is a

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...

. A fifteen-page, all-

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting metho ...

work, it was published in ''Model Graphix'', a monthly magazine about scale models, in three parts as a part of '' Hayao Miyazaki's Daydream Data Notes'' series. It was published in English as ''Crimson Pig: The Age of the Flying Boat'' in the '' Animerica'' magazine, July to September 1993 issues, translated by Matt Thor. Like other manga in this series, ''Hikōtei Jidai'' is a manifestation of his love for old planes. It is filled with aircraft from the 1920s (heavily modified by Miyazaki) and their technical details, as well as with the men (good-hearted and silly) who love them. The manga received a film adaptation titled ''

Porco Rosso is a 1992 Japanese Anime, animated Adventure film, adventure fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, based on his 1989 manga ''Hikōtei Jidai''. The film stars the voices of Shūichirō Moriyama, Tokiko Kato, Akemi Okamura and Akio ...

'' in 1992. ''Hikōtei Jidai'' was published as a book in July 1992 by Dainippon Kaiga. It has about sixty pages and includes the manga, several airplane vignettes, resin-kit models of aircraft, photos of some real counterparts of the

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

s which appeared in the film, and some interviews with Miyazaki regarding airplane model kits. An expanded 72-page edition was published in 2004.

Differences from ''Porco Rosso''

Compared with the anime version, the manga is much more light-hearted. Other than being a "retired

Italian Air Force The Italian Air Force (; AM, ) is the air force of the Italy, Italian Republic. The Italian Air Force was founded as an independent service arm on 28 March 1923 by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Victor Emmanuel III as the ("Royal Air Force ...

pilot", Porco's past is not discussed, although the rise of

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

and the sentiment against it are mentioned. Gina doesn't appear at all, and Porco is much more lighthearted. Still, the basic story line and its charm are carried over into the anime. For the dogfight between Porco and Donald Chuck (the character was renamed Donald Curtiss in the anime), Miyazaki wrote: "If this were animation, I might be able to convey the grandeur of this life-or-death battle. But this is a comic. I have no choice but to rely on the imagination of you, good readers." (At the time, the ''Porco Rosso'' anime had not yet been announced.) Mamma Aiuto, who Porco saves in Part One, is also the name of a seaplane pirate gang in the movie. It is also Italian for "Help, mom!"

The story

It's the 1920s over the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

. Air pirates with their seaplanes plague the sea, attacking ships, robbing money, and kidnapping women. Enter an Italian bounty hunter, Porco Rosso. Flying his red seaplane, he is the best in the business. He is a very dashing fellow and women love him. There is, however, one peculiarity about himhe is a pig. ;Part One Porco Rosso saves a girl from the air pirates, the Mamma Aiuto gang. ;Part Two Porco is shot down by an American, Donald Chuck. Porco takes his plane to

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

-based Piccolo, SPA, for repairs. Fio, a 17-year-old girl, redesigns and improves his plane. ;Part Three Porco and Chuck have a great air battle for Fio and for Italian pride.

Legacy

''Hikōtei Jidai'' was the basis for Miyazaki's 1993 anime film ''

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hikotei Jidai 1989 manga Anime and manga set in Italy Aviation comics Comics by Hayao Miyazaki Comics set in the 1920s Manga adapted into films Works set during the Great Depression

Differences from ''Porco Rosso''

The story

Legacy

See also

References