Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968) User Reviews

An Inspirational Film In More Ways Than One

[benjamin_lappin · 7/10 · 29 May 2007]

Was this the start of anime as we know it? I'm not versed enough in the history of Japanese animation to make such a bold statement, however what I can tell you is that with the creation of this film we have derived many classic, awe inspiring and moving stories from Studio Ghibli. As some may say with no Akira there would have been no Matrix, without The Little Norse Prince, there would have been no Nausicaa, Laputa, Princess Mononoke, Grave Of The Fireflies, Spirited Away and many more. While The Little Norse Prince may not be as grand as the fore-mentioned it is an emotionally captivating fairytale whose importance transcends the 81 minutes it runs for.

Set within the medieval ages of Nordic Europe, The Little Norse Prince tells the tale of a young boy named Hols embarking on a journey to find his kinsmen and restore peace to a land taken by a devious sorcerer named Grunwald. Isao Takahata's film is an innocent telling, yet harbours some severely darker moments (for the younger viewer), as our hero ventures through a blend of myth, legend, swords and magic, showing the courage and bravery that have become the hallmark for the protagonists at Studio Ghibli.

While Disney were creating gimmicky films like The Sword In The Stone, Takahada filled his film with the truest essence of humanity, as Hols must not only fight The Frost King, but must also deal with peoples misconceptions, stubborn attitudes and discriminatory views. The Little Norse Prince is deeper than fighting shape changing witches and squirrel romances, and in its purity is so awe inspiring. It has the ability to turn you into a child again, and view it with the eyes of an innocent as he manages to remind us what is noble about humanity and what we sometimes lack in ourselves. The Little Norse Prince is by no means a classic in the grand sense of cinema, but has an undeniable ability to transport us to a time and space when the world seemed a better place and life was worth fighting for.

Takahada laid the foundations with The Little Norse Prince for some remarkable and simply brilliant films, and it is quite easy to see how he and Miyazaki (who was an animator on this production) found the inspiration to be able to take the essence of Norse Prince, elaborate and expand on the settings and morals. One of the notable aspects is how exceptionally refined the imagination of Takahada is, as this film just exudes originality and feels completely different and fresh next to its contemporaries, and indeed the same can be said of the more recent Ghibli films compared to talking fish and super hero families. The Little Norse Prince may not be the greatest anime ever created, but it certainly is true to itself and the messages it wishes to deliver us as an audience and can only be praised as an effective means of emotive story telling which can and does not only appeal to all ages, but speak to all ages.

The first Isao Takahata film

[emasterslake · 7/10 · 2 January 2006]

Before My Neighbors the Yamadas, before Pom Poko, before Only Yesterday, and before Grave of the Fireflies. There was Little Prince Horus(USA Title). This was the first Movie Isao Takahata directed.

He and legendary Anime maker Hayao Miyazaki and some other animators who were still in their early years in animation industries made this film possible.

It's nothing like Isao Takahata's other works. This one is about an Alternate Viking/Scandinavian Time Period about a boy named Horus who receives a sword from some Earth God, and is sent on a quest to defeat an Ice Demon(who's pretty cool looking) meets a group of village locals and a mysterious Girl who has the key to restoring peace to the land.

It took 3 years for this film to be made. Animation is well done even if this was made 38 years ago. Back when Anime was still primitive. It's interesting to watch. Too bad it didn't do well when it was in Japanese Theatures. But what's cool about it is it became known as the earliest forms of modern anime.

In other words it's anime that doesn't have to be made for kids to watch.

I'm not sure when it'll get licensed to get it's own English Debut. But worth seeing for those who are interested in Animes that broke the rules. I'd recommend this film for Ages 12 and up contains cartoon violence and a split second of nudity.

