Ringing Bell

Ringing Bell (チリンの鈴, Chirin no Suzu, lit. Chirin's Bell) is the 1978 Japanese anime adventure-drama short film adaption of the storybook of the same name written by Takashi Yanase. It is most notable by fans and critics as a family film which makes a sharp sudden turn into a dark and violent story that criticizes and reflects upon the theme of revenge. It is also recognized as one of the only Japanese shock films directed towards children and families.

Plot
The movie opens with a lamb named Chirin living an idyllic life on a farm with many other sheep. Chirin is very adventurous and tends to get lost, so he wears a bell around his neck so that his mother can always find him. His mother warns Chirin that he must never venture beyond the fence surrounding the farm, because a huge black wolf lives in the mountains and loves to eat sheep. Chirin is too young and naive to take the advice to heart, until one night the wolf enters the barn and is prepared to kill Chirin, but at the last moment the lamb's mother throws herself in the way and is killed instead.

The wolf leaves, and Chirin is horrified to see his mother's body. Unable to understand why his mother was killed, he becomes very angry and swears that he will go into the mountains and kill the wolf. He leaves alone, and when he finally comes upon the wolf he challenges him to fight. The wolf simply ignores him and walks away, and Chirin follows. This continues for some time, and Chirin realizes that the only way he can fight the wolf is by becoming strong like him. After much begging, the wolf relents and tells Chirin he will train him, knowing that Chirin intends to kill him one day. Chirin's training lasts well into his adulthood, and by this time he has become a vicious killer, and views the wolf as his father. Together they travel the mountains, killing indiscriminately.

One night the wolf takes Chirin to the farm where the lamb was born. Chirin claims not to remember it, saying that his home is on the plains with the wolf. The wolf watches while the ram graphically fights the farm dogs, then watches Chirin enter the barn, where the terrified sheep have gathered, while the wolf waits outside. Chirin spots a very young lamb that strongly resembles himself, cowering in the middle of the barn, and as he approaches, the lamb's mother throws herself in the way. Struck by this similarity to his past, Chirin is startled and confused, and leaves the barn without killing the sheep. When the wolf demands to know why, Chirin tells him that he can't bring himself to do it.

The wolf walks towards the barn to do the job himself, and Chirin begs him to spare the sheep. When the wolf does not listen, Chirin becomes furious and charges at him. After a brief fight, Chirin impales the wolf on his horns. The wolf expresses his gratitude and pride for Chirin, and dies. Chirin is saddened, but turns to the sheep in the barn, who quickly shut the door. When Chirin tries to tell them that he grew up on the farm, none of the sheep believe him, saying that such a terrifying animal could not be one of them (the Japanese version has them recognizing him by the bell he wore and couldn't accept that he had turned out like this). Chirin gives up and returns to the mountains alone.

As Chirin stands by a pool of water near the wolf's den, he hallucinates the wolf's reflection in the water next to his own. He turns to see the wolf, but realizes he is alone. Chirin stands alone in the mountains, yelling for the wolf, as the snow begins to fall, and as the movie draws to a close the narrator informs the viewers that no one ever saw Chirin again, but that the faint sound of his bell can still be heard in the wind on a snowy night as he wanders the mountains; forever alone.

Characters

 * Chirin (チリン) - A young, cheerful and innocent lamb who has no understanding of life and death. He always wears a bell around his neck. As a result of his quest to kill the wolf, he grows into an antelope-like ram with grey wool and long horns, but is rejected by his friends as a result of his monstrous appearance.
 * Chirin's mother - An ewe who is very loving towards her son Chirin. Her death at the paws of the Wolf sets the plot in motion.
 * Wolf (ウォー Woe in the Japanese version) - An aging black wolf with a scar across one eye. The wolf lives in the mountains surrounding the farm and kills and eats his prey based on the belief that he must continue the cycle of nature.
 * The other sheep - The nameless sheep on the farm are timid creatures who offer Chirin no comfort or support when his mother is killed. When Chirin returns as an adult, the flock immediately rejects him, horrified at what he has become (the English version has them not remembering who he is and are convinced that no beast like him could have lived with them).
 * Lady Bug - A beloved nameless silent protagonist that plays the main character of the subplot within the film. It meets its tragic demise early on in the film upon the first shower of spring.

Cast
Narrator: Hitoshi Takagi - Ron Gans
 * Chirin:	Minori Matsushima (lamb) - Akira Kamiya (ram) - Barbara Goodson (lamb) - Gregg Berger (ram)
 * Wolf: Seizō Katō - Bill Capizzi as The Wolf King
 * Chirin's Mother: Taeko Nakanishi - Alexandra Kenworthy