Horus: Prince of the Sun

**Horus: Prince of the Sun** (also known as **The Great Adventure of Horus: Prince of the Sun** or **Taiyo no oji: Horusu no Daiboken** in Japanese and **The Little Norse Prince**) is a 1968, Japanese, children's, family, action-adventure, fantasy, drama, musical, anime film. It was written by Kazuo Fukazawa and directed by Isao Takahata. It became the debut for Takahata as director. Hayao Miyazaki was also involved in this as a consultant. It was produced by Toei Doga (later Toei Animation).

## Plot

A boy named Hols is chased down by a pack of silver wolves. He manages to fight off several of them by using his tethered hatchet. But the hatchet breaks off when he tries striking it on one wolf. Just as it seems like Hols is about to be done for when the wolves surround him, a rocky giant named Rockoor, also known as the Man of the Mountain, is disturbed by this and awakened. He and Hols meet, and introduce each other. Rockoor asks Hols what century this is, then why he disturbed his slumber. Hols says the silver wolves are responsible for this. Rockoor has a sword stuck in his "boulder shoulder" and he mentions how he's aching because of it. Hols offers to pull it out, but Rockoor doubts that he can do it. Hols gives it a try, but its jammed in there too well, at first. Hols suddenly manages to pull it out successfully after trying again. Hols uses the sword on the wolves to destroy them. Rockoor tells Hols that it's no ordinary sword, as it is known as the Sword of the Sun. He tells Hols he's welcome to keep it if he likes and he does. It turns out that Hols is the Prince of the Sun and it is his destiny to use it to defend it from a malevolent being. But the sword has become dull. Rockoor promises that he'll come to see if this is true and to help when the time comes. Hols runs across the land and slides down some hills, and mountainsides before he comes to a cliff, and falls into a river. A talking bear cub and friend of Hols named Koro runs towards him to alert him that something is going on with his father. Hols follows Koro and hurries back to were Hols's dad is. His dad is bedridden and he tells his son he is about to die. Hols doesn't want to believe this is so, but his dad interrupts him as he talks about their past. They lived in a village years ago before it was destroyed by the malevolent being, which is a demon named Grunwald, who is also known as the King of the Frost. Several of the villagers were killed and their homes became ruined. Hols's dad took him out of the village, leaving with him for safety. But looking back on it, he realizes now that he should'd stayed behind to help the survivors rebuild. Then, Hols's dad tells him that he must go back to the village where they once lived before the attack happened. With that, he passes away and Hols mourns him. After burning down their home as it's customary, Hols and Koro depart by boat. Koro asks where they're going and he tells him they're heading back to the village. On the way, they come across a sand dune when they're suddenly attacked by crows and a large crow flies down and grabs Hols, carrying him away while Koro is left behind, struggling to climb up and the sand flows downward like a waterfall. The crow takes Hols to a mountainous area where Hols grabs the hatchet-end of the tether and he climbs as he is pulled up, but it turns out that it's Grunwald who grabs the other end, and helps. Grunwald wants Hols to be his ward and assist him in attacking the village some more, but Hols turns him down and refuses. Grunwald advises him to rethink that decision, as Hols's life is in his hands. When Hols still refuses, they have a fight. Hols loses the fight and his balance as he falls off the cliff.

Meanwhile, a boy named Frep is running through the forest, hunting and chasing after a rabbit he's trying with difficulty to catch. When he spots Hols floating down a river, he runs off to get help. Later, Hols wakes up to find that he'd been taken into somebody's home. He sees a man and blacksmith named Ganko heating up a sword. He comments that red hot iron is beautiful, but hardened iron is even more beautiful. Hols admires the work he's done on it and asks if his sword can be hardened as well and Ganko tells him yes. When Hols tries using a sledgehammer on a sword, the sledgehammer breaks apart. A woman named Hellenthal tells Hols they don't have any fish due to a shortage but she has some other food for him instead. He takes the food and thanks her for it. Frep rushes in to tell his family that his dad and Hellenthal's husband, Mola, has died. A funeral is held for him that night and the villagers have gathered to pay their final respects. Mola became a victim as a result of trying to hunt down and kill a giant pike that has been responsible for causing the fish shortage. The village deputy, Drago, says that he knew that this was a bad idea as he thinks it was because of an evil spirit. He, the village chief, and a villager named Boldo argue about what would'd been the best thing to do and what should'd been done. But Hellenthal tells them to stop bickering about it, as it is useless and she thinks her late husband wouldn't want them to avenge him. Originally, many of the villagers agreed with Boldo and were ready to go battle the pike too, but changed their minds once they heard Hellenthal's reasoning. After Hols hears about the pike, he decides to search for it to kill it himself.