Action anime from one of the masters of the art form

[dbborroughs · 8/10 · 10 May 2009]

Isao Takahata director of the animated Grave of Fireflies and founder of Studio Ghibli first feature film is set nominally in a Norse country, but it sure seems like old Russia to me. Hols, a young boy/man/teenagerish kid lives with his father on the edge of an ocean. Not long after he removes a thorn, actually the sword of the sun, from a giant rock man, Hols father dies. He tells his son the story of how a devil named Grunwald had spread evil in their old village and had caused things to fall apart. Hols father wanting to keep his then infant safe fled into the wilderness. As a dying wish Hols father urges him to go back and find his people. Traveling with Coro his friend who is a bear he sets out to find his people. In the process he meets Grunwald who wants Hols to join him and Hilda, a girl with a lovely singing voice and a dark secret.

Moving like the wind this is an 80 minute movie that has enough plot for at least another hour. This isn't a bad thing since the film keeps moving at all times. Its a beautiful film, filled with an endless series of set pieces. Actually I don't think there is a bad sequence in the entire film. To be honest the film's script is a real mess. Its doesn't move at time so much as lurches from thing to thing. The dialog is also often stilted, which I'm guessing is the result of too faithful a translation from the Japanese (there are times when you really need to reword things. And no this is not a bootleg or a print from Asia, its the official UK release DVD).

Messy script or no I think this is a masterpiece. This is a great grand adventure that hooks you and drags you along for 80 minutes. As I said the set pieces are spectacular and the sense of magic is wonderful. We have a hero is truly heroic and some characters who are very close to being real. The design of the film has echoes of later anime projects, not just Ghibli which helps give it a nice feel of familiarity when its not being wholly original. Strangely the film feels very much like the Russian fantasy films of directors like Aleksandr Ptushko. Its suppose to be set in a Norse country but the design of the costumes is very Russian.

I really liked this a great deal. to be certain its flawed, deeply, but there is something about the central story thread that allows the film to survive as something wonderful. I recommend it.

A Great Fairy Tale

[Sargebri · 29 July 2006]

I first saw this film in the mid-1970's and I really enjoyed it. It came at the time I was first introduced to such Japanese exports as Speed Racer and Kimba, as well as all the Godzilla films. The thing that really made me enjoy it was the story about the young protagonist's quest to free the village of his birth from the evil wizard and his love for the young girl that turned out to be the wizard's daughter. It is just too bad that this film has never been released on DVD. Not only would I enjoy watching it once again, but I think that this film would be enjoyed by younger kids as well. In fact, this film is probably a good introduction for younger viewers to the world of Japanese anime.

Decent in the short run, a little heavy and uninteresting in the long; the film functions enough on a level as a standard adventure piece.

[johnnyboyz · 6/10 · 1 April 2012]

Little Norse Prince was my first foray into the territory of Japanese animation, later made more popular in the West by that of Studio Ghibli, and it's a mixed effort; a film which had enough in terms of raw energy and that sense of passion or artistic integrity pumped into its animation to make me want to come back for more, but lacked an ability to really keep me entirely interested throughout. I don't think it has the sense of adventure it thinks it has, nor does it entirely make use of its premise and have us feel like we've genuinely watched the transition of a young protagonist, who's been granted a specific test or goal at this early stage in their life, from one thing into another. In essence, the film feels a lot longer than it actually is, and makes the fatal error of introducing a supporting act who ends up more interesting than the lead. Additionally, it gets bogged down in the middle with a subplot to do with a village-set power exchange and all the political strife which comes with it and enraptures the lead when all we want to see is this hero journey onwards and upwards in achieving his quest whilst learn a bit about himself in the process.

The film opens in a resounding fashion, with a young boy called Horus fending off a pack of wolves along the rural plains of the ancient Nordic world with a sword and a breathtaking amount of both speed and agility. There is both something quite beautiful as well as ugly in the manner in which, with each swipe of the blade, Horus shifts and slides to-and-fro out of the way and onto the next stretch of pasture as wolves drop all around him, not necessarily killed, but with the next in line eyeing up the next available chance to attack. When all looks lost, and one of the beasts slides a sly anthropomorphic aside to our Horus as the kill looms, the ground gives way and a huge giant made entirely out of stone rises from the Earth scattering the animals but trapping Horus on his shoulder. The opening in this sense is quite magical, a really well rendered battle sequence featuring the wilds of this rural domain at work as a pack of hunters seemingly chase the next meal but coming up against a capable human-being who fends them off before everything, in this apparently enchanted land, is rounded off with a monster appearing from nowhere and now a part of the action.

