The Little Norse Prince

The debut feature of master animator Isao Takahata, The Little Norse Prince tells the tale of Hols, a brave young boy who pulls a blade out from a centuries-old Rock Giant only to discover that it is the Sword of the Sun. If re-forged, the sword' s destiny will transform the boy into the Prince of the Sun. Urged by his Father, Hols and his pet bear Coro travel to his ancestral village, a place destroyed by the Frost King Grunwald. Along the way, he helps a village whose residents are besieged by Grunwald's magic, but the villagers fell threatened when he befriends Hilda, a beautiful girl whose haunting songs conceal a dark secret. Fusing Japanese folklore with a Scandinavian setting, Takahata's epic adventure shows the hallmarks of later Studio Ghibli productions: well-rounded characters, dazzling animation and incredible imagination.