An Introductory Guide
to
Round Vernian VIFAM


1. "HELLO, VIFAM"* – Introduction

* VIFAM theme song, presented by TAO.

In the history of Japanese animation on TV, early-mid 80's is defined as post-GUNDAM age. Between 1980 (IDEON) and 1987 (DRAGOONER), there were plenty of animation titles that were more or less similar to GUNDAM. Their stories are in most cases, if not all, taken place in the near future, and are based on detailed Sci-Fi blueprints. Robots with two foots which are usually around 18m tall are treated as mass-producted military weapon. They have stories with, again, in most cases, serious human drama, sometimes political, sometimes love story, sometimes hard-boiled, etc. All of their stories have such additional charactaristics besides to Robot-with-Robot duels. Its summit was the season 1983-4 – GUNDAM was re-broadcasted again, again and again, and its followers were televised almost everyday. The successors of GUNDAM, namely ZETA GUNDAM (1985) and GUNDAM DOUBLE-ZETA (1986) would finally appear to ironically tell their fall and the end of an age, but who knew at that time? This was the situation when VIFAM was also broadcasted (see the list). It is doubtless that VIFAM was one of them.
Then what is particular to VIFAM which even now attracts us? Some say it is its utter positiveness. Indeed this is true, and more obvious if compared with other similar titles. It does not mean VIFAM has comical or light story, in fact, it has very serious story. These derives from the juvenilty of thirteen children. It is clear in the point that no one but the Children appear on film throughout the story. There are of course adults, but they are always second players, and usually sooner, or sometimes later, they disappear by some reason, often his/her death. The heroes and heroines are children. However it should be also pointed that in this story, they are not heroes in fact, by the reason that they are ordinal children and they never achieved any heroic results. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that each of them has his/her own particular peronality. None of them is described as a mere stereotyped presence of "child". VIFAM recalls us our childhood vividly.

2. The Fellowship of Janus – Who are the Children?

Note that the character designer is Toyoo Ashida. He is also known as designer of Minky Momo. So the characters of the two are often much alike, especially Momo the heroin and Routinie are "twins", or, sisters (for considering their age).
Name, Age, Sex
Characteristics

Scott Heyward, 15, M
The eldest in the party. He is elected to the leader at first unwillingly. "What can I do?", he often repeats for his responsible position.

Clare Barbland, 14, F
Being the eldest among the girlhood, she is expected to be a housewife. But she is still a little more than a girl, and to tell the truth, she is not used to house keeping.

Roddy Shuffle, 14, M
Pilot of Vifam. His best friend is Barts. For the two, Scott is a bit too rigid to get along with. Kate's death is just as he begins to love her.

Barts Lyan, 14, M
Pilot of Neofam. He has a mania for motorcycle. His mother was dead, and he can not stand his father marries again. Such an experience makes him a precocious boy.

Maki Rowel, 13, F
Maki's trademark is her red cap on which her name is written. She says in #5, it is her favorite. Her long, blondy hair being always folded into the cap, her appearance looks like a boy. Pilot of Puppet-fighter, later pilot of Torunfam.

Shalon Publin, 11, F
As she does not ashame to be seen her naked by a boy, she is often considered to be a mentally immature girl. On the other hand, she does not have her legal father, and her mother is a "dancer".

Fred Shuffle, 11, M
Roddy is his brother. Despite his worry, Roddy always fight tough combats by RV, and so there are sometimes disputes between the brothers. He is familiar with computer.

Katue Pearson, 11, F
A fragile Kuktonian girl who has been unaware of her origine. For her, this adventure has a crucial influence on her life. Later gunner of Torunfam (occasionaly).

Pench Eliza, 10, F
She's a little poet, dreaming some day her prince will come, riding on a white horse. In #14 she writes a poem which expresses her wish to be with her parents again. She and Fred are a good couple.

Kentsu Norton, 9, M
"Retreat" or "escape", "surrender" are not in his dictionary. His "top secret" is that he has a birthmark on his hip, which Jimmy also has he will know. Later gunner of Torunfam.

