User reviews

Some say Sea Prince and the Fire Child (AKA Legend of Sirius) is like a Disney movie. While I can't say that for certain, its certainly is as imaginative. I've rarely seen animated films with this much scope and artistry go unnoticed. Just google the film - its not some cheap cash-in. Its colorful, cute, with attention in building its fantasy world.

Its also ambitious in the story it wants to tell. Most characters are cartoonish, but the plot is serious, and pretty well-done. So much so, I'm not sure I'd recommend it for children. You'll have to make that decision.

The biggest problem with the movie is its English translation. The acting of the leads is pretty bad, and a lot of dialog is too focused on exposition. I heard the original with subs is better, but I cannot confirm that. I still enjoyed the movie, though. The awkward, forced laughter of our star-crossed lovers kinda grew on me...

Fans of animation, especially the scenes of Fantasia and The Little Mermaid, should definitely give it a shot. Its a bit dated, but still beautiful. And few movies offer us such an original fairy tale.

Typically, when I watch a movie like this, I go in with no background knowledge or expectations. Just by glancing at the IMDB page, however, you can see this is a fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

I think this is a kids movie like Watership Down is a kids movie-- the premise is kid-friendly, but the execution is a bit off the mark. TSPATFC is beautiful, and has silly, charming depictions of sea creatures and land animals alike. It's light on dialogue in many parts, and the color palette is really enjoyable. The story itself isn't anything special, but the fantasy aspect made things more interesting to me. The pacing is slow, but this wasn't a painstaking film to get through. Overall, I enjoyed this film but struggled with the pacing-- definitely worth a watch if you have the time.

It is a rare event when I rate a movie on the level of a 10, but if I could, I would go even higher for this film. I grew up with many films like this. Cartoon fantasies including "BFG", "The Brave Frog", "The Hobbit", and even "Wizards"... but none quite effected me on the level of this brilliant movie. While, when I was young, I did not capture the fantastic beauty of such a sweet story, I did feel something that nothing else gave me. Something... perfect. I only wish I could find it, and sadly I cannot.

The story is, as many say, somewhat themed after Shakespeare's classic "Romeo & Juliet", however, the mixture of vibrant Fantasy and animation makes this far more memorable (And I am a lover of R&J). This is, in my truest of hearts, THE movie to me. There is no better movie, and there is no film that means more.

I would recommend this to anyone with a child in their heart, and passion in their soul. It is a wonderful piece of cinematic genius, and I know that if I could only find it... I could reclaim a piece of my wondrous childhood.

If you ever find this, obtain it and hold onto it. You do not know what a beautiful Gem you possess.

Here is another rarely-seen anime film I watched online, and after I did, I loved it. It's a beautifully animated fantasy about two star-crossed lovers from opposite sides: Fire and Water. You know, I didn't know Sanrio, creator of Hello Kitty and all the other cuddly characters we love, made this film, but now I do.

The feud between Fire and Water started a long time ago, when the two siblings, Oceanus, God of Water (Sirius' father), and Hyperia, Goddess of Fire (Malta's mother), lived in peace and dearly loved each other. However, the God of Wind, Algaroc, becomes jealous of the pair's happiness and spreads lies and deceit between them until their hatred for each other brings about war. Finally, Algaroc was imprisoned by the King of Gods himself, but after that time, the brother and sister still despised each other. And so the children of fire and water remained apart. Years later, Prince Sirius of the Water and Princess Malta of the Fire meet and fall in love, and they meet in secret.

So that was all I could tell you. And I don't have a favorite scene because I love this film from beginning to end.

In my opinion, this is an absolutely romantic masterpiece about breaking rules to be together. If you ask me, the law about children of fire and children of water was absolutely pointless. You'll have to see the movie if you want to know why. On the other hand, Malta (voice of Mami Koyama) was a very beautiful young woman. I believe that she and Sirius (voice of Tôru Furuya) were truly meant for each other. To me, the setting was beautiful, the cast was well chosen, and the writing was strong. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that everyone involved in this film did very well. Now, in conclusion, I highly recommend this absolutely romantic masterpiece about breaking rules to be together to all of you who haven't seen it. You're in for a good time, so go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with a friend, and watch it.

This film is pretty hard to find, but I was lucky enough to have my parents tape it for me when I was pretty young. The animation is beautiful and the story a familiar one, much like Romeo and Juliet (but with some major differences). The underwater world portrayed in the movie is a bit strange. It's the only ocean I've seen that has bats, clouds, and waterfalls!

I've adored this movie since before I can remember, it was the first anime I ever saw. It will always hold a special place in my heart. Anime fans must all watch it, at least watch it. It has some humor but towards the end it becomes more of a story of two star-crossed lovers in a hopeless situation. It reminds me a little of Romeo and Juliet. Even if you are not a fan of anime, watch it still. It is still a good story and should be acknowledged by all. Don't miss out on this movie, it's hard to find, but great nonetheless. So to all of you who are just sitting on your but in front the computer, reading other people's comments, and having no opinion of your own: go get one!

I loved this film when I was a kid and I know a lot of you have been having difficulty finding a copy. I found this guy online that makes DVD transfers of the film on English dub with menus and everything:

http://8store.8thman.com/ta3.htm

I ordered the import from Japan as well but that doesn't have English subs or dubs. I think these transfers will be true to the childhood experience we remember.

