Reader's Digest Condensed Anime - Cello Hiki no Gauche (1998)

Some Japanese stories are so beloved that the have been made into an anime many times. One of them is Miyazawa Kenji's Cello Hiki no Gauche (Gauche the Cellist), with at least five anime incarnations:

• 1949: a 19-minute silhouette animation produced by Nichiei and directed by Tanaka Yoshitsugu.
• 1953: a 20-minute puppet animation produced by Nippon Eiga and directed by Morinaga Kenjiro.
• 1963:  a movie produced by Gakken Eiga Kyoku and directed by Matsue Jinbo. This version is not present in any anime database.
• 1982: a 65-minute movie produced by Oh Productions and directed by the legendary Takahata Isao
• 1998: a 20-minute OVA also produced by Gakken and directed by Morita Hiromitsu.

The anime databases attribute the 1953 version to 1963; JP and US Wikipedia claim they are separate shows. Although the 1963 and 1998 versions are both from Gakken, an educational publishing company, they can't be the same: the sieyuu in this version weren't even born in 1963.

In any case, Orphan is pleased to release the first English-subtitled version of the 1998 OVA. This is a "Reader's Digest Condensed Anime" version of the 1982 movie; even the character designs are similar. If you've seen the movie, you don't really need to watch this. On the hand if you have twenty minutes to spare, it's another opportunity to dip into Miyazawa's world and enjoy some wonderful music: Beethoven's Sixth Symphony (Pastoral) and two original compositions by Mamiya Michio: Indian Tiger Hunt and The Merry Coachman.

The title character, Gauche, is a diligent but mediocre cellist in a small town orchestra. The orchestra is preparing to play the Pastoral in ten days, but Gauche is struggling: according to conductor, lacks expressiveness, can't keep time, and is off-pitch. 

Gauche tries to practice at home, but he isn't making progress until he is visited on successive nights by four speaking animals:

1. A calico cat, who provokes Gauche into playing a dissonant but wild piece (Indian Tiger Hunt).
   
   
   
   
   
2. A cuckoo, who demands Gauche practice the "cuckoo" sound until he gets the intonation right.
   
   
   
   
   
3. A tanuki, who asks to practice drumming The Merry Coachman on Gauche's cello and points out that Gauche is always slow fingering his second string.
   
   
   
   
   
4. A mother mouse, who pleads with Gauche to save her sick baby by playing his cello with the baby inside; the vibrations apparently cure animals.

Having learned lessons about expressiveness, intonation, and rhythm, Gauche is able to be an integral part of the orchestra in a triumphal performance of the Pastoral. He even gets a solo encore, playing Indian Tiger Hunt to an impressed audience.

The voice actors in this version include:

• Kusao Takeshi (Gauche) played the lead roles in Junk Boy and Fujilog, the title role in Babel II, Trunks in the Dragon Ball Z franchise, Sakuragi in Slam Dunk, and Lamune in NG Knight Lamume & 40. He also played the teenaged Tezuka Osamu in Tezuka Osamu Monogatari, Daichi in Singles, the fast talking orca in Sensou Douwa: Chiisai Sensuikau ni Koi wo Shita Dekasugira Kojira no Hanashi, Leedyle/Ranka in Hayou no Tsurugi, Hisamatsu in Bride of Deimos, and the icy director Kurume Kenjirou in Smash Hit, all Orphan releases.
• Matsuno Taiki (calico cat) played the title role in the second Kindaichi movie (an Orphan release) as well as every subsequent show in the franchise. He starred in Exper Zenon, played Saki in Star Dust, and appeared in Fukuyama Gekijou and Chameleon, all Orphan releases. He played Kouga in Inuyasha and the title role in The Adventures of the Little Prince.
• Kisaichi Atsushi (cuckoo) played Timka in Angelique, Yuusuke in Green Green, and Aoba in Dramatical Murder.
• Ootsuke Mizui (tanuki) appeared in Slam Dunk, Android Ana Maico, and Trigun.
• Furuyama Ayumi (mother mouse) appeared in Let's Nupu Nupu, an Orphan release, Jungle wa Itsumo, and Ultra Maniac.
• Satou Masahiro (conductor) played the villainous Professor Jason in Al Caral no Isan, Yasuda in Ore no Sora, and Oboe in Hameln no Violin Hiki, allOrphan releases. He had numerous featured roles, appearing in the Dragonball, Dr. Slump, and Transformers franchises.

The director, Morita Hiromitsu, also directed Heart Cocktail, an Orphan release, as well as Thumbellina, Kobo-chan, and World of Narue.

This started as an idle discussion on Discord about earlier versions of Hashire Melos: the 1979 version, for which I had only seen a YouTube fragment; and the 1981 version, which has only been found dubbed in English. It turned out that a full raw of Hashire Melos 1979 was available, ripped by an Omar Hidan from a web stream on the now defunct GYAO! service. Looking at this other torrents, I found the 1998 version of Cello Hiki no Gauche, also ripped from GYAO! I thought it might make a "quickie" project for Orphan. Perevodildo agreed and translated. I edited and typeset. Nemesis and Paul Geromini QCed. The source appears to be a VHS, although a DVD is available at exorbitant cost. As for Hashire Melos 1979... stay tuned.

Cello Hiki no Gauche 1998 won't replace the 1982 movie in anyone's collection, including mine, but it's a nice way to spend 20 minutes with some good music and good characters. You can download it from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.