Anime of the Year 1960s - Taiyou no Ouji: Horus no Daibouken
Entry posted by kivandopulus in Anime of the Year
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Since I don't like to make separate posts for small things , here are principles that anime list is based on - no anime for kids, no hentai, no anime with episodes under 10 minutes, no OVA that are recaps of series episodes or with length under 30 minutes, no boys love, no non-Japanese language anime.
As for anime of the 1960s, Taiyou no Ouji: Horus no Daibouken is the only masterpiece for me in this period.
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1. Tetsuwan Atom Astro Boy 鉄腕アトム [1961-I] Mushi Production (Dropped 4/193)
Tags: Shounen Mecha Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
In the year 2003, Professor Tenma is distraught when his son Tobio is killed in a car accident. He loses himself in his latest project, creating Atom, a robot boy programmed to be forever good.
Upset that his Tobio-substitute can never grow up, Tenma sells Atom to Ham Egg, the cruel ringmaster of a robot circus. Atom meets the kindly Professor Ochanomizu, who adopts him, inspires him to become a crusader against evil, and eventually builds him a robot "sister," Uran.
The first Japanese anime TV-series I was able to find not for kids, so for me this is the year anime begins. A classic superhero story with the exception that protagonist is a robot kid . Robot nature is introduced here to explain superpower , but primarily to be the basis for humor. Protagonist is the only recurring figure (even "sister" Uran gets forgotten instantly) and he behaves in an absolutely predictable way. Episode 1 is introduction and retelling of synopsis. Episode 2 is a more or less typical battle with a just introduced robot villain. But episode 3 surprises as the concept does not just repeat - instead we're presented a rocket journey to Mars with fighting invader aliens becoming only a side dish, and discovering story behind the first expedition and finding survivors the main one. Episode 4 surprises again as astro boy regains consciousness alone in a desert and is rescued by bandit Ali-Baba to help him in treasure hunt and by coincidence unseals a conspiracy. Humor and story novelty in each episode fascinate and entertain enough to go on if you literally have nothing better to do. But without bright characters and fascinating story it can hardly offer much to contemporary watcher.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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2. Tetsujin 28-gou Gigantor 鉄人２８号 [1963-IV] Eiken (Dropped 5/96)
Tags : Shounen Mecha Adventure, Sci-Fi
Dr.Haneda was developing experimental giant robot warriors to fight the allies during the Second World War, but before his creations could see action, Allied bombs destroyed the facility and killed him. A decade later criminals discovered two of the surviving prototypes, #26 and 27 in the series, and used the remote controlled robots to commit a number of crimes. Young Shotaro Haneda, the twelve year old son of Dr.Haneda, did some investigating and discovered that the mob were hunting for the twenty-eighth robot in the series, rumoured to be the most powerful of them all. Racing the villains, Shotaro discovers the robot first, along with Dr.Shikashima, a colleague of his father's who was also believed killed by the Allied bombing. Together the two prevent Tetusjin-28 (the robot's official designation) from falling into the hands of the bad guys, and decide to dedicate him to peace rather than war.
Shotaro fought crime for a long time, supported by Dr.Shikashima, who would repair Tetsujin-28 when he was damaged, and by police officer Otsuka. Shotaro even battled the alien Magmans, invaders from the planet Magma, who came to Earth late in his career, bringing their own giant robots, Magma X and Gold Wolf, with them.
Another classic title for the shounen mecha genre, although robot is only some 5+ meters high and is controlled with a controller rather than from inside. Complex synopsis covers as many as first two episodes and also finishes with the gang arc. Episode 3 starts an alien invasion arc with spy confrontation with episode 4 being the invasion itself and episode 5 a comeback of the alien spy robot. Compared to Astro Boy there's no humor in here apart of some graphical choices . Action , story and arcs are in the center here, and episodes finish with either a hook and to be continued or with a preview of next episode to keep the interest running. This integrity and glue add some points, but I still see zero reasons why it can be watched nowadays.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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3. Eightman 8 Man エイトマン [1961-IV] Nippon Animation (Dropped 3/56)
Tags: Mecha Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A private investigator working a routine case involving stolen technology is mortally wounded. His only hope for survival comes from sacrificing his humanity to become 8Man—a powerful cyborg crime-fighter enhanced with a living human brain. Resurrected as the ultimate high-tech vigilante, it is up to 8Man to bring the lawless to justice and put an end to the escalating cycle of violence. A classic animated thriller that will leave you breathless.
A normal superman story. Watchable , but I've never had interest in superhero stories. I see this work not as anime, but as a conventional American cartoon as it has West-imitating animation, mature protagonist and simplistic narrative. Each episode presents a separate detective/villain story. Can't think of anything even more primitive as that, so the scores are the bottom line as well.
Overall Rating: 1/10
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4. Wan Wan Chuushingura Doggie March わんわん忠臣蔵 [1963-IV] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Anthropomorphic Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
The homeless dog Rock swears to take to revenge on a tiger named Killer in the zoo, who had killed his mother. The dogs in town, troubled by the atrocities of Killer, join forces to support Rock. Changing the target of revenge to the murderer of the main character's mother made it easier for kids to empathize with the character.
A child OVA imitating Disney cartoons, notably Lion King. I see it as a technology demo rather than a serious story. Compared to the TV series from the the same year animation is godly, but it should rather be compared with Wester OVA. In this regard it's totally ok for children and on par with Disney, I'd actually rate Disney the same, just don't like watching it as an adult.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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5. 0-sen Hayato 0戦はやと [1964-I] P Productions (Dropped 1/38)
Tags: Historical, Military
The adventures of a zero fighter pilot during World War II.
Given that there's no translation, there aren't English reviews either. Anime is about 35 excellent pilots gathered in one unrivaled corps by a great commander. It has enough depth because pilots come from different Japanese clans, even rivaling ones . There are also a lot of historical and geographical allusions. Finally, good use of action and tactics. Still, can't see the point in this anime nowadays without full focus on characters.
Overall Rating: 2/10
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6. Big X ビッグX [1964-II] Tokyo Movie Shinsha (Dropped 3/59)
Tags: Shounen Historical Action, Sci-Fi
Invited to Nazi Germany during World War II, Dr. Asagumo is asked by Hitler to collaborate with him on the research of the new weapon "Big X". Concerned about the possible effects of the completion of Big X, Dr. Asagumo intentionally delays the progress of the research, conspiring with his co-researcher, the devious Dr. Engel. Immediately before Germany is defeated by the Allies, Dr. Asagumo implants a card inscribed with the secret of Big X in his son, Shigeru, and is then shot to death by the German army. Twenty years later, the card is discovered in the body of Shigeru, who is then living in Tokyo. Soon, an organization claiming alliance with the Nazis appears, steals the card, and completes the Big X project. Dr. Engel's grandson has joined the Nazi Alliance. The completed Big X is then revealed to be a drug that can expand the human body without limitation. Recovering Big X from the enemy, Shigeru's son Akira fearlessly challenges the Nazi Alliance and Hans Engel, who are plotting to conquer the world.
