Taiyo no Oki: Horusu no Daiboken (1968, JAP) C-82m. SCOPE ***½ D: Isao Takahata. Starring (the voices of) Hisako Ôkata, Etsuko Ichihara, Mikijiro Hira, Yukari Asai, Masao Mishima. Remarkable fantasy epic, director Takahata's first animated feature. In Northern Europe of the Iron Age, a young boy loses his father and is told to go find the rest of his people. On his quest, he faces an evil warlord that people call the devil and his sad sister Hilda. Can the boy re-forge the Sword of the Sun and defeat the villain? Strikingly directed and animated mini-epic that properly exploits the mysticism of the age and comes up with an irresistible tale of bravery and valor. An excellent mystical fantasy adventure. Stands as the first collaboration of the Ghibli founders Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, who is credited as animator and scene designer. This film is also considered to be the first modern anime. English titles: THE LITTLE NORSE PRINCE, and PRINCE OF THE SUN: THE GREAT ADVENTURE OF HORUS.