Yukiguni no Oujisama

Here's a bit of an unlikely bird - not a black swan event, exactly, but not something I was expecting, either.

Yukiguni no Oujosama (The Snow Country Prince) was a 1985 movie, released for the Christmas season. It showed up one day in the Orphan staff Discord channel, translated, timed, typeset, and edited, with a pristine raw. It's a G-rated fairy tale about a timid boy in northern Hokkaido, who finds courage and self worth by caring for an orphaned juvenile swan. It's pretty far outside Orphan's usual habitats - not historic, like the Toei movies; not R-rated, like many 80s and 90s OVAs; not lost on analog media. So I found myself asking, "How did this happen?" - until I perused the AniDB entry more carefully.

Yukiguni is the brainchild of Ikeda Daikasu, Buddhist leader, author, educator - and the third president of Soka Gakkai, a Japanese religious movement (or cult, your choice). Soka Gakkai was founded in 1930, based on the teachings of a 13th century Buddhist priest, Nichiren, and his interpretation of the Lotus Sutra. It was banned for its pacifism and lack of respect for official (i.e., militarist) values during World War II. Its leaders were imprisoned, where the founder, Makiguchi Tsunesabura, died. Refounded after the war by Toda Josei and run by Ikeda after 1960, it is the largest of the Japanese new religious movements.

All this would be of peripheral interest except for one factor: Perevodildo, Orphan's prolific translator, is obsessed with Soka Gakkai. He is currently halfway through releasing Ningen Kakumei (The Human Revolution), a 20 episode hagiographic biography of Toda Josei. (I've been roped into QCing.) With that in mind, Perevodildo's interest in works by Ikeda becomes obvious.

So is Yukiguni no Oujosama religious propaganda, like the Happy Science films? The answer is no, at least not overtly. The film supports Buddhist values, but there's no lecturing or proselytizing. It's serious, family friendly, uplifting. Would it appeal to today's worldly-wise and cynical children, raised on video games, Pixar films, and the Internet? I don't think so, but I'm decades away from the target audience.

The protagonist is a young boy, perhaps 8 or 9, named Goichi. He lives with his sister Yuki, his parents, and his grandmother in Asahama, an impoverished fishing village in northern Hokkaido. 

Goichi hates the cold. 

With an exceedingly harsh winter at hand, he doesn't want to go outside to play, to the teasing amusement of other schoolboys.

Every year, swans from Siberia migrate to the inlet in Goichi's village for the winter. One day, an orphaned juvenile swan wanders into Goichi's yard, looking for food.

Goichi and Yuki try to befriend the swan. 

Then, Goichi is visited by the Prince of the Snow Country, who tells Goichi that he must find both the love and the courage to care for the swans. 

A dream perhaps? Goichi insists otherwise, and he redoubles his efforts to help the orphaned swan, now named Hanaguro. Goichi and Yuki begin finding food for the birds, clearing snow, and cracking the sea ice, so the swans will be more comfortable. Their efforts impress Goichi's classmates, and they pitch in to help.

But there will be many trials and setbacks before spring, when Hanaguro must be strong enough to fly back to its Russian feeding grounds. 

Will Goichi be able to find the courage to rise to all the challenges? Does the bear... Well, you get the idea.

The swans in the movie are probably whooper swans, which do indeed migrate from the Siberian taiga to northern Japan (and other locations) for the winter. They are large, noisy birds, among the heaviest avians that can fly. Their North American cousins, mute swans, are much quieter. Mute swans are also very territorial, so it would be very unusual to see an entire flock in close quarters in a single body of water, like this:

Further, the scene in which Hanaguro's mother is killed and carried off by a sea eagle is highly unrealistic. A sea eagle's sustained carrying capacity is 2-4 kg. A mature female whooper swan weighs 7-8 kg. (Mute swans are even heavier.) A sea eagle can kill a swan, but it would eat as much as it could where the swan fell.

The voice cast is as old school as the movie:

• Ikura Kazue (Goichi) is best known for the roles of Makimura Kaori in City Hunter, Toraou in Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, Natsume Ryuunosuke in All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku, and Leni Milchstrasse in Sakura Wars. She played Jiliora in Gude Crest, Kuroeda Keiko in Aoki Honoo, and Hojo Masako in Genji, Part 1, and she also appeared in Sei Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki and 15 Shounen Hyouryuuki, all Orphan releases. see Aoki Honoo v2
• Miura Masako (Yuki) appeared in Mock & Sweet, Showa Aho Zhoshi Akanuke Ichiban!, Watashi to Watashi, and ESPer Mami. She played Suni in Kimu no Juujika, an Orphan release.
• Tanaka Hideyuki (father) played Terryman in the Kinnikuman franchise and Rayearth in Magic Knight Rayearth. He also played Kuroyanagi Moritsuna in Chocchan Monogatari, Kusuri in Tenjou Hen: Utsu no Miko, Max in Dallos, Unno Rokurou in Sanada 10, Harmer in Al Caral no Isan, Sammy in Bavi Stock, Sawamura in Nozomi Witches, Ronron in Greed, Aoto in Oedo ga Nemurenai!, Katze in Ai no Kusabi, Minowa Takanari in Karuizawa Syndrome, Kazuhiko, Chiko's father in Ohoshi-sama no Rail, Ma Su, Fengji's lover, in Sangokushi movie 3, and an extra in Heart Cocktail, volume 5, all Orphan releases.
• Mutou Reiko (mother) played the title role in Marvelous Melmo and Uran (Astro Girl) in the original Astro Boy. She played Countess Polignac in Rose of Versailles, Akiko in Kasei Yakyoku, Touko in Bride of Deimos, and Queen Tasuka in One Million Year Trip: Bander Book. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Nakanishi Taeko (grandmother) played the grandmother in Yuki, Ryouko in Kuro ga Ita Natsu, Yuri in Kuroi Ame ni Utarete, Helen in A Penguin's Memory, Mrs. Bontempeli in Perrine Monogatari, and Liu Bei's mother in the first two Sangokushi movies, all Orphan releases. She had featured roles in Emma, Glass no Kamen (1984), Little Women, Queen Millennia, Ringing Bell, and Sailor Moon R.
• Yanami Jouji (Gen-san) played Ozora Ibari in Stop!! Hibari-kun!,  Akahatsu (Red Shirt) in Bocchan, Lump in Ginga Tansa 2100-nen: Border Planet, Murphy in Maris the Choujo, the wine-loving Big Bird in Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, and the cart vendor in Akuma Tou no Prince: Mitsume ga Tooru, all Orphan releases. He narrated most of the Dragon Ball Z properties. He played Ittan Momen in several of the GeGeGe no Kitaro series and movies and Chuta Ban in all the Kyojin no Hoshi TV series.
• Ootake Hiroshi (Takeshi) played Tezuka-sensei in Fushigi na Melmo, Michael in the What's Michael? OVAs, Hamegg in Tezuka Osamu Ga Kieta?! 20 Seiki Saigo no Kaijiken, the fox in Shounen Jack to Mahou Tsukai, and the principal in Don Dracula. The last four are Orphan releases.
• Sakaguchi Tetsurou (Takeshi's father) was an actor. His only other voice credit was the first Sangokushi movie.
• Nakahara Shigeru (Prince) played the title role in Arion, Trowa Barton in Gundam Wing, Fujiwara no Takamichi in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de: Hachyoushou, and Kurama in Kyousogiga. He also played Hyakutaro in Ushiro no Hyakutaro, Fujiwara no Yukitata in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 2, Arikawa Yuzuru in Haruka Naru Toki no Nake de 3, and Jenkins in Nessa no Wakusei, and he had featured roles in Aoki Honoo, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Ai no Kusabi, Dragon Fist, Dokushin Apartment Doukudami-sou, Chameleon, and Neko Neko Fantasia, all Orphan releases.
• Tanaka Ryouichi (schoolteacher) appeared in Barefoot Gen, Chibi Maruko-chan, Devilman, Koi Kaze, Vandread, Nine, and Dallos. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Yada Kouji (TV announcer) played Dr. Gero in the Dragon Ball franchise. He appeared in all the GeGeGe no Kitarou iterations through 2007, Haguregumo, Cat-Eyed Boy, Nine, and the Sangokushi movies. The last three are Orphan releases.
• Furukawa Toshio (policeman) played Kimball Kinnison in Galactic Patrol Lensman, Ataru in Urusei Yatsura, Kagege in Keroro Gunsou, Kai Shiden in Mobile Suit Gundam, Shin in Fist of the North Star, Shinohara Asuma in Mobile Police Patlabor, and Piccolo in Dragon Ball Z. He also played Inumaru in Maroko, Koganemaru in Maris the Choujo, Tree Kangaroo in Shirokuma Cafe, Prince Croyler in Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Ryotaro in Nayuta, the Spartan Dragon in Stop!! Hibari-kun! and Sally in Chiisana Koi no Monogatari, all Orphan releases.
• Miyauchi Kouhei (vet) played Earth in Magma Taishi, Aaron in Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetu, Jack Goldman in Condition Green, King Kaiser in Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Eddie in Nozomi Witches, Kogorou Shirachi in Stop!! Hibari-kun, the grandfather in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, the judge in A Penguin's Memories, and Brigadier Hamilton in Techno Police 21C, and he appeared in the first two Sangokushi movies, all Orphan releases. He had a recurring role as Kame Sennin in the Dragon Ball franchise and played the mayor of Birdos in Watt Poe.
• Watanabe Misako (narrator) was a prolific movie and TV actress. She has no other anime credits.
  

The director, Katsumata Tomoharu, directed all three Sangokushi movies, Orphan releases, as well as many other Ikeda Daisuke projects.

Perevodildo translated, timed, and did most of the typesetting. Paul Geromini edited. I did some additional typesetting and QCed. Uchuu QCed as well. The raw source is one "WillySucker99," a single-use disguise for a well-known encoder. Frankly, if he didn't want to use his handle, plain old "anonymous" would have been fine. Orphan has lots of anonymous encoders; they're a shy lot.

I've been trying to keep a neutral tone about Yukiguni no Oujisama, out of respect for the other staffers who worked on it and liked it, but you can probably infer that I didn't care for it. It's sadly lacking in humor or shades of gray. It's earnest, and despite the importance of being earnest, a 90-minute movie needs variety in its tonalities to hold my interest. In any case, you can get the movie from the usual torrent site.