Another variation of superman, this time wonder waffle variant. Quite similar to predecessors, especially, Tetsujin 28-gou as genius child travels with professor and some allies with superpower activating only in the dire moments. Episode 1 contains the synopsis events, further episodes are of episodic nature. There's some mild humor. I see little sense in all this to watch it now.
Overall Rating: 2/10
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7. Shounen Ninja Kaze no Fujimaru Samurai Kid 少年忍者風のフジ丸 [1964-III] Toei Animation (Dropped 1/65)
Tags: Shounen Samurai Action, Adventure
Kidnapped and rescued by a Ninja, Fujimaru has mastered martial arts over the years. Now he sets off on a journey to find his mother and also locate an old tome containing secret martial arts techniques.
First samurai series, but already quite advanced as there are nice talks between several main characters, though nothing really special. Anyway, never understood shounens.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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8. Uchuu Patrol Hopper Space Patrol Hopper 宇宙パトロールホッパ [1965-I] Toei Animation (Dumped 1/44)
After an alien attack, a boy named Jun is rescued by aliens who give him super powers and recruit him into the Space Patrol. The series was renamed Patrol Hopper Uchukko Jun for the final 18 episodes.
A shounen replaced to an alien planet full of aliens. Aliens have saved Jun and taught him superpowers. Change of place is to a great benefit here, as aliens are depicted as very funny and all those banal professors/policemen/criminals are repeated almost everywhere and don't fascinate. Altogether same episodic adventures, just in a different environment.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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9. Mirai Kara Kita Shounen Super Jetter 未来から来た少年 スーパージェッター [1965-I] TBS, TCJ (Dumped 3/52)
Tags: Super Power Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
A time patroller from the 30th century goes back to the 20th century to stop a meteor from destroying the world.
Again superpower, but both protagonist and villains now come from future. Protagonist is not much different from everyone else despite coming from 30th century - his gadgets stop-watch and flying car mostly serve as superpowers. What really stands out in this anime is a carefree journalist girl becoming protagonist's partner. Her reactions and talks make the bulk of the humor scenes and liven up the atmosphere a lot.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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10. Gulliver no Uchuu Ryokou ガリバーの宇宙旅行 [1965-I] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
Ted meets the aged professor Gulliver in a deep, dark forest. Accompanied by Mack the dog, a toy soldier called The General, and the Crow, the two set off on a journey to the Planet of Blue Hope in their spaceship the Gulliver.
Finally we got some crazy stuff going on. Talking toy soldier warns an unlucky homeless boy about a rushing car, so thy and a thrown away dog just start going randomly and do random stuff like run away from the attraction park guards and fly together on a harpoon launched from a cannon getting in the dark forest where synopsis finally catches up. Several times environment just became a solid color with our heroes trapped inside changing geometrical figures, really weird. And it's also a musical as there are four big songs and several more small ones (often with that crazy transformation animation) . Talking dog is here for most humor moments while toy soldier for lots of grudging. All these elements make the OVA entertaining during the whole course and random space adventures are always nice, but still can't recommend it without some real substance or sense or exceptional characters in all those adventures.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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11. Uchuu Ace Space Ace 宇宙エース [1965-II] Tatsunoko Production (Dumped 3/52)
Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Dr. Tatsunoko of Tatsunoko Research Center goes undersea accompanied by his daughter Asari to inquire into some mysterious radiation and discovers there a giant shell and it is known that the radiation comes from a globe laid inside the shell. Then Asari finds an object in the shape of compact with a message in it. It says that a space alien from the Planet of Parlum which is on the verge of extinction is lying in the globe. Suddenly a boy with a strange look appears out of the globe and goes wild. He is the very person mentioned in the message with the name of Ace. His source of energy for superhuman power is what is called space food and he can fly with the help of Silver Ring made with energy collected instantly in the aerial environment. Also he is able to use it as a weapon to fight the enemy with. Supported by his friends including Asari, Ibo the robot dog, and Hermit Crab Reporter, he gallantly goes into action to settle various difficulties caused by mystic robots and brutal space invaders.
New space-themed superhero protects the Earth against invaders of all sorts. Feels very much like Mirai Kara Kita Shounen Super Jetter, just with younger protagonist and cute chibi girl partner Asari.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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12. Uchuu Shounen Soran 宇宙少年ソラン [1965-II] Eiken (Dumped 3/96)
Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A classic sci-fi TV anime. The adventures of super-boy. In the 21st century, a human boy is raised on the Planet Soran, home of one of the most advanced civilization in the Galactic Federaion. The planet has the gravity 15 times stronger than Earth. People of Soran changed the boy into a cyborg so that he can live on the planet. Years later the boy returns to Earth. He calls himself Soran. On Earth, his phsical ability is 15 times superior to normal humans. He uses the power for justice.
A classic in this regard means return to the sources, notably Tetsuwan Atom, but in an upgraded variant - with a talking squirrel partner. Feels like a step back for me without a proper female partner and even a sight of doubt in any actions.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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13. Wonder 3 The Amazing 3 ワンダー３ [1965-III] Mushi Production (Dropped 4/52)
Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Wonder 3 is an Osamu Tezuka manga and a black and white anime series. It involved the adventures of three agents from outer space who were sent to Earth to determine whether the planet, a potential threat to the universe, should be destroyed. The instrument of destruction is a device resembling a large black ball with two antennae that is variously called an anti-proton bomb, a solar bomb, and a neutron bomb. Although the three agents (Captain Bokko, Nokko, and Pukko) are originally humanoid in appearance, upon arrival on Earth they take on the appearances of a rabbit (Bokko), a horse (Nokko), and a duck (Pukko) that they had captured as examples of Earth life forms. While on Earth they travel in a tire-shaped vehicle capable of enormous speeds called the Big Wheel, which can travel on both land and water (and, with modifications, through the air).