Things develop when Horus pulls from the giant a sword which had been stuck there, this chance encounter leading Horus to pursue a mission on which if the sword is successfully reforged, he will garner the right for a promotion into king-hood. It additionally turns out there was indeed a purpose for the wolves' being there; an off screen evil force had sent them to thwart Horus for whatever reasons in whatever capacity. Horus heads across rivers and seas to his old stomping ground, a village once torn apart by an evil which manifested itself within and tore everybody apart. He is there in his attempt to reforge that sword, and in the process garner both the respectability as well as the power an individual in the mould of Horus has the ability to achieve. Along the way, we observe him encounter an array of individuals with power able to match his own; people using such abilities and weapons for a means of bad and there are meek lessons to be learnt.

Much more interesting is that of the character of Hilda (Ichihara), a girl as young as Horus whose voice is sharp and siren-like; their first interaction down by the ports of this small community, beside the waters, fitting in that sense and made even more so when we spot that she sits atop a shipwreck of some kind. Hilda is the lone survivor of a village of her own, a village which was destroyed under similar circumstances to that of Horus'. She is a loner, an outcast when brought back by Horus; her frayed beliefs and ethics clashing with the populous where duty vs. Choice is at the forefront of her refusal to sew like all the 'good women' seemingly do in this community thus tying her in with the Horus we saw in the opening as a character unbounded by what's expected of them and possessing somewhat of a free spirited attitude. It is unfortunate her story and her presence overtakes that of the lead.

As things unfold and Hilda's true identity, indeed prerogative, for being there becomes clearer; we sense Horus' quest undermined by the deeper tribulations and emotional conflict Hilda suffers. When the time comes for Horus to confront evil and have a big showdown at the end wherein catalysts and epiphanies and such may play out, it is with which Hilda's off screen presence and tale that we are preoccupied. The film stutters in its speed, often breezing along like a good adventure should but then unevenly pausing for more mediative moments. One of its bigger crimes is that it unfolds in an enchanted world, although often feels unenchanted - the film an unbalanced effort which has a sturdy amount of character and wonder but leaves one relatively underwhelmed on the whole.

Isao Takahata first film

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 19 December 2008]

Having seen Isao Takahata's Ghibli films I was interested to see this much earlier work so when it was on television I couldn't not watch it. Not surprisingly it feels much older than his later work but it didn't feel out dated.

The story opens with a boy called Horusu fighting off a pack of wolves. They fighting awakens a strange rock giant who is bothered by a thorn in his shoulder, much to the giants surprise Horusu extracts the thorn which turns out to be an ancient sword. He returns with the sword to his dying father who tells him that their family came from a village in the North that had been devastated by an evil sorcerer called Grunwald. When his father dies he heads North where he meets Grunwald who casts him from a mountain and believes him to be dead. Of course he survives though as is found by a child who takes him back to a village. The people there are being tormented because a giant pike is eating all the fish in the river. Horusu sets off and after a struggle manages to kill the creature and the fish return to the river, this leads to him being hailed as a hero. Later in an almost deserted village Horusu meets a girl called Hilda who he invites back to the village where to locals are enchanted by her beautiful singing. At least most of them are, the mayor is clearly upset that Horusu and now Hilda are so popular and his deputy who is an agent of Grunwald. I won't say more about the plot as I wouldn't want to spoil the ending.

I really enjoyed this even though it if fairly different, it certainly felt like it was targeted at a younger audience than his later works, I was surprised for example when characters had conversations with their pets. The animation was good, especially considering its age. If you've enjoyed Studio Ghibli films I'd certainly recommend this film.

