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Windaria
童話めいた戦史ウインダリア (Windaria)
Genre	Fantasy
Movie
Directed by	Kunihiko Yuyama
Studio	Kaname Productions
Released	9 July 1986
Runtime	102 min

Windaria (童話めいた戦史ウインダリア, Dôwa meita senshi Windaria^?) is an anime best described as two intertwined Romeo and Juliet stories.

The mountainous kingdom of Paro and the coastal city-state of Itha had been at peace for over a century. They would have remained that way but for the ambitions of Paro's power-hungry king. Paro invaded Itha, despite the love between Jill, Paro's prince, and Ahanas, Itha's princess. Caught between duty and emotion, the star-crossed lovers were forced to fight a war to its bitter conclusion.

Isu was a simple farmer from the neutral village of Saki, but he saved Itha from being destroyed by a spy from Paro, and found himself hungering for wealth and glory that the Ithan monarchy could provide. Agents from Paro made him an offer to fulfill his wishes, and he left his wife Marin behind in what would turn into a battlefield between the two kingdoms.

In 1987, Harmony Gold brought Windaria to the U.S., changing the title to Once Upon A Time, trimming the movie from its 102-minute running time to 95 minutes. Streamline Pictures issued this version on video in 1992 (titled, ironically, as Windaria). This edited dub (attacked by critics and anime fans) altered the plot drastically (the script was rewritten by Carl Macek), switched scenes around, gave the entire cast American names, and even added narration provided by Russell Johnson (of Gilligan's Island fame). ADV Films has reissued this version on DVD in 2004.

This film should not be confused with the 1976 Rolf Kauka animated movie Maria d'Oro und Bello Blue which is also known under the english title Once Upon A Time.

• List of animated feature films

• Dôwa meita senshi Windaria at the Internet Movie Database