The Pauperette and the Princess, Switched at Birth
Nozomi in the Sun (1971)
based on the manga by Keisuke Fujikawa and Mayumi Suzuki
December 1, 2020
By Avi Green
As one of the earliest manga-to-anime tales using the entertainment
industry as a backdrop, this was a very charming story. It tells of
two girls switched at birth by a vengeful nurse in a hospital, who
grow up aspiring to work in music.
The primary focus is Nozomi Kouda, who grows up with the poor Mine
family, who's practicing as a guitar player, and Miki Mine, who
grows up with the wealthier Kouda family, and is practicing with the
piano. Both meet in high school and their lives intertwine, as they
work with the same music teacher and try to attain their goals
towards success. And Nozomi finds herself falling for a young boxer,
though there's roadbumps along the way.
Nozomi is lucky she's got the backing of the family she's grown up
with, however poor they are by comparison to Miki's, and gradually
makes her way to stardom. By the end, the nurse, who'd caused
trouble behind the scenes initially, and who's the sister of an
agent for the Koudas, decides to go public and let know what she'd
done those 17 years prior at the hospital, which in the end, only
unites the two families, whatever their differences.
I think this is a very entertaining story of a girl making her way
pursuing her dreams of stardom in music, and it holds up very well
since the time it was first made. If you've ever wanted to see how
well a drama like this works out, you should. It's good stuff.
Copyright 2020 Avi Green. All rights reserved.
Home FAQ Columns
Reviews
Links
Favorite
Characters Special
Features Politics
Blog Comics
Blog Food Blog