Hols goes to the river where the pike is and hides in a crevice for a moment when he sees it swimming passed him. After he confronts the pike and tussles with it, he eventually gains the upper hand once he kills it with his hatchet. When Hols returns to the village to tell the others that he killed the pike, Frep is upset and in disbelief as he wanted to be the one to kill it. He says that one day he'll get the pike himself once he grows up big and strong. A boy named Potom, who is the village chief's son, carries a fish happily and tells the other villagers what he's got. There is a plentiful supply of fish again and all the villagers are thrilled about it. Potom meets Hols and tells him to join them as they, and the others collect their fish, and sing joyously in celebration. After a wolf informs Grunwald about the pike he sent was slain, he has the wolf do some dirty work since it destroyed his plan. Grunwald knows that Hols must be gotten rid of before he gets rid of him. Back at the village, Koro makes his way there and enters it. Frep spots Koro and tries to hunt him before Koro notices Hols. The two run to each other and reunite happily. Later that night, Potom is pressing on a pump to keep a fire burning when Frep, his mom, and Koro come in the room. Hellenthal gives Hols a new outfit that she says belonged to her husband. Hols accepts it, changes out of his old outfit, and puts on his new one. Hols has become popular with the villagers as the chief and Drago watch from the former's home. Drago has his suspicions about Hols, believing that he has got to be up to no good as he tries convincing the chief. A male villager informs the others that a wolf pack is racing towards their village. The villagers fend off the wolves by taking apart the chief's barn and using the parts as weapons. The sacrifice being made on the chief's barn doesn't sit well with him.

