Ulysses 31

About Ulysses 31

Meet Ulysses 31 (宇宙伝説ユリシーズ31), an action, adventure and sci-fi anime by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and TMS Entertainment (1981). Here is the premise in a nutshell. The setup: It is the thirty-first century. Ulysses killed the giant Cyclops when he rescued the children and his son, Telemachus.

As things develop, the age-old gods of Olympus are angry and threaten a terrible revenge: Ulysses is sentenced to travel through the universe of Olympus with a frozen crew on a quest to find the Realm of Hades. Only when he has found the Kingdom of Hades will his crew be free of their curse and he will be able to return to Earth and to his beloved Penelope.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Telemaque (Nobuo Tobita) and Themis (Akiko Yajima) are two of the characters you will meet early. It will appeal most to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. The run is 26 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Tokyo Movie Shinsha and TMS Entertainment is the studio behind Ulysses 31, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Because it leans on action, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Its 6.6/10 score suggests opinions are split, so it suits viewers who already like the genre. Voice casting, including Nobuo Tobita as Telemaque, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. It aired in 1981, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.