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The Unico FAQ
This is the FAQ, where I answer frequently asked questions about "Unico"
in general and this site. So before you e-mail me, check here for your question,
it might already be answered! :)
Q. Where can I find Unico tapes??
A. The first place I would try
is E-bay...just do a search for Unico
and you should come up with several matches to copies of the movies on DVD
or on video. (As a rule, original copies in their original boxes are
better quality, but more expensive and harder to find.) The DVDs, as
far as I know, are made by fans and are not official in any way, shape or
form.
Amazon also usually has copies of both
dubbed movies for sale -- however these copies come from individuals who
are selling them...prices are usually pretty high, especially for brand new
copies.
Lastly, if you would like to download the movies (for free!) onto your computer,
BoxTorrents has both TFAoU
and UitIoM up and running -- thanks to Chelle for this information!
Q. I have memories of seeing Unico from my childhood...where might I have
seen him?
A. Well, there are two likely places. One was on the Disney Channel. I myself
remember seeing one of the movies on Disney, and several people have e-mailed
this and commented on how this channel used to show it, back during the 80s.
The other place you might have seen him is at the video store...dubbed anime
was very popular at rentals even back then (though sometimes younger viewers
weren't aware that they were watching anime).
Q. Where can I find other Unico sites?
A. Well for starters, the Island has a list of Unico-related sites
here. You could
also do a web search for words like "unico" "unicorn" "anime" in search engines
like Yahoo! and
Google. There are also plenty of
anime link listings (such as the Anime Web
Turnpike) that have a section of links for Unico sites.
Q. How many Unico movies have there been?
A. There have been three movies, but only two were dubbed into English,
so these are the ones that I will talk about first.
* The Fantastic Adventures of Unico -- people
usually remember as "the first movie" since it includes an opening montage
that, well, starts at the beginning of the story (Unico is born, Unico has
the ability to make people happy, the gods are jealous so they order the
West Wind to put Unico on the Hill of Oblivion). Mid-journey, the West
Wind feels pity for Unico and drops him instead on the Island of the Devil
of Solitude, where he befriends the devil's son, Beezle. Later, the
West Wind is forced to take him away to another location, where he befriends
a little kitten named Katy. It is in this second land that Unico, to
defend Katy, is forced to fight the Baron deGhost.
* Unico in the Island of Magic -- this movie takes place after
the events of TFAoU. The West Wind drops Unico in the middle of a forest
where things are not quite right -- someone is turning the animals into "living
puppets" at the command of another puppet...an evil being named Kuruku.
Later, Unico befriends Cherri, the little sister of Kuruku's henchman,
Toby (who is himself conflicted about his master's plans). It's up
to Unico and Cherri to solve the mystery of how to defeat Kuruku, before
he manages to turn everyone in the world into living puppets.
* Unico: Black Cloud and White Feather -- chances are,
if you live in the United States, this is the movie that you did not
see on t.v. or rent at the video store, as it was never dubbed into English.
This is actually the real first Unico movie ever made...shorter
than the other two (and often referred to as the "Unico pilot"), with a very
different style of animation. As I haven't seen this movie yet myself,
I can't offer much information about it, so I will direct you to Cherry Blossom's
(she's the owner of Fable: Unico Shrine) page on the subject: click
here.
Q. I have a memory of __________. Is that kind of thing in the Unico
movies? And if so, which one?
A. Sometimes people e-mail me describing something -- a character or an event
-- that they remember watching on t.v. when they were younger, and believe
may have been related to the Unico movies. Here's a list of the most
popular memories (obviously the phrases I use here aren't used by everyone,
I'm just combining some examples).
* a round puppet/witch with
huge eyes, with a very high voice -- Kuruku, from Unico in the Island
of Magic.
* a black and white kitten with a red ribbon who sings,
wants to be a witch, is a brat -- Katy, from The Fantastic Adventures
of Unico.
* any singing, or musical montage -- The Fantastic
Adventures of Unico (there was no singing in UitIoM).
* a guy playing a flute that controls animals
-- Toby, from Unico in the Island of Magic.
* posion berries that make animals go crazy --
used by the baron in The Fantastic Adventures of Unico.
Q. When I do a web search for "Unico" I get a lot of results in Spanish.
What's the deal?
A. In fact, "unico" is also a Spanish word. I believe that in English
it means "only."
Q. How often is the Island updated?
A. Every so often. I would suggest that you just add it to your Favorites
list and check back whenever you like -- maybe there will be something new
here!