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).
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. :-)
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...
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.
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. | Title | Televising Date |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Assault of alien | 1983/10/21 |
| #2 | Training space-ship Janus | 1983/10/28 |
| #3 | Challenge for the miracle | 1983/11/4 |
| #4 | On Belwick | 1983/11/11 |
| #5 | To be a pilot* | 1983/11/18 |
| #6 | Encounter with aliens | 1983/11/25 |
| #7 | Project High-Soled Shoes | 1983/12/2 |
| #8 | Fourteen alone | 1983/12/9 |
| #9 | Battle in the thunderstorm | 1983/12/16 |
| #10 | Space or earth? | 1983/12/23 |
| #11 | Leaving Belwick | 1984/1/6 |
| #12 | Sail to the Earth | 1984/1/13 |
| #13 | First mission | 1984/1/20 |
| #14 | A mysterious visitor | 1984/1/27 |
| #15 | Message of the alien | 1984/2/3 |
| #16 | Take back Katue! | 1984/2/10 |
| #17 | Rest in peace, Ms. Kate | 1984/2/17 |
| #18 | Quality for a leader* | 1984/2/24 |
| #19 | A Little mother on Janus | 1984/3/2 |
| #20 | Stand up Scott! You are the captain | 1984/3/9 |
| #21 | Boys' secrets* | 1984/3/16 |
| #22 | Message from a friendly ship | 1984/3/23 |
| #23 | Janus is our ship! | 1984/3/30 |
| #24 | Ms. Kate's diary (digest of then-broadcasted story) | 1984/4/7 |
| #25 | Roddy Shuffle the portrait (ditto) | 1984/4/14 |
| #26 | The new RV sorties | 1984/4/21 |
| #27 | Roddy captured | 1984/4/28 |
| #28 | Roddy in prison | 1984/5/5 |
| #29 | Escape from Taut | 1984/5/12 |
| #30 | Landing on Kukto | 1984/5/19 |
| #31 | Strange planet Kukto | 1984/5/26 |
| #32 | After a rain | 1984/6/2 |
| #33 | Good-bye, our dear Janus | 1984/6/9 |
| #34 | Journey on Kukto | 1984/6/16 |
| #35 | Save Kentsu! | 1984/6/23 |
| #36 | To the captives' camp | 1984/6/30 |
| #37 | Captives released* | 1984/7/7 |
| #38 | Rob the transport ship! | 1984/7/14 |
| #39 | Break the encirling net! | 1984/7/21 |
| #40 | Mieullar's secret | 1984/7/28 |
| #41 | Don't shoot her! | 1984/8/4 |
| #42 | One step, one moment* | 1984/8/11 |
| #43 | Assaulting mission starts | 1984/8/18 |
| #44 | Song of the space | 1984/8/25 |
| #45 | Finest gifts | 1984/9/1 |
| #46 | Always Thirteen | 1984/9/8 |
See VIFAM for others (Mr. Namba and Ms. Hanemura had retired).
8. Availability
| Series | Language/Country | Media(vols) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIFAM | Japanese | VHS(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.) | Unknown | A hearsay. | |
| OVA | Japanese | VHS(4)/LD(4) | VHSs are rented. Also released on Beta? |
| VIFAM 13 | Japanese | VHS(13)/LD(13) | VHSs are rented. |
| Hong Kong(Language unknown.) | Unknown | A hearsay. | |
| All series | Japanese | DVD(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?). |
Copyright: Originally written by S. Uemura; link free, copy free; any revision is welcomed except this line.