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Discotek Licenses Dark Children's Anime Film Ringing Bell

North American distributor Discotek Media announced on Wednesday that it licensed the Ringing Bell (Chirin no Suzu) anime film. It plans to release the film on DVD next year.

Masami Hata (Little Nemo - Adventures in Slumberland, Stitch! television anime) directed this 1978 Sanrio Films project based on a story by Takashi Yanase (Anpanman). ANN's Justin Sevakis describes the story:

Chirin is a happy, energetic little lamb living an idyllic life on a farm. He's warned by his mother not to venture outside the fence. There's a wolf on the loose, and he'd no doubt see the little guy as a meal. Chirin can barely summon the attention to heed this warning, but in the end it doesn't even matter. The wolf breaks into the farm and goes right for Chirin. His mother dives in to save him, and in the process, is killed. The wolf leaves Chirin unscathed.

He played by the rules. His mother did nothing wrong. Chirin is confused and angry, and betrayed by his faith in nature. He refuses to accept that he has no choice but to be wolf bait. He will become a wolf, even if it means learning at the knee of the one who killed his mother.

The film already received an English dub and a videotape release by RCA/Columbia Home Video in North America.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.