Shiriusu no densetsu

Here is another rarely-seen anime film I watched online, and after I did, I loved it. It's a beautifully animated fantasy about two star-crossed lovers from opposite sides: Fire and Water. You know, I didn't know Sanrio, creator of Hello Kitty and all the other cuddly characters we love, made this film, but now I do.

The feud between Fire and Water started a long time ago, when the two siblings, Oceanus, God of Water (Sirius' father), and Hyperia, Goddess of Fire (Malta's mother), lived in peace and dearly loved each other. However, the God of Wind, Algaroc, becomes jealous of the pair's happiness and spreads lies and deceit between them until their hatred for each other brings about war. Finally, Algaroc was imprisoned by the King of Gods himself, but after that time, the brother and sister still despised each other. And so the children of fire and water remained apart. Years later, Prince Sirius of the Water and Princess Malta of the Fire meet and fall in love, and they meet in secret.

So that was all I could tell you. And I don't have a favorite scene because I love this film from beginning to end.

I saw this on either HBO or Showtime in the early 80's (As the legend of Sirius) and was entranced by it. The story is a retelling of Romeo and Juliette, though with a happier ending (Not a difficult feat). It also reminds me greatly (especially Ursula) of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid', though that came much later (And wasn't as good). The final battle between Posideon and 'Ursula' (A very different beast that I can't remember the actual name of) is better than Disney's offering, including the animation.

Our hero Sirius, a water child, falls in love with Marta, a fire child. In the english translation, they were Prince and Princess, respectively though that doesn't affect the storyline much. Friends are lost, and other sacrifices are made in the name of true love, then....well, can't give away the ending.

In my opinion, this is an absolutely romantic masterpiece about breaking rules to be together. If you ask me, the law about children of fire and children of water was absolutely pointless. You'll have to see the movie if you want to know why. On the other hand, Malta (voice of Mami Koyama) was a very beautiful young woman. I believe that she and Sirius (voice of Tôru Furuya) were truly meant for each other. To me, the setting was beautiful, the cast was well chosen, and the writing was strong. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that everyone involved in this film did very well. Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend this absolutely romantic masterpiece about breaking rules to be together to all of you who haven't seen it. You're in for a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with a friend, and watch it.

It seems that the 80s had many great fantasy films all in a bunch (neverending story, last unicorn, etc...) I grew up with these films. Sadly this one is on a tape so faded that it cannot be watched. This is unfortunate since if it was decent I would try to preserve it on dvd... This is definetly a film worth preserving or maybe a re-release on dvd which many companies are doing of late.

It is a rare event when I rate a movie on the level of a 10, but if I could, I would go even higher for this film. I grew up with many films like this. Cartoon fantasies including "BFG", "The Brave Frog", "The Hobbit", and even "Wizards"... but none quite effected me on the level of this brilliant movie. While, when I was young, I did not capture the fantastic beauty of such a sweet story, I did feel something that nothing else gave me. Something... perfect. I only wish I could find it, and sadly I cannot.

The story is, as many say, somewhat themed after Shakespeare's classic "Romeo & Juliet", however, the mixture of vibrant Fantasy and animation makes this far more memorable (And I am a lover of R&J). This is, in my truest of hearts, THE movie to me. There is no better movie, and there is no film that means more.

I would recommend this to anyone with a child in their heart, and passion in their soul. It is a wonderful piece of cinematic genius, and I know that if I could only find it... I could reclaim a piece of my wondrous childhood.

If you ever find this, obtain it and hold onto it. You do not know what a beautiful Gem you possess.