The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (わんぱく王子の大蛇退治) 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. 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. It features distinctively modernist, 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) and assistant directors Isao Takahata and Kimio Yabuki. The score, composed by Akira Ifukube, is also acclaimed.

Plot

The film tells the story of the deity Susanoo (as a cute boy), whose mother, Izanami, has died. He is deeply hurt by the loss of his mother but his father, Izanagi, tells him that his mother is now in heaven. Despite Izanagi's warnings, Susanoo eventually sets off to find her. Along with his companions, Akahana (a little talking rabbit) and Titanbō (a strong but friendly giant from the Land of Fire), Susanoo overcomes all obstacles in his long voyage. He eventually comes to the Izumo Province, where he meets Princess Kushinada, a little girl whom he becomes friends with (he also thinks that she is so beautiful that she looks like his mother). Kushinada's family tells Susanoo that their other seven daughters were sacrificed to the fearsome eight-headed serpent, the Yamata no Orochi. Susanoo is so infatuated with Kushinada that he decides to help her family protect her and slay the Orochi once and for all and he, Akahana, and Bō prepare for the showdown.

Cast

Disc 1 - CINK-51

Disc 2 - CINK-52

Release

The film was distributed in the United States, under the title The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon, as a matinee feature by Columbia Pictures, opening January 1, 1964. Its Japanese origin was downplayed, as was standard practice at the time, with William Ross, the director of the English dubbing, credited as director and Fujifilm and Toei's color and widescreen processes rebranded as "MagiColor" and "WonderScope" respectively. Though still highly regarded in animation circles, the film is now little-known outside of them. A Japanese DVD-Video was released in 2002 and reissued in limited quantity in 2008. In 2019, a cropped transfer of the English-dubbed version was released in the United States by Mill Creek Entertainment as part of the "Pop Culture Bento Box" compilation set, though early copies of the set accidentally omitted the film. On February 5, 2020, Toei released the film on Blu-ray Disc in Japan.

Reception

Accolades received by Wanpaku at the time of its release including being honoured with a Bronze Osella at the Venice Film Festival and the Ōfuji Noburō Award at the 1963 Mainichi Film Awards and making it into the official recommendations of the Japanese Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health's Central Child Welfare Council.

Legacy

Genndy Tartakovsky watched the film and identifies it as a primary influence on the direction and design of his TV series Samurai Jack. According to Yōichi Kotabe, a character animator on the film who later worked for Nintendo, the art direction of the Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker was likely influenced by the film. Tomm Moore, the director of the Oscar-nominated films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, and Wolfwalkers, has identified the film as a major influence.