A thorough analysis of Mecha Vulcan's attack in the movie "Zatch Bell!!"

Theatrical version of Zatch Bell!! Mecha Vulcan's attack - Movie review and details

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

August 6, 2005 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■Frequencies

87th minute

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Makoto Raiku "Zatch Bell!!" (serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday)

■ Director

Takuya Igarashi

■ Production

Produced by Toei Animation Produced by the "Zatch Bell!!" Movie Production Committee (Shogakukan, Toei Animation, Fuji Television, Bandai, Yomiuri Advertising Agency)

■Works

©Makoto Raiku / "Zatch Bell!!" Movie Production Committee 2005

■ Story

Kiyomaro has been abducted by a mysterious giant object!
Kiyomaro faints while looking down at Mochinoki Town. When he comes to, he finds himself in an unfamiliar castle filled with machines, and in front of him is a monster who calls himself Dr. M2! The monster says to the surprised Kiyomaro:
"Soon you will be my partner, and we will go to a wonderful place. To the future, to the Demon Realm!"
Dr. M2, who boasts that he is a genius scientist from the future demon world, begins to reveal even more astonishing conspiracies.
It was the conquest of the demon world through demon science!
At that time, a giant mechanical Vulcan appears in front of Gash.
Gash is delighted with the Mecha Vulcan, which emits beams from its eyes, believing it to be a present from Kiyomaro, and immediately names it the "Fourth Vulcan."
He climbs into the cockpit and heads out to patrol Mochinoki Town, but then an army of Mecha Vulcans that look just like the Fourth appear and attack Gash and his friends!
Gash is confused by the army that attacks him by firing missiles, but then he meets up with Kiyomaro, who has escaped from Dr. M2, and learns their true identities.
Mecha Vulcan is actually a combat robot created by Dr. M2!
In a tense atmosphere, the Mecha Vulcan army and Gash and his friends face off.
But at that time, the legion evolved even further!!!
The greatest battle in the history of Gash is about to begin!

■Explanation

The 2004 smash hit "Zatch Bell!!" is back, bigger and better than ever!
In this film, Gash's everyday friend, Vulcan 300, appears as a gigantic machine!
Is the giant Mecha Vulcan really an enemy?
Are they on our side?!?

*Quoted from Toei Animation's official website

■Cast

・Gash Bell / Ikue Otani ・Kiyomaro Takamine / Takahiro Sakurai ・Tio / Rie Kugimiya ・Megumi Ohmi / Ai Maeda ・Kancho Me / Masami Kikuchi ・Parco Folgore / Hiroki Takahashi ・Umagon / Satomi Koorogi ・Kafka ・Sunbeam / Hozumi Goda ・Mecha Vulcan (Vulcan 4th generation) Ayaka Saito ・Dr. M2 / Shigeru Chiba

■ Main staff

Director: Takuya Igarashi, Screenplay: Aya Matsui, Character design and chief animation director: Naoyoshi Yamamuro, Music: Sachi Otani, Production manager: Kazuo Shiiba, Director of photography: Tomokazu Shiratori (Sankou Productions), Motoi Takahashi, Sound: Nobuteru Ikegami, Editor: Shigeru Nishiyama, Art director: Yoshito Watanabe, CG director: Toru Yoshiyasu, Color design: Kunio Tsujita, Producers: Osamu Kamei (Shogakukan), Hiroshi Takahashi (Toei Animation), Chihiro Kameyama (Fuji Television), Takekazu Hongo (Bandai), Koji Kumoide (Yomiuri Advertising)
・Planning: Shinichiro Tsuzuki, Shinji Shimizu, Koji Kaneda, Jun Takeuchi, Kyotaro Kimura ・Original story: Makoto Raiku "Zatch Bell!!" (serialized in Shogakukan's "Weekly Shonen Sunday")
・Planning cooperation: Masato Hayashi, Tomokazu Sodezaki ・Executive producers: Kazuyoshi Seki, Masakazu Kubo ・Producers: Takuya Yui, Hiromi Seki, Atsuya Takase, Fumiko Kawachi, Hideo Kumazawa ・Production: Toei Animation ・Production: Theatrical version "Zatch Bell!!" Production Committee (Shogakukan, Toei Animation, Fuji Television Network, Bandai, Yomiuri Advertising)

■ Main Characters

Gash Bell: A monster child who aims to be a kind king. He is good at electric spells.
Takamine Kiyomaro: A junior high school student with a genius mind. He is the owner of Gash's red book.
・Tio A monster girl who uses defensive spells. She is strong-willed.
・Owner of Megumi Tio's book. A top idol in Japan.
Kanchome: A demon child who uses transformation spells to confuse opponents.
・Parco Folgore Canchome book owner. World-famous star.
・Umagon A monster child who is skilled in spells to strengthen the body.
Owner of the book "Kafka Sunbeam Umagon." Automotive engineer.
・Mecha Vulcan (4th generation Vulcan)
A robot made from a candy box and disposable chopsticks that looks just like Gash's friend, Vulcan 300. Although it cannot express emotions, it can guess their feelings using the meter on its chest.
・Dr. M2
A demon scientist of the future. He developed the Mecha Vulcan (DS Mecha Series) based on the toy Vulcan!

