Taro the Dragon Boy

Alt title: Tatsu no Ko Tarou

Movie (1 ep x 75 min)
1979
3.332 out of 5 from 321 votes
Rank #9,927

Taro is not your usual village boy; a glutton and a sloth, he would rather be out playing with the animals than helping his fellow villagers, including his own grandmother. However, while wrestling with the animals one day a wizard appears and challenges him; and after Taro wins, the wizard gives him a potion that grants him the strength of a hundred men... but the power only works if Taro is helping someone. Shortly after, Taro discovers that his mother may still be alive – though in the form of a dragon due to a curse. Taro now sets forth to try to find his mother, traveling from mountain to mountain, while helping others along the way.

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Reviews

Spiderus
6

A lazy boy learns about the power of helping others - aaand the power of rice. Taro is a lazy kid freeloading at his grandma's house. He's so slothful he doesn't even bother playing with other kids, and eats constantly instead. What kind of demon child is this that wakes up his own grandma at midnight demanding food?!? Get the chancla. Anyway, his village is in rough condition and although everyone works hard they still starve... it's too mountainous to grow rice there. While out playing with animals in a very Snow White fashion, Taro ends up going WWE on a wizard (it's based on a fairy tale alright? Things can be very spontaneous). Winning the wrestling match earns him new strength - the power of 100 men!! The catch is the power only applies in cases of helping others, so it isn't long before Taro is forced to understand how much help the people around him need. It's a kiddy adventurous story, but the life morals hit home. You are punished for your wrongs, even if they were mistakes. People are gonna trick you. Icy witch ghosts will freeze you. You'll choke on rice cakes. It's a harsh world... In the end, although Taro is learning to be more caring for others, all he really wants is to find his long lost blind dragon mother. That is all, but if saving fired rice patty workers from starving happens along the way, great! Overall, this had solid linear character development and is a decent time killer movie for children or my fellow smol brain friends. Even if the target audience isn't 20 year olds, I find watching the old animation of historic agricultural devices to be neat. That's just me though - you might more enjoy the magical flying horse or saggy boobed witch better. (Yeah, maybe you don't want your kids seeing some of those scenes actually....) Just know that you can count on Taro the Dragon Boy to keep using his strength to protect villagers and spread rice like the plague~! 6/10, would eat again.

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