Despite Wonder 3 is mixing the same elements of superpowers, aliens and boy protagonist, it becomes the best TV-series up to this moment. The reason is that it bakes all elements really well. For the first time protagonist is a very ordinary boy without any outstanding abilities. But there are three alien companions turned into animals playing the role of a simpleton, a grump and a flirting female. There's also protagonist's older brother who is a proper cool spy and always falls into trouble. Finally, political situation is unstable with conflict stirring among two nations. It results in military and spies around. This way there's a lot more opportunities for all kinds of events and humor. I have to take one a single score point just because it has English subtitles for only five episodes, but I seriously believe that it's the peak of adventure comedy with superpowers theme presented in most old anime. Setting is saturated horizontally with characters and conditions very well. To get higher scores from me anime should dig deeper.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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14. Yuusei Shounen Papii Prince Planet [1965-III] 遊星少年パピイ Eiken (Dumped 3/52)
Tags: Space, Super Power Action, Sci-Fi
Tells the story of a member of the Universal Peace Corps from the Planet Radion coming to Earth on a mission to determine if this world meets standards for membership in the Galactic Union of Worlds and assist its inhabitants during his stay. While on his mission Prince Planet adopts the identity of an Earth boy named Bobby and gains comrades who work together alongside him combating evil forces both alien and terrestrial.
Eiken is making the third similar looking anime in a row (and simultaneously running) without trying to improve structure-wise. This time there is a girl partner instead of a talking squirrel... but she does not have a significant function with a self-confident superboy. Eiken just does not learn.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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15. Obake no Q-tarou オバケのＱ太郎 [1965-III] Shin-Ei Animation (Dumped 1/96)
Tags: School Comedy, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Q-taro, a monster, is living with the Ohara family. He can fly and make his body transparent, but he cannot turn his body into other things like other monsters do. He is a scattered mind, and he always makes mistakes and causes trouble.
Old Japanese slice-of-life anime comedies are the best. Now I understand where Maruko-chan came from. Sadly, there's just one episode with English subs and some 10 more raw ones around. Maybe there's more luck with remake
Overall Rating: 6/10
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16. Osomatsu-kun おそ松くん [1966-I] Studio Zero (Dumped 3/96)
Tags: Comedy
A wacky comedy about identical sextuplets causing wild pranks. Each episode features 2 stories.
Again only three episodes with English subs and again much hope on the remake. Has truly great findings and individual style in many senses. Zero synopsis means full freedom, and this series uses it fully.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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17. Tatakae! Osper 戦え! オスパー [1966-I] Nihon Hoso Eigasha (Dumped 0/52)
Tags: Shounen Action, Sci-Fi
On a distant world, people with paranormal powers battle each other.
Seems to be lost media, but I doubt I'd evaluate Esper battles highly.
Overall Rating: 0/10
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18. Rainbow Sentai Robin レインボー戦隊ロビン [1966-II] Toei Animation (Dumped 3/48)
Tags: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A squadron of robots defends the planet against alien invaders.
Now this is something unexpected. We've got four normal size sentai rangers - protagonist, shooter, bruiser, medic - plus two chibi characters - radar fox and professor. There are as many as two female characters - medic and radar fox. But anime is called after protagonist Robin - basically, he's the usual self-confident superstrong protagonist. Allies provide some support sometimes or get captured. It's much more advanced than western power rangers, but it's same fighting with different alien invaders each episode, so rather boring overall.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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19. Kaizoku Ouji 海賊王子 [1966-II] Toei Animation (Dumped 3/31)
Tags: Shounen Adventure
Kid was brought up on a small island which floats on the Carribean Sea. He lives a pleasant life with many animals as his companions. However, this changes when he learns that his dying father is not his real father. Before he passes away, his foster father reveals to Kid that his real father is actually Captain Morgan, the pirate who rules the seven seas.
Kid decides to set off in search of his real father, only to learn about his death. Other pirates began to hunger for the title of ruler, one of them being the notorious pirate Tiger Hook. In order to protect the seas, Kid became the pirate king of his father's ship.
Protagonist is basically Peter Pan in the jungle. He has talking animal friends and in the first episode saves a girl captive and her granddad from the pirates. Our team plus pirate ship staff starts to sail on a ship, and pirate captain opposes them on another ship. They clash at different islands and ports with the pirate captain , other new pirates and native tribes. It's a colorful bunch, though the bulk of humor still goes on pirate captain and his pet. That's an almost ready concept for One Piece, no matter how you look at it. I don't favor adventure shounens.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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20. Harisu no Kaze ハリスの旋風 [1966-II] P Productions (Dumped 0/70)
Tags: School Comedy
A boy known as a troublemaker transfers into a new school.
Looks like a piece of lost media again as nowhere to be found
Overall Rating: 0/10
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21. Yuusei Kamen 遊星仮面 [1966-III] Eiken (Dropped 4/39)
Tags: Sci-Fi
Donning a special mask, a young man defends the planet.
It's Eiken, so low-quality drawing and structure again with an unstoppable superhero. This time all those blinking horizontal lines used in drawing really make eyes hurt. And there's no kind of partner. Just awful.
Overall Rating: 1/10
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22. Cyborg 009 サイボーグ009 [1966-III] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Cyborg 009 1966 movie based on the manga. Features 009's origin and an epic battle against Black Ghost and their evil robot forces.
A good full-scale action movie with some humor. There's a whole bunch of colorful allies. To get some serious scores just action and some humor is not enough.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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23. Jungle Taitei Movie ジャングル大帝 劇場版 [1966-III] Mushi Production (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Shounen Adventure
The first 2 minutes of this film are taken from the Jungle Emperor Leo (1965) TV series, while the rest is all original. Tezuka was very pleased that this film conveyed his story accurately, something he wasn't able to do with the TV series.
It's mostly a recap of tv series for kids run the year before. A bit of everything - flashbacks, small conflict, overcoming difficulties coming from nature. learning from that and creating a restaurant on a safe land patch, dealing with a new threat. In movie form it still remains a title for kids.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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24. Jungle Taitei: Susume Leo! ジャングル大帝・進めレオ [1966-IV] Mushi Production (Dropped 3/26)
Jungle Emperor was such a hit in Japan, that Dr. Tezuka went ahead and produced a sequel in 1966, known in Japan as "The New Jungle Emperor" or "Onward, Leo!" The trouble (for us in the rest of the world) was that he made the series without having a deal with NBC, and he made it more like his original manga story, which means that there were a lot of characters that died and some of the episodes could be depressing. NBC thought that there was no way they could sell that kind of show, and they were quite happy with the 52 episodes they had, so the New Jungle Emperor series wasn`t seen in this country until 1984, when it was given the title Leo The Lion.
