Tobe! Kujira no Peek
Fly! Peek the Whale / とべ! くじらのピーク / Free Whale Peek / Peek the Baby Whale / The Boy and the White Whale Calf / Fly Peek!
| Genres: Adventure, Drama, Kids | |
| Demographics: Kids | |
| Studios: Urban Product | |
| Producers: TOHO animation | |
| Rating: 6.16 / 10 | |
| Rank: #9290 | |
| Popularity: #12324 | |
| Users Listed: 1,938 | |
| Users Scored: 715 | |
| NSFW: No | |
| Last Updated: 12/10/2021 | |
| Aired: May 22, 1991 (Spring) | |
| Type: movie | |
| Age Rating: G | |
| Episodes: 1 |
Synopsis:
Set against the backdrop of a fading coastal town, this narrative follows a poignant bond between a group of children and a captive whale. The whale, marked by its unusual appearance, becomes a symbol of longing and confinement within the vibrant, yet often overlooked, world of a traveling circus. Driven by a growing empathy for the creature's plight, these young individuals devise a plan to help him return to the open sea.
The story explores themes of compassion, responsibility, and the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. It’s a character-driven experience focusing on the subtle strength found in community and the quiet courage required to challenge established systems. The atmosphere blends moments of playful innocence with underlying melancholy, offering a thoughtful reflection on freedom, belonging, and the impact we have on creatures beyond our understanding.
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Characters:
- Father (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Wakamoto, Norio
- Gorsa (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Aomori, Shin
- Maira (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yokozawa, Keiko
- Moit (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ikura, Kazue
- Mother (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Dan, Fumi
- Odeon (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Iizuka, Shouzou
- Old Man (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Matsuoka, Fumio
- Pock (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ono, Kenichi
Staff:
- Morimoto, Kouji (Director, Script, Storyboard, Screenplay)
- Nobumoto, Keiko (Script)
- Aoyama, Mitsuru (Key Animation)
- Arai, Kouichi (Key Animation)
- Fukushima, Atsuko (Key Animation)
- Haga, Hitoshi (Key Animation)
- Hamakawa, Shuujirou (Key Animation)
- Hasebe, Atsushi (In-Between Animation)
- Hashimoto, Shinji (Key Animation)
- Hirata, Kahoru (Key Animation)
- Ikehata, Yuuji (Art Director)
- Inoue, Toshiyuki (Animation Director, Key Animation)
- Itou, Yutaka (Background Art)
- Kaiya, Toshihisa (Key Animation)
- Kinoshita, Kazuhiro (Background Art)
- Kurosawa, Mamoru (Key Animation)
- Matsuda, Katsumi (Key Animation)
- Mizumura, Yoshio (Key Animation)
- Okazaki, Hideo (Director of Photography)
- Ozaki, Kazutaka (Key Animation)
- Sasaki, Mamoru (Key Animation)
- Shimosaka, Hideo (Key Animation)
- Takeuchi, Kazuyoshi (Key Animation)
- Utsunomiya, Satoru (Animation Director, Character Design)
- Watabe, Takashi (Layout)
- Yaginuma, Kazuyoshi (Key Animation)
- Yamamuro, Tadayoshi (Key Animation)
- Yanagida, Yoshiaki (Key Animation)
- Yanagino, Tatsuo (Key Animation)
- Yonekawa, Koushin (Planning)
Reviews:
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User zettai-jin-stray (Score: 6/10):
‘Tobe! Kujira no Peek’ is the story of two brothers that find a small, injured albino whale, hide it in a secluded inlet, and nurse it to health. The whale gets discovered by a circus leader who takes it into captivity and the boys seek to free it. This is a family movie with a cute, cartoony whale. It has other expected elements like a cruel group of bullies and the greedy circus owner indifferent to the animal’s pain. The movie of note for a number of reasons. First, it was directed by Kouji Morimoto, who apparently had some serious animator connections in the early90’s, this movie has tons of quality keys. Second, the character art is by Satoru Utsunomiya, who has a distinct and original style. Subjects move with fluidity but have simplified, geometrical facial features, hair, and body shapes. This is perhaps exemplified through the eyes, big yet low in detail, just beady and shiny. Fans of his work on Gosenzo-sama may want to investigate. The movie is set in a coastal town in Spain and is realized with beautiful art direction of the architecture and coastal formations. The movie is available in HD with English subs and while not super exceptional, the high quality art and names behind it leave its obscurity to be questioned.