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Pioneers of Japaneses Animation: From Tekobo to Momotaro

Momotaro is the Greatest

Sanae YAMAMOTO

Japan1928 9min 35mm B&W

Synopsis

The first in the Momotaro series. Born out of a peach and thus called ‘Momotaro’ (‘Peach Boy’), the boy Momotaro takes a dog, a monkey and a pheasant to conquer the evil ogres living on Onigashima Island (‘Ogre Island’) and returns with a treasure. This is the animated version of a famous Japanese tale. The formalized design of the ogre castle gives a quite modern impression.

Diretor

Sanae YAMAMOTO

At first assisting Seitarou Kitayama in animation production, Sanae Yamamoto began his own work in 1925. In 1956 he established an animation studio where he was the director, and started animating on a full-scale, and where he produced Japan's first feature-length color animation, Tale of the White Serpent. Other works include Momotaro is the Greatest(1928), Brother Bear(1932), and Defeat of the Spies(1942).