Swan Lake

is an anime film based on the ballet Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The film was produced by Toei Animation to celebrate its 25th anniversary and it was directed by Kimio Yabuki. Manga artist Yumiko Igarashi also worked on the film as character designer. The adaptation uses Tchaikovsky's score and remains relatively faithful to the story. The film was released in Japan on 14 March 1981 by Toei Company. It represents the fourth episode of Toei's World Masterpiece Fairy Tales, preceded by The Wild Swans (1977), Thumbelina (1978) and Twelve Months (1980), and continued with Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1982). It was the first animated film to be distributed by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Plot The hero, Prince Siegfried, is out riding one day with his friends when he sees a swan with a crown on its head swimming on a lake. One of his friends, Adolf, tries to shoot the swan, but just before his arrow flies, Adolf is transformed into a statue. Siegfried's other friend Benno accuses the swan of practicing witchcraft, neither of them pondering the presence of an owl just behind them. Siegfried is unable to stop thinking about the swan, and decides to follow it as it swims away from its spot on the lake. Siegfried soon finds himself at a castle. Siegfried watches in surprise as the swan transforms into a beautiful woman in a royal white dress. He approaches her - at first, she is frightened for him and tries to get him to leave. But at his perseverance, she starts to tell him her story. She is Princess Odette. And three years prior, she was kidnapped by the evil sorcerer Rothbart (the owl) who wanted her hand in marriage. Rothbart cursed her to be a swan by day so that no one will fall in love with her, as the only way Rothbart's power can be defeated is when a man loves her with all his heart and soul. Siegfried explains that he already felt something for her the moment he saw her eyes, and asks her to go to his birthday ball the next night, where he will choose her as his bride.