Synopsis
This pilot is primarily remembered for one key reason: it marks the first time Hayao Miyazaki served as a solo director. While he later collaborated with Isao Takahata on the 1971–72 Lupin III series, Yuki's Sun was his debut in the director's chair without a co-director. Yuki's Sun was based on a popular shoujo manga (girls' comic) by Tetsuya Chiba, first serialized in 1963. The story follows a 10-year-old orphan girl who is adopted into a family. The plot is somewhat intricate, unfolding like a grand melodrama. Chiba's narratives were more sophisticated and mature compared to those of Osamu Tezuka, who was, of course, the godfather of postwar Japanese manga.
