The most important japanese animation films

[Naguib Razak]

actually, i did think about showing a collective of Tezuka Osamu's work ...
i was mainly thinking of Tenrankai no E (Picture from an Exhibition);
Janpingu (Jumping) and Mori no Densetsu (The Legend of the Forest) based on
the information culled from the OneDotZero/ICA's Tezuka Osamu retrospective
....

how would these compare with the Tezuka titles you mentioned?
Where can i gather additional synopsis of the titles you mentioned?

While i would like the selection to represent the best/most important works,
i also have to consider its accesibility to today's younger audience as well
as relevance to the development of animation today in South East Asia as
well ... it is my own motivation to see the younger generation in this
region, that are rapidly absorbing knowledge in computer-based technology
and medias with aplomb and appetite, develop an interest in expressing
themselves through this medium ... for this matter, i seek both strong
examples of animation that will spark the imagination as well as emotional
expression ...

it's a tough call, but your opinions always help ...

naguib

p/s i agree with Dion about Perfect Blue ... in fact, it was exactly that
film that got me interested in the potential of animation films ... Perfect
Blue has had a few screenings in Jakarta and Singapore ... but getting it to
clear censorship in countries like Malaysia will be very dicey ... but i'm
hoping to hear news about the director's next animation film, Millennium
Actress ... any word on this?

i also think Laputa and Nausicaa may be Miyazaki's better works, but there's
certainly a burning anticipation to see Mononoke Hime from the anime
diehards around here ... hard to disappoint that ...


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of Aaron
Gerow
Sent: Monday, May 01, 2000 9:35 AM
To: KineJapan
Subject: Re: The most important japanese animation films


>I am trying to compile a list of the most important films to
>come out of the japanese anime/animation industry, and i hope to programme
>some of these titles

>From what you say here, it seems like you should be taking a historical
perspective, but the films you list are only relatively recent.  This
replicates too much the recent take on Japanese animation that ignores
the long history before 1970.

In the spirit of history, I would recommend the following:

Kumo to churippu (1943)
Not a feature, but Masaoka Kenzo's brilliant contribution to world
animation history.  A masterpiece.

Momotaro--Umi no shinpei (1944)
An amazing film, in terms of both animation and ideology.

Osama no shippo (1948)
Seo Mitsuo's last great work.

Hakujaden (1958)
You have to do Toei Animation--without it, there would be no Japanese
animation industry!  This is their first full-length animated feature,
and the first one in color.

Hyotan suzume (1959)
Yokoyama Ryuichi and Otogi Puro's first feature film.  The alternative to
Toei's industrial mode.

Shonen Sarutobi Sasuke (1959)
Toei again and the first cinemascope animated feature.

Saiyuki (1960)
Toei. Notable in particular for bringing Tezuka Osamu into animation
(where he wanted to be in the first place).

Arabian Night: Sinbad no boken (1962)
Lots of Toei when you get into the 60s.  What you pick is a matter of
taste, but the level tends to go down as you go along, with some
exceptions.

Wanwan Chushingura (1963)
Toei with Tezuka again.

Taiyo no oji: Horusu no daiboken (1968)
Toei. The attempt to de-TVize sixties animation. My vote for the most
important Japanese animated film of all time.  Without it, and I don't
think you have Takahata, Miyazaki, and much of what happened afterwards.

Nagakutsu o haita neko (1969)
A children's classic.

Sen'ya ichiya monogatari (1969)
Very 1960s and kind of hard to watch these days, but Mushi Puro's
landmark attempt at artistic, adult animation.  Former Tokyo Governor
Aoshima Yukio does the lead character's voice!  (Guest voices by what
seems like half the cultural intellectuals of the time: Endo Shusaku,
Yoshiyuki Junnosuke, Tsutsui Yasutaka, Oya Soichi, Komatsu Sakyo,
Tachikawa Danshi, etc.)

Uchusenkan Yamato (1977)
Arguably the main impetus behind the post-1970s surge in animation.

Ginga tetsudo 999 (1979)
A major hit at the box office.

Kido senshi Gandamu (1981)
The source behind all those endless sequels.


A lot of the Toei features were released abroad, but I have no idea
whether or not they are still available (in dubbed versions, or possibly
on video).  Does anyone know?  You should definitely contact Toei about
these.  Shochiku deals with the first two films and Tezuka Puro might
help with the Mushi Puro titles.

Good luck.




Aaron Gerow
Associate Professor
International Student Center
Yokohama National University
79-1 Tokiwadai
Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501
JAPAN
E-mail: gerow at ynu.ac.jp
Phone: 81-45-339-3170
Fax: 81-45-339-3171