History Anime / Ulysses31

In the 31st century (hence "31" in the title), spaceship commander Ulysses flies home from the Trojan War. On the way back to Earth, he rescues his son Telemachus and two young Zotrians, Yumi and Numinor, from a HumanSacrifice and destroys the {{Cyclops}}, angering Poseidon and the other gods who rule the universe of Olympus, from which it came. Zeus curses Ulysses by dragging Ulysses' ship, the ''Odysseus'', through into Olympus, putting his crew and Numinor in suspended animation, and erasing the ship's memory files that contain Earth's location.

In the 31st century, spaceship commander Ulysses flies home from the Trojan War. On the way back to Earth, he rescues his son Telemachus and two young Zotrians, Yumi and Numinor, from a HumanSacrifice and destroys the {{Cyclops}}, angering Poseidon and the other gods who rule the universe of Olympus, from which it came. Zeus curses Ulysses by dragging Ulysses' ship, the ''Odysseus'', through into Olympus, putting his crew and Numinor in suspended animation, and erasing the ship's memory files that contain Earth's location.

''Ulysses 31'' (French: ''Ulysse 31''; Japanese: 宇宙伝説ユリシーズ31, ''Space Legend Ulysses 31'') is a [[TheEighties 1981]] French-Japanese anime series conceptualized by Nina Wolmark and Jean Chalopin (who created ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'' and ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' the following years) and co-produced by [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha]] studios and Creator/DiCEntertainment[[note]]with further animation work outsourced to Creator/NakamuraProductions and Creator/WangFilmProductions and backgrounds by Creator/StudioJack, all uncredited[[/note]]. As the name implies, it is based on Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and heavily borrows plot elements from it, as well as various plot elements and characters from other famous [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myths]].

In the 31st century, spaceship commander Ulysses flies home from the Trojan War. On the way back to Earth, he rescues his son Telemachus and two young Zotrians (Yumi and Numinor in Japanese; Themis and Numios in French) from a HumanSacrifice and destroys the {{Cyclops}}, angering Poseidon and the other gods who rule the universe of Olympus, from which it came. Zeus curses Ulysses by dragging Ulysses' ship, the Odyssey, through into Olympus, putting his crew and Numinor/Numios in suspended animation, and erasing the ship's memory files that contain Earth's location.

''Ulysses 31'' (French: ''Ulysse 31''; Japanese: 宇宙伝説ユリシーズ31, ''Space Legend Ulysses 31'') is a [[TheEighties 1981]] French-Japanese anime series conceptualized by Jean Chalopin (who created ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'' and ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' the following years) and co-produced by [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha]] studios and Creator/DiCEntertainment[[note]]with further animation work outsourced to Creator/NakamuraProductions and Creator/WangFilmProductions and backgrounds by Creator/StudioJack, all uncredited[[/note]]. As the name implies, it is based on Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and heavily borrows plot elements from it, as well as various plot elements and characters from other famous [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myths]].

''Ulysses 31'' (French: ''Ulysse 31''; Japanese: 宇宙伝説ユリシーズ31, ''Space Legend Ulysses 31'') is a French-Japanese anime series conceptualized by Jean Chalopin (who created ''Anime/TheMysteriousCitiesOfGold'' and ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' the following years) and co-produced by [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha]] studios and Creator/DiCEntertainment[[note]]with further animation work outsourced to Creator/NakamuraProductions and Creator/WangFilmProductions and backgrounds by Creator/StudioJack, all uncredited[[/note]]. As the name implies, it is based on Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and heavily borrows plot elements from it, as well as various plot elements and characters from other famous [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myths]].

''Ulysses 31'' (French: ''Ulysse 31''; Japanese: 宇宙伝説ユリシーズ31, ''Space Legend Ulysses 31'') is a French-Japanese anime series co-produced by [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha]] studios and Creator/DiCEntertainment[[note]]with further animation work outsourced to Creator/NakamuraProductions and Creator/WangFilmProductions and backgrounds by Creator/StudioJack, all uncredited[[/note]]. As the name implies, it is based on Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and heavily borrows plot elements from it, as well as various plot elements and characters from other famous [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myths]].

