My completed un-anime, 1907–1942
AnimeSpoilerUnlisted
To me, not all Japanese animation can be called anime. Puppetry, stopmotion, fully CGI works and experimental animation is not what I nor many others mean when we say the word "anime". However, a lot of these titles can be logged on MAL. This series of stacks gathers those I've completed.
Sidenote: I do not consider Mumin to be an anime, my Swedish brain won't allow it to be one. (Similarly Pingu just can't be anime, albeit Pingu is even further from anime due to its style.) Furthermore, for me hentai feels separated from other anime somehow, and I watch it for separated values. When I was a teenager I did not even realize them together as one concept.
This stack: Part 1, 1907–1942
Next stack: Part 2, 1943–2024 https://myanimelist.net/stacks/61589
Sidenote: I do not consider Mumin to be an anime, my Swedish brain won't allow it to be one. (Similarly Pingu just can't be anime, albeit Pingu is even further from anime due to its style.) Furthermore, for me hentai feels separated from other anime somehow, and I watch it for separated values. When I was a teenager I did not even realize them together as one concept.
This stack: Part 1, 1907–1942
Next stack: Part 2, 1943–2024 https://myanimelist.net/stacks/61589
Movie, -,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
3 seconds long loop from around 1907, no sound. First ever Japanese animation. For me it's a technological experiment, not an anime. Difficult to review.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NcYyS1PLV0
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NcYyS1PLV0
Movie, 1917,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
A 4 minute silent short. This to me is proto-anime, with experimental visuals and no sound. However, we get a story, and some text to help us follow the comedic plot.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/100183
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/100183
Movie, 1918,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
Unknown year. No sound. 2 minute short. Seems incomplete. Far from what we know as anime.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/72126
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/72126
CM, 1922,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
An animated silent CM from the early 1920s. Well executed animation. The technique/style is not anime by a long shot.
Score: 6+/10
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5vmFK0AN6M
Score: 6+/10
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5vmFK0AN6M
Movie, 1924,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
The classic fable of the hare and turtle. A silent short resembling very early western cartoons. Beautiful background in the beginning. As most of the silent films without sound on this list, it was intended to be played along sound.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/42154
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/42154
Movie, -,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:2
Experimental animation from the 1920s (probably 1925). Fully abstract. Interesting and beautiful at first but running too long making it repetitive and boring. Would work well as background visuals. No sound. If this is anime to you then go drink a glass of water.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lDa7LO0Uyg
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lDa7LO0Uyg
Movie, 1925,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
18 min silent short film showcasing early Japanese animation. Has some elements reminiscent of anime. Proto-anime, if you will. Real good for mid 1920s. Emotional and beautiful backgrounds at times. I love the fade in/out art.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/42190
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/42190
Movie, 1925,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
Silent short film running 17 minutes, the style reminds me of south Asia. Pretty environments. The fox and lion part slows it down too much.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5231
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5231
Movie, 1926,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
Not anime, but a silent, black and white short film, animated with cutouts made of chiyogami (decoratively patterned washi-paper). It was made by the legendary Noburō Ōfuji, who made his major debut with this, starting his career with the first chiyogami-film ever made, impressively running for around 30 minutes. The version I saw was a shortened digest version of 14 minutes, but with great quality for such an old piece. A fun and exciting fantasy story all vividly visioned with gorgeously clothed characters, fantastical creatures, and beautiful environments. Amazing.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/15479
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/15479
Movie, 1926,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
A silent, incomplete summary of a much longer film now thought lost. (The real film, also silent, runs 51 minutes, making it one of the longest early narrative animations from Japan.) Experimental animation by Noburō Ōfuji with his special chiyogami style tattling pretty character designs. Would have loved to seen the original movie with perfect quality, as I think the style is actually beautiful underneath the quality deterioration.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/41061
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/41061
Movie, 1926,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Mostly text, if this is anime I'll eat my glass of water. Political propaganda for social values such as universal suffrage. I like most of the messages, but it's very populist. Quite interesting indeed to glimpse into the zeitgeist of 1920s Japan, between the world wars. The animation is superb for this decade, it also makes the text less boring. 32 minutes, no sound, b/w.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43609
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43609
Movie, 1927,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
A 35 minute long black & white animated film that can't be found online. There are two summary version available. They differ in scenes chosen, running time, and sound (one is silent, one has added narration and music). The lady is real pretty. Same creator as Saiyuuki from 1926 (Ōfuji), and I would again have loved to seen the original as new.