As Hols wanders about, he sees a girl sitting on a high, wooden post. After asking each other who he and she is, she introduces her animal friends: a mostly white, talking owl named Tata and a mostly brown, talking squirrel named Chiru. She introduces herself as Hilda. She claims that she came from another village, which was destroyed when the monster (Grunwald) attacked it and that nobody survived except her. Hilda tells Hols not to feel bad and sad for her, as she has her music that she plays on a mini harp to give her joy and her singing, as she demonstrates. Tata comments on her singing, but Chiru asks if it will draw in the villagers. Because Hilda and Hols have something in common, she thinks that they must be twins. Hols invites Hilda to come back with him to his village and she's happy to join them if she's welcomed. The chief and Drago are still discussing Hols when they hear Hilda's singing coming from outside the window. It draws the inhabitants who are enchanted by it. Drago comments to the chief on how beautiful her singing voice is when the chief brushes him aside and Hilda continues. It's not just at sunset and into the night, but the next day as well. Most of the villagers went to Hilda to hear her perform some more. Since it's just Boldo and Potom who are left doing the work by themselves, Boldo doesn't see the point in continuing and quits. Tata watches from afar and he comments on her to keep singing as there seems to be an ulterior motive for that in store. At home, Potom complains to his grandfather, Ganko, about it. But Ganko asks him if that's all he's going to do rather than doing something else about it to take action. Hilda enters their home where she finds them and Hols, who's working on hardening his sword. She asks to see the work he's done on it. When she touches it, she suddenly feels funny but in pain. The others are concerned, but she tells them it's nothing before she runs out and away. Hols finds her sitting under a tree with Tata and Chiru. He tells her how he may not be able to use the sword on the monster, but he's going to use his hatchet instead. Hilda doubts this and tells him how neither of them will be effective before running off again, upset. Tata appears at Grunwald's icy lair to report to him about the progress with Hilda and Grunwald orders him to continue to get her to carry out the bad deed. While Hilda is walking through the village, Drago is on a roof and nearly falls off when a bird flies towards him. He spots Hilda and greets her. He asks her if she'd do him the favor of helping him go against Hols by singing as he says the chief is too old to handle things himself. She finds his request preposterous and laughs at him. But he tells her he's serious and persuades her that singing will get the villagers to go against Hols. She decides she'll agree to it after all. Hellenthal then invites Hilda to help with putting the finishing touches on the bride, Piria's dress for her upcoming wedding. A couple of the other women comments on how nice the dress turns out and Hellenthal hands Hilda a threading needle and a fish-shaped ornament. The others don't think that Hilda has ever sewn anything before and are amused. Hilda has an outburst, telling them how bad the dress looks, that it should be burned, and to take it off, shocking Hellenthal and the other women. A little girl named Mauni comes in and cheerfully throws a dupatta with a picture of the sun with facial features on Hilda's head and back. Hilda takes it off and throws it aside, shocking Mauni. As Hilda turns to leave, she tells them that she may not know much about sewing, but she knows about a lot of others things, then she flees and burst into tears, crying. The wedding ceremony between Piria and Rasun takes place before the festivities begin. But they're interrupted when the village is invaded again, this time by a plague of rats. All the villagers flee to safety and escape. Like several, other villagers, Piria and Rasun get to a higher area by climbing on a roof, but in the process, Piria loses her dupatta, which falls down and the rats carry it off with them. Piria nearly slips and falls off the roof, but manages to hang on and not lose her grip. After the rats have left, Piria's dupatta is found, but torn. Rasun asks his wife if she's alright. She says she is and thinks she just needs to go in their home to rest for a while. He carries her off there. Hilda then returns, pointing out that Hols could'd been responsible for all the havoc that has been created. Hols denies having anything to do with that. The other villagers begin to have second thoughts about him. When Hilda goes to see Drago again, he is very pleased with her. As he wonders what he's going to use to make it look like Hols tried to kill the chief, Hilda throws Hols's hatchet, which he had lost in the forest while tracking down and attempting to attack the silver wolf, into the window frame. Finding it useful, he takes the hatchet and thanks her for it. Hilda enters a room, kneels down near a table, and cries, racked with guilt over what she's doing. Mauni is playing with some other kids when they see Hilda. Mauni wants her to join them and she pulls her along while Frep rides on Koro's back.

Hilda and Mauni are in a meadow as Mauni shows Hilda how to pick flowers. She notices Hilda lost in thought and with a frown comments on how she never listens. Mauni then asks Hilda to sing for her. Hilda begins to do so, but hesitates, saying she can't. Mauni pleads for her to do it and Hilda gives in to her request. Her singing has put Mauni to sleep. Tata arrives, praising Hilda for her doing the job. He mentions that now the only thing left to do will be to kill her and the other villagers. Then, Chiru arrives and tries to sway her not to go through with it. Hilda decides to go against the plan, as she finds Mauni too precious to murder and doesn't have the heart. It turns out that Hilda is actually Grunwald's sister, taking on a human disguise. She wears a special medal known as the Medal of Life, which allows her to have immortality. Chiru asks Hilda if taking someone's life really is worth it just so she can have eternal life rather than getting married among other things. As Tata scares Chiru off, he says that the medal giving immortality is better than marriage. Chiru tries to convince Hilda to do the right thing and not listen to Tata. Not quite sure of what to do, Hilda gets upset and takes off once again. Furious with Chiru's interference, Tata approaches and looms over him before chasing him around, threatening to teach him a lesson he'll never forget.

