Will Power

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Original Title	心の力
Japanese kana Rendering	Kokoro no chikara
English Title	Will Power
Production Date	1931
Author	Noburo Ofuji
Duration (minutes)	18
Sound	silent
Color	b/w
Plot	There is a beautiful castle surrounded by cherry trees in the southern lands. Inside the castle, there is a princess who is more beautiful than the cherry trees. Dangobei, the most cowardly person in the castle town, is a weakling who is even teased by a puppy and a black cat. But, when he is given “Nihon-ichi chikara-fuda,” a good-luck charm, the puppy and the black cat accompany him, he wins a martial arts match, and then marries the princess. One night, a villain sneaks into the castle and kidnaps the princess. He escapes by boat, and Dangobei sets off in pursuit. In the middle of the chase, the villain is eaten by a monster. Dangobei, who realizes that he lost the charm when he jumped into the sea, runs away from the monster. The puppy, one of Dangobei’s followers, finds the charm at the seashore and delivers it to him. However, the black cat finds that the contents of the charm are still missing. In the meantime, Dangobei, who believes he now has the charm, fights in the seawater and successfully defeats the monster. As Dangobei returns in triumph, he finds the contents of the charm he lost and realizes that being courageous or cowardly is merely a reflection of one’s state of mind.
Description	The best of the series of chiyogami movies invented by Noburo Ofuji that feature Dangobei, a young samurai. The main character is a timid protagonist who gets courage and strength by believing in himself and ends up marrying a beautiful girl. Other characters include Heibei the Pooch and Kuro Nyago, who was featured in the film Black Cat (1929). The scene where the protagonist fights with a monster in the ocean is reminiscent of the ocean in The Whale (1952) and The Phantom Ship (1956), Ofuji's post-war masterpieces. In FC 46: Japanese Animation Movies, 1924 to 1958, description of movies screened at the Film Center (1978, p. 18), it is explained that the story was taken from an American movie Grandma's Boy (1922), which featured Harold Lloyd.
Production Company	the Ministry of Education/Chiyogami Eigasha
Distribution	the Ministry of Education
Release Date
Credits: Director	Animation: Noburo Ofuji
Credits: Staff, Cast, etc.
Intertitles	1「文部省製作」、T2「心の力千代紙映画」、T3「作画大藤信郎」、T4「今は昔南の國に櫻の花に包まれた美しいお城がござりました」、T5「櫻の花よりいとも麗しきお城の姫君」、T6「このお城下の町に住む臆病者の團子兵衛」、T７「ワンワン」、T8「うしうし」、T9「よわ虫け虫」、T10「よわ虫出て来い！」、T11「ガサー」、T12「ゴソー」、T13「ニャゴー」、T14「12345678910」、T15「勝つた…･」、T16「ワンワン」、T17「どうぞ私めに勇気と力をお授け下さりませ」、T18「日本一力札」、T19「今日から拙者は日本一の力持ぢや」、T20「キャーキャー」、T21「のされた！」、T22「日本一の力のお守りを持つ拙者にてむかふか」、T23「降参降参ご家臣になされて下さりませ」、T24「しからば拙者について参れ」、T25「我君様にはまづま……･･づ」、T26「お城の武術試合に優勝した者には姫の聟君としてこの國をお譲り致します櫻の城太守」、T27「お城の試合はいまや眞最中」、T28「日本一の武勇者團子兵衛様のお通りでござる」、T29「私めは團子兵衛と申す者でござります」、T30「どうぞ試合にご優勝なされて下さりませ」、T31「フレ！フレ！」、T32「力札！」、T33「力札ぢやなこれさへあれば……･･」、T34「その夜……･･」、T35「姫君がさらはれた……･･」、T36「まつてくれ！」、T37「力札の忘れ物！」、T38「おのれ怪物我こそは……･･」、T39「力札がないぞ！」、T40「力札！うけ取つたり」、T41「あつぱれあつぱれめでたしめでたし」、T42「日本一力札」、T43「勇気も臆病も己れの心の持ちやうによって生ずるものなり」、T44「その後の団子兵衛は力札がなくとも身も心も強い若者となりました」、T45「終」。
Censorship - Date and Number
References	・「新作教育映畫紹介心の力」『映畫教育』1931年9月号・第43輯、36頁(写真3頁)。・「最近完成の映畫千代紙映畫心の力」『文部省教育映畫時報 8』文部省社會教育局、1931年11月、64頁。
Frames per Second	16fps Note: The streaming video here runs at 24fps
Source of Digital Copy	The 35mm nitrate original negative owned by Ministry of Education -> The 35mm interpositive owned by NFC -> 35mm internegative -> The 35mm positive
Completeness	complete
Additional Notes
Related Links	still photos＜Noburo Ofuji　Memorial Museum / Gallery＞ artwork＜Noburo Ofuji　Memorial Museum / Gallery＞