Score: 5/10 (score is based on the summaries)
Watch: (8 min sound version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Amz1Kuty3c
Watch: (6 min silent version) https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/86030
Score: 5/10 (score is based on the summaries)
Watch: (8 min sound version) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Amz1Kuty3c
Watch: (6 min silent version) https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/86030
Movie, 1927,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
5 minutes incomplete, silent, black & white proto-anime. I love the characters, I also love this old Japanese folk-tale (the beginning is missing though). Feels creative. Good fight scene in the end.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43683
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43683
Movie, 1928,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
The classic Japanese folk-tale in silent black & white "glory". 9 minutes. Japanese elements and the nation's animation history visible. Perhaps good, but I expect better by 1928. Pleasantly gory at times. Japan was into ero-guro around this time, I forget exactly when.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/41087
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/41087
Movie, 1928,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
Black & white, silent. Heavily inspired by US cartoons if the era. Maybe I was tired but I was bored by this. The same concept has been bettered during the 20th century.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43800
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43800
Movie, 1928,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
Propaganda film from Japan's darkest period of imperialism. Gruesome at times, which was cool to see. My favourite character was the dancing clown squid. The style is not anime at all but some elements of Japanese animation are prominent. Silent, but as usual there was probably played sound from another source when shown. Black and white, 15 minutes.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5229
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5229
Movie, 1929,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
17 minute black and white short film from auteur Noburō Ōfuji. Silent but my guess is that it was originally accompanied by music. Nice to finally see a complete work from Ōfuji. The cuteness of the characters is a strong tell of the Japanese tradition.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/42165
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/42165
Movie, 1929,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Some real good early Japanese animation. Tinted monochrome, no sound.
Score: 6+/10
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/86947
Score: 6+/10
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/86947
Movie, 1929,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:8
The best pre-1930 Japanese animated work I ever saw. Superb animation, pleasant visuals, detailed characters, good story, and awesome dancing. Again, the style is something else than anime. Black & white, silent, 14 minutes long, although I watched a sped up version of 10 minutes.
Score: 7+/10
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/66988
Score: 7+/10
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/66988
Movie, 1930,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
A good, simple, classic tale. 14 minutes, b/w, no sound. Japanese animation but not anime.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5432
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5432
Movie, 1930,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Monochrome short; with animals, expressions, and bodies resembling early USA animation. I watched the Crunchyroll version, which included music and narration from more recent times (for example, "Singin' In The Rain").
Watch:
https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GR3VKD4E6/our-baseball-match-oira-no-yakyo
Watch:
https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GR3VKD4E6/our-baseball-match-oira-no-yakyo
Movie, 1931,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
The master Ōfuji, with his signature paper-cutout style, floors me with this black and white sound animation, with song and dance. The earliest Japanese animation I've seen with sound. I love cats, and here it's all about them. The song is a banger, with typical music from the era (which is so cool), and with cat-lyrics (nyan nyan!).
Watch: https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GRMGEV4VR/the-black-cat-kuro-nyago
Watch: https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GRMGEV4VR/the-black-cat-kuro-nyago
Movie, 1931,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
Another Ōfuji short, this one a bit disappointing, at least for 1931.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5227
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5227
Movie, 1931,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
B/w 1 minute animation. Difficult to rate because the quality deterioration is immense. Seems pretty underneath the grime. The version I watched had music from Silent Hill added, I suggest muting it.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uszLSQ4Cv8E
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uszLSQ4Cv8E
Movie, 1931,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Ōfuji brings a brand new style with silhouette animation (which is not anime). Amazing to see and HEAR this piece of history. The first early Japanese animation with sound I saw. The Kimigayo is such a beautiful anthem, and the basic arrangement here is nice. Cool to see some national symbols and gods of Japan as well. Pity that it goes on for too long and that Japan's nationalism of the time shines through like ugly pus.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/55060
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/55060
Movie, 1932,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:2
Stop-motion and mixed techniques. Not anime.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/71576
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/71576
Movie, 1932,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
I had high hopes for this one, but it had a deadly dull first third, bad pacing, and weird ending. Nonetheless impressive drawings from this early animation. Not anime to me.