These comments were based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.

Takahata's first feature

[JTurner82 · 7/10 · 19 August 2018]

HORUS: PRINCE OF THE SUN was the first and only film Isao Takahata directed for what was Japan's top animation studio in the 1960's, Toei, with a little bit of contribution from Hayao Miyazaki, of course. At the time most Japanese animated features were made cheaply and quickly. But Takahata wanted to go one step further and create something elaborate and beautiful. It drove up the budget, to the point where it annoyed the Toei executives. At one point during production, the budget froze and so the animators were reduced to using still shots for certain scenes, such as a wolves attacking on a village at about 29 minutes in, and later, when rats stampede through the same village. For similar reasons, the film was only given a limited release in Japan and it received poor box office numbers, even though the critics greeted it with raves. To add insult to injury, Takahata was demoted and never directed another feature for Toei again. Sometime later, Takahata and Miyazaki left Toei to find work elsewhere.

Watching this animated film today you probably wouldn't even realize that any of this happened, but it did. The animation style is obviously 60's, but it has a vibrant, rich palette. It's not quite as gorgeous as the Studio Ghibli classics we've come to know, but nonetheless it is lovely.

HORUS starts out with an intense action scene in an unknown Scandanevian region in which we see our hero, a boy warrior named Horus (Hols in the dubbed version) battling a pack of silver wolves with only a hatchet as a weapon. In a quick twist not all that different from King Arthur, the tide turns in his favor when he draws a sword from a massive rock giant who appears out of nowhere. After this victorious fight, Horus returns home to his father, who dies after telling him about his village being razed by the evil Ice Lord Grunwald. Vowing to avenge his village, Horus sets off and eventually comes across a village of innocents. En route, he also encounters Hilda, a golden-voiced girl who sings songs on her harp. Unfortunately, she turns out not to be as nice and innocent as she seems, setting the stage for a potential showdown.

The story contains many plot elements that Miyazaki would later use in his subsequent films, but in terms of character development, I'm afraid HORUS comes up a bit short. Horus himself isn't all that interesting, and neither are his companions. Even the villainous Lord Grunwald is pretty much what you'd expect from a manipulative, scheming, power-hungry baddie. Perhaps the most interesting character is Hilda, who is presented as a conflicted character torn between her friendship with the hero and the temptations of the villain. But her redemption at the end feels a bit rushed. Perhaps part of that can be attributed to the running time of 82 minutes; although it results for a faster pace, it does cause for some character bits that seem a bit hasty.

Despite being a financial failure in Japan, HORUS: PRINCE OF THE SUN has attracted considerable attention from viewers both in Japan and even in the U.S.. Bizarrely, the film was shown on American television in the late 60's, renamed LITTLE NORSE PRINCE, although uncut. The dub was done by Fred Ladd's New York-based Titan Productions , so a lot of the voice talent will be reminiscent of shows around this period such as KIMBA THE WHITE LION and ASTRO BOY. They also dubbed THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PUSS 'N BOOTS and ANIMAL TREASURE ISLAND. As such, the dub is occasionally campy and theatrically stylized, using only four actors(!). Because this was done in the age of reel-to-reel, there are obvious places where the actors struggle to match the mouth movements, and some stiff delivery. Truth be told, the dub is not so awful that it ruins the film, but it is mediocre by today's standards. (It should also be noted that Hilda's songs come across differently in the Japanese version, the English versions are noticeably dissimilar.)

Despite its flaws, though, HORUS is still a fascinating look at historical Japanese anime. Try not to get too high expectations of this film and you'll enjoy it more.

Groundbreaking

[Zohariel · 9/10 · 15 July 2000]

This was one of the first movies that legends Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata worked on, and probably the first movie that suggested animation might be more than just for children. I understand a copy of the video is not easy to find. I was lucky enough to see it at Anime Society last night at the local university.