■ Related works

・Golden Gash Bell!!
・Theatrical version of Konjiki no Gash Bell!! The 101st Demon

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・Catching the Wind・Lyrics by RYOJI
・Composition: RYOJI, NAOKI-T
・Arrangement: NAOKI-T
・Singer: Aya Ueto

Movie Review

"Zatch Bell the Movie!! The Arrival of Mecha-Vulcan" is a 2005 anime film based on the popular manga "Zatch Bell the Movie!!" by Makoto Raiku. The film builds on the success of the TV series and is a long-awaited new adventure for fans. Below, we bring you a detailed review of the film, including its story, characters, background, and recommendations for viewers.

Story and development

The story of the movie begins with the protagonist, Takamine Kiyomaro, being abducted by a mysterious giant object. When Kiyomaro wakes up, he finds himself in an unfamiliar castle full of machines, where Dr. M2, a genius scientist from the future demon world, is waiting for him. Dr. M2 reveals his plan to take Kiyomaro to the future demon world as his partner, and begins to talk about a conspiracy to conquer the demon world with demon science. Meanwhile, a giant mechanical Vulcan appears in front of Gash, and Gash, believing it to be a present from Kiyomaro, names it "Fourth Generation Vulcan" and gets into the pilot's seat. However, an army of Mecha Vulcans similar to the Fourth Generation Vulcan appears and attacks Gash and his friends. After joining up with Kiyomaro, Gash learns that the Mecha Vulcans are Dr. M2's combat robots, and a tense battle begins. As the army evolves, Gash and his friends face their biggest battle yet.

While retaining the charm of the original work, this story adds new enemies and giant robots, scaling up both visually and narratively. In particular, the design of the Mecha Vulcan and the battle scenes have enhanced the entertainment value that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. In addition, the development of the story, in which the friendship and bond between Kiyomaro and Gash are put to the test, will strongly attract the hearts of viewers.

Characters and acting

The characters in the film retain the charm of the original work, but with even more depth. Otani Ikue, who plays Gash Bell, perfectly expresses Gash's purity and courage, eliciting sympathy from the audience. Sakurai Takahiro, who plays Takamine Kiyomaro, carefully portrays Kiyomaro's intelligence and his love for friendship. Sakurai's acting skills shine in particular in the scene where Kiyomaro faces fear and determination in Dr. M2's castle. Kugimiya Rie, who plays Tio, and Maeda Ai, who plays Oumi Megumi, also firmly portray the individuality of their respective characters. The new characters Mecha Vulcan and Dr. M2 also leave a strong impression, thanks to the voice actors Saito Ayaka and Chiba Shigeru.

Production background and technology

Produced by Toei Animation, this film faithfully recreates the worldview of the original work while developing new visuals and a new storyline. Director Takuya Igarashi is known to be a fan of the original work, and his passion is reflected throughout the film. Screenwriter Aya Matsui skillfully puts together a unique plot while retaining the essence of the original work. Character designer and chief animation director Naoyoshi Yamamuro has paid close attention to the details of the characters' movements and expressions, enhancing the film's visual appeal. Additionally, composer Sachi Otani has provided music that enhances the tension and emotion of the film, stirring the emotions of the viewer.

From a technical standpoint, the design and movement of Mecha Vulcan by CG director Toru Yoshiyasu is particularly noteworthy. Mecha Vulcan's battle scenes are realistic and dynamic, making full use of CG technology, and create a visual impact. Additionally, the background and set designs by art director Yoshito Watanabe also enrich the worldview of the story.

Recommendation to viewers

"Golden Gash Bell!! The Attack of Mecha Vulcan" is highly recommended not only for fans of the original work, but also for those who like anime and action movies. In particular, those who like giant robots and battle scenes will enjoy the exploits of Mecha Vulcan. In addition, the story of friendship and bonds is perfect for watching with family and friends. It is also recommended for those who enjoy the beauty of music and art. This movie is a visually and narratively satisfying piece of entertainment that can be enjoyed over and over again.

Related works and viewing order

To enjoy this movie more, we recommend watching the original "Zatch Bell!!" and the TV series beforehand. In particular, by understanding the episodes of the TV series, you can gain a deeper understanding of the backgrounds and relationships of the characters in the movie. Also, if you watch "Zatch Bell!! The Movie: The 101st Demon" as a related work, you can enjoy the story of the entire series even more. The ideal viewing order is to watch the original and TV series first, and then enjoy the movie.

Theme song and music

The film's theme song, "Kaze wo Uekute," leaves an impression with Aya Ueto's powerful singing voice and beautiful melody. Lyricists RYOJI and NAOKI-T have provided lyrics and music that perfectly fit the film's theme, capturing the hearts of viewers. The film's music, composed by Sachi Otani, also plays an important role in enhancing emotions as the story unfolds. In particular, the music, which brings out the tension in the battle scenes and the emotion in the scenes of friendship, further enhances the film's appeal.

Conclusion

"Zatch Bell the Movie!! The Arrival of Mecha-Vulcan" is an entertaining work that retains the charm of the original work while adding new elements of enemies and giant robots. All elements, including the character acting, production techniques, and music, are of a high standard, providing a story and visuals that draw the viewer in. This is a work that can be highly recommended not only to fans of the original work, but also to those who like anime and action movies, and it is content that can be enjoyed over and over again. Please watch this movie and experience the adventure and friendship of Zatch and Kiyomaro.