This series was supposed to take place a few years after the original Kimba series. Kimba was an adult, with Kitty as his mate, and they had two cubs. Most of all this series was the story of Rune, the male cub, as he grew and learned to be as strong as his father.
Basically, Jungle Taitei for shounen instead of kids. Quite a lot of violence and depressive scenes. And that's long before Harry Potter! There is some humor, but anime still lacks a strong memorable cast of companions and remains decent at best.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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25. Mahoutsukai Sally Sally the Witch 魔法使いサリー [1967-I] Toei Animation (Dropped 4/109)
Tags: Shoujo School Fantasy
Sally, the kind but mischievous princess of the Land of Magic, has developed an interest in the human world. Wanting to experience it for herself, she runs away and meets two girls her age—Yoshiko "Yocchan" Hanamura and Sumire Kasugano—at a department store. They quickly become friends and spend time at Sally's mansion, which she conjured with magic.
The two girls realize they forgot something at the store, and despite it having closed for the night, they leave to fetch the item. Sally and her younger brother Cub, who had been sent by their parents to retrieve her, follow them and discover that they have been captured by a pair of thieves who were attempting to rob the store. Utilizing their magic, Sally and Cub drive the thieves away and rescue the girls, who remain unaware of Sally's powers.
Attached to her new friends and the fun of the human world, Sally decides to stay, taking up the surname Yumeno and attending school with Yocchan and Sumire. Cub chooses to live with her and together they make a variety of new friends and go on various adventures, all the while spicing up their lives with magic.
So Sally is originator of all magical girls and shoujo as a genre. I'm not target audience, but this first shoujo is so well done. One polite and one mischievous girl as friends make great companions. There's no moving around, so the same neighborhood becomes the stage. And the Japanese excel at slice-of-life comedy. There are all kinds of pranksters around, but younger brother and magic-wielder Cub is the kind of them - because of magic. Despite girl protagonist, it's just a great slice comedy, a lot like Obake no Q-tarou in nature. And triplets feel a lot like octets from Osamatsu-kun. I'd gladly universally recommend it if it had all episodes translated and not just 14.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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26. Gokuu no Daibouken Adventures of the Monkey King 悟空の大冒険 [1967-I] Mushi Production (Dropped 3/39)
Tags: Comedy, Fantasy
In this film, because of complaints from children that Goku is depicted as too much of an eager student, he is instead portrayed as a very naughty modern boy. It then received so many complaints from the PTA about its bad language that it was forced out of the show after all.
Manga source is a rather crazy retelling of Chinese mythology, and there's no English translation for anime, so let me try to give some plot info. Monkeys wanted to appoint a king among themselves and went to emperor's court , but their gifts were expropriated and they were overwhelmed with the help of magician council and thrown to prison. In prison protagonist monkey Goku hears a fey singing and asks her help. After a long chase fey agrees to help, and together they win a magic battle over the councilor, rescue monkey comrades and occupy the palace. At episode 2 Goku is invited to some kind of Heavens Olympus where he is ridiculed , so he makes a huge ruckus and destruction there. Then heavenly warriors attack monkeys at their palace. But after fey is dragged by her granddad away, defenses break and monkeys are defeated except for Goku who escapes. In the end of the episode Goku crashes against some greater God, acts in a rude way and gets trapped on top of the mountain. In episode 3 first fey then monkeys on bulldozers try to rescue their king in vain , but in the process awaken some other God on some mountain. Only some captured king's prayer makes the stone jaws open . Then the awakened God from the mountain starts to attack the palace and capture the fey and all the monkeys, except for Goku. The monkey king again frees his comrades and defeats the invader. As you see, story is non-trivial and rather fun. Could it be a masterpiece if it was translated? I'm not sure.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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27. Cyborg 009: Kaijuu Sensou Cyborg 009 and the Monster Wars サイボーグ００９ 怪獣戦争 [1967-I] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
The evil organization 'Black Ghost' attacked around the world, using dinosaur (plesiosaur) type giant robots, and the team of 9 cyborgs launched their quest for the Black Ghost's hideout. 009 meets a girl named Helen
This OVA is actually way better. More exposition, more humor and less action. Again, I'm not sure this series can grow up to a masterpiece score, but we'll see.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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28. Ninja Bugei-chou Manual of Ninja Martial Arts 忍者武芸帳 [1967-I] (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Action
Also known as Manual of Ninja Martial Arts, the only animation from Japanese New Wave maestro Nagisa Oshima is as provocative as one would expect from such a remarkable filmmaker. The film follows Sanpei Shirato's classic comic story about the son of an assassinated feudal lord in the Muromachi period, who attempts to avenge his father's death and meets Kagemaru, a renegade ninja helping peasants and farmers rebel against Oda Nobunaga's regime.
It's actually a fast paced manga with a sound over it. It's actually more difficult to read than manga, because you have no control over anything and because zoomed small pictures constantly unrealistically occupy the whole screen as if director gone mad. Of course a lot of strips like character figures are repeating. I would not recommend it even to those who appreciate bloody samurai revenge stories. Reading Ninja Martial Arts Handbook by Sanpei Shirato as manga would be more enjoyable.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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29. Shounen Jack to Mahoutsukai Young Jack and the Witch 少年ジャックと魔法使い [1967-I] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy
Jack is a boy who lives with his animal friends Barnaby Bear, Dinah Dog, Squeeker Mouse and Phineas Fox. He's challenged to a race with Allegra, who turns out to be a witch. She takes Jack to the queen witch, Auriana. She plans on turning all her slaves into evil harpies.
This work is done in the spirit of Gulliver space journey graphically, plus, it's also partially a musical. It's also about a journey of a boy with talking animals. There are also unrealistic locations and transformations, although to a lesser extent. Slowpoke bear is now the centerpiece for humor, but as a rule it's hardly funny. Two dogs have next to zero function. Protagonist also loses to his counterpart. The absence of an adult allows more action, running and fighting scenes, but can't call it a plus. It may be done on a somewhat higher level than Gulliver, but it won't stay in memory for long, so the same score.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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30. Hong Kil-dong 홍길동 [1967-I] (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Historical Adventure, Fantasy
A special boy is born on a day when hurricanes and wicked spirits struck medieval Korea. The citizens and family learn that the infant has super human strength and cunning intelligence. As the boy grows up, he makes a vow to his family, the emperor of Korea, and to the high deities to rid Korea of the chaos and disorder caused by the wicked beings.