The film is important for its place in anime history. As a story, it's slightly weak (there are several subplots that didn't quite seem to fit), but nevertheless very enjoyable. This was partly due to the fact that the fansub I watched was, um...rather poorly translated, and some of the subtitles caused me to break into fits of hilarity. The animation itself seems mediocre nowadays, but must have been exceptional for the time. There's a slightly Disney look to it, but the anime style is definitely there...and the film is much darker than anything Disney could come up with. I mean, there's an Ice Demon whose dream is to kill everyone in the world. ! I'm thinking also of the part when Hilda's squirrel companion says something like, "But Hilda, if you save this girl she will live a life of rejection and hatred! Just like your whole life has been!" (That's nowhere near an exact quotation, but it's as close as I can remember.) And then there's the scene when Horus enters the Forest of Delusion...

It's fun to see the early development of Takahata and Miyazaki. You can see ideas just forming that would manifest in their later films. The film in itself is quite good, and in fact one of the better anime (animes?) I've seen. [Certainly it was better than the other feature at Anime Society that night, an inexplicable, boring, badly animated mess about a detective who is his own client and airplanes turning into fish and a two-year-old who is God...no, I didn't get it either.]

In conclusion, if you ever get the chance to see "Horus, Prince of the Sun", don't hesitate. I just wish there was a way I could see it again...

Not one of the best

[Angels_Review · 2/10 · 5 April 2014]

Well, this is a really really old video and let's say that for its time, it might have been very high class but now, it feels like it lacks a lot. The animation is low quality and the voices feel forced and scripted.

Horus seems to not think about what he is about to do, his heart being in the right place but his head just doesn't seem to be happening there. He was made to be the purest of the pure but they made him come out as a rather young child, younger then he should be. Other characters randomly sing and makes it feel like we are in a old Disney movie.

The animation is really old and they cut corners constantly. They reuse clips a lot and also jump around without any explanation on why they are except that they are traveling. Both people and animals look rather blotchy and not a lot of detail. In order to not animate some of the faces, they are covered in thick bushes of hair from eyebrows and beards.

The script sounds cheesy in the English version, where the voice actors feel as though they are just reading lines. It's rather narrative and descriptive in the beginning and then loses a lot of that as the story goes on, not explaining enough when it needs to later on. It feels like it should have been much shorter. They did do a good job matching the voices though so it does get some props for that.

Art

[kneiss1 · 9/10 · 26 October 2010]

It's impressive what this guys managed to create 1968. Only Disney movies have been on a similar level back then. The drawings have been beautiful, it was full of amazing action, great characters (especially Hilda impressed me) and a captivating story. Also worth mentioning is the music. The music was totally unusual and impressive.

Sadly the story doesn't make fully sense. Some characters aren't designed as well as they could have been. Especially the evil demon didn't look impressive at all - not even slightly scary. Also the drawings lacked detail all together. But that is all understandable, since "Anime" has been in it's children's shoes.

I don't know why, but Isao Takahata movies are the emotionally most touching movies for me. Hotaru no haka (Grave of the Fireflies) has been the most extreme cinematic experience for me. I am almost crying remembering this movie. And it's almost 10 years ago since I watched it the last time. Horus is different. It's not a sad movie, like Grave of the Fireflies is. I'ts quite cheerful and optimistic. It's one of the movies that is so warmhearted, that it makes you feel like a child again.

An unsung milestone in animation history

[MissSimonetta · 10/10 · 25 February 2015]

The influence of Horus: Prince of the Sun (1968) cannot be overstated. It is not only the feature debut of the legendary Isao Takahata or a precursor of Studio Ghibli; it changed the face of Japanese animation forever, pushing aside the notion that all animation must be for children, that all animation must fit in the Disney musical mold.

I don't feel I need to go into the film's notoriously troubled production; other reviewers have done so with skill. But let me stress to you that if you consider yourself a fan of animation at all, you owe it to yourself to view Horus. Its musical numbers and talking animals are belied by psychological realism, a gritty sensibility, and political commentary. This isn't just a dark family film in the mode of Disney's Pinocchio (1940) or Bluth's The Secret of NIMH (1982), nor is it an "edgy" adult animation which mistakes crudity for maturity.

