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Pioneers of Japaneses Animation: From Tekobo to Momotaro

The Dance of the Chagamas

Kenzou MASAOKA

Japan1934 10min 35mm B&W

Synopsis

One of the raccoon family tries to steal into the temple to fetch some discs and the gramophone but gets caught by an old hag. The old hag hangs the raccoon up and starts sharpening her knife, saying that she’ll have raccoon stew tonight. The raccoon family all set out to rescue one of their own. Director Kenzou Masaoka is recognized as the main force that succeeded in the full-scale switchover from the old method of cut-out to using celluloid in animation. Completely cell-animated, this was the first work to get the soft movements and better quality achieved by using celluloid.

Diretor

Kenzou MASAOKA

Kenzou Masaoka was studying Japanese and Western painting when he started filming. He produced his first animation Nonsense Story: Island of Monkeys in 1930. In 1932, he made the first talkie animation The World of Power and Woman at the request of Shochiku, and in 1934 he used cel animation on a full-scale in The Dance of the Chagama’s to produce a higher quality of work. Among his main works are Forest Baseball Team(1934), Forest Fairy(1935), Benkei vs. Ushiwaka(1939), and Sakura (Spring Fantasy)(1946).