When Hols meets up with Hilda again, he tells her he's not mad at her for what she did and that they're still friends. He tries to get her to open up to him. Hesitant, she asks what the point of that would be, so she can tell him that she's destined to carry out a murder on him before rushing off again. At the village, the chief is sitting in front of his home when Drago throws the hatchet at him, but misses and it contacts his house instead. The chief is startled and when Hols arrives, the chief suspects him as the first person who is responsible for this since it's Hols's hatchet. The chief comments on how Hols has been mentioning a monster was behind all of this before concluding that the monster is him. Hols is offended by the accusation and denies it. Potom and Ganko defend him, and vouch for him. Ganko says it's possible that it could'd been anybody who threw the hatchet. Unconvinced, most of the villagers turn against Hols, pelting him with stones, telling him to go back from where he came. Hols grabs the hatchet and runs off with it as he tells them he's going off to find proof of who did it to clear his name. When he finds Hilda once again, he's confused as to what is going on exactly. Tata comes and explains to him that Grunwald was responsible for sending the pack of wolves, attacking the villages, and that Hilda has a connection to Grunwald as his sister. But Hols refuses to hear any of that and tells Hilda it's not true, that she doesn't have to be like this, that she can live in the village, and be human. Hilda says she wants none of those things. As they're on a cliff, the cliff begins to break apart while Hilda wields a knife and approaches Hols. Hilda stabs Hols and kills him, making him fall off the cliff. Tata congratulates Hilda on the heinous act she just committed. Chiru is saddened and angered by what Hilda has done. So much so he flat out tells her he hates her before leaving. She asks him where he's going. He tells her he's heading off to stay with the villagers. Even though she and Grunwald might have him, and the villagers murdered, he'd rather stay with them since they know the meaning of kindness. Hilda returns to Grunwald, who is satisfied with her task. He tells her now they can finish off the others. However, Hilda refuses to join him and help him, realizing the error of her ways. He tries to get her to change her mind, but she remains adamant, telling him she'll move to the North Pole. He relents but warns her of the consequences of turning down his plan of them joining forces by showing her a vision, which is of the villagers charging at her, Hols breaking her medal, and slaying her with his sword. Hilda doesn't like what she sees, but reluctantly goes along with it. Meanwhile, Hols ends up in a sort of limbo called The Lost Woods, where he sees visions of Hilda and Grunwald. At one point, he sees an illusion of Hilda as several clones. He cries out as he tries to escape.

Grunwald returns to the village to cause chaos once more by changing the season to winter and creating a wind chill. The frightened villagers flee into their homes. Then, a giant, icy mammoth is created to bring the village to ruins. Some male villagers gather in one house where Potom and Ganko enter. They tell them that they have a plan to put a stop to this for good. Ganko tells them to follow him to his place. In the Lost Woods, Hols continues seeing visions and ends up in water while struggling to keep his head above it. The visions of the villagers, Grunwald, and Hilda continue until Hols sees some light shining through an entrance, and he goes through the exit. When he comes across Hilda again, they have a hatchet-and-sword fight. Hols gains the upper hand, knocking the sword aside. He talks some sense into her, telling her that this isn't her destiny as she doesn't have to be like Grunwald. She ultimately ends up on the side of good. The villagers fight against the icy mammoth by firing and catapulting torches at it. In the midst of all this, Drago cowardly gathers his things and flees as the chief tells him to come back. Hilda takes off her medal and puts it around the neck of Frep, who is riding Koro, telling the former she's giving it to him, so that he has a better chance at living. Frep and Koro fly off as they call Hilda's name. After Hilda uses a sword on Tata when he flies towards her, causing him to disappear, some wolf spirits fly into Hilda, gradually knocking her down and unconscious. While some other wolf spirits terrorize the village, Hols has joined the other villagers and he spots the silver wolf. Using the Sword of the Sun, he slices the wolf in half and the villagers cheer at this defeat. As Grunwald witnesses this, he flies off while Hols gets on the icy mammoth's tusk and attempts to slice him too, but only does so to part of his cape. The tusk on which Hols is standing breaks off, but he stays on the remaining, shortened part of it. The villagers then spot the rocky giant, Rockoor. Thinking he's another bad guy, they run. Rockoor tells Hols that he told him he'd come and Hols is glad to see him. Grunwald is now on top of the icy mammoth's head. Hols notices Frep and Koro have returned as well. Rockoor tells Hols to go on after Grunwald while he takes care of the icy mammoth. Hols rides on a wolf spirit while the other, male villagers follow in viking boats and when the icy mammoth tries to take a bite out of Rockoor, Rockoor manages to kick the icy mammoth off a cliff, breaking it. Hols and the male villagers follow Grunwald to his lair. Rockoor runs to where they're going also. Hols, accompanied by an army of male villagers, arrive at Grunwald's lair. Hols and Grunwald have a sword fight in the air while the villagers are armed with spears, harpoons, and torches. Hols uses the sword to knock down Grunwald onto the ice. The villagers drop torches onto the ice, surrounding Grunwald. Rockoor arrives and has opened the entrance to the icy cave, letting in the sunlight, blinding the demon. Finally, Hols throws the Sword of the Sun onto Grunwald, annihilating him for good as the giant, icy statue of him being destroyed indicates. Everybody is elated that Grunwald's reign of terror is finally over, but a tearful Chiru asks Hols if he thinks Hilda is dead.

