Ringing Bell facts for kids

Ringing Bell
Cover art from the VHS release of the fllm
Quick facts for kids チリンの鈴 (Chirin no Suzu)
Genre	Drama, fantasy, adventure
Manga
Written by	Takashi Yanase
Published by	Froebel-Kan
Demographic	Shōnen
Published	1978
Anime film
Directed by	Masami Hata
Produced by	Shintaro Tsuji Tsunemasa Hatano
Studio	Sanrio
Licensed by	NA Discotek Media
Released	March 11, 1978 (Japan) March 5, 1979 (Japan) April 8, 1983 (US)
Runtime	47 minutes

Ringing Bell (チリンの鈴, Chirin no Suzu, lit. Chirin's Bell) is a 1978 Japanese anime adventure-drama short film. It is based on a storybook by Takashi Yanase, who also created Anpanman.

This film is known for starting like a typical children's story but then becoming much more serious. It explores ideas like revenge and the rules of nature. It's one of the few Japanese films for families that deals with such challenging themes.

Ringing Bell was made by Sanrio. It was first shown in Japan along with another film called The Mouse and his Child. It was one of Sanrio's first anime films with a serious plot, aiming for a slightly older audience, like young adults.

What the Story is About

The film Ringing Bell tells the story of a young lamb named Chirin. His life on the farm is peaceful until a wolf attacks. Chirin's mother protects him but is sadly killed.

Chirin is very upset and wants to get even with the wolf. To do this, he believes he must become strong, just like the wolf. He leaves his safe home and goes into the wild to find the powerful Wolf King. The story shows how Chirin changes as he tries to get what he wants. It makes you think about choices and their results.

Main Characters

• Chirin (チリン) - At first, Chirin is a happy and innocent lamb. He wears a bell around his neck. He doesn't understand much about life and death. As he grows up, he changes a lot. He becomes a strong ram with long horns.
• Chirin's Mother - She is a loving sheep who cares deeply for her son, Chirin. Her death starts Chirin's journey.
• Wolf (ウォー Woe in Japanese) - This is an older black wolf who lives in the mountains. He hunts to survive, following the natural rules of the wild.
• The other sheep - These are the other sheep on the farm. They are scared and don't help Chirin when his mother dies. Later, they don't recognize Chirin when he returns.

The Storyline

The movie begins with Chirin, a playful lamb, living happily on a farm. He wears a bell so his mother can always find him. His mother warns him not to go past the farm fence because a big black wolf lives in the mountains. Chirin is too young to understand the danger.

One night, the wolf comes to the barn. Chirin's mother bravely saves him by putting herself in the wolf's path. Chirin is horrified by his mother's death. He feels angry and decides to go into the mountains to defeat the wolf.

Chirin finds the wolf and tries to fight him, but the wolf ignores him. Chirin realizes he needs to become strong like the wolf to succeed. He follows the wolf, but the wolf keeps refusing to train him. Chirin gets lost and almost gives up. After a sad event where he accidentally harms some bird eggs, Chirin tells the wolf he doesn't want to "die for nothing." The wolf then agrees to train him, even knowing Chirin's plan.

Chirin trains for many years and becomes a powerful ram. He learns to survive in the wild and sees the wolf as a father figure. They travel the mountains together, hunting for food.

One night, the wolf takes Chirin back to the farm where he grew up. Chirin says he doesn't remember it. The wolf watches as Chirin fights the farm dogs. Chirin then goes into the barn where the scared sheep are. He sees a young lamb that looks just like he used to, hiding behind its mother. This reminds Chirin of his own past. He leaves the barn without harming any sheep.

The wolf asks why Chirin didn't finish the job. Chirin says he couldn't do it. The wolf starts to go into the barn himself, but Chirin begs him to stop. When the wolf doesn't listen, Chirin gets very angry and attacks him. After a short fight, Chirin defeats the wolf. The wolf expresses pride in Chirin before he dies.

Chirin feels sad. He turns to the sheep in the barn, but they quickly shut the door. They don't believe he was once one of them because he looks so different and scary. Chirin gives up and returns to the mountains alone.

The movie ends with Chirin standing by a pool of water. He imagines the wolf's reflection next to his own, but then realizes he is truly alone. Chirin calls out for the wolf as snow begins to fall. The narrator says that no one ever saw Chirin again. But on snowy nights, you can still hear the faint sound of his bell as he wanders the mountains, forever alone.

Voice Actors