Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise

Original title: Ôritsu uchûgun Oneamisu no tsubasa
  • 1987
  • Unrated
  • 2h 1m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.1K
YOUR RATING
Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (1987)
Trailer for Royal Space Force
Play trailer1:37
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Adult AnimationAnimeHand-Drawn AnimationSpace Sci-FiAnimationDramaSci-Fi

A young astronaut participates in a controversial fledgling space program.A young astronaut participates in a controversial fledgling space program.A young astronaut participates in a controversial fledgling space program.

  • Director
    • Hiroyuki Yamaga
  • Writer
    • Hiroyuki Yamaga
  • Stars
    • Leo Morimoto
    • David Thomas
    • Mitsuki Yayoi
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    6.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Hiroyuki Yamaga
    • Writer
      • Hiroyuki Yamaga
    • Stars
      • Leo Morimoto
      • David Thomas
      • Mitsuki Yayoi
    • 47User reviews
    • 25Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Royal Space Force
    Trailer 1:37
    Royal Space Force
    The Wings of Honneamise
    Trailer 1:26
    The Wings of Honneamise
    The Wings of Honneamise
    Trailer 1:26
    The Wings of Honneamise

    Photos155

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 148
    View Poster

    Top cast46

    Edit
    Leo Morimoto
    • Shiro
    • (voice)
    David Thomas
    • Shiro
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Robert Matthews)
    Mitsuki Yayoi
    • Riqunni
    • (voice)
    Heidi Lenhart
    Heidi Lenhart
    • Riqunni Nonderaiko
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Melody Lee)
    Steve Bulen
    Steve Bulen
    • General
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Stevie Beeline)
    Kazuyuki Sogabe
    • Matti
    • (voice)
    Bryan Cranston
    Bryan Cranston
    • Matti
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Lee Stone)
    Chikao Ôtsuka
    Chikao Ôtsuka
    • Gnomm
    • (voice)
    • (as Chikao Ohtsuka)
    Michael Forest
    Michael Forest
    • Gnomm
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Alfred Thor)
    Yoshito Yasuhara
    • Nekkerout
    • (voice)
    Dan Woren
    Dan Woren
    • Cop
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Warren Daniels)
    • …
    Tom Konkle
    Tom Konkle
    • Kharock
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Arnie Hanks)
    • …
    Shôzô Îzuka
    • Trainer
    • (voice)
    Steve Blum
    Steve Blum
    • Airman
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • …
    Steve Apostolina
    Steve Apostolina
    • Astronomer
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Rudy Luzion)
    • …
    Hirotaka Suzuoki
    Hirotaka Suzuoki
    • Dormuhot
    • (voice)
    Jan Rabson
    Jan Rabson
    • Dormuhot
    • (English version)
    • (voice)
    • (as Stanley Gurd Jr.)
    Masahiro Anzai
    • Majaho
    • (voice)
    • Director
      • Hiroyuki Yamaga
    • Writer
      • Hiroyuki Yamaga
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews47

    7.26K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    9Jeremy Bristol

    A bit slow, but has one of the best endings in all of anime.

    For all the flaws in this movie (actual or perceived), I have to admit that ending has stuck with me since I first saw the dubbed version five years ago. All that fighting, all that posturing--for what? No one end up caring, no one listens to their pleas for the end of violence. It is very easy to understand how these moviemakers were able to later make Neon Genesis Evangelion, which has many of the same issues (religion, an examination of the belief that some people have that "the way justifies the means," technology and the use and misuse of it by humans, etc.).

    The biggest problem I have with the movie is the attempted rape scene and the victim's subsequent forgiveness of the perpetrator (the hero of the movie). I couldn't tell whether the filmmakers were being sarcastic of her religion or if they really felt it was a good thing for her to forgive him--or if they needed that scene at all. I bought the DVD, hoping that the director's commentary would shed more light on the subject--they spend more time discussing how the cels (of the girl naked) were stolen before they could give them to friends than they did explaining the purpose of the scene in the movie.

    Another thing is that Wings doesn't completely break out of the anime mold to become a mainstream film--it occasionally slips into anime-style slapstick and there's a few too much insider talk (both in technological aspects and inside jokes).

    Beyond that, it is a daring, engrossing but deliberately-paced animated film.
    10afreytes

    Meticulously constructed alternate world makes for one of my favorite movies

    The only way I can describe how this film makes me feel is to compare it to a child watching My Neighbor Totoro. It is animation but not quite what you see everyday. It has a plot but it has subtle and even hidden depth.

    To me this film is so good that it ceases to be "just anime" to become film art in the truest sense: it conjures up an imaginary world and makes it real, people have troubles and tribulations and we identify with them, everything comes to conclusion and we are changed by it and for the better.

    For people think this is just sunday network cartoons two hours long I recommend watching this alongside Apollo 13 and/or Forrest Gump and try to find the analogies, you'll be surprised.
    10cheesboy

    Unique, moving, beautiful.