Animation is in Korean and retells a national legend opposing clearly corrupted people in some town. Movie is drawn hand-craftily, so animation surprises in a lot of ways. It's still mostly of national importance.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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31. Subarashii Sekai Ryokou: Alaska no Tabi "Daigo Hyougaki" すばらしい世界旅行 アラスカの旅“第五氷河期” Wonderful World Travel: Alaskan Journey: Fifth Ice Age [1967-I] Nippon Television Network (Dropped 0/2)
Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Another piece of lost media. Again, doubt anything good can come from two episodes of journey to Alaska. Moving along.
Overall Rating: 0/10
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32. Mach GoGoGo Speed Racer マッハＧｏＧｏＧｏ [1967-II] Tatsunoko Production (Dropped 3/52)
Tags: Shounen Racing Adventure
The Mach 5 is one of the fastest and most technologically advanced race cars built by man. Equipped with various gadgets and a powerful engine, it provides a challenge for anyone who would dare race against it. The driver of this amazing vehicle is Gou Mifune, a teenager who dreams of breaking into the world of professional racing.
In spite of this, Gou's father and the creator of the Mach 5, Daisuke Mifune, does not want his son anywhere near a racetrack. Undeterred, his girlfriend Michi, younger brother Kurio, and Kurio's monkey sidekick Sanpei become Gou's biggest fans as he sets out to become the greatest racer of all time.
However, Gou soon learns that becoming a professional racer is not easy. From the underhanded plots of corrupt businessmen to stiff competition in the form of his rival, Racer X, Gou faces many obstacles on the road ahead, and has a lot to prove before he can cross the finish line.
It's a rather simple anime for children, so I don't even know what to discuss here. At least side characters can be fun sometimes.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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33. Ribbon no Kishi Princess Knight リボンの騎士 [1967-II] Mushi Production (Dropped 3/52)
Tags: Shoujo Crossdressing Action, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Princess Sapphire is a girl raised as a Prince. Through the mischief of an angel, the princess is born with both a girl's body and boy's mind. Since there is no boy successor in her kingdom, Sapphire is raised as a boy, but evil ministers try to reveal her secret. Unable to put up with the kind of vicious conduct prevailing in the kingdom, Sapphire disguises herself as "Princess Knight" and wields her sword of justice.
This is an animated version of the girls' manga featuring Sapphire's romance and adventure, which marked the first made-for-TV animated program geared towards girls in Japan.
Unlike Mahoutsukai Sally this is a real shoujo and thus is the first of its kinda as it really depicts views and wishes from a girl point of view. Rapiers, angel, fairytales - check. There are at least three shoujo anime that I consider masterpieces, but this one is too simple to get in that league.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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34. Perman パーマン [1967-II] Studio Zero (Dropped 3/54)
Tags: Adventure, Comedy
After Mitsuo receives a mask from a retiring superhero, he becomes Paaman.
For some reason MAL does not mark Perman as anime for kids, so I have to look into it. And well, I have to agree that it's far from Doraemon or the like. Even though protagonist is a young school boy, anime is mostly based on talks and humor and thus can't be considered a kid anime. At the same time, it's not as saturated in humor as the other three humor anime of the 1960s listed before. The ability to make a double of anyone and a spare Perman costume worn by chimpanzee are creating funny situations ok, but for some reason it fails to deliver on the same level as those three, thus the lower score.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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35. Ougon Bat Golden Bat 黄金バット [1967-II] Dai-Ichi Douga, Dongyang Animation (Dropped 3/52)
Tags: Super Power Action, Sci-Fi
A golden warrior wearing a cape and a scepter, Ougon Bat was a protector spirit from Atlantis reanimated by a scientist and his friends (specially the sweet Marie) from his tomb covered in hieroglyphics. His entry was heralded by a golden bat and a sinister laugh and he would put good use of his super powers to combat the evil forces of Dr. Zero.
I understand well that it's the first anime with full superhero concealing his identity concept, but it's plain simplistic and bad. The small grains of humor are shallow. Moreover, side characters are terrible.
Overall Rating: 2/10
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36. Bouken Gabotenjima Adventure on the Gaboten Island 冒険ガボテン島 [1967-II] TBS (Dropped 3/39)
Tags: Adventure
Bouken Gabotenjima is about children who are shipwrecked on a desert island.
Protagonist, younger sister , bookworm, glutton and a rival have shipwrecked... I can't see how concept can work out with this few people of such young age. And , frankly, it did not work out. The bulk of what I saw was overcoming natural difficulties as well as befriending gorilla. Basic stuff without any advanced concept in mind. The only unusual thing was tentacles encountered several times, but easily defeated by couple strikes with a stick. Nowadays such plain concept is impossible.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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37. King Kong: 001/7 Tom Thumb キングコング・001/7親指トム [1967-II] (Dropped 0/26)
Tags: Adventure, Sci-Fi
Professor Bond is doing research on an island in the Java Sea when his son discovers the giant ape and befriends him, and together they fight to protect Kong from Dr. Who, who has sinister designs on the ape. Each episode consisted of a King Kong story, a Tom of T.H.U.M.B., then another King Kong story.
Tom of T.H.U.M.B. is a gag cartoon about a secret agent and his oriental sidekick. Animage Pocket Data Notes credits MORI Yasuji and KANISHI Takao as either character designers or animation directors of the latter, differing from the credits for the King Kong portion of the show.
This was the first cartoon TV series animated entirely in Japan expressly for American television. American sources state Rankin-Bass commissioned the work from Videocraft International; Japanese sources state it was produced by Videocraft/Toei Doga.
I did not find it, so it's probably lost media or smth
Overall Rating: 0/10
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38. Pyun Pyun Maru ピュンピュン丸 [1967-III] Toei Animation (Dropped 3/26)
Tags: Martial Arts Comedy
The Ninja Pyun Pyun-Maru and his brother Chibi-Maru are working at an office that accepts anything. They solve unexpected happenings caused by other Ninjas.
I wonder if it inspired Gintama. Drawing and excessive expressions/gimmicks look childish, but at the same time humor is not always simple and time is of Edo period, so I don't think it's for kids. Just as with Perman, toying with different auditoria erodes the watcher base. Somehow, without normal translation I enjoyed it even less than Perman .
Overall Rating: 4/10
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39. Bouken Shounen Shadar 冒険少年シャダー [1967-IV] Nihon Hoso Eigasha (Dropped 3/156)
Tags: Adventure, Horror
When Earth is threatened by the invading Ghostar, a young boy with nerves of steel and the strength of 50 men appears from a cave on Mount Fuji. He is Shadar, a boy of unknown origin who, with his faithful dog, Pinboke, fights to save the world.
