Unico Island of Magic - Lord Kuruku

Lord Kuruku being creepy.
EDIT: Sept 2012. Hey guys! I'm happy to announce that you can lawfully buy the UNICO movie via discotek media now, and they're great quality and decently priced and all that! Check them out and purchase here:
discotekmedia.com/unico_fa.htm
discotekmedia.com/unico_iom.htm

[@baranguirus]

Lord Kuruku is a really underrated anime villain. Once you know his backstory, you really see the complexity in his character.

[@davefeeley1]

I've had vague memories of this terrifying scene for decades and only today found this to confirm it actually happened. Still creepy as hell.

[@robertslyejr1823]

Same! Here I find it 6 years later

[@Alberto-wu1mj]

Same here

[@kristlepickles]

Same here! I saw this as a kid in the 80s and it scared the shit out of me. I only just now found it again.

[@sblaikie4149]

Same!!!!!!!!

[@kyfy24]

omg same. glad I'm not the only one

[@CheeseRoach890]

This scared the shit out of me as a kid i didn't want my mom to turn into a puppet and i wouldnt leave her side the whole night after this 😂

[@erinthesystem9608]

My brother said he still thinks of the human-brick fortress at the end of this every time he hears the phrase "human infrastructure."

[@aaronsmith2240]

And now we will too 😳😄

[@terrycoyle6864]

Lord Kuruku has the best voice in this. It's 2015 and he still sounds expressive, invested, and downright insane!

[@darthkuruku7338]

I know it

[@erinthesystem9608]

Expressive, invested, but his mettle was tested by the Unicorn with a tiny horn who took him on- Now he's gone with the rest.

[@danrichards496]

@@erinthesystem9608 😄😄😆

[@erinthesystem9608]

@@danrichards496 Thank you! I was proud of that one.

[@jf_c137]

Nearly went insane 2yrs ago searching for descriptions of this movie on Google because I couldn't remember its name! The scenes with that evil puppet are some of my fondest memories of being a child! SO GLAD I FOUND IT AGAIN!

[@sergpie]

God I love this scene. I was never really scared of it as a kid, but fell in love with Toby's theme. It was one of the first songs I learned to whistle. My mom loved anything disco and even she would be humming it at times when it was playing on the TV set. So mysterious and with a disco groove!

[@DeepFleeceheart]

It's based on a piece by either Mozart or Beethoven. Cant remember which, though

[@robertslyejr1823]

I finally found out what this was!! I saw this as a kid on TV and was traumatized for a time about people becoming these puzzle pieces. But no Google search as an adult helped me identify it until today.

[@rexation8952]

It's amazing that Osamu Tezuka made Astro Boy, Dororo, and Unico...so underrated these days, and the Unico films are the definition of scarring for me as a kid.

[@erinthesystem9608]

"You don't understand- these people are USELESS!" ....Son burn. 😅

[@OrangeOwl1000]

0:45 Notice how the door warps and moves when looking through the bubble. That is a great attention to detail.

[@hildegrade777]

I watched so many anime series and films in my lifetime but there was none as creepy as this scene where Toby is like the Pied Piper of Hamelin has taken the humanity of his neighbors whom he turned into living puppets until he brings them all to his master. The sound of Toby's flute, which is without a name stayed with me for years until the Internet piqued by curiosity to rediscover what this is. The other part of this story that stayed with me is Unico's never-ending life of loneliness where he has to lose his friends in the end.

[@andiofantiquity7467]

I loved the Unico movies when I was little. The first time you see Kuruku turn around with the huge eyes, made my heart drop into my stomach. I named my cat Toby, just so when I call for him I can yell " Toooobyyyyy!" X3

[@user-lj2cb2pj8j]

Unico was my favorite movie almost 40 years ago, now I can share it with anyone anytime, what a great time to be alive

[@warnerscroggins5567]

As a little kid catching this sequence at my grandma’s house, I thought it was one of the creepiest and most mesmerizing things I’d ever seen, and for some reason never got to see what happened. I was today years old when I learned what this was from. I NEVER thought I would see it again!

