Hi no Tori, or Phoenix, was his magnum opus – an epic fantasy about death and rebirth that spans multiple ages and a dozen volumes. Osamu Tezuka is best known in the west for Astro Boy (or Tetsuwan Atom), but in Japan, he’s nothing less than the god of manga – an artist and storyteller whose fame in his native country is comparable with Walt Disney. Favouring color and movement over detail, its director, Wan Laiming, creates the impression of a storybook that has miraculously sprung to life.Īlthough clearly aimed at a younger audience than The Great Adventure Of Horus, Puss ‘N’ Boots still has a bit more bite than its title suggests the arrival of an evil sorcerer called Lucifer is pretty blood-curdling stuff in among all the scampering cats and mice.Ī timelessly entertaining film, Puss ‘N’ Boots prompted two sequels, and its hero, Pero, would soon become Toei’s logo and official mascot. This Chinese animated feature takes an oft-retold tale, Journey To The West, and mines it for some truly spectacular, stylized images.
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Nevertheless, Hakujaden is full of color and charm, and worth seeking out. Sadly, Hakujaden wasn’t particularly popular when it got a release in America – perhaps because, compared to the might of Disney, Toei’s stylised approach to animation looked a little crude. Taro Rin, for example – who later created Galaxy Express 999 and The Dagger Of Kamui – worked on this 1958 animated fantasy, loosely based on Chinese legend.
Famously Japan’s first full-color animated film, it was also an important project for Toei, a studio that would foster some of the country’s finest talent. Proving that many paths wind back to Studio Ghibli in the end, Hakujaden had a profound influence on Hayao Miyazaki. Hakujaden: Legend Of The White Snake (1958)