I remember watching this film over and over on a VHS tape when I was little but that tape has long gone and I am aching for a DVD version. Hopefully Sanrio reproduces this classic on DVD because there is definitely a cult following. I've been seeing bootlegs of this going for as much as $70 on eBay!

As far back as I can remember, my sisters and I have been fascinated with this film. I guess that would be my whole life since I was born in 81! We had a tape of Sea Prince and the Fire Child and it was watched so often that it started to deteriorate. My father would get mad because we didnt care if we ruined the vrc as long as we could watch our movie. I wish I could find another copy of it as ours went 'mysteriously missing'! My favourite character would have to be Bibble. If i remember correctly thats his name. But the summary says the fire child's name is Marta! I guess the way Sirius always said it made us confused because we called her Malta. But really, this is one of the best memories of my childhood. If anyone knows where I can get a tape, let me know!

I have always loved this movie. I don't know how my dad bought it but it must have been popular in the states when I was young. It is my favorite animated movie because of how beautiful it is. I used to pretend I was Princess Malta every night before I went to bed. Please try to find and see it if you are a lover of pretty things. My favorite thing about this movie is how sacrifice is romanticized. The only downside is the overused Romeo and Juliet theme, albeit, the story deviates from the older story enough to fool younger viewers. Malta is drawn very beautifully and so is Oceanus, the sea god. It is very dreamy and beautiful to journey into the world of "The Sea Prince and the Fire Child."

The animation was great. They did a good job for animating the movie for it being made in the 80's or earlier. I loved the colors they used. The romance was good and they had great chemistry together for sure. The romance for sure was the best part of this movie. The plot and overall story line was average. Maybe if I had grown up in the 80's or seen this as one of the first movies I ever saw then the plot might have been better. But I feel like I have seen the things that were in the plot in other shows and anime. The character development was average. I highly recommend this movie for kids. It a good movie for kids to watch. They should get bored becuse as a full grown adult I wasn't bored watching this movie.

I have been in search of childhood anime for awhile now. This movie was at the top of my list. I haven't watched it since I was very young. I remember renting it over and over. The story line is very interesting and playful. I loved every character in the movie. The pictures and the way the animation was drawn was one of my favorite things. The score for the film gave me goosebumps even as a small child. Definitely a must for any anime fan. I was overwhelmed with excitement when Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind came back into print on DVD this year. Maybe this movie will come back into print, but I doubt it due to the risqué nature of the film and modern definition of G rated movies. Absolutely Great movie. Hope I get to see it again soon.

I saw some really good reviews for this movie. I was looking for a movie similar to Hans Andersen Little Mermaid 1975 but this definitely wasn't it. I think the good reviews are from people who are sentimental of this movie because it probably reminds them of being a little kid but it has too many dumb goofy, weird characters. Not even kids these days would give it the time of day. Waste of time watching it. I was waiting and waiting until the good part but sadly it never came. Goofy Romeo and Juliet type of ending with unrelatable creatures for the main characters. The Little Mermaid 1975 is waaaaaayyy better, still had me thinking about it the next day

I saw this on either HBO or Showtime in the early 80's (As the legend of Sirius) and was entranced by it. The story is a retelling of Romeo and Juliette, though with a happier ending (Not a difficult feat). It also reminds me greatly (especially Ursula) of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid', though that came much later (And wasn't as good). The final battle between Posideon and 'Ursula' (A very different beast that I can't remember the actual name of) is better than Disney's offering, including the animation.

Our hero Sirius, a water child, falls in love with Marta, a fire child. In the english translation, they were Prince and Princess, respectively though that doesn't affect the storyline much. Friends are lost, and other sacrifices are made in the name of true love, then....well, can't give away the ending.

It seems that the 80s had many great fantasy films all in a bunch (neverending story, last unicorn, etc...) I grew up with these films. Sadly this one is on a tape so faded that it cannot be watched. This is unfortunate since if it was decent I would try to preserve it on dvd... This is definetly a film worth preserving or maybe a re-release on dvd which many companies are doing of late.

I have a copy of this movie taped from TV in the 1980's, otherwise it would be a fuzzy memory to me by now. The Sea Prince and the Fire Child ranks right up there with The Last Unicorn for great animation and powerful story. It begins with the tale of fire and water, and their love for each other. But the wind grew jealous of their love and planted lies to each about the other. A terrible battle was fought and now the forces of water and fire have separated and their kind are forbidden to see each other. This is where the story is brought up to the present time and focuses on a Sea Prince, Sirius, and a fire child, Malta. Much in the fashion of Montegues & Capulets the Lord of Water and the Queen of Fire, Oceanus and Hyperia (respectively) try all they can to keep their children apart. Filled with beautiful (if surreal) underwater scenery and definitely a must watch...if you can ever find it.

What I remember of the Sea Prince and the Firechild are the images. The story is simple enough, two star-crossed lovers who can't be together, we've seen that before. What is unique in this film are the visuals. I recall Marta's Queen mother being ten times the size of her daughter. Or the little fairy Pialay, who constantly declares,"Pialay loves Marta!" Another striking image is the flowers that only bloom at a special time of the year. Their blooms reach for the sky and burst open then die. The dancing fairies are a very strange but whimsical detail that makes this cartoon stand out among all the shows from my childhood. I would love to see pictures from this film again.