[@OneTrueBelmont]

I'm pretty sure anyone named Toby who watched this movie was scarred for life.

[@shardonayM]

Omg the poor tobbys!!

[@helenl3193]

And the baby in Labyrinth is called Toby too... The 80s were cruel to Tobys! 😫

[@kristlepickles]

This scared the crap out of me as a kid in the 80s!

[@borderland7504]

I remember watching these movies as a child and despite this one's sinister storyline you have to admit that it does have some beautiful music. I couldn't deny that Toby couldn't be more in the wrong with his behavior but he the music he plays is incredible. He definitely would have been better off as a musician instead of a magician!

[@erinthesystem9608]

This movie really wouldn't be the same without the music.

[@like90]

This movie scarred me for life. I was not even born when this movie came out, but at some point when I was 3 or 4 my mom put it on tv for me to watch it and it still haunts me to this day.

[@davidonufrak4825]

Lord kuruku is scary and crazy

[@BriGuyIL1980]

God, I remember when the Unico movies aired on The Disney Channel back in the 80s. Scared the crap out of me all the time.

[@davidlabelle361]

Fuckin’ A. I was pretty damaged by this movie. I probably saw it on the Disney Channel as well. I remember I was sick and had been given some medicine that got me really high. It wasn’t fun, though. It was scary as all fuck.

[@wiibrockster]

Kuruku's va probably had a blast playing him

[@darthkuruku7338]

I did indeed !

[@terminalblue]

Oh man. As a little tyke I was pretty much okay with the part where people get statuefied, but when they all got up and started moving... holy shit.

[@andrielisilien]

This... is bringing back a nightmare that I had 20 or so years ago when I was very young. I remember being that little girl seeing my family and everyone turning into blocky robots. All were leaving but I didn't know where. Woah 0_o I must investigate this.

[@reddalchemy5970]

Use to love this movie and still do. I remember all the crisp sounds and Toby sadly playing his flute and the parade of puppets. When Lord Kuruku's back story was revealed, all I wanted was to find him and give him a hug, despite how scary he was.

[@wiibrockster]

I love Lord Kuruku's design and how he speaks too. He reminds me of Discord from FIM.

[@Plant42]

Nightmare Fuel... the sad thing is I can do Lord Kuruku's voice perfectly.

[@rhgammonwatch]

The very thing childhood nightmares are made of

[@Sonicfalcon16]

+rhgammonwatch really?

[@coatmonster1855]

Another Darth Sidious and Darth Vader scenario.

[@k.baller5140]

man that thing is creepy AS F... gave me nightmares as a kid and still find it creepy 30+ years later... WTF

[@Rylosalex]

I love the sound effects and the music its all so so retro....I sometimes miss these sound effects in today cartoons I love the creepiness of Lord Kukurku

[@alejandroperez3705]

Been trying to figure out the name of this movie for like 20+ yrs. Big part of my childhood

[@CoonhoundRescue]

I was terrified and infatuated with Lord Kuruku when I was a child. I still am.

[@TechnicJunglist]

terrifying. no wonder i have so much anxiety as an adult

[@walexia]

TechnicJunglist good thing my parents let me watch actual horror movies in the 90s, which scared the shit out of me lol so this was tame in comparison

[@truearea53]

Oh so many memories. I remembered this creepy puppet with a soul in my childhood. Best villain in Unico. I wish this series is still up and running in the present.

[@821Drifter128]

Anyone else seeing some strong parallels between this bit towards the end as the music kicks in and the Samurai Jack episode "Jack and the Rave"?

[@Armorhunterash]

I wouldn't be surprised if that even inspired that episode since Samurai Jack has so many obscure anime/japanese film references and parallels throughout

[@matheusbarroscosta5599]

"You won't leave me waiting, will you ToOoByY?

[@walexia]

Alright who still haunted by that beatiful flute music

[@trance57418]

Totally haunted

[@KirbyCurbwhy]

1:24 the world needs more sound effects like this

[@HolyCross9]

3:58 Jelly Jiggler? JELLY JIGGLER: What?! No that's not me! How can it be me?! Because I'll tell you one thing that's not me, since I'm made of soft jelly while HE'S made of hard rock!

