Enjoying the fan posts? Well, here’s another!
Tim wrote a fantastic post about his childhood love for Unico and how it has influenced his life. I think plenty of older fans will relate to Tim’s story and hope it brings back those childhood memories of Unico. Read his story below!
He opened his gift with glee, tearing away the wrapping paper that kept him from his prize. He knew what it was before he had even unwrapped it. But that didn’t stop his excitement as he opened his first Christmas gift that year. He looked at the cover of the video cassette, almost ready to cry, there he was once again- Unico. His childhood friend was restored to him.
“I fell in love with unicorns at a very early age. I managed to win a fair game where I got my choice of prizes, and I chose the picture with the horned horses. I didn’t know the word unicorn at that time. But winning that prize instilled a love in me of unicorns that no one has ever been able to shake. From then on, unicorns became everything. Any chance I had to get something unicorn related; I would. This included at the local VHS rental store, Network Video. Often, that would be a She-Ra video or The Last Unicorn. However, there was one video I would always rent when given the chance. And that video was Unico in the Island of Magic. While Unico looked very different from any other unicorn I had seen, it was because of that difference that Unico stuck in my mind more than any other. I could watch the scene of Unico chasing after Cheri in the desert on repeat and wish I too could change into a giant flying unicorn. I was a kid, I did not know any better.
One day, while watching the TV Guide channel, I saw an ad for a Unico film airing on the Disney Channel. I was so excited at the prospect of Unico being on television. And this was back in the days when the Disney Channel was an expensive add-on to cable. However, luck would have it, the cable company was running a promotion that let you try one of the premium channels, and my family had chosen The Disney Channel. What I saw shook me. Unico was stolen from his mother, sent to an island ruled by a devil, and forced to fight a giant-sized demon. Where was the child of the Sphinx? What happened to Kuruku? This was not the Unico I would rent from Network Video. This was a different adventure. I did not know then that I was watching The Fantastic Adventures of Unico. More on that later. Seeing Unico lose his horn terrified me. But surprisingly, the scene that stuck with me was the scene of the forest coming to life to get Katie to Baron De Ghost’s castle.
Later, tragedy struck hard. I walked in to see that Unico in the Island of Magic was no longer on the shelf at my VHS rental place. I then found out someone had bought the VHS. I would never be able to watch it again. And some part of me was gone. Lost forever, and that really stuck with me. It was a tragedy that was devastating for a kid. My family had never stopped to record the movies on VHS. So, I wasn’t able to see them. To make matters worse, I did not know the actual title of the movies. I just knew Unico. And finding those titles would be difficult.
And then a determination hit me, I took it upon myself to try and find something about those films. The library had been a sanctuary for me, a place for books and other things. I would frequently visit to borrow books about unicorns, some of them well above my age range at the time. I mentioned to Karen, the youth services librarian, that I was looking for those films, and she suggested I go to the first-floor reference desk. This was a scary place for me, as the librarian who was there frequently was one of the worst stereotypes of librarians. While she was there, someone else was there as well. I explained that I was looking for the title of a film that started with ‘Unico’. I didn’t know it then, but I was having my first reference session with a librarian. I was on pins and needles as the woman looked through the computer. This may have been in the very early stages of the internet. It felt like it took forever. However, after a time, she found not one but two titles- The Fantastic Adventures of Unico and Unico in the Island of Magic. I had titles, and with this, I had some power. So, I began doing what I thought I could. I started calling every VHS rental place to see if any of them could order the VHS tapes. None of them could. So, I started looking at retail stores, unaware that these VHS tapes had been out of print for a long time. When the first Blockbuster opened up in my town, I called them to see if they could order them. Again, they could not.
And then, in 7th grade, in 1996, a new VHS rental store, Star Video, opened. At that point, I had slightly given up. If Blockbuster could not order these VHS tapes, no one could. However, one day in November, on a whim, I called to see if they could order those VHS tapes. They said yes, they could. Talking with my mom, she agreed to order them as Christmas gifts. So, we ordered them, or so we thought. Then, a week later, I came home to my mom informing me that the store had discovered they could not actually get them. And I was devastated, more so than when I found the VHS at Network Video was gone. I had spent years looking for those video cassettes. I felt my body slump, and I went upstairs and began crying my eyes out on my bed. I soaked my pillow. And then my mom yelled up that she had gone Karen on the manager, and the manager agreed to order them used, since they had that capability. My mom’s attempt at deception had failed. And as quickly as I had been upset, I was happy. Now I just had to wait. Some time later, I went to Star Video to pick up the tapes. I still had to wait for Christmas, but when I saw the two VHS tapes, I got a little teary-eyed, and the manager noticed. I brushed it off that there was something in my eye.
Christmas Eve came, and my mom allowed us to open two gifts that night. By that stage, I was fully capable of knowing what a VHS looked like wrapped up. And there they were, both of the Unico films. My mom allowed me to watch Unico in the Island of Magic that night. I tried not to cry. But I failed. My mom said to get over it, but I couldn’t. There he was- my childhood best friend. I had not seen it in so long that I could not help but cry a bit. And watching that scene of Unico becoming the winged unicorn again lifted me. I had been bullied terribly since the school year started, and this gave me a comfort I couldn’t explain.
I could not watch The Fantastic Adventures of Unico that night. However, with the next day being Christmas and knowing the other film was waiting to be watched, I woke up early. I can still remember seeing the clock read sometime around 3 AM when I snuck down to the living room to watch the other movie. And I watched it. It was very different from Unico in the Island of Magic. But there was one scene I distinctly remembered from the first time I saw it. The one of Katie walking through the woods and the forest moved to keep her on the way to the baron’s castle.
