One of the many TV special anime produced in the 1980s as part of the "Nissei Family Special" series, this work is based on the timeless literary masterpiece by Osamu Dazai, which has been passed down through generations. 　In ancient Greece, in the kingdom of Syracuse, King Dionysius, whose complex and troubled past led him to distrust humanity, ruled with cruelty and cold indifference. A young man named Melos, after disrupting the king's procession to save a passing girl named Grete, incurred the king's wrath. Facing execution, Melos pleaded for a few days' reprieve to attend his sister's impending wedding. Leaving his close friend Selinuntius behind as a hostage in the king's custody, Melos returned to his hometown. However, the weight of the life he had narrowly saved began to stir turmoil within him. But...! 　Originally aired in February 1981, this work was planned alongside the TV special anime *The Call of the Wild: Howl, Buck*, which aired a month earlier. Directed by Tomoharu Katsumata, the entire film is narrated with a realistic, live-action sensibility. It earnestly and skillfully portrays sincere themes such as friendship, courage, loyalty, and conscience through meticulous storytelling.