[@racheld8448]

Oh man! I had happy memories of a cute little Unico and totally pushed Kuruku out of my brain. Way to provoke old nightmares!!

[@Egryn]

Say what you will but that puppet Song Toby plays is a jam.

[@crystalmartin8815]

This scared the shit out of me as a child 😭

[@Kentama]

The animation is incredible.

[@glenngriffon8032]

they showed this to us in my school. I was kindergarten at the time. This scene scarred me for life.

[@froggie5]

That sounds like a cool kindergarten to me lol, I would have loved seeing this in school. It was memorable though I bet? Even heavy cartoons like Unico and Watership Down didn't scare me as a little kid for some reason, I found them fascinating. Ringing Bell was mildly traumatizing, but I still loved it.

[@froggie5]

FFS, I spent so long trying to find out if there was a soundtrack for this series years ago

[@Gnerd420]

Thank you Osamu Tezuka for Unico the littlest unicorn! Unico (ユニコ, Yuniko) is a manga and anime character by Osamu Tezuka he also made Mighty Atom/Astro Boy.

[@flabajaba2213]

I found the VHS tapes in my parents attic recently, so I thought I'd go back and watch them again. Holy shit...how could I watch this as a child. It's fucking nightmare fuel.

[@bcrunch4232]

I bet kuruku intended to make a Toby a puppet, from the moment they met. He only used Toby to have a servant.

[@FigurativeSandwich]

Man this movies got some catchy music. The song at 3:30 sounds like it came straight out of a disco.

[@JustAnotherCourtney]

So this is the first movie I ever remember watching in my lifetime. I was prolly 3 or 4 and let me just say that this was WAY too heavy for kids. 😱 But then again it prepared me for life. We all start out as a little Unico & just get screwed all thoughout life. Still to this day I fear no one more than Lord Kuruku!

[@bh8367]

That flute solo is a jam tho 😅

[@xeoneex]

I remember watching this as a kid I LOVED this movie... Unico is so cute and its a tragic movie with a good ending :)

[@dzialo5484]

My sister has a dog named Toby, I played this video around him to see how he would react to Kuruku saying his name & he got scared.

[@sottosopravoce]

Ooooh, so THAT'S why I grew up to be a horror movie fan. I feel like I just dredged up a huge wad of hair clogging the drain of my subconscious.

[@JamieBarrington]

This movie was nightmare fuel for me as a kid. I still loved it, but this scene scared the shit out of me

[@MeghanNLily4Life]

Used to love this n The last Unicorn as well when I was a kid. Lol😍😍😘😘👍🏼👍🏼🦄🦄

[@aussiesocks]

One time down in my basement I saw my pilates ball over in the corner, just sitting there, and all I could think of was, "Holy crap, that looks so much like Lord Kuruku!" Creepiest character ever!

[@walexia]

the animators of this feature were truly masters!!

[@sethraelthebard5459]

It was and still is one of Osamu Tezuka's masterworks. His art style seemed so simple, yet the stories he and his team animated with it were very dark and very adult. Some of the most moving works of art in all of animated history. Check out his Phoenix/Firebird saga, it is messed up!

[@anitamihholap5926]

Can't expect any less from Madhouse 👍

[@betterinsodapop]

Lord Kuruku, I'll see you in my nightmares tonight.

[@harlingo1]

Omg!!! What a wonderful cartoon, glad I was a kid in the 80s, this cartoon was badass!

[@CheeseRoach890]

For so long I've been looking for this, thank you!

[@cthulhu186]

I must have been 4 or 5 when I first watched this. It is on DVD now.

[@glenngriffon8032]

I saw it in kindergarten. They actually sat a class of kindergartners down to watch this horror show.

[@sergpie]

@@glenngriffon8032 Not sure what public tv programming was like in the USA in the 80s/90s, but in Europe, this would’ve been broadcast as a children’s channel movie; even Japanese animation was a lot more suggestive/violent (uncensored, gory Fist of the North Star episodes during breakfast hours on kids channels). I understand that to see that in the US, you had to buy the VHS as an adult.

