# is the animated movie "The Last Unicorn" an anime title? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586 "2007-02-10T02:10:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/1 "2007-02-10T02:10:53Z")
I thought it was american but someone told me that a japanese studio did the animation. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/2 "2007-02-10T02:23:11Z")
Actually, from what I understand, almost all animation is actually drawn in Korea. But where it’s drawn has no bearing on the style, and in that regard, The Last Unicorn is not anime, it’s “western style” animation. edit: After reading the other post and looking at screencaps, I guess it’s sort of almost anime. That is to say, not exactly like what current anime looks like, but not exactly like western style either. I guess my memory of it was off. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/3 "2007-02-10T02:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=BluePitbull] I thought it was american but someone told me that a japanese studio did the animation. [/QUOTE] From [Wikipedia:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Unicorn_%28film%29) > [@](#): > > Although officially produced by an American company, the film is an important transitional work in the development of Japanese anime, since most of its animation was subcontracted to the Japanese company Topcraft (whose main artists shortly afterward became the core of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli). ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/4 "2007-02-10T02:24:00Z")
It doesn’t anything like anime, no. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/5 "2007-02-10T02:25:25Z")
It was produced by Rankin/Bass – the same people who did **Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer** for TV, so it’s definitely American. But it was filmed in Japan as a way to cut costs. It’s not something like **The Spirit of Alakazam** , where the US producers took an anime film and dubbed it into English. **The Last Unicorn** is based on a book by Peter Beagle, so its genesis is in the US and was overseen to fit US tastes. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/6 "2007-02-10T02:28:25Z")
[QUOTE=Septima] It doesn’t anything like anime, no. [/QUOTE] Mostly, no, but [the unicorn herself](http://www.thegline.com/dvd-of-the-week/2006/06-04-2006.htm) looks very anime to me. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/7 "2007-02-10T02:44:34Z")
I’ll admitt the unicorn has some anime-ishness, but the human faces are nothing like anime, which is what I was thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/8 "2007-02-10T03:07:12Z")
For some ungodly reason I still have this movie on VHS and haven’t watched it in 10 years. As for the Uni, I don’t think it looks anime-ish either. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/9 "2007-02-10T03:09:48Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] **The Last Unicorn** is based on a book by Peter Beagle, so its genesis is in the US and was overseen to fit US tastes. [/QUOTE] **Howl’s Moving Castle** was based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones, but that doesn’t have any bearing on wether or not the film is anime. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/10 "2007-02-10T03:23:36Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] **Howl’s Moving Castle** was based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones, but that doesn’t have any bearing on wether or not the film is anime. [/QUOTE] There’s also an anime of Starship Troopers (the Bugs are big squidgy slime things, but it still manages to be more faithful than the American flick). There are other examples, too. I’m pretty sure The Wizard of Oz\*, Anne of Green Gables both have anime adaptations, for example. - There’s a particular one I’m thinking of, but I can’t find a clear indication of if it was a Japanese production dubbed by a Canadian company, or a Canadian production animated in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/11 "2007-02-10T04:15:03Z")
Does anyone mind if I mini-hijack this thread and ask the same question for “Flight of the Dragons.” I hope I got the name right. It’s the movie where a boy gets recruited by a wizard to fight another evil wizard. That, and he rides a dragon. Wow, that sounds a lot like Eragon. But, unlike Eragon, it was animated and, more importantly, did not suck. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/12 "2007-02-10T04:16:41Z")
[http://www.peterbeagle.com/](http://www.peterbeagle.com/) > [@](#): > > New Last Unicorn DVD! > > A new DVD release of The Last Unicorn will be available in February 2007 from Lionsgate Entertainment. The video and audio have been digitally remastered, and the movie is presented in widescreen format with 5.1 (surround sound) audio, and ships in a special edition package. > > Reasons to buy this special release instead of the older DVD: > > The older DVD was a very bare-bones version - no special features, and pretty bad sound and video quality. The new DVD will have a featurette including an interview with Peter, and the 1982 theatrical trailer. > > You can buy a copy of the new DVD autographed by Peter himself! > > Most importantly, if you purchase copies of the DVD (autographed or not) from Conlan Press, Peter will receive part of the purchase price. If you purchase copies elsewhere, he’ll get nothing at all! (See this page for the ongoing story: [http://www.conlanpress.com/youcanhelp/](http://www.conlanpress.com/youcanhelp/) ) Beagle is one of the good guys. Support him if you can. