The Great Adventures of Robin Hood
Synopsis
A variant of Robin Hood in which all the principal characters are teenagers. Several centuries ago in Nottingham County, a cruel and greedy baron by the name of Alwine ordered the destruction of the Huntingtons' castle—from the fire of which Robin and his cousins, Will, Winifred and Barbara, miraculously escaped. The youngsters sought shelter in Sherwood Forest, where, thanks to the wise guidance of the hermit better known as "Friar Tuck," they managed to face the difficulties of a life in the wilderness as as well as they could; however, in the forest there lived a fearless group of young bandits, led by Little John. Their first encounter with Robin and his cousins was at first rather stormy, as the two groups fought for the destiny of a young, noble maiden named Marian who had fallen into the hands of the bandits during an ambush. Their bitterness, however, rapidly lead the way to friendship, and Robin and John later realized they were all victims of the same fate. The youngsters thus mutually decided to help one another. Baron Alwine was not merely enemy of the Huntingtons—in fact, a couple years earlier he had forced Little John and his gang to seek protection in the forest to avoid forced labour. He would later seek Marian Lancaster for the secret carved on a cross the girl wore as symbol of her family line. The girl was to be adopted by the shady Bishop Herfort—Alwine's accomplice—who sought to attain the Lancaster's wealth. With all their strength, Robin and his friends were then compelled to fight against the baron's troops, led by Gilbert—a dangerous and fearless knight. When Winifred and Marian were then imprisoned in the castle's dungeons, our heroes tried in every way possible to enter until their ardour was finally rewarded with success. Thanks to his noble heart and heed for danger, Robin became rapidly known as the protector of the poor and oppressed. Beloved and highly esteemed not only by the villagers, but also and especially by the sweet and beautiful Marian he was. The boy who never parted from his loyal, magical bow, endlessly engaged in dangerous and unthinkable missions.
Audience Consensus
The anime is generally well-received, particularly by those who watched it as children, evoking nostalgia and warm memories. The story and characters are appreciated for their development and engagement, though some find the plot devices and simplistic elements to be naive. The English dub is heavily criticized for losing emotional depth and nuance compared to the original Japanese version.
Strengths
- Story is engaging, with intrigue, conflict, and tension despite being aimed at children.
- Well-developed characters with unique journeys.
- Excellent art style featuring beautiful, painterly backgrounds that vividly capture the atmosphere of Sherwood Forest.
- Catchy opening and ending themes, especially in the English version.
Weaknesses
- Naive elements, such as children defeating armed soldiers.
- Frequent use of Deus ex machina in the first half of the anime.
- English dub loses an enormous amount of nuance and emotional depth, with inaccurate and cringy dialogue.
- Background music missing in the English release, present in the original Japanese version.