Jimmy Eril, 7, M
A silent and shy youth. His parents were dead in the battle. Sleeping in a lifeboat with Katue is perhaps like lying in the womb. They are always together since then. He always wears a straw hat.

Marlo Jr. Bonner, 4, M
Routinie Pressette, 4, F
These two youngests' behaviors often frankly express the Thirteen's emotions, joy, sadness, hope, despair, courage, fear... Routinie says she will be Marlo's wife in the future.
* Every child's age is according to the profiles told by Scott in #12, their name spellings are according to the caption in OVA#1 and #2.

3. Indispensable Assitants for Survival – RVs, Janus, computers and others

As the present writer (S. Uemura) is not familiar to Sci-Fi terms, he leaves this chapter not filled.

4. Castaways in the Galaxy* – Story of VIFAM

* A direct translation from Japanese original title: <Gin-ga hyo-ryu VIFAM>.

Refuge from Frontier (#1-12)

Cleyad - assault - on Janus - Belwick - on Janus again -

One day, one usual weekend, Roddy, Fred and their new friend Pench are in a park. It is a peaceful sight. Children are chatting, reading and playing... With a sudden wailing of siren, the peace has ever gone. It tells the assault of Astrogator whose space ship has smoetimes been seen by the settlers on this planet. Astrogator is an alien lives in somewhere in this solar sysetm and nothing else is clear to them.
The year is D.C. 2058*. Mankind has reached another solar system. Ypserlon is about 40 light years off to the Earth. Settle to Cleyad, the 3rd planet has just begun. But this planet is now drawn to an interstellar war.
The Headquater promptly decides to take the population in Cleyad to Belwick, the 5th planet by thier battleship. When Roddy and Fred come back to their home, their parents have already gone... In this way, the Children will have not seen thir parents for a long while. Not knowing such fortune, Roddy, Fred and Pench get on Janus, the last ship from Cleyad, and here they meet other seven Children. They are Scott, Clare, Maki, Shalon, Kentsu, Malro, and Routinie. Losing its captain in the battle, Janus takes off.
Enemy attacks are so severe that by the time Janus is in the orbit around Belwick there are only two soldiors alive, who eventually are dead on descending to Belwick. They are shocked to know even this planet is in danger, however the party save Katue and Jimmy in the destroyed orbital space station.
The shuttle in which are the survived fourteen, the Children with two civic adults Dr. Cleark and his asistant Kate, this time safely lands on Belwick. Azoreck, the capital of Belwick is utterly destroyed. Barts, the last joined child is also the last one in the city. Jyweimelw is the sole remaining foothold of the Earth army on the planet. Cleark successfully reaches there, but is never to be returned.
Hoping the rescue from Jyweimelw, The party stays in Azoreck where is frequently visited by the Astrogator. Elder children begin to learn how to operate RV. It lasts until they know the annihilation of their army.
Now there is only one way left: the Earth. They are on Janus again...

* "D.C." is a commonly used calender in that world, but the present writer (S. Uemura) does not know what does it stand for. You can replace it with "Anno Domini". They are equivallent. :-)

Voyage through the Stars (#13-30)

- sailing to the Earth - visiting of an Alien - to Taut - encountering with a friendly ship - Taut -