[@glenngriffon8032]

@@sergpie yup they had a tape

[@lesliemartin3]

I always wondered if this was a real movie or something I dreamed up as a kid. I'm so glad we all got it figured out 🙂

[@TheRebecca528]

Toby!!!!!

[@TheFrugalVideoGamer]

Only when you were little? Take a look at his lines near the end of the movie, where his voice deepens.

[@PaigeyPumphrey]

Oh hey childhood trauma.

[@ericahunt540]

I have been looking for this many years!!!!! I would hear Toby Toby Toby but didn't remember what movie it was from!!!! Pretty creepy!!!!

[@fizzgig3000]

So creepy! But oh how I love these films!

[@aTrueNinja357]

Yeah, for 1981 It's pretty baller. I think it's one of the first movies to ever use computer assisted animation techniques. Sort of an Uber great Granddaddy to modern CG movies like Spirited Away, Toy Story, or Avatar.

[@jdzero]

I swear I've seen this before .. years and years ago. But I don't remember much of it.

[@j_wah3084]

Words cannot express how much this terrified me as a child.

[@yoonikawrn]

TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBY

[@meredithr9824]

I cannot believe I found this. I think I was to young to be scared by this when I saw it when I was little. But eek, kreepy af now.

[@pinglefaz]

This is quite a spooky scene

[@walexia]

i was more fascinated than scared when i was a child, this cartoon was a work of art!!!!

[@user-mu9cw4ti7g]

ところ天の助www

[@ghostdragon5735]

The round thing use to scare me when I was a child

[@doratonks07]

I still have nightmares about this movie and this scene. I will use this clip to terrify my kids.

[@OneTrueBelmont]

I finally got this movie on DVD and I can say that yes the quality is very good and the animation is clean and smooth and everything sounds beautiful. It even comes with the Japanese track and some sort of pilot movie.

[@muffinboi3780]

must’ve hurt when you turned to puppets and collapsing on the hard floor🙃

[@orlandobabe]

I love the flute music here, it is beautiful! I wanna have it on my mp3 player.

[@froggie5]

exactly ;) I loved how dark this movie was when I was a kid (and still do!)

[@chillidogg74]

Don't know if you are still interested but the Unico movies are finally licensed! They are available on amazon.

[@trance57418]

I'm still so sad over Kuruku's death

[@PurrtyCat83]

I have been looking for this and the other unico movie for sooo long! The only parts I really remembered were the cat singing in the basket and the people that looked like that marching. I thought I'd never find it TGFYT :)

[@SpeediraWindira]

.....So that's what that jelly dude from Bobobo is supposed to be

[@connietn08]

I love this movie.

[@GoodMomo]

Wow, nice quality!

[@froggie5]

Yep, everyone listen to this fine fellow! I bought them direct from discotek, but they can be bought at amazon too, np.

[@HardCoreHanSolo]

Nobody ever knows what I'm talking about when I say. TOBY...TOOOBY like I'm the weird one

[@leedelee3305]

RIGHT?!? Me too

[@user-tt8zd2py7j]

Music begins at 3:15

[@froggie5]

The audio is from a vhsrip, but I bought the japanese dvds a couple years ago and muxed them together for my collection. PM me if anyone's interested in a copy, I'll see what I can do~

[@WhtTheWht]

I would really love that music if u have it.

[@TheRealNormanBates]

I have to wonder if Spielberg was a bit inspired by this scene when showing the Nazis going house to house in *Schindler’s List*

[@littlepucchini]

Kuruku must have been inspired by Metallica, master of puppets.

[@Tuna989]

Anyone from the Chilling Tales survey?

[@SteveOnlin]

Yo that's the plot of Become the storm Galaktikon II They turn people into the storm and send from the land to the sea

[@user-up4qq3hv5l]

ところてんのすけは生き人形だったのか、

[@matthewg1711]

Why do I remember this movie with out a unicorn?

[@ikagura]

Is Bill Cypher inspired by Kuruku