It's only slightly better than Ougon Bat, mostly due to talking dog companion , so the score is corresponding. This series reminds me of Scooby-Doo in many ways.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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40. Skyers 5 スカイヤーズ5 [1967-IV] Tele-Cartoon Japan (Dropped 2/12)
Tags: Action, Sci-Fi
A science fiction action series about the future battles between a planetary police force and an international crime syndicate. The series plays out as a mix between science fiction and an old western.
Some kind of weak James Bond parody. A weird mix makes it a B-class action movie series. There's not a single sincere phrase pronounced, everything is so pompous and fake. No memorable companions as well.
Overall Rating: 2/10
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41. Donkikko ドンキッコ [1967-IV] P Productions (Dropped 0/21)
Tags: Shounen Comedy
A comedy about the mischievous adventures of a young boy. Each episode contains 2 stories.
Not found.
Overall Rating: 0/10
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42. Gegege no Kitarou ゲゲの鬼太郎 [1968-I] Toei Animation (Dropped 3/65)
Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Supernatural
Kitarou, a ghost, spends his afterlife helping humans in need of his skills. He thwarts the plans of evil spirits who live to torment humanity.
It's classic. Each episode presents a small horror story where Kitarou gets involved in and solves in an unpredictable way. Stories are nice, other ghosts are cool. But I just don't like horror stories, and without humor or coherent plot there's nothing to pique my interest. It's a well done niche anime, so when it hits a soft spot, it hits hard.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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43. Wanpaku Tanteidan わんぱく探偵団 [1968-I] Fuji TV (Dropped 3/35)
Tags: Action, Mystery
A group of young boys (plus a token girl and her little brother, the obligatory brat) form a detective club, pooling their talents for brain, brawn, invention, and driving skills to solve crimes in Tokyo. Much to the consternation of police chief Nakamura, they often succeed where the professionals fail.
Can't stand detectives in any form, especially school detective clubs, unless character interaction fascinates. Side-characters here are stereotypical . Each episode usually starts with crime or incident happening, then first half is often unsealing the mystery like identity of criminal , then the second part is more action-packed. Don't see a reason to watch it today.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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44. Cyborg 009 (TV) サイボーグ009 [1968-II] Toei Animation (Dropped 3/26)
Tags: Shounen Mecha Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
They fight against evil, they help those in need, they're the Cyborg fighters! Together with the scientist Dr. Gilmore, this team of nine cyborgs use their special body modifications to fight against a seemingly endless barrage of enemies, including robotic crabs, aliens, and fellow cyborgs.
Each cyborg has his own special power, which they use in their fight against evil. Titular character 009 (aka Hurricane Joe, the famous race car driver) leads the team with his superhuman strength, resistance to bullets, and ability to accelerate through time. His teammates fight by his side to save humanity from falling into evil hands.
The team in Cyborg 009 faces many enemies and stops countless threats to their hometown, and even to Earth. No matter what, justice will be served.
We're back for short action episodes and little room left for humor, so enjoyment for me is back to square one.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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45. Kaibutsu-kun 怪物くん [1968-II] Studio Zero, Tokyo Movie (Dropped 3/49)
Tags: Comedy, Horror
The prince of Kaibutsu Land, Kaibutsu-kun, decides to go to the human world as part of his training to become the King.
This anime looks like Perman a lot, just instead of super costume and doppelganger robot there is a relative with superpowers. Protagonist boy is literally the same personality. Most conflict situations are also generated around school. Humor is more distinctive and easy to follow thanks to 2 stories per episode structure. Humor quality is still rather low, so can't rate it higher than Perman.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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46. Akane-chan あかねちゃん [1968-II] Toei Animation (Dropped 0/26)
Tags: Shoujo School Comedy, Slice of Life
A country girl, Akane was new to a prestigious school. She is full of vitality and everyone likes her. Hidemaro, the rich and arrogant boy likes her too. With everyone's help, she solves problems that come their way.
Not found
Overall Rating: 0/10
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47. Animal 1 アニマル１ [1968-II] (Dropped 3/27)
Tags: Combat Sports
Ichirou Azuma, a young amateur wrestler, wants to participate in the Olympics Games in Mexico.
First sport anime series alongside Kyojin no Hoshi, but this one is much less serious and thus less memorable. It's also a mix with school anime.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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Tags: Shounen Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
A young boy uses his scientific skills to fight enemies.
This actually can be called an anime for kids , because each episode one duo of inventors just competes with another malicious duo of inventors. I found concept and implementation rather boring as characters aren't something special, and not enough humor is used.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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49. Kyojin no Hoshi 巨人の星 [1968-II] TMS Entertainment (Dropped 2/182 )
Tags: Drama, Sports
The story is about Hyuma Hoshi, a promising young baseball pitcher who dreams of becoming a top star like his father Ittetsu Hoshi in the professional Japanese league. His father was once a 3rd baseman until he was injured in World War II and was forced to retire. The boy would join the ever popular Giants team, and soon he realized the difficulty of managing the high expectations. From the grueling training to battling the rival Mitsuru Hanagata on the Hanshin Tigers, he would have to take out his best pitching magic to step up to the challenge.
Can't stand spokon without good character interaction. This first genre representative has a clear protagonist focus despite baseball being a team sport.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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50. Taiyou no Ouji: Horus no Daibouken The Little Norse Prince 太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険 [1968-III] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Adventure, Drama
Horus is a boy that one day, hunted by silver wolves, found the sword of the sun. The day his father died he left his home to find the people from the town his father told him. Together with a small bear named Koro he starts the journey and runs into a great adventure fighting against Grunwald and his subordinates who want to rule the world.
On one hand, it's continuation of Disney-imitating tradion with songs. On the other, concept comes from Miyazaki, and structure is really refined as well as characters. I enjoyed it way more than I expected, so it's the first anime that I consider a masterpiece.
Overall Rating: 7/10
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51. Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae 佐武と市捕物控 [1968-IV] Toei Animation (Dropped 3/52)
Tags: Shounen Detective, Historical, Martial Arts, Samurai Action, Adventure, Drama, Slice of Life
The series follows the adventures of Sabu, a young Edo bakufu investigator traveling with the blind master swordsman Ichi. In their travels, they assist the common people in solving mysteries and righting wrongs (usually committed by bandits or corrupt officials). Sabu is engaged to Midori, the daughter of his boss, who works as a police officer for the Tokugawa shogunate.