Time moved on. I could watch Unico whenever I wanted. When the VHS began to show signs of age, I made some backup copies. And even at some point when the internet came into existence, I made some copies for fans, as the VHS at the time was very expensive. I did not do it for long, though. And while I tried to collect Unico merchandise and similar items, it was hard to find pieces I could afford. I still want a wallet! However, over the years, I managed to locate a bootleg VHS of Black Cloud White Feather and even a few animation cels. One of which is Beezel being taken by the West Wind and another of Unico from Black Cloud White Feather. And I still want a cel of adult Unico, but which fan doesn’t?
Over the years, I would get things that I could afford. I was fortunate to snag a copy of the English translation of the original manga, as well as copies of the Japanese manga. However, I was disappointed to find that the English translation did not include the kid-friendly manga that had been created. Maybe one day that will be translated. And at some point, I saw listings for a jumbo Unico plush, which I feel is frankly pretty close to life-size. And I kept missing my chance to buy it. Every time it came up for sale, I had to wait until payday, only to find it had been purchased before I could buy it. And then the listings stopped showing up. Finally, one night after a convention, I was spending time with my husband when I looked on eBay to find the specific plush. Without a second thought, I purchased it. It is my favorite Unico collectible, mostly because I can sit and watch the films with this plush, although some people may find it odd that a 40-something-year-old male would do something like that. But I couldn’t care less about the haters.
And then for a time, Unico was there but not as prevalent as before. There had been no word of new merchandise or anything like it. But he was still there for me. And then something strange happened. It was 2024, already a great year. I was finally graduating from college, had applied for grad school to become a librarian, and I had a trip planned to San Diego to meet Sue Dawe, an artist whose unicorn art I loved as much as Unico. My local toy show was coming up, though my desire to go just wasn’t there. And while most of the special guests announced were related to Power Rangers, I was intrigued that Barbara Goodson was appearing. Why was that name so intriguing? This was the woman who voiced Rita Repulsa. And then I went to the IMDb page for Unico, and then it dawned on me. Barbara Goodson also voiced Unico. As a child, I had always thought about meeting the voice of Unico. However, the English credits did not include a cast list. But knowing this information changed my mind about going to the toy show. I was also lucky that a friend was vending at the show and needed help with setup, which gave me free admission. The day of the show, I arrived early wearing my Unico shirt, the Blu-ray of both films, and the giant plush. However, I had to wait an hour for the celebrities to show up. But when the time got close, I went up to the signing area. The Red Ranger and the guy who was the face of Zordon were also there. And then this little woman came out from behind the curtain. She had a Rita Repulsa figure. Her entrance was grand, and she even announced in the Rita voice. And there was me, holding the plush of a childhood friend she voiced. I could not contain my excitement. THERE SHE WAS!!! THE VOICE OF UNICO! I was first in line.
I walked up with the Blu-Ray. “So how often do you sign Unico things?” I asked. She smiled. Her real voice was soothing and gentle. “I don’t often sign my older works. Most of the time, it’s Power Rangers or my newer works. You are unique like Unico,” she told me. I had her autograph my Blu-Ray with the caption “To Tim, Let’s meet at the Island of Magic”. We took a few photos together. And afterwards, I hugged her. This was maybe a bit awkward for her. I am a little over six feet tall, and she was barely five and a half feet, so she came up to my chest. While we hugged, I barely had it in me to tell her, “Thank you for keeping me kind in a world that tried to make me cruel.” I started to cry as I fell into the arms of that small woman; I had wanted to tell her that for years. Unico had taught me that kindness can make even the hardest of enemies a friend. And this was something that had kept me going through the years. The music of Unico was present at my wedding. “I understand what you mean. I am glad I could be there for you. I love you,” she said as the tears were streaming down my face. After that, I took a moment for myself. A dream came true. Proof to me that the impossible is possible. Even while writing this, almost two years later, I still can’t help but start to tear up. I sincerely hope that other Unico fans will get the chance to meet her and share their stories of what Unico did for them.
I can’t help but mention that a few months before this event, a Kickstarter campaign appeared in my social media feed. A new re-imaging of Unico was on the way. While I shared the post on my own social media page in an attempt to get my husband’s attention, I couldn’t not be a part of this. If my childhood friend could come back to life and I could share it with my nieces and nephews, I would do my part to make that happen. So, I backed it and wish I had backed more so I could have been in the comic. But that wasn’t to be. While Unico: Awakening felt a lot like the second half of Fantastic Adventures of Unico, there was something new to it. This time, it seemed part of the story would include restoring Unico’s memories. Would this lead to some epic battle between Unico and Venus? Maybe. At this point we only have the second volume, Hunted, which feels a bit like Black Cloud White Feather. Will the next one have a plot similar to Island of Magic? I don’t know. What I do know is I will continue to support this new iteration of Unico. I donated a copy of Unico Awakening to the library where I currently work. We don’t have a copy of Hunted and I feel obligated to get that for the library as well.
Over my many years on this world, Unico has been a constant companion to me. I long for the day of seeing Unico in a place he can finally call home. I yearn to see more animated features of him. There was some talk about new Unico feature with the new iteration, and I hope those come to fruition with Barbara returning to voice him. She had told me she was willing to voice him again if given the chance. I have started sharing Unico with my younger nieces and nephews by giving them copies of the Unico books that have been released, and I look forward to the day I can watch Unico with them and share with them the joy I had as a child while watching Unico, with a life size plush of my childhood best friend.”
– Tim / USA
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