“Extraordinary Ataro” (1969)
Moretsu Ataro (Extraordinary Ataro) is yet another one of Fujio Akatsuka’s creations, one of his big three “gag manga” after Tensai Bakabon and Osomatsu-kun. It’s famous enough to be associated…
Category Archives: LOST PLANET ANIME
The Japanese Studios of Rankin/Bass
If there’s one thing that Rankin/Bass set the precedent for in the animation industry, it was their use of foreign labor. They were one of the first studios to use…
The Animated History of “Moomin”
No matter what, there will always be shows that are “troubled productions”. Problems can be for many reasons, but usually the biggest issues are over “content”. This is what happened…
Let’s Watch: “The Gutsy Frog” (1972)
One of the landmark shows for the Tokyo Movie Shinsha company was Dokonjo Gaeru (aka The Gutsy Frog), which aired for two years in the early 1970s. Based on a…
Gyatoruzu: The First Human
Charles’s Note: it isn’t agreed if the English spelling should be “Gyators”, “Giatrus” or “Gyatoruzu”. For the purpose of this article, I’m going to use the straight romaji of the…
“Dr. Slump and Arale”
Compared to most shows I have written about, Dr. Slump isn’t exactly the most obscure. After all, it was created by Akira Toriyama, who would have an even bigger success…
“Goku’s Big Adventure” (1967)
Yes, I’m finally writing about a Osamu Tezuka anime. Kinda. One of the many, many comics Tezuka drew was Boku no Son Goku (My Son Goku), which ran 1952 to…
Cartoon Japanese Folk Tales
If I have to name an anime that was an exercise in what kind of different styles you can do with the animation medium, I’m going to have to pick…
Let’s Watch: “Tensai Bakabon” (1971)
For most of 2013 I talked about certain anime series and what they are about, with some production background if I can add it. But aside from sample episodes embedded…
“The Adventures of Gamba” (1975)
As far as made-for-TV cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s are concerned, I never made it a secret that I vastly prefer the output from the Japanese studios (Tokyo Movie…