    "Honneamise no tsubasa" is clearly the masterpiece of Japanese anime. I was lucky enough to see this film for the first time at the cinema, and I feel for those of you who have only been able to see it on video. What you miss is the immaculate artistry of the animation: the detail, the complexity, the invention and most of all the beauty. The opening credits are up there amongst my favourites (Vertigo, Delicatessen) not because of any originality - the use of pictures in credits have been done before (Days of Heaven) - but more because of the use of Japanese water painting of these images. It is also the blending of these images with the right music which makes the credits so exquisite. But also the great thing about this movie for all of us, is the wonderful story that is told. The use of a parallel earth in which the events occur is ingenius, it allows the story to remain in a sense inherently Japanese but also universal. See this film it is a gem
    tal_lap

    Excellent SF

    Wings of Honneamise is what you'd call a work of "higher" science fiction; just like the fantasy genre is divided into swords-and-sorcery books (such as the Dragonlance series or the crap David Eddings writes - sorry, couldn't help myself) and more mature writings, such as A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le-Guin and the works of Lord Dunsany and J.R.R. Tolkien, so the SF genre can be divided into "higher" and "lower" SF. Lower SF consists of large ships, big lasers, mechas, and is epitomized in the works of Edward "Doc" Smith, George Lucas's Star Wars trilogy and most animes out there. Higher science fiction, in my eyes, ,means Philip K. Dick, Stanislaw Ulam, and Wings of Honneamise, or WOH for short.

    WOH focuses on man's first attempt to launch a manned satellite into orbit around the earth; only it's not our earth, but rather a similar parallel world. The space program is ridiculed by almost everybody, including the main hero, until he meets a religious young woman who changes his mind. We follow the hero's training for the program and watch as he slowly matures from the apathetic dropout he begins out as.

    This movie is about a lot of things: war, religion, politics, courage, friendship and more. It's much more than a "man goes to space" sort of film, like "Apollo 13" (starring Tom Hanks) is.

    The depth and realism of this movie is astounding. During one scene where there's an explosion and water flies everyway, you can notice a rainbow in the background, which fades as the water scatters. The world is highly detailed and even the physics is correct (I always suspend belief when watching SF movies, but this one does a good job of getting the science right, as opposed to almost every other movie).

    The weakest part of this movie is the music. It's well written but poorly executed in parts - it's always embarrassing to hear 1987 synthesizers attempt to mimic orchestral instruments. Ugh.

    Regarding the rape scene, which seems to upset so many people: this can be understood based on her faith. Blaming Shirotsugh would on the part of Requinni (I hope the name is spelled that way) be admitting that even as he goes to the stars man is imperfect, an admission she is not willing to make. So instead she decides to take the blame on herself. The scene is unrealistic perhaps in today's PC America, but Requinni is anything but today's PC America. Whether or not it suits the tastes of the viewer - that's another question.
    7dave13-1

    An inspiring and likable story.

    The planet's first space explorers just happen to be from a land engaged in a border war. This naturally lends urgency to any mission of peaceful exploration, and this is the central message of the film: that we should strive to achieve the impossible, rather than wasting our efforts and squandering our lives bickering with our neighbors. Mankind's future is among the stars.

    With its grand sweeping cityscapes and pastoral vistas to tempt the eye and its exciting race against time story of hard working rocket builders struggling to finish their creation before their construction facility is overrun by an invading army, this movie is great fun, marvelous to look at, just a joy to watch.

    More like this

    Patlabor: The Movie
    7.0
    Patlabor: The Movie
    Patlabor 2: The Movie
    7.5
    Patlabor 2: The Movie
    Gunbuster
    7.7
    Gunbuster
    Roujin Z
    6.8
    Roujin Z
    Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer
    7.4
    Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer
    Labyrinth Labyrinthos
    7.0
    Labyrinth Labyrinthos
    Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
    7.7
    Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water
    Metropolis
    7.2
    Metropolis
    Daicon IV Opening Animation
    8.1
    Daicon IV Opening Animation
    Galaxy Express 999
    7.4
    Galaxy Express 999
    Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
    7.3
    Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
    Venus Wars
    6.6
    Venus Wars

    Related interests

    Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Alex Borstein, and Seth MacFarlane in Family Guy (1999)
    Adult Animation
    Steve Blum and Kôichi Yamadera in Cowboy Bebop (1998)
    Anime
    Jodi Benson, Jason Marin, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    Hand-Drawn Animation
    Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek (1966)
    Space Sci-Fi
    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Briefly held the record for the largest production budget ($8 million) for any anime, until Akira (1988) was produced at a budget of $10 million in 1988.
    • Quotes

      Shirotsugh Lhadatt: Can anyone hear me? I'm the first man in space. If you look up, well, maybe you'll see it. Or at least please listen. We've left the oceans and climbed above the mountains. I'm flying. We've found the untouched realm of God. You have to look now it's your only chance. Nothing is here yet, not even air or water to ruin. Soon the next man will follow to touch it, and another, and in all the rush we may again destroy it. Maybe our killing comes from the madness of being confined? Please listen! There's no more reason to kill because we don't have any more borders now! Can anyone hear me? If you can hear me, then pray. The humblest of all things, the most noble. Pray for each step you take. Make a path that's safe so those who follow shall never stumble. Dear God, please give us your mercy. Mercy for we are lost. Forgive the irresponsible, the trivial men who beg you from the dark for the forgiveness of your light.

    • Alternate versions
      The UK version had a 30 second rape scene cut to bring it down to a PG certificate. The UK DVD and Blu-Ray released in April 2015 restored the aforementioned rape scene, and was rated 15 accordingly.
    • Connections
      Edited into Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise - Deleted Scene (2000)

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ16

    • How long is Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 10, 1995 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • The Wings of Honneamise
    • Filming locations
      • Musashino, Tokyo, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Bandai Visual Company
      • Gainax
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • ¥800,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $55,572
    • Gross worldwide
      • $60,634
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 1m(121 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.