The_Psychiatrist

Seimei no Kagaku: Micro Patrol or Il était une fois la vie (once upon a time... life) Is a French Japanese Animation financed by several EU countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Holland) and Canada. It belongs to the label "Il était une fois" ("once upon a time") created by Albert Barillé. Under his works, all the series are dedicated to entertain and educate the children in a very well balanced way, with good story line and funny or interesting characters. It was made a at a time producers wished the children to have a good time but also to make them think and learn in theframework of an anime with good artistic value. Very nice combination...this was a success : Millions of children have seen it in the 1980s and 1990s. This one which is the third installment is about the human biology. Main human body functions are addressed all in good mix of science, suspense, comical situations, and original design. All biological entities are anthropomorphized and all the characters of the previous series (about history and space) reprised their role but as neurons, lymphocytes, virus and so on...! Even the wise Maestro is here (guess where?)! The heroes are often the protectors of the body, they even kept their science fiction clothes from the previous series. Story of each episode is really enjoyable and can raise interest among children and adult viewers alike with a good amount of suspense. Regarding the biological aspect, as a medical doctor myself, I confirm that they explain in a very clear and entertaining way all the essential mechanisms from immunity, to organs functions, brain role, reproduction and even genetics. Everything is scientifically sounds and relevant. Drawing involved artists from Japan and France. Animation done by the Eiken studios (Testujin 28) is definitely dated but still satisfactory and fluid enough for viewing in the 21th century. Character are simply designed but are easily recognizable and relatable. In 2016, all the series benefit from a complete remastered version (color palette improvement, drawing error correction, sounds remaster) to fit the 1080p enhanced edition. Music is classical and its very agreeable and rich melodies fits perfectly the action and are very well composed by Michel Legrand, a famous multi Oscars winner composer. YES, you read well, Albert Barillé chose an MULTI-OSCAR winning composer for the music. It shows the extent to which he thought children should be exposed to quality content just like adults. French Dubbing have involved Dramatic Art Theater actors and is very enjoyable. Roger Carel is perfect as the voice of the wise Maestro. Dutch dubbing is very good, the Italian version is excellent, German version is really professional and Spanish dubbing is a success. I do not know about the other languages, maybe some of you can tell us... EDIT : RobdeFR told me that the Portuguese version was popular, efficient and "Iconic". Thanks Rob for the info! Overall, this anime is a perfect way for children and adults alike to learn about the human body all the while being captivated by the story taking place inside our very organism. The travel to the microscopic world begins!