Not to be confused with the 1939 classic with Judy Garland, this Anime adaptation of L. Frank Baum's masterpiece, THE WIZARD OF OZ was made in 1982 by Toho and directed by Fumihiko Takayama. Primarily made for an American audience, the film, strangely, didn't release in Japan until about four years later. The plot is identical to the original; Dorothy and her dog Toto are literally swept over the rainbow via a tornado to the mystical kingdom of Oz. In order to return to her home in Kansas, she must pay a visit to the mysterious wizard, who can grant her wish. Enroute, she befriends a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion, all of who seek a brain, heart, and courage, respectively, and after a series of adventures, including a showdown with the wicked witch of the West, they get more than what they bargained for.

What's interesting about this version is that it follows the book more closely than the 1939 classic. (There will be spoilers in this paragraph for those of you who don't know.) When her house crashes on the Witch of the East, Dorothy meets the elderly witch of the North; she doesn't meet the beautiful Glinda until the very end. The journey to Oz also involves some obstacles, like bounding over a gap, and outrunning a vicious panther/lion monster (Kalidah). Likewise, when our heroes meet the Wizard himself, he appears in different forms — a disembodied emerald head (to Dorothy), an angel (to the Scarecrow), a ferocious rhino (to the Tin Man), and a blazing inferno (to the lion.) Further, the witch initially attacks Dorothy and her companions first with a pack of wolves, then a flock of crows (who, rather bizarrely in this version, morph into a massive one), and finally her flying monkeys. All this flows for a breezy 79 minutes.

As far as the artistic qualities are concerned, the animation is occasionally stiff, but the colors are pretty and the characters well drawn — by 80's standards, that is. The choice of presenting Dorothy as a blonde-haired girl is a curious, but it strangely doesn't detract. Toto, intriguingly, resembles Jock from LADY AND THE TRAMP (what with the mustache). Obviously, the film was done on a small budget, so one shouldn't expect full animation. It's not the worst I've seen, though, and as mentioned it is at the very least colorful. Surprisingly, this was done at Top Craft animation studios, better known for Rankin-Bass collaborations, notably THE LAST UNICORN, and of course, would go on to make NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND — you know, the famous Miyazaki classic. More intriguingly, Joe Hisaishi — yes, THAT Joe Hisaishi — also provides the music for this version. It's quite different from his usual style, employing a light jazz tone, especially when our pals are traveling down the Yellow Brick Road. Only on occasion do we hear his typical orchestral style, but even then it's far less grand than his Ghibli films. Of the three songs, the first one, which is featured over the opening and closing credits, tilts a bit toward disco, complete with an electric guitar and drums for good measure, while the other two are a pleasant guitar-plucking ballad and a big band/brassy march. None of these tunes compare favorably to the now famous Harold Arlen score, sorry to say, but at least they are inoffensive.

I videotaped this off the Disney Channel several years ago, but have since obtained an official video copy (thanks to winning another EBAY auction). Of course, it's dub only, so I am unable to compare it to the subtitles (a petty price to pay, because I think it already scores in the accuracy department in being faithful to the original story, linewise and characterwise).

That said, for an early 80's dub, THE WIZARD OF OZ features some surprisingly good voice acting. The best voice in the dub belongs to Aileen Quinn (best known as the title character from ANNIE); her Dorothy is convincing, full of energy, and endearing. She also has a great singing voice (even if the adapted lyrics on the three songs are occasionally choppy). It's a shame she's not doing anymore films, much less dubs; Quinn showcased amazing talent for such a young age. The rest of the cast are filled out with Canadian voice actors. The late Billy Van plays the Scarecrow, and while he doesn't replace Ray Bolger's legendary take on the supposedly brainless straw man (then again neither does the rest of the cast to their characters, but I'm not going to compare this dub unfavorably to the masterpiece we know and love) he manages to hit the right spot. John Stocker, better known for playing comic characters, is surprisingly good as the Tin Man, providing the character with enough warmth and tenderness. Elizabeth Hanna voices both the Witch of the North and the Wicked Witch of the West. She excels in both parts. On the other hand, Thick Wilson sounds more gruff than cowardly as the lion, and Lorne Greene is strangely detached, which is a bit disappointing considering he is supposed to play the Wizard of Oz.

Aside from that (and the rough lyrics from the songs), the only problems I noticed with this dub is the dialogue and lip synchronization. The script features some occasionally awkward-sounding lines, mostly due to lipflap purposes, and there are a few (minor) gaping mouths. However, given that this was a product of the early 1980's, this is best to be expected. Even with its flaws, this dub of a classic story Anime-style isn't a horrible listen at all. It could have been much worse.

All in all, this now obscure Japanese animated adaptation of THE WIZARD OF OZ, although inferior to the 1939 classic, manages to be enjoyable on its own turf, despite its age. It's well worth a watch, if mainly out of curiosity or a chance to hear Annie in her first (and only) voice acting role.