- Alakazam the Great
Infobox animanga/Header
name =
caption = Theatrical poster to the 1961 US release of "Alakazam the Great"
ja_name = 西遊記
ja_name_trans = Saiyuki
genre = Adventure,Fantasy Infobox animanga/Movie
director =Daisaku Shirakawa Taiji Yabushita
studio =Toei Animation
licensor =
released = flagicon|JapanAugust 14 ,1960 flagicon|USAJuly 26 ,1961
runtime = flagicon|Japan 88 min. flagicon|USA 84 min. [ann anime|id=631. Accessed on2007 -06-14 .]nihongo|"Alakazam the Great"|西遊記|Saiyuki|lit. "Journey to the West" is a 1960
Japan eseanime film, based on the Chinese legend "Journey to the West ", and was one of the earliest anime films to be released in theUnited States . Based on themanga byOsamu Tezuka , he was named as a director of the film byToei Company . However, Tezuka later stated that the only time he was in the studio was to pose for publicity photos. [*cite book|author= Beck, Jerry|year=2005|title= The animated movie guide|publisher=Chicago Review Press|location=Chicago|id=ISBN 1-55652-591-5] His involvement as a consultant for the adaptation of his manga, and in promoting the film, however, led to his interest inanimation . [ Patten, Fred. 1996. [http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.5/articles/patten1.5.html A Capsule History of Anime] at [http://www.awn.com/ Animation World Network] ]Plot
Alakazam is a young and brave monkey who convinces all the other monkeys to make him their king. After attaining the throne and learning magic, he becomes so vain that he goes to heaven to challenge the gods. He is defeated by King Amo, and sentenced to serve as the bodyguard of Prince Amat in order to learn humility.
Characters
* Alakazam/Son-Goku
* DeeDee the Monkey/RinRin
* Sir Quigley Broken Bottom/Chohakkai
* Max Lulipopo/Sagojo
* Prince Amat/Sanzo-hoshi
* King Amo/Shaka-nyorai
* Queen Amass/Kanzeon
* Fester/Shoryu
* King Gruesome/Gyu-Mao
* Queen Gruesome/Rasetsu-jo
* Herman/Kinkaku
* Vermin/GinkakuU.S. release
The film was released in the
United States onJuly 26 1961 . For the American release, bandleaderLes Baxter was hired to compose a new soundtrack. Teen idolFrankie Avalon supplied the singing voice of Alakazam (the speaking voice was done byPeter Fernandez ), andSterling Holloway provided English-language narration. Despite a large marketing budget and heavy promotion, the movie did not do well in America.References
See also
*
Journey to the West
*List of animated feature films
*List of Osamu Tezuka anime
*List of Osamu Tezuka manga
*Osamu Tezuka
*Osamu Tezuka's Star System External links
*
* [http://en.tezuka.co.jp/manga/sakuhin/m023/m023_01.html Son-Goku the Monkey manga at TezukaOsamu@World] en icon
* [http://ja.tezuka.co.jp/manga/sakuhin/m023/m023_01.html Son-Goku the Monkey manga at TezukaOsamu@World] ja icon
* [http://en.tezuka.co.jp/anime/sakuhin/mv/mv001.html Alakazam the Great anime at TezukaOsamu@World] en icon
* [http://ja.tezuka.co.jp/anime/sakuhin/mv/mv001.html Alakazam the Great anime at TezukaOsamu@World] ja icon
* [http://en.tezuka.co.jp/anime/sakuhin/pi/pi002.html Son-Goku is Coming: Chapter of Kou-fu Daioh pilot anime at TezukaOsamu@World] en icon
* [http://ja.tezuka.co.jp/anime/sakuhin/pi/pi002.html Son-Goku is Coming: Chapter of Kou-fu Daioh pilot anime at TezukaOsamu@World] ja icon
* [http://en.tezuka.co.jp/anime/sakuhin/ts/ts009.html Goku's Great Adventure anime at TezukaOsamu@World] en icon
* [http://ja.tezuka.co.jp/anime/sakuhin/ts/ts009.html Goku's Great Adventure anime at TezukaOsamu@World] ja icon
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