The Sea Prince and the Fire Child

しりうすのでんせつ

Aired: 1981

A theatrical anime film produced by Sanrio Films and distributed in Toho's foreign film chain. Directed by Masami Hata, this fantasy feature tells a tragic Romeo-and-Juliet love story between Sirius, prince of the sea god Oceon, and Malta, daughter of the fire deity Algoroch. Forbidden by the cosmic enmity between water and flame, the two young lovers nonetheless meet, fall in love, and dare to defy the gods - all rendered through painterly art direction and almost religious-fresco-like compositions that distinguished early-80s Sanrio cinema. The score is by Koichi Sugiyama, later world-renowned as the composer of the Dragon Quest games, and the theme song 'Toki yo Yuruyaka ni' is performed by the vocal group Circus. Internationally released as 'The Sea Prince and the Fire Child,' the film remains one of Sanrio Films' most visually ambitious works.