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{{Icons|E-class|Altverse II}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Lost Butterfly
| image          = 
| alt            = 
| caption        = 
| native_name    = {{Film name
 | kanji = 宇宙の大冒険ロストバタフライ 
 | romaji = Uchū no Dai Bōken Rosuto Batafurai
}}
| director       = [[Kenji Saito]]
| producer       = Shigeru Washio<br>Akemi Shiraishi
| screenplay     = Hitoshi Itoi
| based_on       = 
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Akio Furuya]]<!--古屋 秋男-->
* [[Takaya Asakura]]
* [[Nobuko Shinosuke]]
* [[Nakamura Kojo]]
* [[Atsuko Hashizume]]
* [[Isao Chii]]
* {{w|Isao Sasaki}}
* {{w|Mitsuko Horie}}
}}
| music          = Hikaru Tabata
| cinematography = Tatekawa Shichinosuke
| editing        = Takao Megumi
| production_companies = [[Solar Animation]]<br>[[Janshii]]
| distributor    = [[Daiei Film]] {{Small|([[Japan|JP]])}}<br>[[Westfield Pictures]] {{Small|([[Kingdom of Sierra|KS]]/[[Anglo-America|AA]])}}
| released       = {{Film date|df=y|1994|03|12}}
| runtime        = 91 minutes
| country        = Japan
| language       = Japanese
| gross          = {{Plainlist|
* ¥4.7 billion (KS$35.6 million)}}
}}
{{Nihongo|'''''Lost Butterfly'''''|宇宙の大冒険ロストバタフライ|Uchū no Dai Bōken Rosuto Batafurai|lead=yes|{{Abbr|lit.|Literally}}: ''Lost Butterfly: The Big Space Adventure''}} is a 1994 Japanese animated science fiction co-produced by [[Solar Animation]] and [[Janshii]], and distributed by [[Daiei Film]]. It depicts an extraterrestrial seal-dog named [[Robball]] who befriends a young Japanese boy and must protect Earth from Robball's wartorn homeworld. It was originally screenplayed and written by Hitoshi Itoi but remained in {{W|development hell}} for six years before [[Kenji Saito]] became the director.

The animated film features the voices of [[Akio Furuya]], [[Takaya Asakura]], and [[Nobuko Shinosuke]]. The cinematography and art direction was done by Tatekawa Shichinosuke and the film score was composed by Hikaru Tabata.

''Lost Butterfly'' was theatrically released in Japan on 12 March 1994 and in [[Anglo-America]] on 18 December 1994. The film was critically acclaimed, with praise to its visuals, storytelling, characters, themes, and score. Despite its critical reception and relative commercial success, the film grossed over ¥4.7 billion worldwide, while the film budget was ¥5.6 billion, resulting in a net loss of nearly ¥1 billion (not including other expenses). Following the film's release, Solar Animation declared bankruptcy and sold most of its assets and rights to [[Sammy Corporation|Sammy]], while it sold the intellectual rights of ''Lost Butterfly'', including the character Robball, to Janshii, which thereafter transformed the character into one of its corporate mascots and spawned an entire franchise.

==Plot==

Yasuo Tsutsumi, a 9 year-old boy, is sent to stay at his grandparents' butterfly ranch along the {{W|Tama River}} near {{W|Kawasaki, Kanagawa}} by his single-parent father, Tatsuo, who is leaving on an extended business trip. He attends school there and is bullied over the fact that his parents are absent and do not show up to pick him up. Yasuo becomes reclusive, which concerns his grandparents who then try to goad him to befriend the next-door neighbor's child through an arranged playdate. The next-door neighbor's child insults him over his appearance and Yasuo runs away from his grandparents' ranch into the woods beyond the property. Yasuo becomes lost and is nearly attacked by a {{W|wild boar}} before he is saved by an alien seal-dog creature who introduces himself as [[Robball]]. Yasuo is grateful for Robball's heroism and decides to take him but keep him a secret from his grandparents. Robball is hidden away in the Tsutsumi barn where Yasuo visits him everyday to play with. Yasuo's grandparents grow suspicious about Tsutsumi spending long hours each day visiting the barn and one day, Tsutsumi's grandfather, Masao, goes in to investigate. Eventually meeting Robball, the elder Tsutsumi faints, forcing a meeting between all Tsutsumis and Roball.

Confused about the whole situation, Yasuo's grandmother asks what Robball is even doing on Earth. Roball explains that he comes from the Q4 Zone, an extrasolar planet located in the Andromeda Galaxy. The planet had sent it to earth to scout it for information, as they wanted to "meet" the people of Earth and "invite" them to their community. Yasuo is excited at the prospect of first contact, but Masao is not so convinced, worried that Robball might not be completely honest. Yasuo's grandmother, Kaori, convinces him to trust Robball for the moment. The Tsutsumi's and their new guest go off to have dinner together. Later that night, a communications building is captured by a mysterious assailant, who appears to be a lizard creature with similar abilities to Robball, who then reports back to a tall, penguin like bird, who tells him to initiate "Phase Two".