The film was a disappointment when first released, but its fan base grew quickly with re-releases, many of these fans being high school and college aged students who connected with the struggles of the protagonists, Horus and Hilda. In the United States, we have no equivalent to Horus as of this writing. We are still trapped by the Snow White and Toy Story model. I earnestly pray an American Takahata will one day give us a film such as this and change our animation landscape too.

Very good anime, for its time

[siderite · 8/10 · 24 February 2006]

I can only imagine how hard it was to do an animation such as this in 1968. At the time Disney was doing Mickey Mouse animation (the squeaky voice ones) and Yellow Submarine was released.

However, as in most Isao Takahata animes the focus is not on the animation, but on the script. People battle against the forces of evil using their most powerful weapon: will power. Evil comes in the form of bad luck, misfortune, direct attacks and sneaky social manipulation. Good's champion is a boy that has come to fulfill his dying father's last wish. You can find love, betrayal, anger, violence, marital ceremonies, friendship, all the hallmarks of good Japanese anime.

OK, the animation is not great. There are whole scenes of static images that are filmed , for example. Also, there is a plague that Disney is just now getting rid of, the plague of group songs in the middle of the film. But there are a lot of good things that overcome by far the bad parts. It's like a battle of good versus evil in its own :)

Doesn't hurt to mention Hayao Miyazaki, which is humbly placed somewhere in the middle of the crew list, as an animator and scene designer. As far as I know this is his first work, but you already find a lot of elements that will appear in all his work from then on.

Any anime fanatic must watch this. Children or very young people might get slightly bored.

Should be on DVD

[carolyn-25 · 9/10 · 2 September 2003]

With so much anime coming to the States in DVD, I don't know why this great film (possibly my first animated foreign film) hasn't recieved greater acclaim.

I love the music to this film, I love the storyline, and the multi-faceted characters. I wish some studio would get on the ball, and get this a bit more attention.

It's a great film. And a great intro to anime before there was "anime."

Sincerely,

JThree

[e-mail]

An great film for anime fans and fans of Toei Animation

[ja_kitty_71 · 10/10 · 21 December 2007]

I have watched this anime film on YouTube, and I find it an excellent anime film from 1968. I have also found out that this film was one of the first movies that anime legends Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata worked on. And, because the film is set in Norse lands, I am a fan of Norse folklore and myths, though I saw no evidence of them in the film.

While watching the movie, I found the little children (Philip and Mauni) and Koro the bear cub to be very, very cute. I also love Hilda, even though she can be a bit evil (under the Frost King's control), but she does have a great singing voice. So, overall, this is a great film for anime fans and fans of Toei Animation.

A Landmark and still excellent

[jose-cruz53 · 9/10 · 4 January 2013]

This was perhaps the most sophisticated animated feature ever made up to that time, in 1968. It is much more serious and dramatic than any Disney film ever made and shows that animation is equally valid as live action for serious cinema (in fact, maybe even superior, given its exaggerated expressiveness and impressionistic potential). Note: this is not a film for very young children as it deals with very serious matters despite being an animated film made in the 1960's with talking animals.

Highly recommended and I think this is a must see film for those that wish to be film buffs.

most important anime of all time

[thisissubtitledmovies · 8/10 · 31 December 2010]

excerpt, more at my location - Developed and created in 1968, Isao Takahata's first feature-length outing fuses Japanese and Norse philosophies and mythologies into the charmingly grown-up children's tale that is The Little Norse Prince.

While the impact of The Little Norse Prince resonates even in today's modern anime, as an individual film, it is a triumphant hallmark of sublime animation and an adult story with genuine heart, warmth, danger and menace that the talking squirrels of Disney's preceding '60s sword film (The Sword In The Stone) could only dream of achieving.