* RiddleOfTheSphinx: Ulysses is naturally submitted to one, and wins.

Ulysses will now have to wander throughout unknown galaxies in the Olympus and face various threats and dangerous traps set by the gods until he finds the Kingdom of Hades, at which point his crew will be revived and he will be allowed to travel back to Earth.

Ulysses will now have to wander throughout unknown galaxies in the Olympus and face various threats and dangerous traps set by the gods until he finds the realm of Hades, at which point his crew will be revived and he will be allowed to travel back to Earth.

He is accompanied in his quest by his teenage son Telemachus; Yumi (Themis in French), a blue-skinned alien little girl with [[PsychicPowers telepathic powers]]; and a small red toy robot named Nono.

** The "treasure" of the Sirens is guarded by a giant metal tentacle that turns all the beings it touches into metal statues.

** The "treasure" of the Sirens is actually a giant metal tentacle that turns all the beings it touches into metal statues.

* TakenForGranite: The Zotrians in the episode "The Lost Planet".

* EverybodyHatesHades: Mostly averted. Hades takes part to Ulysses' final trial in the last episode and his role is more or less faithful to his mythical one.

* EvilLaugh: Zeus regularly has one.

* SpaceIsCold: The entrance to Hades' Kingdom.

* GodIsEvil: The gods persecute Ulysses in particularly petty and underhanded ways. This is normal for Myth/ClassicalMythology, which is practically defined by its {{Jerkass God}}s, but the gods of ''Ulysses 31'' manage to be even crueller.
** Punishing Ulysses for slaying the Cyclops here is arguably worse than in the original Odyssey, because here it's not Poseidon's son but a robot he created, and which is being used by a bunch of lunatics to [[PoweredByAForsakenChild drain the lives of children so they can see]], as it implies that either Poseidon didn't care what they were using it for... ''or actually created it for that purpose!''
** The episode "Flowers of Fear" features killer robo-plants that can hide themselves away perfectly when dormant, but react to the presence of life by growing into huge monstrous plants that seek to blast the living creature with lasers. The gods sowed these things across the entirety of a planet devoted solely to medicine... because they were too good at curing sick people for the gods' liking (Mind you, they were so good at curing sick people they could cure ''death'').

* MindControl: "Mutiny on Board". The gods control Ulysses' crew, reviving the companions as crazed zombies who take over the ship and try to crash it into space glaciers.

''Ulysses 31'' (French: ''Ulysse 31''; Japanese: 宇宙伝説ユリシーズ31, ''Space Legend Ulysses 31'') is an anime series co-produced by [[Creator/TMSEntertainment Tokyo Movie Shinsha]] studios and Creator/DiCEntertainment[[note]]with further animation work outsourced to Creator/NakamuraProductions and Creator/WangFilmProductions and backgrounds by Creator/StudioJack, all uncredited[[/note]]. As the name implies, it is based on Creator/{{Homer}}'s ''Literature/TheOdyssey'' and heavily borrows plot elements from it, as well as various plot elements and characters from other famous [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek myths]].

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Nono loves snacking small nails.

* FirstRunSyndication: Although created in 1981, it didn't air in the U.S. until 1986 when it aired as part of the syndicated Kideo TV block.[[note]]It would go on to be replaced by reruns of WesternAnimation/TheGetAlongGang.[[/note]]

* LongNeck: Nono is able to stretch his neck to great lengths.

* MartialPacifist: Ulysses only resorts to using violence to defend himself.

* PluckyComicRelief: Nono is basically there to provide humor with his clumsiness to counterbalance the otherwise deadly serious tone of the cosmic threat the gods put upon Ulysses.

* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: Nono's antics make him ridiculously human. He packs a wide range of human emotions like shyness, anger, sadness or even love.
* RobotBuddy: Nono, a small red robot Ulysses offers to Telemachus for his birthday.

* SmallAnnoyingCreature: Nono's antics make him one.