The next day, Yasuo take Robball around Kawasaki, showing him the sights and sounds of the town. They come across a girl, Chisa Izumi, who takes an immediate liking to Robball. As the three begin to talk to various people, Robball suddenly gets upset, and hides in a public restroom. Yasuo tries to get him to explain himself, to no avail. After a montage of various scenes of Robball getting acclimated with Yasuo and learning about Earth, Yasuo is confronted by some bullies outside of school, as Robbal observes from afar. Eventually, Robball intervenes without showing himself, much to their confusion. Meanwhile, various Lizard creatures similar to the big one damage various satellite dishes around Japan, while the big lizard looks on.

==Cast and Characters==
{| class="wikitable"
!Character name
!Japanese voice
!English voice
!LA Spanish Voice
|-
|{{Nihongo|Yasuo Tsutsumi|筒美 安男}}
|[[Nobuko Shinosuke]]
|[[Connor Hollins]]
|[[Enrique Rodriguez]]
|-
|{{Nihongo|Robball|ロッボール}}
|[[Akio Furuya]] 
|[[Kelly Wang]]
| [[Liliana Barrera]]
|-
|{{Nihongo|Tatsuo Tsutsumi|筒美 竜男}}
|[[Takaya Asakura]]
|[[Dan Price]]
|[[Arturo Mercado Jr]]
|-
|{{Nihongo|Chisa Izumi|泉 ちさ}}
|[[Kyoko Hiyama]]
|[[Lisa Thompson]]
|[[Patricia Hernandez]]
|-
|{{Nihongo|Masao Tsutsumi|筒美 昌男}}
|{{w|Isao Sasaki}}
|[[Noriyuki Morita]]
|{{w|Arturo Mercado}}
|-
|{{Nihongo|Kaori Tsutsumi|筒美 香織}}
|[[Atsuko Hashizume]]
|{{w|June Foray|June Forer}}
|[[Magdalena Leonel]]
|-
| {{Nihongo|Lezargus|レザーガサ}}
|[[Isao Chii]]
| colspan="2" |<center>[[Miguel Sanchez]]</center>
|-
|{{Nihongo|Emperte|エンペルト}}
|[[Nakamura Kojo]]
|[[Cody Weinman]]
|{{W|Francisco Colmenero}}
|}

==Production==
The concept was first conceived by Janshii licensing supervisor Shigeru Washio, who worked with various producers on films. Wanting to produce a film for Janshii, he reached out to Solar Animation, which had been struggling financially, and Daiei Film to pitch a Science fiction film with an anti war message.

==Music==
'''Ending:'''

*{{Nihongo|"A Lost Butterfly"|失われた蝶|Ushinawareta Chō}}
**Lyrics: Hitoshi Itoi
**Composition and Arrangement: Hikaru Tabata
**Performed by: {{W|Isao Sasaki}}
**Label: [[Nippon Columbia]]

'''Inserts:''' 

*{{Nihongo|"Our Star 〜Exciting Alien〜"|僕らの星 〜ワクワク{{Ruby|地球人達|エリアン}}〜|Bokura no Hoshi Waku Waku Erian}}
**Lyrics: Shigeru Washio
** Composition and Arrangement: Hikaru Tabata
**Performed by: {{W|Mitsuko Horie}}
**Label: [[Nippon Columbia]]
*{{Nihongo|"Shooting Star Giant God Meteorman"|流星巨神メテオマン|Ryūsei Kyojin Meteoman}}
**Lyrics: Kenji Saito
**Composition and Arrangement: Hikaru Tabata
**Performed by: {{W|Ichirou Mizuki}} and {{W|Hironobu Kageyama}}
**Label: [[Nippon Columbia]]
*{{Nihongo|"C'mon, Let's Go!"|さぁ、行くぜ！|Sā, ikuze!}}
**Composition and Arrangement: Hikaru Tabata
**Performance and Lyrics: {{W|Nobuo Yamada}}
**Label: [[Nippon Columbia]]

==Release==
''Lost Butterfly'' was theatrically released in Japan on 12 March 1994.

==Reception==

===Box office===

===Critical response===

==Accolades==

==Sequels and derivative works==

==See also==
{{Robball}}
{{Janshii}}
[[Category:1994 films]]
[[Category:1990s Japanese-language films]]
[[Category:1994 anime films]]
[[Category:1994 science fiction films]]
[[Category:Animated buddy films]]
[[Category:Animated duos]]
[[Category:Animated films about extraterrestrial life]]
[[Category:Animated films about friendship]]
[[Category:Animated science fantasy films]]
[[Category:Anime with original screenplays]]
[[Category:Films about bullying]]
[[Category:Films about children]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films about technology]]
[[Category:Films directed by Kenji Saito]]
[[Category:Films set in Kanagawa Prefecture]]
[[Category:Robball]]
[[Category:Janshii animated films]]
[[Category:Japanese animated fantasy films]]
[[Category:Japanese animated science fiction films]]
[[Category:Japanese science fantasy films]]
[[Category:Japanese science fiction films]]