Though it continues only one month or so, this voyage is regarded as heart of the story. Their first destination is, of corse, the Earth. It is changed as such: the Children rescue a dying man. He is in fact an Astrogator who calls himself Kuktonian. From him, various facts are turned to clear. 1) They are much the same both in appearance and structure of body as us. 2) Two colonial planets Belwick and Cleyad were once inhabited by Kuktonian. It is concealed that the Earth army by force occupied the two. 3) One of the Children is an alien: Katue, a eleven years old girl whose parents had dwelled in Cleyad. It might be the case in the confusion of the invasion in D.C. 2050, the family got separated. A Terranian* couple took and brought up her. 4) Finally, most colonial refugees, including the Thirteen's parents are caputured in Taut. Therefore they change their course to the artificial satellite of Kukto to save their parents.
Their agony is so deep. For Katue, she knows nothing about her origine, nor her natural parents. For the rest, Katue is their friend, but is Kuktonian. She can not bear their eyes on her, and finally gets out Janus. All at once Kate followes and takes back her, but she herself can not return for the attack of enemy.
After the death of the last adult, Janus encounters a friendly ship: Reagan, a destroyer of Earth Spacy. First, Rorden, captain of Reagan, does not permit them to advance any more. He then changes his mind for he wonderes to know they have been made their way by themselves. New RVs named Torunfam are given to them. Defending the raid of Astrogator, he lets them go, and he himself stays in battle...
Taut is now in their sight. In the battle with Taut defending force, Roddy is caught and captured in Taut. In the jail, Roddy meets some friendly Kuktonians who do not wish to fight with Terranian. It is also the reason they are in jail, for they are rebels against the present Kukto military government. Their leader is Jeda from whom Roddy gets these informations. But above all, what makes Roddy so disappointed is to hear their parents nor any Terranian are not in this satellite. Jeda and his party succeed to make a insurrection. Taut is occupied (or released) by them. Roddy see a young officer with blondy hair speaking Terranian language** who manages to run away. He has not know what does it mean yet.

* A term refers to we mankind on the Earth.
** In which language he speaks depends on you. For the present writer (S. Uemura), he speaks Japanese...

Journey on Strange Planet (#31-43)

- Kukto - friends of Kuktonian children - Mieullar - meeting with the rebels - reaching the camp -

Janus lands on Kukto, but will never return to the outer space. Jeda told them that their parents are caught somewhere on this planet. Thus an exploration on the uninhabitted planet begins. Uninhabitted? Yes, the three inhabitable planets, Kukto, Cleyad, Belwick have been contaminated by radioactivity of the past nuclear war between Kuktonians. They presently live in artificial colonies in the asteroid-belt. They are examining the extinction of malignant influence by using Terranian captives as testee. The Children wander on Kukto, to find the camp of captives, and as a secondary way, to have contact with the rebels. Kukto is home of them, and Jeda is now somewhere on the planet, too.
On the journey, the party has unexpected friends. Four Kuktonian children are on the way to find their parents. They are children of rebels who are also caught in prison. For them, the Thirteen find and release the captive rebels.
On the other hand, however, the party is traced by a corp directed by a capable pilot: Sid Mieullar is the officer whom Roddy met in Taut, and as a pilot the boy never matches him. Finally they get surrounded by his corp, and... At the last moment, there comes the rebels. It is now their turn to be surrounded. The troop is defeated, and the captured Mieullar can not believe the fact such a boy operates Vifam. Roddy is also astonished, for hearing that Mieullar is a half-Kuktonian. He is a son of a Kuktonian father and a Terranian mother. But for him, he is a Kuktonian, and his Terranian heredity must be denied. So, he escapes to avenge.
With the aid of rebels, the party find the camp. At the same time, the Earth army, not knowing the party, is approaching the camp. The Thirteen hurry, but they are one step, no, half a step short to see their parents. The shuttle takes off with their parents before their eyes...
The rebels, willing to contact with Terranian government, dispatch a mission which is headed by Jeda. The Thirteen leave Kukto with them.

Farewell (#44-46)

- space again - the last battle - leaving Ypserlon.

The Kukto governmental army does not leave the mission to go. A legion chases the rebel's spaceship. This is the final fight between Roddy and Mieullar. The half-Terranian shows his skill again, but the duel is suspended for ever, for he is shot by his legion. His superior, as he does not trust Mieullar because of his Terranian heredity, determines to put him to death. After his chargee to his mother-ship, what has become of him is not told.
The pursuit ends up with the contact of the rebels and the Earth army. Connection between the two ships is now established. The Thirteen are welcomed and cheered by the fellowmen. Their adventure is over and their voyage to the Earth is about to begin. Here at the finale of the story, Katue makes a serious decision: she makes up her mind to stay with Kuktonian to find her parents, as is the desire to all the Children. Jimmy follows her, for he sincerely loves her*.
They take their own ways henceforth, believing they will surely meet again some other day...

* You might be perplexed what is a seven years old boy's love to eleven years old girl. But it is really a love, it is a strongest and purest one.

