Taro the Dragon Boy (1979)

Just what I expected

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I first saw Taro when it was released by Turner on VHS back in the late 1980s. It instantly became a hit with my children, all three of whom came to love it; and we all watched it countless times. We were discouraged to learn that Turner had decided not to re-release the film on VHS, and we subsequently waited for years to see it come out on DVD. The artwork in this film is lovely, with many of the frames looking like a Japanese watercolor. There are elements of Japanese mythology here, as well as action, adventure, and important lessons in life and character building. Taro, an immensely strong and chubby orphan, must set out alone to discover the secret of his mother's disappearance. Along the way he learns that hard work, cooperation, honesty and ambition are essential to his survival. Children will enjoy the film and they may come to identify with the heroic Taro, the Dragon Boy, despite cultural differences and/or language barriers.

Although this film was released on home video in the U.S. in 1984 as "Taro the Dragon Boy" (five years after it appeared in Japanese theaters), not many people seem to remember it, which is a shame, as it is one of the best anime films I've ever seen. I rented the English-dubbed version, helmed by the legendary Peter Fernandez (also worked on the English dubs of "Speed Racer" and "Superbook"), on video from my video store on several occasions as a child, and was awestruck. Taro is a remarkable young man - he possesses immense strength and an enormous appetite, but he also has a heart of gold, and the object of his quest is to find his mother who was changed into a dragon many years ago. (One scene which made a big impression on me is the scene in which Taro and the villagers are feasting after Taro defeated a demon who was threatening the village, and Taro can't enjoy the celebration because he keeps thinking of the folks back in his home village who have nothing to eat. That shows what a pure, good heart he has.) This film holds up very well even to this day. The animation is remarkably fluid given that the film is now over a quarter-century old, and the music is also very well-done. There are even vocal songs, which were dubbed into English for the U.S. release, and they're also pretty good, even in English. The dubbed voices are also quite good, as I recall. The ending will absolutely have you in tears. If you can find a used copy of this film on VHS, by all means pick it up. It's a real classic. (Incidentally, despite the Japanese title, "Tatsu no ko Taro," this animation was NOT produced by Tatsunoko Production, but by Toei Animation, which later became internationally famous for "Dragonball," "Sailor Moon," and "One Piece.")

This is an excellent old anime. It is very stylized with Japanese ink paintings for backgrounds and characters reminiscent of those in Miyazaki films. I am not sure if this is a Japanese or Chinese film however.I have enjoyed this movie since I was a kid and still enjoy it, though it is very hard to find.

I love this film! When I was little (4 or 5) I used to watch it over and over again...I think I eventually wore out the tape. It has everything to keep kids mesmerized: demons, spirits, dragons and a superstrong child protagonist. I would love to get my hands on another copy...