Taro the Dragon Boy facts for kids

Taro the Dragon Boy (龍の子太郎, Tatsu no ko Tarō) is an exciting Japanese animated movie from 1979. It's based on a famous Japanese folk tale and a book called Taro, the Dragon Boy by Miyoko Matsutani. Before the movie, the story of Taro was also a puppet show in Japan in 1966. Later, in the late 1970s, an animated TV show about Taro was even shown in India!

Taro's Amazing Journey

This movie takes us back to ancient Japan. We meet Taro, a boy who loves to eat, sleep, and play with animals. He's a bit lazy and only thinks about himself.

The Magic Potion

One day, a Tengu (a mythical creature) appears to Taro. The Tengu gives him a special magic potion. This potion gives Taro the strength of 100 men! But there's a catch: he can only use this power when he is helping others.

After drinking the potion, Taro slowly starts to understand what it means to be helpful. His first big test comes when he fights Akaoni (a Red Oni, or ogre). He saves a young girl named Aya, who is very good at playing the flute. After that, Taro also helps people in his village gather firewood.

Searching for His Mother

One night, Taro's grandmother tells him a surprising secret. She explains that his mother turned into a dragon! This news makes Taro want to find her.

Before he can start his search, Taro faces Akaoni again. He hears from the animals that Aya has been captured by Kurooni (a Black Oni). After a short fight, Akaoni agrees to help Taro rescue Aya from Kurooni. Taro beats Kurooni, and in doing so, he also saves a whole village! This village was being terrorized by Kurooni, who had forced Akaoni to work for him.

Taro then helps Akaoni by throwing him into the clouds. Akaoni goes there to serve the thunder god. After the village celebrates Taro's brave actions, he finally begins his quest to find his mother.

Tricky Situations and New Friends

Taro meets an old woman who tricks him into working in her rice fields. After a successful harvest, Taro learns the truth from a giant snake living in a nearby lake. Taro then takes the harvest and gives it to the old woman's former workers and other villagers. He leaves her with very little, as she had been unfair.

The snake also tells Taro that a yamanba (a mountain witch) lives nine mountains away. This witch might know where his mother is. Taro finds the yamanba, who tells him what he needs to know. But the yamanba also accidentally reveals that she was responsible for the snake's situation. Taro barely escapes from the yamanba! Soon after, he is overpowered by a yukionna (a snow woman) and almost freezes.

The next morning, Aya finds Taro nearly frozen. She manages to save him and bring him back to life. With Aya's help, Taro finally finds the lake where his mother, Tatsu, now lives as a dragon.

A Mother's Sacrifice and a New Beginning

Tatsu tells Taro why she became a dragon. When she was pregnant, she needed to eat a lot. But she forgot to share her catch with the other villagers. This act caused her transformation.

Taro then comes up with a great idea to help the villagers back home. He suggests making a new home for them with large rice fields. Taro and Tatsu work together to break the dam that created the lake where Tatsu lived. They succeed, but Tatsu's dragon body breaks apart. When Taro sees the lake empty, he thinks his mother has died.

Taro is very sad, but then he is relieved! His mother's life is returned, and she becomes human again! Their actions are a huge success. The new flooded lowlands bring wealth and happiness to all the villagers Taro has helped, both from his home village and along his journey.

Meet the Characters