The originality that The Little Norse Prince exudes is nothing short of impressive, as his anti-aging formula transports us back in time to makes us feel young and vulnerable. While it may not be the greatest anime of all time, it is nothing short of being the most important.

Miyazaki + Takahata = What do you expect?

[xxbrennan · 8/10 · 13 August 2006]

After hours of trying to figure out how to download a torrent and how to show the torrent with subtitles, I finally got to see this movie. I turned off the television, turned off the lights, and lied on my bed as the opening of the movie began to run. As I finally got comfortable, the great storyline, wonderful art, and awesome music began to take its toll. I, of course, had high expectations for this movie, the big Ghibli freak I am. Was this movie worth 5 hours of work? Of course.

The story begins with Horus fighting a pack of wolves, where he looses his ax and is taken up by Maug, a rock giant. On Maug's shoulder is the Sword of the Sun, which, surpassing Maug's expectations, Horus pulls out. Maug tells him he must restore the sword and master it, and he will become the Prince of the Sun.

Horus later finds from Koro, a bear whom Horus has befriended, that his father is dying. He reaches his father in time for him to tell Horus about where he came from. He also tells him to go and find his people.

Horus and Koro set out to find his people, and he comes across Grunwald, who gives Horus the opportunity to become his brother. Horus refuses, as he knows Grunwald is the demon that destroyed his village. Grunwald then makes him fall off a cliff, thinking Horus is dead.

Horus is later found by a child from a village nearby and wakes at the boys home, to find that his father was just killed by a giant fish. Horus later kills the fish, allowing fish to come upstream and feed the villagers.

He soon meets Hilda in an abandoned village, who tells him that her village was destroyed and was the only survivor, and that no village will accept her. He then takes her to his village, where she is accepted by all because of her beautiful singing.

From there you will find action, adventure, betrayal, loss, friendship, and redemption.

I won't tell you any more than this, but just know that this movie is filled with great characters with real personalities, a wonderful score, and an awesome storyline. Everyone can identify with at least one of the complex characters. A must see for any Miyazaki, Takahata, Ghibli, or Anime fans.

Fantastic Animation Feature from Early Takahata and Miyazaki

[Ziglet_mir · 9/10 · 9 March 2020]

Absolutely groundbreaking animation film for the likes of '68. The directorial feature film debut of Isao Takahata and the very first film worked on by Hayao Miyazaki (Art Department-Scene Designer) is an enjoyable watch and easy to get into.

The vast array of characters are all rather memorable (with exception of maybe one or two). The main character, Hols, is a little firecracker that helps drive the film along. Coro, Hols best animal friend, may be the cutest animated character I've ever seen.

While some scenes and transitions are undeniably clunky and rough, there are other sequences like the intro scene and the battle of the pike that are truly mesmerizing. Both of these examples provide ample evidence of the talents we would later get in all Studio Ghibli films.

With a story maybe as old as time, with Faustian tropes, it is good for kids and adults alike. Which leads to another remarkable trait of the film being that Takahata and Co. showed the world there could be animated films not only made in the vein of Disney but also for adults.

I usually like watching these films with subtitles but the only version available to me is the english dub. I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy the voice talents (Rockoar FTW) here and the overall dub work is good to great.

Highly recommended for Studio Ghibli fans and animation fans solely for what this film has contributed to its genres and the development of two of the now animation-director legends.

A dark masterpiece for its time

[badscene · 10/10 · 20 February 2020]

For 1966, this blew my expectations away for such an early feature length anime.

The story is quite twisted, a dark and faustian fantasy-with elements of horror and fairy tales- a welcomed contrast to disney's typically sugared up / watered down narratives.

The story is about a young hero, a chosen one, who is challenged by the devil, while he reeks havoc on mankind, specifically a small fishing village. There are some very thematic scenes, deaths, etc and I would consider this more of an adult cartoon, as the themes here would likely go past most kid's heads, however there are some cute little critter companions and such.

