| The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon | |
|---|---|
 Susanoo and friends fighting Orochi | |
| Directed by | Yūgo Serikawa |
| Screenplay by | Ichirō Ikeda Takashi Iijima |
| Starring | Morio Kazama Yukiko Okada Chiharu Kuri |
| Cinematography | Mitsuaki Ishikawa Hideaki Sugawara |
| Edited by | Ikuzō Inaba |
| Music by | Akira Ifukube |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toei Company (Japan) Columbia Pictures (United States) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (わんぱく王子の大蛇退治, Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji, lit. "the naughty prince's Orochi slaying") is a Japanese animated fantasy adventure film, the 6th feature produced by Toei Animation (then Tōei Dōga), released in Japan on March 24, 1963. English-dubbed versions have been released under several titles, including The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon, Prince in Wonderland and Rainbow Bridge.[1]
Based on the Shintō myth of the storm god Susanoo's battle with the Yamata no Orochi, the color, "ToeiScope" anamorphic format film is scripted by Ichirō Ikeda and Takashi Iijima and directed by Yūgo Serikawa. It is considered one of the very best of the Tōei Dōga features and a landmark in anime and animated features in general, placing 10th in the list of the 150 best animated films and series of all time compiled by Tokyo's Laputa Animation Festival from an international survey of animation staff and critics in 2003.[2]
It features distinctively modernist,[3] abstracted character, background and color design, formalised the role of supervising animator (performed on this film by Yasuji Mori) in the Japan and drew attention to the talents of animators Yasuo Ōtsuka and Yōichi Kotabe (who made his debut as a key animator on the film, though he is inaccurately credited on screen an in between artist)[4] and assistant directors Isao Takahata and Kimio Yabuki.
The score, composed by Akira Ifukube, is also acclaimed.[5]
- ^ Stanley, John (2000). Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide. New York: Berkley Books. p. 312.
- ^ "150 best animations of all time (from 2003 Laputa Festival)". Animatsiya in English. May 29, 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
- ^ Early Anime Features: Two 1960s Classics|Cartoon Research
- ^ Ettinger, Benjamin (October 29, 2011). "The seconding system at Toei Doga". Anipages. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ "COMPLETE RECORDINGS: AKIRA IFUKUBE TOEI-DOGA FILM MUSIC". godzillamonstermusic.com. Retrieved 7 September 2015.