Dôwa meita senshi Windaria (1986)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Kunihiko Yuyama

Release Date:

23 February 1987 (France)

Genre:

Animation

Plot:

As two countries wage war, a great valley is doomed for destruction. In an effort to save his home, Alan agrees to be a message carrier...

Plot Keywords:

Tragedy | Tragic Ending | Anime | Unrequited Love

Cast

Tôru Furuya	...	Izu
Waka Kanda	...	Marliin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kyôko Ai	...	Isis (the seductress) (voice)
Jane Alan	...	Marie (voice: English version)
Michèle André	...	Marilin (French dub) (voice)
Sophie Artur	...	Impératrice de Ithica (French dub) (voice)
Joël Barbouth	...	Aîné de Windaria (French dub) (voice)
Catherine Battistone	...	Lunarian Queen (voice: English version) (as Catherine Luciani)
Jackie Berger	...	Princesse Arnese (French dub) (voice)
Philippe Brigaud	...	Prince Gerald (French dub) (voice)
Roger Carel	...	Empereur de Parlo / Conseiller de Ithica (French dub) (voice)
Claude Chantal	...	Impératrice de Parlo (French dub) (voice)
Lara Cody	...	Kid (voice: English version) (as Deanna Morris)
Olivier Cruveiller	...	Conseiller de Parlo (French dub) (voice)
Michael Forest	...	Lunarian Advisor (voice: English version) (as Alfred Thor)
Isabelle Ganz	...	La Femme De Seductive (French dub) (voice)
Barbara Goodson	...	Princess Veronica (voice: English version) (as Betty Gustafson)
A. Gregory	...	Old Allen (voice: English version)
Brittany Harlowe	...	Celina (voice: English version)
Kazuhiko Inoue	...	Jiru
Tomie Kataoka	...	Isis (voice)
Yumi Kinoshita	...	Salem (voice)
Michitaka Kobayashi	...	Soldier (voice) (as Michitaka Kobiyashi)
Wendee Lee	...	Juliet 1 (voice: English version)
Frédéric Legros	...	Isse (French dub) (voice)
Kerrigan Mahan	...	Allen (voice: English version) (as Ryan O'Flannigan)
Dave Mallow	...	Lunarian Court Member (voice: English version)
Naoko Matsui	...	Ahnas
Michael McConnohie	...	King Drako (voice: English version) (as Jeremy Platt)
Yuzuru Morimoto	...	Coppo (voice)
Ichirô Nagai	...	Piralu
Masayuki Nakai	...	Townsman (voice)
Kenichi Ono	...	Townsman (voice)
Shinya Ôtaki	...	Kurakki (voice) (as Shinya Ootaki)
Aki Saitou	...	Ginevia (voice)
Shouji Samori	...	Keyl (voice)
Hidekatsu Shibata	...	King Ransuro
Melodee Spevack	...	Shadowland Queen, Juliet 2 (voice: English version)
Gara Takashima	...	Druid (voice)
Monique Thierry	...	Druida (French dub) (voice)
Kan Tokumaru	...	Haloli (voice)
Norio Wakamoto	...	Cail (voice)
Bruce Winant	...	Prince Roland (voice: English version) (as Bruce Nielson)
Tom Wyner	...	Lord Legato (voice: English version) (as Abe Lasser)
Kazuki Yao	...	Torel (voice)
Rihoko Yoshida	...	Kundri (voice)

Also Known As:

Once Upon a Time (International: English title)
Windaria

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Kaname Productions

Betrayial of the Heart

What is it about tragedy that attracts me to it, I can never really know but may'be it's all of the beautiful feelings that occur before their stolen which always reminds me how truly valuable they are. This is another great forgotten anime gem, that is rich in both fantasy but most of all drama. It's almost sort of another retelling of Shakespearian drama Romeo and Juliet may'be Macbeth in it's subplot but it's all done well and right.

I really love how the animated detail the world and the background in it they really bring out a beautiful otherworldly quality to it. We see both sides of the world where one Itha is a little bright and more attuned to nature, there is some futuristic technology but certain other technological methods that are slightly old but still surprisingly effective and another Paro which is located in the cannons, it's a little dark but is technologically attuned everything they have is more advanced and effective. The music is a good score all hitting the right moods at the right places.

But what makes this film truly great is in it's characters and the theme that goes with it. It's literally two stories in one but in the same world together and both parallel to the theme. The first story is the Romeo and Juliet like story between Jill and Ahnas. Jill is the prince of Pero he's sort of the more passive aggressive type which Ahnas from Itha is more aggressive, femine and feisty. We see both have shared a secret romance together obviously for a long time, the way both interact with one another we know they deserve each other and we feel sad when their future of a life together and may'be even peace for both lands is stolen from them.

Another story is sort of a Macbeth like story, where it's focused on an ordinary person Izu with a young wife Marin. Izu is at first sort of a fun nice guy you could almost be friends with, he has a ambition to be a hero of some sort and to gain riches. And that where lies the tragedy of his character, as Yoda from "Empire Strikes Back" said, "Always looking of into the horizon instead of where he was what he was doing!" Izu's ambition is a blind one because he doesn't notice he's already that hero he wants to be from his acts in the first film but most of all his love for his wife and what he does for her and sometimes his friends. It might not be the stuff of legends but it's nothing less of heroism. He also doesn't really need all of the riches as he says he does he seems to actually have everything he really needs his life really isn't bad at all it's actually good. But he's just too stupid to notice he just too stubborn with his ambition, it reminds me of a line from Berstin in "Citizen Kane" "It's no trick to make money if that all you want to do with your life." and that's what he's sold the good life he already for. Soon we see he joins in his mind what seems to be the winning side sort of like taking a short cut in the corporate ladder , he transforms into a guy I found myself beginning to hate as if it was a best friend betraying me, he has reduced himself from being a hero to a sell out.

This isn't just a story about the conflicting dilemma between duty toward family and oneself but mainly betrayal of ones own heart and soul. The fundamental problem with duty sometimes is it creates a stubbornness which can make people do more wrong than right. And it's indeed stubbornness that has destroyed all that is beautiful. The stupidity of both families have killed most of their people but worst of all their own children who did no wrong except love one another. Izu's blind ambition has destroyed lives, all the riches and excess in the world won't fill the hole inside him which was where is soul once was.

I'll admit the ending is one of the saddest ones I've ever seen in an anime I won't give it away but trust me it's gut wrenching.

The Betrayal of the Heart is the emptiness of one's own soul.

Rating: 4 stars