I found concept rather boring as from what I saw the same scheme was used. First we're shown some bandits commit a crime, then our duo is told about it. Finally some search/investigation culminates with encounter. This repetition and rather budget implementation killed the interest.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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52. Youkai Ningen Bem 妖怪人間ベム [1968-IV] Dai-Ichi Douga (3/26)
Tags: Mythology Horror
Three monsters, Bem, who looks like a gangster, Bero, who looks like a boy, and Bera, a witch, act as agents of justice, hoping that they will be allowed to become human. Several episodes involve them protecting a young boy. The style of animation is fairly distinctive, and the storylines not without interest.
Again, concept dictates repeatability as new monsters show up and are dealt with. None of three main characters are charismatic enough. Maybe things improve with remake that also exists.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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53. Sasuke サスケ [1968-IV] Tele-Cartoon Japan (3/29)
Tags: Shounen Historical, Martial Arts Action
Sasuke is the son of a very skilled ninja, whose name is Ozaru. After the defeat of their lord, Yukimura Sanada, Tokugawa's and Hattori's ninjas begin to persecute all their enemies still alive: that means Ozaru and Sasuke must leave their house and start a violent struggle for their own life. Danger, vengeance, anger, loyalty, pain are the basic elements of this story, where the worst aspects of the human soul are described together with the growth of the main character, the young Sasuke.
Another revenge travel story. A decent one at that. Episodes are action packed , and there are a lot of small ninja tricks showed and explained. I liked it more than Dororo which has a very similar concept , but this one does not have a translation and thus one point is substracted.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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54. Yuuyake Banchou 夕やけ番長 [1968-IV] (Dropped 0/26)
Tags: Action
A transfer student only just arrives and is confronted by the school gang. One by one he defeats the gang members and challenges their leader to a fight. Each 10 minute episode aired Monday through Saturday.
Not found
Overall Rating: 0/10
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55. Kyubi no Kitsune to Tobimaru (Sesshoseki) 九尾の狐と飛丸（殺生石） [1968-IV] (Dropped 0/1)
Tags: Fantasy Mythology
The film was adapted from a novel by Okamoto Kidou based on a legend surrounding a sterile patch of land at the foot of Mt. Chausu, an active volcano located in Tochigi Prefecture. Since the Heian period the spot has been known to exude poisonous gas (hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, arsenic) that has killed animals and people who happened to wander near the area.
A legend arose at one time that long ago in China a kitsune transformed itself into a beautiful maiden, seduced the emperor and caused numerous misfortunes to befall the kingdom, then found her way to Japan, transformed herself into a beautiful maiden called Tamamo, and seduced the emperor etc., before finally being unmasked and killed.
Upon her death she cursed her killers and transformed herself on this spot into a poisonous stone called Sesshoseki.
Not found
Overall Rating: 0/10
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56. Himitsu no Akko-chan Secrets of Akko-chan ひみつのアッコちゃん [1969-I] Toei Animation (Dropped 3/94)
Tags: Shoujo School
Atsuko "Akko-chan" Kagami (known variously as "Stilly," "Caroline," or "Julie" in Western versions of the anime) is an energetic elementary school girl who has an affinity for mirrors. One day, her favorite mirror which was given to Akko by her mother (or in some versions, by her father, as a present from India) is broken, and she prefers to bury it in her yard rather than throw it to the trash can. In her dreams, she is contacted by a spirit (or in some cases the Queen of the Mirror Kingdom) who is moved that the little girl would treat the mirror so respectfully and not simply throw it away. Akko-chan is then given the gift of a magical mirror and taught an enchantment that will allow her to transform into anything she wishes.
Most situations revolve about transformation and hand mirror that is needed for it. There is enough humor, but I need even more since episodes don't really move plot somewhere. It also lacks expression. I saw there is a live action of Himitsu no Akko-chan, that might be really entertaining.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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57. Dororo to Hyakkimaru どろろと百鬼丸 [1969-II] Mushi Production (Finished 26/26)
Tags: Shounen Action, Adventure, Supernatural
To aid his conquest of Japan, the ruthless lord Daigo Kagemitsu offers to sacrifice his soon-to-be-born son to 48 demons. The demons accept, and the next day, the child is born with several missing limbs and is ruthlessly cast down a river.
Fifteen years later, a stubborn young boy named Dororo struggles to survive against hunger and oppressive samurai on the streets of an impoverished and war-torn village. After angering a group of thugs, Dororo is attacked by them, but a mysterious man interrupts them, claiming to hear spirits nearby. Sure enough, a monster emerges from the river, and the man then removes his prosthetic arms, revealing blades hidden underneath, with which he slays the monster before leaving.
That night, as the man walks through the forest, Dororo approaches him and declares that he will accompany him. From this, the man, Hyakkimaru, reveals that many of his body parts were stolen by demons and that though he sought a peaceful life, he couldn't escape their relentless onslaught. Despite the tale, Dororo still insists on tagging along. And thus, Hyakkimaru travels through Japan with his new companion and a puppy named Nota, facing the brutality of both hell and mankind.
I realize it's the first bright action shounen. I'm not a fan of this genre although I easily favor Berserk as 10/10, so when I evaluate some action shounen, I compare it with Berserk. It's good that Hyakkimaru is a formed adult, it's good that there are two companions - Dororo and the dog. Both personal stories are told in a good way. But question is what's the motivation and where it all is going. The goal to travel and eventually find all 48 monsters does not look enticing or epic enough. For me this episodic nature looks way weaker than Berserk where plot has a firm direction at all moments. Maybe remake changes my opinion, but I can't call original a masterpiece.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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58. Ninpuu Kamui Gaiden 忍風カムイ外伝 [1969-II] Tele-Cartoon Japan (Dropped 3/26)
Tags: Historical, Martial Arts, Samurai Action, Adventure
Kamui is a ninja from the Edo period who has decided to leave his clan. After doing so he is pursued relentlessly by the members of his former clan; who consider him to be a traitor and therefore wish to kill him. Kamui then wanders around Japan to escape from them by using his intelligence and great abilities to survive. In the course of the series Kamui begins to suffer from paranoia because of his status as a persecuted man. Kamui then started to believe that everybody wished to murder him and became distrusting of everyone he came across.
A cool well made action. But it reminds Dororo a lot as there is also a kid travelling along. At the same time it's a simpler structure than Dororo, so can't rate both equally.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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59. Kurenai Sanshirou Judo Boy 紅三四郎 [1969-II] Tatsunoko Production (Dropped 2/26)
Tags: Martial Arts Action
Young Sanshiro Kurenai is the proud heir of a judo dojo. One day, he finds his beloved father dead and a glass eye not too far from the corpse. Ready to avenge his father and take his honor back, Sanshiro and his friend Ken start searching for the mysterious one-eyed murderer...