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/13 "2007-02-10T04:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] Does anyone mind if I mini-hijack this thread and ask the same question for “Flight of the Dragons.” I hope I got the name right. It’s the movie where a boy gets recruited by a wizard to fight another evil wizard. That, and he rides a dragon. Wow, that sounds a lot like Eragon. But, unlike Eragon, it was animated and, more importantly, did not suck. [/QUOTE] There was an animated movie called _Flight of Dragons_, but it might not be the one you’re thinking of. It features a young man, not a boy, and he doesn’t ride a dragon, he gets transformed into one. Although he does get recruited (from the modern world) by a wizard who needs help against another, evil wizard. It’s a great movie, and also deserves a DVD release. It was based off of two books. It took it’s name and the stuff about dragon physiology from [this book](http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Dragons-Peter-Dickinson/dp/0879518391/sr=8-3/qid=1171082492/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/105-5085989-7395666?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Peter Dickinson, and it’s plot and characters from [The Dragon and the George](http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-George-Gordon-R-Dickson/dp/0345350502/sr=8-9/qid=1171082492/ref=pd_bbs_9/105-5085989-7395666?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Gordon Dickson. Both are excellent books. The former isn’t a novel, it’s a fully illustrated, pseudo-scientific argument for the real existence of dragons in the ancient world. To actually answer your question: no, it wasn’t anime. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/14 "2007-02-10T05:30:53Z")
[QUOTE=Tengu] There are other examples, too. I’m pretty sure The Wizard of Oz\*, Anne of Green Gables both have anime adaptations, for example. [/QUOTE] And _Peter Pan_. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/15 "2007-02-10T06:08:51Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] There was an animated movie called _Flight of Dragons_ . . . To actually answer your question: no, it wasn’t anime. [/QUOTE] Yes, that was exactly what I meant. Thanks a bunch. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/16 "2007-02-10T06:50:14Z")
Flight of Dragons was produced by Rankin-Bass as well. It’s most memorable for the rather surprising sequence at the end where (spoilering it just in case people want to see it because of this thread): the main character defeats the evil wizard by pointing out the scientific flaws in his magic. Over all it was okay; better than any of the direct to video crap that Disney now spews out but the film drags. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/17 "2007-02-10T16:26:55Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] **Howl’s Moving Castle** was based on a book by Diana Wynne Jones, but that doesn’t have any bearing on wether or not the film is anime. [/QUOTE] True, but a film by a book by an American author, written by the author, with an American producer and director, an American production designer, an American character designer, and filmed before the term “anime” had even entered the English language (Last Unicorn - 1982; first OED cite of “anime” referring to a film: 1988) is clearly not anime. ---
**Author:** ![Elysium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@Elysium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysium)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/18 "2007-02-10T16:54:30Z")
I would consider it as not anime as it’s origin was in the US. Unlike Howl’s Moving Castle, which while based on an American book was adapted and entirely animated by Ghibli, The Last Unicorn was a production by Rankin-Bass and thus an American title. Many many animations have their grunt work done overseas, but when it comes to classifying them I tend to go take into account who the target audience is (Americans? Japanese? Other countries?) and who’s funding it. These days a lot more comics and cartoons are being in in manga or anime style. To me, adapting typical Japanese style does not make them anime or manga. To be categorized in those genres IMO they must be made by Japanese companies or artists for Japanese audiences. Anything else is just appropriating the style. For example artist Jill Thompson’s work as in [this title](http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Boy-Detectives-Jill-Thompson/dp/1401203132/sr=1-5/qid=1171126136/ref=sr_1_5/102-4937732-7659306?ie=UTF8&s=books) is clearly drawn in manga style but it’s still an American made comic. It’s not manga, it’s manga-style. But that’s just how I classify things. I went to school (AIB illustration dept.) with far too many young men and women who wanted to draw ‘real’ manga and it annoyed the crap out of me. ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/19 "2007-02-10T17:40:23Z")
So, this isn’t the short story writen by Samantha Darko, is it. ---
**Author:** ![BluePitbull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@BluePitbull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BluePitbull)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586/20 "2007-02-10T18:02:20Z")
So anime in English language, must be made/funded by a Japanese studio and made primarily for the Japanese people. I know some anime fans insist it is anime because it is deep for a cartoon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-animated-movie-the-last-unicorn-an-anime-title/391586.md?page=2)