The Roots of Japanese Anime Until the End of WWII: 1930-1942

Synopsis

A rare glimpse of early Japanese sound anime and prewar Japanese culture, The Roots of Japanese Anime features the masterworks of such pioneers of Japanese animation as Noburo Ofuji, Yasuji Murata, and Kenzo Masaoka, in addition to Mitsuyo Seo’s Momotaro’s Sea Eagle, the notorious war cartoon billed as Japan’s first feature anime. These movies represent the brilliance and variety of anime, ranging from beautiful Japanese paper animation to powerful multiplane cel cartoons. They also evoke the fascinating complexity of Japan, a nation that is then both marching towards war, enlisting kids in militarist nationalism, yet also delighting in a mixture of modern popular culture, ancient folk tales, irreverent comedy, and the everyday life of prewar Japanese children.

Main Cast

Crew

Department	Role	Name
Directing	Director	Kiyoji Nishikura Yasuji Murata Kenzô Masaoka Noburô Ôfuji Mitsuyo Seo Yoshitaro Kataoka
Department	Role	Name

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