5. List of episodes

No.TitleTelevising Date
#1Assault of alien1983/10/21
#2Training space-ship Janus1983/10/28
#3Challenge for the miracle1983/11/4
#4On Belwick1983/11/11
#5To be a pilot*1983/11/18
#6Encounter with aliens1983/11/25
#7Project High-Soled Shoes1983/12/2
#8Fourteen alone1983/12/9
#9Battle in the thunderstorm1983/12/16
#10Space or earth?1983/12/23
#11Leaving Belwick1984/1/6
#12Sail to the Earth1984/1/13
#13First mission1984/1/20
#14A mysterious visitor1984/1/27
#15Message of the alien1984/2/3
#16Take back Katue!1984/2/10
#17Rest in peace, Ms. Kate1984/2/17
#18Quality for a leader*1984/2/24
#19A Little mother on Janus1984/3/2
#20Stand up Scott! You are the captain1984/3/9
#21Boys' secrets*1984/3/16
#22Message from a friendly ship1984/3/23
#23Janus is our ship!1984/3/30
#24Ms. Kate's diary (digest of then-broadcasted story)1984/4/7
#25Roddy Shuffle the portrait (ditto)1984/4/14
#26The new RV sorties1984/4/21
#27Roddy captured1984/4/28
#28Roddy in prison1984/5/5
#29Escape from Taut1984/5/12
#30Landing on Kukto1984/5/19
#31Strange planet Kukto1984/5/26
#32After a rain1984/6/2
#33Good-bye, our dear Janus1984/6/9
#34Journey on Kukto1984/6/16
#35Save Kentsu!1984/6/23
#36To the captives' camp1984/6/30
#37Captives released*1984/7/7
#38Rob the transport ship!1984/7/14
#39Break the encirling net!1984/7/21
#40Mieullar's secret1984/7/28
#41Don't shoot her!1984/8/4
#42One step, one moment*1984/8/11
#43Assaulting mission starts1984/8/18
#44Song of the space1984/8/25
#45Finest gifts1984/9/1
#46Always Thirteen1984/9/8
* Not a direct translation from Japanese. Mail me your idea, please.

6. Hello, VIFAM again – Sidestories and a sequel

Encores: OVA series

After we saw the story of VIFAM came to its end, some additional episodes were produced in the form of OVA. OVA (Original Video Animation) is a Japanese-English, and means such animations that are produced originally for videos – VHS, Beta (now disappeared), LD and DVD – any media which can be sold in stores and played at home. Initially the only way to watch an animation was to go to the theater, then Osamu Tezuka invented weekly-broadcasted TV animation series with ASTRO BOY. In 1983 DALLOS was for the first time published by the third medium, namely OVA. VIFAM was one of the earliest titles that had OVA episodes. They were produced between 1984-5, and we can say it was a kind of commercial trial case (now this form of publishing is very popular). There are those four episodes:

A letter from Katue (1984/11/28) and Thirteen meet again (1984/12/21)

These are digests for the whole story of VIFAM, the former for the first half, and the latter for the second half. But there are some tricks which will surely entertain you. 60 minutes each, so are the other two episodes.

Twelve people disappeared (1985/2/25)

This is an utterly new sidestory. One day on Janus, sailing to Taut, and something happens – a typical VIFAM. This episode can be inserted somewhere between #18 and #21. This is a "mysetery" and so the present writer does not tell the whole story. :-) This episode was shown in the theater.

Memory of Ms. Kate (1985/9/25)

The story takes place in Kukto in D.C. 2060 – a year after VIFAM. Ypserlon has been restored to peace, though there still remains occasional skirmishes. The Thirteen are invited there for a ceremony by the new Kukto government (its members are formerly the rebels). As two unexpected people appear, they develop a new story. It is a quest for memory.