As some of the snow has melted and spring has mostly returned, Hilda wakes up in the forest when a couple birds perch on her. She's surprised she's still alive, wondering how that's possible despite giving up her medal. Gradually, the rebuilding of the village begins and Hilda heads towards it. Mauni sees her and goes running towards her for a hug. Chiru also embraces her while bawling. Hols and the other villagers also appear. Hols and Hilda look at each other, and they're overjoyed at this. Hols, Hilda, Mauni, Koro, Prep, and everybody else form a row as they run up a hill towards Rockoor, who Hols thanks. But he insists that he thanks him and all is well.

## Why It Rocks

1. It is a groundbreaking anime film, as it saw a shift in direction for the Toei Doga studio. This was the turning point of it beginning to move away from the lighthearted, fairytale-based material to something darker. It saw the studio branching out and becoming more varied rather than relying on the same, tried-and-true formula, doing something that's possibly more risk-taking. Other anime studios followed Toei Doga's example and did the same, helping them grow. For all the aforementioned, this is considered historically significant.
2. An art style that looks fine with well-done animation.
3. The writing is mostly excellent as this is the premier anime film of Toei Doga (and other anime studios in general) drifting away from their typical material that was so common at the time.
4. The character designs are just as fine, some of which are cutesy designs like the little girl, Mauni, and the talking owl, Tata, and talking squirrel, Chiru.
5. Many likable, distinctive, and memorable characters. But the best one who stands out the most is Hilda, due to her being so complex, conflicted, indecisive, and doubtful about her motives.
6. In addition to the cutesy, talking animals trope, it also has amazingly, superbly catchy musical numbers, including the movie's theme song that shares the same title as the movie.
7. The voice acting in the Japanese and English dub sounds well-performed for the most part.
8. The lines of dialogue are well-written.
9. Action-packed sequences that are exciting and aplenty.
10. Moderate sense of pacing.
11. A pleasantly happy ending.
12. As a whole, it's simply an eye-opening and thought-proving work.

## Bad Qualities

1. Because of the controversy surrounding the film when it premiered in its native Japan, Toei Doga had it removed from theaters, angered about the dark content and the delay that caused it to fall behind in its completion. Takahata was fired and wouldn't direct any movie for the studio ever again. Regardless, it became a cult classic in the end, especially among aspiring artists and college students.
2. Some parents may have a problem with a few, certain scenes involving nudity or partial nudity. Like when Horus puts on his new outfit and there's at least one little village boy who goes without pants, let alone underwear.
3. At times, Horus's voice sounds different than what it originally was in the English dub. But this might have to do with Horus's English voice actor going through puberty when he recorded his lines.
4. It's unknown just how Hilda survived despite giving away her Medal of Life, which was the only thing that allowed her to maintain her immortality.

## Trivia

* Prior to the making of this, Takahata had a different vision for the film in mind. Its runtime was originally going to last for a couple hour and be based on a play that revolved around the ingenious Ainu. But Toei Doga turned down that idea, as it had no faith in it selling. Instead, the movie was trimmed down to nearly an hour and a half, and the setting was moved to Iron Age Scandinavia.