* AnimalEyes: Zodrians have cat-like slanted eyes with a vertical slit for a pupil.

* TheCutie: Yumi/Themis

* MysticalWhiteHair: Yumi/Themis is a telepath and she's got white hair.

* PointyEars: The Zodrians (like Yumi) have pointy ears.

* {{Bishonen}}: Telemachus

* CombatPragmatist: In "Phantoms from the Swamp" the MonstersOfTheWeek are mud creatures that can turn themselves into likenesses of Ulysses and his crew. It turns out they can also copy his weapons but not his shield since "it's transparent." Once he figures this out he stops trying to sword fight and just shoots them from a distance since they have no defense against that.

* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Telemachus is made of this trope.

* PapaWolf: Ulysses will do ''anything'' to protect or save Telemachus. And Yumi as well, since she has become an adoptive daughter of sorts.

* AcePilot: Ulysses is a damn good pilot with the Odysseus' small vessels.

* {{Ambadassador}}: Ulysses is implied to have been ambassador or peace treaty-maker during the space version of UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar, yet he never hesitates to face down the assorted monsters the gods of Olympus throw in his path.

* BadassBeard: Ulysses' beard is not as big as his hair.
* BadassNormal: Ulysses. Especially considering he's basically going up against the gods themselves completely alone with the help of only two children, a small robot and his ship's technologies.

* CoolSword: Ulysses' lightsaber (blatantly inspired by ''StarWars''). The hilt can be used as a blaster gun.

* {{Determinator}}: Ulysses. He's going up against the gods themselves with no help except for a computer, two preteens and a small robot. He'd kind of have to be.

* TheFettered: Ulysses, since he's an IdealHero, MartialPacifist and so on.

* GoodIsNotDumb: Ulysses might be naive at times, but he's smart enough to always overcome the odds in his favor.
* Myth/GreekMythology: A SpaceOpera take on it.

* HeroProtagonist: Ulysses, naturally.

* IdealHero: Ulysses, definitely. Good luck finding a single moral flaw in his character.
* IdenticalGrandson: Played with. 31st century Ulysses and original Ulysses (and both Telemachus) are confused for each other, but their loved ones can tell the difference fairly easily.

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Ulysses is tempted many times into choosing an easier way to get back to Earth (usually by having to let his companions behind) by the gods throughout the series, yet he always chooses to stay and never abandons his companions.
* JetPack: Ulysses' UtilityBelt allows him short flights and hovering.

* LaserBlade: Ulysses's weapon is a laser gun that doubles as a lightsaber.

* LooksLikeJesus: Ulysses. Justified in that in this version, Ulysses is a Messianic figure of sorts.

* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Ulysses' [[DeflectorShield energy shield]].

* ManlyTears: In the episode "Calypso", Ulysses almost shed a tear.

* NemeanSkinning: Referenced in the design of Ulysses' spacesuit.

* TheStoic: Ulysses never says a word during a fight.

He is accompanied in his quest by his teenage son Telemachus; Yumi (Themis in French), a blue-skinned alien little girl with [[PsychicPowers telepathic powers]]; and a small toy robot named Nono.

He is accompanied in his quest by his teenage son Telemachus; Yumi/Themis in French, a blue-skinned alien little girl with [[PsychicPowers telepathic powers]]; and a small toy robot named Nono.

In the 31st century, spaceship commander Ulysses flies home from the Trojan War. On the way back to Earth, he rescues his son Telemachus and two young Zotrians (Yumi and Numinor in Japanese; Themis and Numios in French) from a HumanSacrifice and destroys the {{Cyclops}}, angering Poseidon and the other gods who rule the universe of Olympus, from which it came. Zeus curses Ulysses by dragging Ulysses' ship, the Odyssey, through into Olympus, putting his crew and Numinor/Numios in suspended animation, and erasing the ship's memory files that contain Earth's location. Ulysses will now have to wander throughout unknown galaxies in the Olympus and face various threats and dangerous traps set by the gods until he finds the realm of Hades, at which point his crew will be revived and he will be allowed to travel back to Earth.