Windaria
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:About Template:Infobox film Template:Nihongo, also called Legend of Fabulous Battle Windaria and Once Upon a Time, is a Japanese animated film produced by Kaname Productions and Idol. The film was directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, and written by Keisuke Fujikawa. It was released theatrically in Japan on July 19, 1986.
Plot
The mountainous kingdom of Paro and the coastal city-state of Itha had been at peace for over a century. They would have remained that way but for the ambitions of Paro's power-hungry king. Paro invaded Itha, despite the love between Jill, Paro's prince, and Ahanas, Itha's princess. Caught between duty and emotion, the star-crossed lovers were forced to fight a war to its bitter conclusion. Meanwhile, Isu was a simple farmer from the neutral village of Saki, but he saved Itha from being destroyed by a spy from Paro, and found himself hungering for wealth and glory that the Ithan monarchy couldn't provide. Agents from Paro made him an offer to fulfill his wishes, and he left his wife Marin behind in what would turn into a battlefield between the two kingdoms.
Voice cast
| Japanese | English | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Character name | Voice actor | Character name | Dubbing actor |
| Izu (イズー) | Tōru Furuya | Allen | Kerrigan Mahan (young) Russell Johnson (old) |
| Marin (マーリン) | Waka Kanda | Marie | Jane Alan |
| Jiru (ジル) | Kazuhiko Inoue | Roland | Bruce Nielsen |
| Anasu (アーナス) | Naoko Matsui | Veronica | Barbara Goodson |
| Ginevia (ギネビア) | Sho Saito | Lunarian Queen | Catherine Battistone |
| Haroru (ハロール) | Kan Tokumaru | Lunarian Chancellor | Michael Forest |
| Piralu (クピラール) | Ichirō Nagai | Caleb | Jeff Winkless (first half) Bill Capizzi (second half) |
| Ransuro (ランスロ) | Hidekatsu Shibata | King Drako | Michael McConnohie |
| Kundori (クンドリー) | Rihoko Yoshida | Shadowland Queen | Melodee Spevack |
| Kairu (カイル) | Norio Wakamoto | Lord Legato | Abe Lasser |
| Sharemu (シャレム) | Yumi Kinoshita | Celina | Iona Morris |
| Druid (ドルイド) | Gara Takashima | Juliet | Wendee Lee (first half) Melodee Spevack (second half) |
| Toreru (トレル) | Kazuki Yao | Bren | |
Production
Windaria is based on a novel of the same name, authored by Keisuke Fujikawa, the film's screenwriter.<ref name="explosion">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="dvdtalk">Template:Cite web</ref> Fujikawa's resume includes the live-action Ultraman and the animated series Space Battleship Yamato, Grendizer, and Cat's Eye.<ref name="explosion"/> The film was produced by animation companies Kaname Productions and Idol and directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, who previously worked on Magical Princess Minky Momo and GoShogun.<ref name="explosion"/><ref name="directory">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Studio Gallop was responsible for its photography and Studio Cosmos contributed the backgrounds. Mutsumi Inomata acted as both character designer and animation director.<ref name="animemovieguide">Template:Cite book</ref> The film's instrumental musical score was composed by Satoshi Kadokura. The vocal theme Template:Nihongo was written by Kazuhiko Katō and performed by J-pop singer Akino Arai.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The ending theme Template:Nihongo was written and performed by Arai.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arai stated that she did not discuss the composition of the tracks with the director as she would have later in her career.<ref name="beautifulstar">Template:Cite web</ref>
Soundtrack
Release and marketing
Windaria was released theatrically in Japan on July 19, 1986.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="essays">Template:Cite book</ref> In 1987, Harmony Gold licensed Windaria for release in the United States, trimming the film from its original 101-minute running time to 95 minutes.<ref name="animemovieguide"/> The English-language version was edited in order to better market the film to younger audiences.<ref name="dvdtalk"/><ref name="alcapone">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> According to director Carl Macek, Harmony Gold was given no scripts or translations of the property and they thus had little insight into the plot details.<ref>Template:Cite podcast</ref> The English version included a new script, an altered plot with a happy ending, scenes switched around, violent and adult-oriented scenes removed, the entire cast given Anglicized names, and added narration provided by Russell Johnson (of Gilligan's Island fame).<ref name="dvdtalk"/><ref name="alcapone"/><ref name="annrev">Template:Cite news</ref>
Windaria was first distributed in Japan to home video by Victor Entertainment. The eventual laserdisc release contained a trailer, a pilot film (in which characters are colored differently than the final version), and a second audio track.<ref name="oldskool">Template:Cite web</ref> Victor released Windaria on DVD in Japan on December 16, 2000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This release forgoes the laserdisc extras but includes a director interview on the insert.<ref name="oldskool"/> Atlus reissued the film on DVD on March 25, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Streamline Pictures released the English version, titled Windaria, on North American VHS between 1992 and 1993.<ref name="directory"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A laserdisc version was planned by Image Entertainment yet never distributed.<ref name="oldskool"/> ADV Films re-released the English version, as Once Upon a Time, on DVD on March 23, 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The uncut Japanese version has never been officially released in this region.<ref name="annrev"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A generous amount of Windaria-related merchandise has been marketed in Japan since the film's 1986 debut. Fujikawa's Douwa Meita Senshi Windaria bunkobon was published by Kadokawa Shoten during March 1986.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly after the premiere of Windaria, several official guide books were released, one (Settei: Windaria) containing Idol's sketches, storyboards, and promotional materials. A special omake was published on August 25, 1986, as part of Kadokawa's "Mediamix Special" imprint.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Inomata's 1988 art book Gatsu no Koe Hoshi no Yume contains some of her illustrations from the film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Arai's album Natsukashii Mirai, containing both the film's opening and ending themes, was released by Victor on October 21, 1986.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arai later re-recorded "Utsukushii Hoshi" for her 2005 album Sora no Uta due to her dissatisfaction with the first version of the song.<ref name="beautifulstar"/> The film's original soundtrack was released by Victor on both LP and CD on July 21, 1986, and CD was reprinted on March 24, 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was reissued on June 23, 1999 alongside the soundtrack to Birth, another anime by Kaname.<ref name="oldskool"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Finally, a 2008 Nintendo DS video game based on the film was developed by Compile Heart under the name Template:Nihongo and released in Japan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Reception
Critical reception for the original Japanese version of Windaria has been favorable. Ralph Jenkins of Mania.com called the film "the quintessential anime tragedy". The reviewer elaborated: "The overriding theme of this grim allegory is that a promise—especially between lovers—is something so sacred that it thrives even beyond death, and taking it for granted can beget devastating consequences". Jenkins noted both Inomata's character designs and the film's musical score to be memorable.<ref name="oldskool"/>
See also
- The House in the Reeds, a story by Ueda Akinari with similar plotline
- Castle in the Sky, another 1986 anime film with a large tree central to the story.