tv anime

10. Ashita no Joe (1970) A masterpiece of the sporty anime genre, with a shadowy heroic image that inspires sympathy “Ashita no Joe,” which began airing in 1970, is a masterpiece of the sport anime genre based on the boxing manga written by Kajiwara Ikki and drawn by Chiba Tetsuya. The main character, Takeshi Yabuki, who grew up poor, discovered boxing, and matured as a human being through mortal combat with rivals, struck a chord with many young people. Realistic depiction and psychological portrayal Unlike conventional sports anime, “Ashita no Joe” realistically depicts the conflicts in the hero's mind and ...

9. Fujio Akatsuka's Works (late 1960s) The era of Fujio Akatsuka, the master of gag animation In the late 1960s, a series of gag cartoons created by Fujio Akatsuka were adapted to animated television series, which enjoyed explosive popularity, especially among children. Representative works include “Osomatsu-kun,” “Himitsu no Akko-chan,” “Mouretsu Ataro,” and “Tensai Bakabon.” Nonsense gags and unique characters The appeal of Akatsuka's works is, above all, their unique nonsense gags and unique characters. Akatsuka's nonsensical actions, remarks, and surrealistic plot twists have brought laughter not only to children but also to adults. The timeless Akatsuka World Fujio Akatsuka's works ...

8. Animerama (1969-1970) Osamu Tezuka's challenge to create animation that adults could also enjoy “Animerama” is a genre of animation for adults proposed by Osamu Tezuka from the late 1960s through the 1970s. At the time, there was a strong stereotype that animation was for children, and Tezuka sought to break through this stereotype and create high-quality animated works that could be enjoyed by adults. An ambitious body of work and commercial success One of the best-known works of animerama is the animated film “One Thousand and One Nights” (1969). Set in the world of the Arabian Nights, the film ...

7. Attack No. 1 (1969) Pioneer of sports anime for girls Along with “Star of the Giants,” “Attack No. 1,” which began airing in 1969, led the boom in sports anime for girls. This work depicts the bright and energetic main character, Kozue Ayuhara, who, together with her friends, overcomes numerous difficulties and grows to become the world's number one volleyball player, based on the subject of women's volleyball. Kozue Ayuhara, the object of every girl's admiration Kozue Ayuhara's cute appearance and indomitable spirit that would not be daunted by any difficulties won her the overwhelming support of the girls ...

6. Star of the Giants (1968) The milestone of sport anime, a passionate drama that caused a social phenomenon “The Star of the Giants,” which began airing in 1968, was Japan's first sports anime based on the original story by Kajiwara Ikki and was a social phenomenon. At the time, the Yomiuri Giants were overwhelmingly strong, winning the Japan Series again and again. Combined with the growing enthusiasm for sports due to the Tokyo Olympics, this work enthused not only children but adults as well. A story of hard work and perseverance, and the bond between father and son The ...

5. Gegege no Kitaro (1968) The spark that ignited the yokai anime boom Gegege no Kitaro,” written by Shigeru Mizuki and first broadcast in 1968, is a monumental work that sparked the yokai boom in Japan. The story of Kitaro, a boy who is a descendant of a ghost tribe born from a graveyard, fighting various yokai together with his father, Father Medama, and Nezumi Otoko, aiming for the coexistence of humans and yokai, stimulated children's curiosity to see scary things and attracted a large following. Long-standing popularity and diverse media development “GeGeGe no Kitaro” has been remade many times ...

4. Knight of the Ribbon (1967) A masterpiece that opened up new horizons in animation for girls The TV animation “Knight of the Ribbon,” created by Osamu Tezuka and first broadcast in 1967, is a masterpiece that had a profound influence on later anime for girls. The story of Sapphire, the princess of Silverland, who was born with a male heart as a result of an angel's trick, and who faces difficulties in order to save her country as a prince, captured the hearts of many girls. The original “battle heroine” The Knight of the Ribbon” is known as the ...

3. Ken the Wolf Boy (1963) An ambitious work that utilizes the know-how of theatrical animation Following the success of “Astro Boy”, Toei Doga produced the TV animation “Ken the Wolf Boy”, which was an ambitious work that utilized the high technology and expressive power cultivated in theatrical animation. The story of Ken, a boy who was raised by wolves despite being human, and his adventures and growth in a rich natural setting captured the hearts of many children. Challenge for new expression For “Ken the Wolf Boy,” Toei Doga's technical capabilities cultivated through the production of “Hakubenden” were fully ...

2. Astro Boy (1963) A milestone that ushered in the era of TV animation “Astro Boy,” which began broadcasting in 1963, is a brilliant milestone in the history of Japanese animation, created by Osamu Tezuka, the god of manga. Set in a futuristic city in the 21st century, the story of Atom, a boy robot that runs on 100,000 horsepower of nuclear energy and expresses joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure like a human being, has enthralled children in their homes. As evidenced by its astonishing 40.7% viewership rating, “Astro Boy” became a true social phenomenon, ushering in the era of ...

1. Hakubenden (1958) Monumental work that marked the dawn of Japanese animation Released in 1958, “Hakubyakuden” is a brilliant milestone in the history of Japanese animation as Japan's first all-natural color full-length manga film. The production cost at the time was an unprecedented 40,471,000 yen, and it took two years from conception to completion, with a total of over 80,000 original drawings and animated images, a truly unprecedented scale. Taiji Yabushita, who had produced short animated films at Toho's Educational Film Department, was selected as director, while Akira Daikuhara and Koji Mori were in charge of original drawings, and 42 ...