Run like Melos!
This is the opening to the 1986 anime, Blue Comet SPT Layzner.
Pay attention to 1:17, and you can hear the lyric, “Hashire Meros no youni!” which directly translates to “Run like Melos!”. Meros no youni - Lonely Way is also the title of this song.
The first time I heard the name Melos, I was intrigued. I knew for a fact that Melos isn't a Japanese name. Moreover, I also wanted to know why the person in the song was running like him. So I decided to google the name, and I was rewarded with a bit of history.
Who is Melos?
But first, do you know the Greek legend of Damon and Pythias? The plot goes like this; Damon and Pythias are two great friends who both traveled to Syracuse in Sicily. While there, Pythias is accused of plotting the murder of the Greek tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse who conquered great parts of Silicy at the time. To pay for his crime, Pythias is sentenced to death. As a final request, he asks Dionysius to let him off the hook for some time so that he can settle unfinished business and bid his family farewell.
However, there was no guarantee that Pythias was indeed going to come back for his sentence and not just run away. That’s where Damon comes in. To their unwavering Pythagorean friendship, Damon offers himself as a hostage to Dionysius, and if Pythias didn’t come back in time, Dionysius would kill him in the place of his friend. While on his farewell trip, Pythias encounters Syracuse pirates who captures him and throws him overboard, but fortunately for him, he manages to get out of this terrible situation by swimming back to shore, which causes some great delay. Just before the tyrant was about to get Damon executed, Pythias finally shows up, apologises for the delay and prepares himself to take his friend's place. The tyrant was so impressed by these two men’s friendship that he decides to spare them both.
The classic tale of friendship was carried by the likes of ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristoxenus, Cicero and historian Diodorus Siculus. It must have been quite popular throughout the ages, as it still get references to this day.
Reimaginings
One version of the story was told in the form of a ballad, by German Poet, Friedrich Schiller in 1799, with some changes of his own. For example, the main character was now known as Moerus, and not Pythias. But then in 1804, Schiller decided to change his name from Moerus to Damon, which does confuse me, because that would be his friend, but I digress.
Anyway, in 1940, Mr. Schiller's ballad was again reworked into a shot story by famous Japanese author, Osamu Dazai, which became of one of those stories that Japanese children would read in schools. The name? Run Melos! The name Moerus was changed to Melos, and this is how we ended up with that reference in the opening video I showed you.
Anime
If you've watched anime for a long time, you will notice that Japan loves turning any good story into anime, regardless of the original source, and Run Melos! was no exception. Toei Animation not only released one anime movie adaptation of Osamu Dazai's short story, but two, one in 1981, and the other in 1992. Both versions were directed by Toei legend, Tomoharu Katsumata, and they also both have their own differences but still tell basically the same story.
Personally, I've only watched the 1992 version, because it just looked better to me with a far more fluid animation, but I also read the reviewer above's review praising the 1981 version over the 1992 version, so you can't go wrong with either one.
This anime stands out to me, because in an era where the theme of friendship is not only massively overrated but also overplayed in "shonen" type series like Naruto and the likes, it's refreshing to see one that gets past the fluff and show you what real friendship is all about. It's not about those long speeches, it's not about asking your friend for his life force, it's one act of trust in a potentially very deadly scenario. It's a simple yet poignant tale that resonated throughout the ages since at least 405 BC. I will not be reviewing any of the two adaptations, but instead I invite you to check them out for yourself. They're not masterpieces, but it made my night a very comfortable one.
It seems like it might be hard to get my hands on them, but they look very enjoyable.
YouTube has them.
1981 English dubbed
1992 English subbed
You can find the movie in better quality on private anime trackers like BakaBt, which you'll need an account with. If you want one, you have to go through IRC where they'll interview you. It's explained on their wiki.
http://wiki.bakabt.me/index.php/Sign_up
When it comes to things like this, I resort to National Anime. What do you think of it? Ever heard of them?
No this is the first time but I've encountered those sites before. I suppose paying 5 US dollars for a server without much hassle is one option. Since I'm already on BakaBt, I have no need for such servers, but I have to also seed anime to keep a good ratio. But for latest anime, then I just use Nyaa.
I think they're really good, though. They keep up with everything. They also give me fast direct links instead of torrents. I'll probably pay the $5 again because of how convenient it is. They've got the longest list I've ever seen.
Well, torrent or fast direct links make no different at least to me. If a show is well seeded enough, which is the case on BakaBt, then I get the maximum speed that my internet allows.
By the way, if you're paying for national anime, then both SPT Layzner (TV Series) and Run, Melos! (Movie) are available in the premium section, although I can't say if it's the 1981 version of the 1992 version. I'm guessing 1992.
I'm not paying yet, but I intend to. I've done it a couple of times before. Their list is like infinite.
I looked for a few older titles which I thought it wouldn't have, but it does, so I assume it's pretty comprehensive.
Do you have credit on @dustsweeper? I'll upvote your comments now if you do.
Oh I didn't know such service existed. Thanks for letting me know. I will only get some steem later in the day, so can you wait until then?
Yeah, just let me know.
I just sent 1 SBD to them. Does it work?
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STOPI came across this story too but from a more recent adaptation in the Aoi Bungako series. I have also read the 'original' short story by Dazai, well a translation of it anyway which was available online. It is a very simple story with a clear moral but a good moral nonetheless.
The Aoi Bungako series also adapted Dazai's most popular novel'No Longer Human.' It was vastly inferior to the source material but I think that this is how I was introduced to Dazai.
Ah, nice, I will check that out. I didn't check the Aoi Bungako series but I do know it. Which episode was the melos one? Is it even the same or is it set in some modern setting?
Episode 9 to 10. It was in the form of a stage play set in the original setting.
Okay thanks for the info. I will check it out later.