The Best Odyssey Adaptation Is An '80s Sci-Fi Show You've Never Heard Of

"The Odyssey" is one of the greatest feats of literature mankind has ever known, passed down both via oral and written tradition for centuries. The epic story has taken on many forms, most recently with Christopher Nolan's film adaptation, which Looper described as the director's masterpiece. But there have been numerous interpretations over the years, and the best might just be "Ulysses 31," a children's science fiction show from 1981 that transports the hero into the 31st century.

Ulysses (Osamu Kobayashi), traveling aboard the spaceship Odyssey, earns the wrath of Poseidon after killing his son, the cyclops, which in this version is a giant robot with a single glowing red eye. Ulysses' crew becomes frozen, and the only way to revive them is for Ulysses, alongside his son Telemachus, the small alien girl Yumi, and the nail-eating robot comic relief Nono, to venture to Hades.

For all the debate about how much Nolan got right and wrong with his adaptation of "The Odyssey," "Ulysses 31" is proof positive that there's no single right way to adapt something. Fidelity to the source is certainly admirable, but taking this Greek poem and transporting it into a space setting with aliens and robots offers a whole new galaxy of possibilities. And since this interpretation was marketed squarely at children, it could help introduce them to Greek mythology in a way that doesn't feel like homework. 

"Ulysses 31" ran for 26 episodes from 1981 to 1982 and was a truly international effort. It was produced by the Japanese studio Tokyo Movie Shinsha as well as the French-American studio DIC Audiovisuel. It originally aired on the French network France 3 but had trouble finding footing in the United States. It did eventually air as part of Kideo TV, a syndicated anthology show consisting of various other programming, like "Rainbow Brite." However, it was quickly dropped due to minimal merchandising opportunities, which sounds wild because every kid should have wanted a Nono robot of their very own. 

Fortunately, all the episodes are now available on YouTube to watch for free. It's a great companion piece after watching Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," and you'll be amazed how much Greek mythology they manage to cram into 26 episodes. Some do follow the main beats of Homer's "Odyssey": Episode 13, "Song of Danger," sees Ulysses contending with the sirens, while Episode 16, "The Magic Spells of Circe," chronicles Ulysses' men being turned into pigs by the sorceress Circe.

But the show also deviates from Homer's poem significantly, bringing in characters who aren't in "The Odyssey" at all. For instance, Ulysses meets Sisyphus, who's cursed to push boulders in a crater for all of eternity. The show didn't stay confined to the events of "The Odyssey," meaning there's plenty of material for a prospective film adaptation to explore — and this is one forgotten kids' show in desperate need of its own movie universe.