21-Emon: Welcome to Space!

にじゅういちえもん うちゅうへいらっしゃい

Aired: 1981

A theatrical anime feature produced by Shin-Ei Animation and distributed by Toho. The first screen adaptation of Fujiko F. Fujio's underrated science-fiction gag manga '21-Emon,' released a decade before the 1991 TV series. Set in the 22nd century, the story follows 21-Emon, the reluctant 21st-generation heir to the once-prestigious but increasingly outdated Tsuzure-ya Hotel in a futuristic Tokyo, who dreams of leaving Earth to explore the stars rather than inheriting his family's business. He finally rockets off into space with the alien boy Monga and the mysterious robot Gonsuke, meeting bizarre extraterrestrials and discovering his own destiny. Directed with brisk humor by Tsutomu Shibayama, the film blends Fujiko F. Fujio's warm, accessible SF imagination with a more 'young-adult-manga' sense of scale than his Doraemon work, translating it into a kid-friendly summer adventure. Lead voice cast: Kazuhiko Inoue, Kazuyo Sugiyama, and Kaneta Kimotsuki.