Animation is an art form, and as such it appeals differently to different people. Perhaps that accounts in some small way for the success and variety of animated programming, especially in Japan. But so much of the time it is the show with the flashiest animation or the biggest advertising budget that gets the lion's share of the public's attention.
The mega-blockbuster "hits" of the season will beat a path to our door through word of mouth, magazine covers, internet posts and the like. They sometimes seem inescapable. But what I pride myself on is finding that rarest of items — that jewel of a program that lies unhyped and unpublicized. And that is what makes these shows such a find, for when one likes them, it is not because of the hype or the glitzy posters or merchandise but because of the feelings they evoke. ROMEO NO AOISORA ("ROMEO'S BLUE SKIES") is one such show.

FAMOUS DOG LASSIE began after ROMEO ended.

The World Masterpiece Theater

ROMEO is part of a long-running series in Japan entitled the "World Masterpiece Theater," which airs on Fuji Television. The animation is always done by Nippon Animation, a studio established in the late 1970's by a young pair of animators who have since gone on to become synonymous with the best Japanese animation has to offer — Miyazaki Hayao and Takahata Isao. The first series, A DOG OF FLANDERS (FURANDAASU NO INU) debuted in 1975; the World Masterpiece Theater has continued running a new show every year since.
Each show is based on a classic of children's literature from around the world. Other shows have included ANN OF GREEN GABLES (AKAGE NO AN, 1979) AI NO WAKUSA MONOGATARI (TALES OF LOVE'S YOUNG GRASS, based on LITTLE WOMEN, 1987) and FAMOUS DOG LASSIE (MEIKEN RASHII, 1996).
ROMEO NO AOISORA is based on the novel FRATELLI NERI (THE BLACK BROTHERS) by Lisa Tetzner. Nippon Animation used the German translation, DIE SCHWARZEN BRUDER as the basis for the story; the novel has not been translated into English. Nippon Animation's official English title of ROMEO NO AOISORA is "ROMEO AND THE BLACK BROTHERS." Nippon Animation also does other projects besides the World Masterpiece Theater; their other credits include Miyazaki's MIRAI SHONEN CONAN (FUTURE BOY CONAN), CHIBI MARUKO-CHAN, and TONDE BUURIN.

A Boy and His... Weasel?
Alone in Milan

Romeo and his father share a tender moment. Romeo and Gina are amused by the antics of Piccolo.

The story begins in the Alps. Romeo and his family are poor, but they are happy, for they have each other. And, as corny as that sounds, that's enough for them. The family is prone to hardship, though, and all but one of its cornfields has withered and died under the drought. Their neighbors, unable to help because of their own impoverished positions, can only offer their condolences as they realize that Romeo's family is indeed the hardest hit by this run of bad weather and bad luck.
For the most part, however, Romeo's family is happy, and content to subsist and survive as best they can. Their joy at being together makes all things bearable. Romeo has a decent life — a loving family, a would-be girlfriend, and a constant companion in Piccolo, his pet weasel.
As if drought and crop failures weren't enough, the town is further plagued by the arrival of Luini, "the God of Death." He is a child broker, offering to buy children off of destitute families to go work as chimney sweeps in Milan. A parasite who makes his living at the expense of others' misfortunes, his presence makes the townspeople anxious.

Romeo looks on as his family's last field burns. Romeo sells himself to Luini to save his father and his family.

In the first several episodes, tragedy after tragedy befalls Romeo's family, and slowly their hope starts to erode. Romeo's father loses his temper with him at one point and Romeo runs away. After overhearing some women gossiping about the possibility of his family actually selling him, a heartbroken Romeo wanders the streets aimlessly. When his mother, a quiet and kind woman, finds him she reassures him that she would never sell any of her children.
But Romeo's father is injured, and they have no money to pay for a doctor. Neither do any of the townspeople, Romeo discovers, as he offers to do odd jobs for them to earn the money necessary to restore his father's health.
Romeo realizes that his father could very well die if he doesn't get medical attention. And of course, if his father dies, what will happen to his family? So, in true Romantic style, Romeo sells himself to the God of Death for 25 francs.
Having sold himself to this strange and cruel man, what will become of him as he leaves his family and everything he loves behind and moves to a strange town to do a dirty, dangerous job?

Next: The Characters