The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun (1968)
Similarities to e-koʊ:
- The presence of a dark mage Antagonist who is related to the Heroine.
- A magic sword is the weakness of the Antagonist.
This visual is very familiar, isn't it?
The purpose of this page is to provide a set of media recommendations that relate to the premise and setting of e-koʊ.
Often their tie will be further proven with evidence that Fumito Ueda is familiar with or directly inspired by them.
For animation, many of these recommendations are "Boy and Heroine" narratives, where the two protagonists are a male and female lead, setting out on an adventure and facing off against a powerful adult antagonist.
The Boy is generally a very determined character, dead set on acting as the Heroine's protector. Often the Boy does not have an internal conflict of his own, facing primarily external obstacles. If he is not strong, he is quick and agile, and almost always displays a creativity that has practical use in combat. In fantasy settings, the Boy is very likely the bearer of a weapon between the two protagonists.
The Heroine is generally a more multi-faceted character (by consequence she is sometimes an enigmatic figure from the Boy's perspective). She is defined as a heroic figure by her emotional strength. If the Heroine's internal struggle lies with her complicity in evil deeds, the goal of her character arc is to display that strength by overcoming an evil influence. In the end, she is always on the Boy's side.
The Antagonist is almost always interested in the Heroine. Be it through her possession, her knowledge, or her assistance, she has the means to their end. They are universally abusive figures, and very explicit in their cruelty.
These three figures are the constants of the animated works below. I will use these archetype titles in place of character names as often as I can afford to, for the sake of keeping spoilers light and indirect. This is a recommendation page after all, giving everything away wouldn't be fitting. Please seek these works out for yourself if you're interested in them.
That said, some media comparisons may force my hand, and prompt the creation of their own, more detailed, review page outside of this list.
Similarities to e-koʊ:
This visual is very familiar, isn't it?
Similarities to Shadow of the Colossus:
Quotes:
『e-koʊ』のヨルダは東映動画冒険『太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険』のヒロイン・ヒルダにかけている (笑)。細かいギャグが混じっているんです。
— Junichi Hosono, Team e-koʊ Planner (from Page 84 of 神話を紡ぐ.)
Translated:
"[The name of] yoruda in e-koʊ is a play on Hilda, the heroine of Toei Animation's "The Great Adventure of Horus, Prince of the Sun" (laughs). There are lots of little gags mixed in."
This animation is very representative of e-koʊs platforming segments.
Similarities to e-koʊ:
Similarities to Shadow of the Colossus:
Similarities to The Last Guardian:
Quotes:
"What are your sources of inspiration outside of the video game industry? Are there any artists you particularly admire?"
"I think there has been strong video games influences, but I'm convinced that movies, especially anime, have also greatly influenced my works. Not only by legendary Japanese animators, such as Isao Takahata, Hayao Miyazaki and Yasuo Otsuka, but also by manga and anime artists, both national and international, such as Moebius, Katsuhiro Otomo, Paul Grimaud and René Laloux."
— Fumito Ueda (as translated by @selene-lunette. Interview from the (July/August 2024) issue of Italy's PSM.)
Similarities to e-koʊ:
Quotes:
"When I came up with the pairing concept, I had a woman and a young boy in mind. There's also a famous manga called Galaxy Express 999. It's about a woman named Maetel who's a guardian for the young hero Tetsuro as they adventure through the galaxy. I thought that even though it was an old story, it could be adapted into a new idea for videogames."
— Fumito Ueda (as translated onto the page 56 of Official Playstation Magazine UK's 19th Issue.)
Similarities to e-koʊ:
Quotes:
Similarities:
Quotes:
"Of course, Mr Otani composes and produces a wide range of music, from traditional to new music and even full orchestra film music, and has a deep knowledge of ethnic instruments, so I thought there was no one else but Mr Otani.
The first reason was... my favourite manga, which is also close to the image of my previous work "ICO", Moto Hagio's "Heart of Thomas", the film "Summer Holiday 1999" based on "Heart of Thomas", Shusuke Kaneko who directed "Summer Holiday 1999", Shusuke Kaneko's film "Gamera" and Sachi Otani who does the music for "Gamera".
It may seem like a distant connection, but in my mind it felt like a straight line."
— Fumito Ueda (as translated from a pamphlet within the Shadow of the Colossus: Roar of the Earth album.)