Hommage à Kanda: VIFAM 13

On July 27 1996, Mr. Takeyuki Kanda died suddenly at the age of 52. Born August 11 1943, he was known as the director of several animations including VIFAM. Thus in 1998 a new TV series of VIFAM was broadcasted in memory of him. Televised 1998/3/21-1998/10/3 (in Kansai area), it contains 26 episodes, and like Twelve people disappeared it is a sidestory, but some new features are added: new persons, new RV, etc.
The story could be inserted between #22 and #26 (#24 and #25 are digests) of VIFAM, and is divided into three parts: Act I (#1-14), Interlude (#15-18), Act II (#19-26), if we name them (in reality Act I and II have little relationship). It could also be the New Testament, but it is now regarded as an apocrypha (or worse, a pseudo-VIFAM). There are several reasons to say so, but to watch the story is the best way to understand them.

7. Cast & credits

VIFAM

Staff

Presented by Nippon Sunrise
Original concept by Hajime Yadate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
Story by Takeyuki Kanda and Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
Character designed by Toyoo Ashida
Mechanic designed by Kunio Ookawara
Music by Toshiyuki Watanabe
Theme song "HELLO VIFAM": lyric by J. Tsujino, music by D. Mann, arranged by TAO (distributed from Warner Pioneer)
Art directed by Toshiharu Mizutani
Sound directed by Katsumi Oota
Directed by Takeyuki Kanda
Producers Masuo Ueda(Nippon Sunrise) and Yoshihiko Marutani(Mainichi Housou)
A Mainichi Housou and Nippon Sunrise Production
Copyright (C) 1983 Mainichi Housou and Nippon Sunrise

Cast

Katsuhiro Namba as Roddy
Hidehiro Kikuchi as Fred
Katsumi Toriumi as Scott
Hiroshi Takemura as Barts
Masako Nozawa as Kentsu
Runa Akiyama as Pench
Miina Tominaga as Clare
Hiroko Kasahara as Katue
Eriko Hara as Shalon
Run Sasaki as Malro
Kumiko Takizawa as Routinie and Kate
Yukiko Chijimatsu as Jimmy
Kyouko Hanemura as Maki

VIFAM 13

Staff

Presented by Nippon Sunrise
Story by Takeyuki Kanda and Hiroyuki Hoshiyama
Character designed by Toyoo Ashida
Mechanic designed by Kunio Ookawara
Art directed by Toshiaki Marumori
Recording directed by Kazunori Oketa
Music by Toshiyuki Watanabe
Sound directed by Katsumi Oota
Opening theme song "Omega no Tobira - HELLO, VIFAM"(Door to Omega): lyric by J. Tsujino, translated (into Japanese) by KATSUMI, music by D. Mann, song by KATSUMI
Ending theme song "Don't Cry": lylic by Takashi Matsumoto, music by Kyouichi Usamoto, arranged by Mitsuo Hagita, song by Ai Maeda and Aki Maeda
(both distributed from Warner Music Japan; music production in corporation with Myuu)
Producers Masuo Ueda and Yoshihiko Marutani
Directed by Toshihumi Kawase
A VIFAM 13 Producing Commision Production
Copyright (C) 1998 VIFAM 13 Producing Commision

Cast

Souichirou Hoshi as Roddy
Chiharu Tezuka as Maki

See VIFAM for others (Mr. Namba and Ms. Hanemura had retired).

8. Availability

SeriesLanguage/CountryMedia(vols)Comments
VIFAMJapaneseVHS(12)/LD(12)VHSs are rented.
DVD(3 Boxes/12 vols)DVDs in 3 Boxes released between Jan. - March, 2002. 12 vols released separately from Jan. 2003. Japanese subtitled.
Hong Kong(Language unknown.)UnknownA hearsay.
OVAJapaneseVHS(4)/LD(4)VHSs are rented. Also released on Beta?
VIFAM 13JapaneseVHS(13)/LD(13)VHSs are rented.
Hong Kong(Language unknown.)UnknownA hearsay.
All seriesJapaneseDVD(1)A "COMPLETE BOX" released on Feb. 2006. Limited copies. 15 vols + 5 CDs. Other bonus items. Includes all VIFAM animation titles. Japanese subtitled (VIFAM only?).

Special thanks to:

All VIFAM-dedicated web page owners and administrators.

Copyright: Originally written by S. Uemura; link free, copy free; any revision is welcomed except this line.

suemura@dp.u-netsurf.ne.jp


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