Judo plus revenge plus adventure detective is enough to describe the direction of this anime. Reminds Bouken Shounen Shadar a lot as thee is also a dog and a companion and an insignificant companion.
Overall Rating: 3/10
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60. Umeboshi Denka ウメ星デンカ [1969-II] Tokyo Movie Shinsha, Studio Zero (Dropped 3/26)
Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life
The goofy tales of a king and his family who make their way to Earth after their planet explodes.
Protagonist and probably even family look exactly like Perman. Anime is safe humor focused with alien royal family instead of Perman costume and robot. So in the end score depends on humor quality. There are a lot more opportunities for humor now, but at the same time focus has to be placed on three aliens, and they are irritating in their own way. Because of this focus there is much less school and outdoors activities. Overall, I would rate humor roughly same as Perman , definitely not as enjoyable as Osomatsu-kun.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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61. Senya Ichiya Monogatari 千夜一夜物語 [1969-II] Mushi Production (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Adventure, Fantasy
Aladdin, a lowly water seller, is new to the city of Baghdad when he sees the beautiful Miriam being sold at a slave auction. Enthralled by her beauty, Aladdin manages to steal Miriam from the auction and spends a passionate night with her in an unoccupied home. When the two wake, however, they are met by the owner of the home and are tragically separated.
Osamu Tezuka's lustful tale follows Aladdin and Miriam as they struggle to reunite with each other while facing the trials of a strange and magical world.
First ecchi. I don't understand the need for this film, but something had to be the first ecchi, and at least this one is done well, so there's all the right to be proud. There are some memorable graphical solutions and depiction of transformation. The first half has some coherent plot and integrity, but in the second half it goes all out with demons, aliens etc, very surrealistic. Anime is pretty crazy, but there's nothing to lose for not watching it, nothing to gain for watching it. No good thoughts delivered by it.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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62. Soratobu Yuureisen Flying Phantom Ship 空飛ぶゆうれい船 [1969-III] Toei Animation (Finished 1/1)
Tags: Mecha Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Hayato's city is devastated by a giant robot, his parents are killed in the massacre. The only friend left to him is his dog Jack, the only things left are mom's shoe and a picture of a man and a woman who, as his father tells him on his deathbed, are his real parents. Now Hayato wants revenge on the one who is said to have sent the robot: the terrible Ghost Ship which threatens ships and is rumored to wish to exterminate everything. But then Hayato stumbles on a secret underground factory of Mr. Kurosio, owner of mostly everything in the city - and realizes things are not as Mr. Kurosio has been telling him... Someone terrible lives in a castle under the sea... Hayato is trying to tell people the truth - but his life is now in danger by from the one who does not wish to be known. Then Hayato is saved by no other than the captain of the Ghost Ship... Hayato is about to uncover more than the one secret he has been searching for.
It's pure adventure with boy protagonist, and a rather naive one... that explains it hat it was aired even in Soviet Union. All that big Tokyo fight vs mecha might have influenced Akira. It's curious for its time, but I see no reason to watch it nowadays.
Overall Rating: 4/10
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63. Tiger Mask タイガーマスク [1969-IV] Toei Animation (Dropped 3/105)
Tags: Shounen Combat Sports Action, Drama, Sports
Tiger Mask (whose real name was Naoto Date) was a feared heel wrestler in America who was extremely vicious in the ring. However, he became a face after returning to Japan when a young boy said that he wanted to be a villain like Tiger Mask when he grew up. The boy resided in an orphanage, the same one that Tiger Mask grew up in during his childhood. Feeling that he did not want the boy to idolize a villain, Tiger was inspired to be a heroic wrestler.
The main antagonist in the manga and anime was Tigers' Den, a mysterious organization that trained young people to be villainous heel wrestlers on the condition that they gave half of their earnings to the organization. Tiger Mask was once a member of Tigers' Den under the name "Yellow Devil", but no longer wanted anything to do with them, instead donating his money to the orphanage. This infuriated the leader of the organization and he sent numerous assassins, including other professional wrestlers, to punish him.
A boring wrestling action that can only interest for all those unconventional wrestler moves like breaking a table over the head and somewhat curious protagonist character that is cruel, but just.
Overall Rating: 2/10
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64. Sazae-san Mrs. Sazae サザエさん [1969-IV] Eiken (Dropped 3/?)
Tags: Comedy, Slice of Life
The main character is a mother named Sazae-san. She lives in a house with her husband, her kids and her parents. The show is the ultimate family program and tends to follow traditional themes. Think of this show as the Japanese equivalent to "The Partridge Family" and you'll get a good feel for this show's atmosphere. Don't expect to see things like violence, swearing, kung-fu action or magical girls. The plots are more like "Today, Sazae-san goes to the new mall and gets lost". Such "boring" plotlines and the simplistic art are often a turn-off to non-Japanese audiences, but most Japanese find the show incredibly good. As a result, it continues to be one of the top ratings grabbers on TV and is one of the few anime that is considered "acceptable" by adults.
I respect this anime a lot. It's a visit card of Japan . It has nice warm humor. It reflects real life truthfully of different periods. But it's still a national story. Would I want to see all the episodes? Not really as it's too conservative, but it's a great thing that it exists so that even most conservative Japanese can watch it without problem and evolve through it.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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65. Muumin ムーミン [1969-IV] Mushi Production (3/65)
Tags: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Slice of Life
Very loosely based upon the Moomin books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. Jansson, however, never really approved of the series due to dramatic changes in plot, atmosphere, character personality, appearance and names etc. The series was directed to adults rather than children.
The first classical magical hat episode is really nice and give a proper introduction. Further original episodes are simpler in nature, but still rather enjoyable even with existing mild focus on humor. It's still a story for children, so I doubt Muumin series could ever reach a masterpiece status for me.
Overall Rating: 6/10
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66. Hakushon Daimaou The Genie Family ハクション大魔王 [1969-IV] Tatsunoko Production (3/52)
Tags: Comedy, Fantasy
One day Kan-chan finds a magic bottle in the attic. Whenever someone sneezes, a genie named Hakushon Daimaou is brought out and must grant any wish of whoever sneezed until he or she sneezes again. Sometimes, however, he accidentally fails and only causes trouble instead of granting any wishes.
Concept-wise close to Umeboshi Denka just with almighty djinnies instead of aliens. Too many gimmicks and too little quality humor for my taste. I prefer conceptual one over situational.
Overall Rating: 5/10
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Edited by kivandopulus
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