Takarajima Episode 26 Discussion

Sanxo said:
Very good animation. A 10/10 because it had magic. Everything that has magic deserves a 10 to me. The magic is not with Jim, not with Dr. Livesey, not with gray. The magic was absolutely and only with that ONE LEG MAN feared even by captain Flint himself.

Fronzel said:
The value of the treasure is never stated in this series; in the book it states it as 700,000 pounds which would make a share of 1000 pounds for each surviving crew member very poor! Since the series doesn't quote that number it's not exactly fair to take that comparison seriously, though.

The book, as a storytelling conceit, is supposedly written by Jim in adulthood reflecting back on his adventures as a boy, but it doesn't go into much detail at all about his life afterwards. Ben Gunn wasting his share of the treasure in three weeks is straight from the original, though. Rather then dying in Ireland, Gray pays for an education for himself, marries, and becomes part-owner of a large ship.

A subtext of the book is what kind of man Jim, whose father dies and cannot provide a living example, should grow up to be. John Silver is certainly one possibility who is initially appealing, but I think it's one the book ultimately says is a bad example which Jim should not follow, with Dr. Livesey emerging as a better choice. This series is a large departure from the original in this point, where every character can barely contain their admiration for Silver regardless of his treachery and murder. It seems rather heartless for Trelawney to forget the killing of Redruth or Jim to forget that Silver murdered Arrow and lied to him about it.

In the book, Jim never sees Silver again after he escapes from the ship in the Spanish colonial port, and is happy to be rid of him. That he ends this series a man explicitly resembeling Silver and nearly in tears over "my friend Silver!" takes this series from a loose adaptation to something that's fundementally different at its core. If it was going to be like this, I wonder if Silver should have been softened somehow, like removing the outright murders he is responsible for (it even adds one as Arrow dies accidently of his own fault in the book).

The series is also rather different in Jim's relantionship to authority. In the book, Jim going to shore with Silver instead of staying on board the ship with the others, and his leaving the fort to attack the ship (when every healthy person was needed on guard it since several were wounded), are both decisions he makes on his own without telling anyone; in both cases he's leaving people behind rather than working closely with them and as a result they, reluctantly, leave him behind when they trade away the map to Silver and leave the fort. At the same time, both reckless actions are ultimately vital to the success of the crew; in the first instance he runs into Ben Gunn by chance and it's with his help the treasure is found, and in the second stealing back the ship allowed them to escape once they had defeated the pirates. There are benefits and drawbacks to the way Jim acts.

In the series, he is ordered by Trelawney to go with Silver's party to the island and explains himself to Gray before going to attack the ship because the fort was being bombarded at that very moment and the way the others leave the fort which results in Jim walking into the pirates is never discussed. There's rather less going on with this aspect in the series. See also the crew's rather strange decision to give the entire treasure to the government and accept whatever reward it decides to give them.

Teirayo said:
it was magical. I loved every bit of it.

alshu said:

If you liked this insane, trippy and fun version of Treasure Island, how about Hakugei Densetsu aka Moby Dick In Space which is too by Dezaki? Also captain Ahab resembles John Silver very much. Another option would be Space Cobra (the series, not the movie which I recommend to skip, since in the TV you will get more details and some changes for good).