I'm not surprised to see Miyazaki himself worked on this film. It has the spirit of Ghibli films and of the studio had existed in '66, this would be exactly the type of groundbreaking film I would expect from it. Not to mention, it would I imagine be much more popular. I loved it.

Also worth noting: I watched in Japanese with english subtitles and found the voice acting exceptional.

Not one of my favourite animes, still very good and ground-breaking

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 3 July 2017]

Being someone who likes anime very much, being especially a fan of Hayou Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli, 'The Little Norse Prince' was interesting from historical interest and holds up pretty well now.

'The Little Norse Prince' isn't perfect. It fares weakest in the dialogue, which is rather stilted and rambling. Some of the animation, though not all (some of it is actually impressive for very early anime), lacks finesse and has a rough around the edges look in particularly the character designs. However, while not loving 'The Little Norse Prince' there was enough here to make me admire it a lot. While the flaws are obvious, there is also a lot to like.

As aforementioned, many other parts of the animation do impress, like in the ethereal colours and meticulously detailed and sometimes imaginative backgrounds. The music is haunting and richly beautiful, complementing the tone perfectly.

What was particularly admirable too was the storytelling. It is a simple story, without being over-simplified or dumbed down, yet has mature and complex themes that give it an emotional maturity and complexity without being confusing. The characters are interesting and engaging and the voice acting is pretty solidly emotive.

All in all, very good and breaks new ground but not one of my favourites. Plenty to admire though and recommended. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Impressive, Well-Aged Debut for Miyazaki and Takahata

[BabelAlexandria · 9/10 · 9 May 2022]

Although it was made in 1968, this fascinating animated film feels more like it came out a few years before Nausicaa in the early 1980s; fans of Studio Ghibli will recognize all of its distinctive calling cards. One of these calling cards is the feeling of being totally immersed in an alternate world, which, in this case, is achieved through cultural ambiguity. The odd title, Horus: Prince of the Sun, suggests a pseudo-Egyptian setting, but that couldn't be further from the truth: it is instead vaguely Scandinavian, with its focus on northern villages, but drawing on the culture and mythology of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido, Japan's northern island. There are relatively few people, and they are barely surviving given the harsh environment and the evil demon Grunwald, who wants to eliminate humanity; in fact, the isolated village recalls in many ways the post-apocalyptic world of Nausicaa.

While this movie is usually heralded as an auspicious beginning for Japanese anime and Studio Ghibli, I noticed the strong influence of one of its forebears: Lev Atamanov's Snow Queen. In particular, the dark and cold Grunwald is very much like a male version of the Snow Queen, including his appearance. Horus and Hilda recall Kay and Gerda, except that here it is Hilda who is under the spell of the Snow (King). Hilda, like Gerda, is guided by a bird, this time an evil owl. I could go on, but the influence is real, and significant, as acknowledged by Miyazaki. The major difference is that, unlike the later Ghibli films (and Atamanov's Snow Queen, for example), it is the male rather than the female who is the lead.

A debut film that foreshadows later work

[breadandhammers · 10 February 2022]

Takahata's debut film foreshadows the work that he will do later, but to be honest, the filmmaking, animation, and story are rough here. Even masters have to start somewhere! The story follows the Horus, who has to avenge the death of his father by defeating the evil ice devil Grunwald. He winds up at a village and rescues a girl, Hilda, who later betrays Horus when it's revealed she's secretly Grunwald's sister. The story and animation is ambitious here, with a giant battle at the end between Horus and Grunwald.

fascinating early anime

[alv790 · 9 February 2019]

This early anime tells an epic story, in the style of a fairy tale, and has some powerful sequences. I like the art and character designs, but the animation is basic, and it even has a couple of scenes told through still images, no doubt as a way to cut cost. Still, it caught my attention throughout and I found it fascinating, so I won't let the animation limitations influence the rating. You can see the Disney influences (talking animals, songs), but used in a different, darker way. Also, apparently it was rather influential in the development of the anime storytelling tradition. Rating: 8/10