sui dynasties). He preached the famous theory of "One Thought, Three Thousand" and made Buddhism famous in China.
Jesus Christ: A savior who preached love to the people of Israel around 30 AD. He was crucified on the hill of Golgotha.
-Around 1220 BC, Moses led his fellow slaves out of Egypt and set out on a journey to build a new nation.
Prometheus calls himself "God" and has the supernatural power to freely control fire. He skillfully stirs up desires by saying he can "perform miracles" and misleads people's minds.

■ Main robot items

・A mysterious book that reveals the secrets of the Golden Law of Humanity. Satoru, who was looking for summer vacation report materials, finds this book in the library. His encounter with this book will greatly change Satoru's life.
Time Machine
At the beginning of the 30th century, humanity will break free from one constraint and gain a new freedom: a vehicle that can travel freely, transcending the flow of time between the past, present, and future.
・Translation machine
The latest translation device from the 30th century. Any language is OK because it translates the thoughts themselves into words. When worn on the ear, it blends in with the skin and becomes invisible from the outside.
Notes
A 25th century notebook. When you turn it on, a translucent 3D display appears, and you can operate it by touching it directly. You can also flip through the pages like in a book.
・Pochette Arisa always carries it with her. At first glance it looks like an ordinary pochette, but it is actually a cutting-edge self-defense device developed by Arisa's father. It uses virtual reality technology to create 3D images that seem like reality itself.
・The Staff of the Kerykeion A magical staff that can perform miracles given to Hermes by Ophelia, the chief god of Greece. It has the power to grant any wish. However, if one tries to use it to fulfill one's own desires, the wish will not be granted.
・Golden Sandals These are magical sandals given to Ophealis by the fairy Agape, an angel of God. Before wearing them, they are only about 3-4 cm in size, but when worn, they become the perfect size for her feet. When wearing these, she can astrally project, fly freely in the sky, and go to the spirit world.
Golden Arrow: A pure gold arrow enshrined in the Temple of Ophealis and endowed with the spiritual powers of the god Ophealis. When Hermes traveled to the spirit world and defeated the demon king Minos in hell, he saw an army of angels firing golden arrows, and had these golden arrows made.

■Film reviews

"The Golden Law" is an animated film released in 2003 that has captivated audiences with its unique story and profound themes. The film is set in the futuristic city of New Atlantis, and tells the story of a 15-year-old boy named Satoru who encounters a mysterious book called "The Golden Law" and embarks on a time-traveling adventure with a girl named Arisa who has come from the 30th century. Through his journey through time, Satoru goes through the process of finding the meaning of his existence and his dreams for the future.

The film's greatest appeal is its epic scale and philosophical themes. Satoru and Alisa visit a wide range of eras, from ancient Greece to India, China, and the Christian era. Satoru is prompted to reexamine his own values ​​through the teachings and lifestyles of great people he meets in each era, including Hermes, Aphrodite, Shakyamuni, Manjusri, Tiantai Zhiyi, Jesus Christ, Moses, and Prometheus. These scenes are visually beautiful and deeply moving to the audience.

The film's visuals are also outstanding. Group Tuck's animation is meticulously detailed, from depictions of futuristic cities to ancient landscapes. In particular, the depictions of futuristic technology such as time machines, translators, and notebooks stimulate the audience's imagination. The use of VFX is also effective, creating a strong visual impact. The beautiful music by Yuichi Mizusawa adds to the excitement of the story and enhances the emotional uplifting.

The cast is also impressive, with voice actors Aoyama Kiriko as Satoru and Yukino Satsuki as Arisa, who express the emotions of their characters realistically. In particular, scenes in which Satoru is troubled and tormented, and scenes in which Arisa's brightness and purity stand out, resonate deeply with the audience. Veteran voice actors such as Koyasu Takehito and Ito Miki also deliver superb performances, vividly portraying the characters of great historical figures.

However, the film has also received criticism. Some say the story is too complicated for children and general audiences to understand, and that the emphasis on religious themes may be off-putting for people of certain faiths. In addition, some have pointed out that the film is a bit rushed in order to depict many different time periods and characters in a 110-minute length.

Nevertheless, "The Golden Law" is a unique work that combines the entertainment element of time travel with a philosophical theme, providing the audience with deep emotions and a trigger for thought. It is a very valuable movie, especially for young people who are worried about their future and those who want to explore the meaning of life.

■Recommendation details

Here are some reasons why I recommend The Golden Law:

1. **Deep themes and philosophical reflections**
Through the entertainment element of time travel, this film makes viewers think deeply about the meaning and values ​​of life. The teachings of the great people Satoru meets in each era have something to share with the viewer's own life, encouraging self-development and spiritual growth.

2. **Beautiful visuals and music**
The depictions of futuristic cities, ancient landscapes, and future technologies such as time machines and translators are visually stunning and stimulate the audience's imagination. Yuichi Mizusawa's music also heightens the emotions of the story and moves the audience.

3. **Great cast and voice acting**
The performances of the voice actors, including Aoyama Kiriko and Yukino Satsuki, express the emotions of the characters so realistically that they move the audience deeply. In particular, the scenes depicting the growth of Satoru and Arisa resonate deeply with the audience.

4. **The entertainment element of time travel**
Time travel using a time machine provides audiences with fresh surprises and excitement. Visiting various eras, from ancient Greece to the Christian era, will also deepen your interest in history.

5. **A catalyst for self-improvement and spiritual growth**
Satoru's process of finding his dream for his future can be seen in the viewer's own life, and can serve as an opportunity for self-development and spiritual growth. This is a particularly valuable film for young people who are worried about their future and those who want to explore the meaning of life.

For these reasons, "The Golden Law" is a very worthwhile film that combines a profound theme, beautiful visuals, a great cast, and the entertainment value of time travel.