Score: 4-/10
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/91173
Score: 4-/10
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/91173
Movie, 1933,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
Alternative animation, no anime here. Abrupt ending to this retro sci-fi specimen. Much of it's predictions came true.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/71578
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/71578
Movie, 1933,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
First Norakuro short. 8 minutes, silent. Very funny. US 1920s-1930s style animation. I watched the version noted here, where it is shown as the first part of a double-episode. The second part is Enshuu no Maki.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/11105
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/11105
Movie, 1933,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Second Norakuro short. 6 minutes, silent. Also very funny. I watched the version noted here, where it is shown as the second part of a double-episode. The first part is Kyouren no Maki.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/11105
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/11105
Movie, 1933,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:2
Another Norakuro short. Horrible.
Score: 2-/10
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u7kEOcSLow
Score: 2-/10
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u7kEOcSLow
Movie, 1934,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Another Norakuro short.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43686
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/43686
Movie, 1935,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:2
Another Norakuro short. A direct prequel to "Norakuro Ittouhei"*. I am strongly suspecting this was silent from the beginning, but they changed it to a sound-version and cut out the intertitles, and so leading to making you feel scenes where cut/skipped.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yso8KmYdUII
*Nitouhei = Private
Ittouhei = Corporal
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yso8KmYdUII
*Nitouhei = Private
Ittouhei = Corporal
Movie, 1935,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
Another Norakuro short. A direct sequel to "Norakuro Nitouhei"*. Slightly better than the prequel.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_LS42_tDuI
*Nitouhei = Private
Ittouhei = Corporal
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_LS42_tDuI
*Nitouhei = Private
Ittouhei = Corporal
Movie, 1934,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Black and white short with both the music and voice-acting intact. Showing some early signs of anime, especially in the voices, sound effects, and faces.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/91355
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/91355
Movie, 1935,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
Silent, abstract art. Even looks computer-generated, must be seen to be believed. Don't tell me this is anime, or you'll be swimming in a glass of water soon.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/71605
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/71605
Movie, 1935,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:3
Just try to convince me this is anime. Another tech-demo from the creators of "Rhythm". Maybe epilepsy doesn't exist in Japan?
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/71582
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/play/71582
Movie, 1935,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
Sound seems authentic. Scary at times, which was impressive. Enjoyed this.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anaaW2M0f9g
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anaaW2M0f9g
Movie, 1936,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
The most anime-like short released before 1937 I've seen. After all these shorts of the 1930s just copying western animation, it's nice to see something that can truly be called proto-anime.
Watch: https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GRQ4WPGEY/taros-monster-hunt
Watch: https://www.crunchyroll.com/watch/GRQ4WPGEY/taros-monster-hunt
Movie, 1937,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:6
A proof-of-concept for colour-film, this black-white-red-green cel-animated pioneering piece of art is difficult to review. It's a major step towards real anime, that's for sure.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/71555 *
* The animation starts at 3:08. The part before is an invaluable look into 1930s Japanese animation practices.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/71555 *
* The animation starts at 3:08. The part before is an invaluable look into 1930s Japanese animation practices.
Movie, 1938,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Average 1930s animation. Mixture of western and Japanese influences, mostly western.
Watch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3xnqk4
Watch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3xnqk4
Movie, 1938,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
Difficult to review because of the state of the existing media.
Watch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4acpy8
Watch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4acpy8
Movie, 1939,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:2
Still not anime. Outmatched by it's 1927 counterpart.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/44405
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/44405
Movie, 1940,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:7
A silhouette masterpiece, with a choir soundtrack. A Japanese perspective on the classic Madame Chrysanthème / Madama Butterfly story. Beautiful.
Watch: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MrAJD_Nmc5pBSOfLLfUvudzXk1dzXFqH
Watch: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MrAJD_Nmc5pBSOfLLfUvudzXk1dzXFqH
Movie, 1940,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
Japanese Donald-ducks fight frogs in this anti-war short with sound. Cool to see the original voice acting, some similarities between this short and some early anime designs, and to see someone pointing to the horrors and stupidity that is war. Boring to see heavily USA-influenced animation, yet another military-themed animation from this time, and more of Japan staying behind the world leaders in animation.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5141
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5141
Movie, 1941,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:2
Not anime. B/w, silent, 11 min. Bad and boring.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5434
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5434
Movie, 1941,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:4
B/w, music, 11 min.
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5148
Watch: https://animation.filmarchives.jp/en/works/playen/5148
Movie, 1942,
1 ep
Me:-
Author:5
B/w, music and narration. Nice seeing the classic Japanese animals monkey, tanuki and bears living their lives in the forest village.
Score: 5+/10
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTpiuyd34KM
Score: 5+/10
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTpiuyd34KM
