1939: WHEN DIPLOMACY FAILS
Japan gets outmaneuvered, as World War II starts in Europe. Thankfully, a few people are still making animation.
1938: NEWS FROM THE FRONT LINES
Today, we’re looking at wartime history, warring states, and the last adventure of a certain war-dog for decades.
1937 – THE BEGINNING OF THE END
There are only three pieces of animation from Japan in 1937 that have made it to the present day. But I’m still very happy with what I can talk about.
1936: YAMAMOTO, ASHIDA AND MABO
Even when the Ministry of Education had been sending work to YAMAMOTO Sanae, he was never the most prolific animation creator.
1936: MURATA’S END
On February 26th 1936, a group of young military officers, convinced that their brand of ultranationalism was correct and losing the internal struggle for the ear of the Emperor, attempted to overthrow the Japanese government; a coup d’etat.
1935: ENTER SEO MITSUYO
SEO Mitsuyo begins a career that will survive the war, even though it’s not entirely clear how he managed it.
1935: ALMOST EVERYONE
Today, JO Studio works on a shoestring, Masaoka throws in the towel, a skiving fuel store owner keeps going, and Murata runs out of steam.
1934: FOUR DIRECTORS
Masaoka Kenzō gets unlucky, Ofuji Noburo uses another name, Seo Mitsuyo monkeys around, and an unknown director drives his characters mad.
1934: TANAKA & OISHI
Two future parts of entertainment behemoth, Toho Studios, are making their first moves in animation. But one director is making his last.
1934: HISTORY AND MURATA
STAGGERING INTO CHAOS When Prime Minister SAITO Makoto was appointed in 1932, he was supposed to be a safe, compromise candidate. As a career politician and a former Governor-General of occupied Korea, he was a safe pair of hands. As a retired naval captain who fought in the First Sino-Japanese War, it was thought he…