Last year marked the 50th anniversary of a rather little-known series in Japanese animation history. New Moomin was the second TV anime to be based loosely on Finnish author Tove Jansson’s fa…
Mar 23, 2023 • Subscribe
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The History of Mushi Pro – 05 – Farewell to Tezuka (1970-1972)
From a Tezuka-centered perspective, the legacy of the Animerama films is difficult to assess. They were certainly pioneering, but the studio had to pay a heavy toll for…
The early days of Kaname Pro
Studio Kaname Production is most famous for its OVA works, such as Birth and Genmu Senki Leda, which seem to embody the early years of the so-called “OVA…
The History of Mushi Pro – 1.5 – Atom through its storyboards
In the previous article of this series, I stated that Tetsuwan Atom’s production was “centered on one document, the storyboard”. Although the production pipeline of anime has changed…
The History of Mushi Pro – 04 – Mushi’s gekiga (1969-1970)
According to Eiichi Yamamoto, the years 1970-1971 represented Mushi Pro’s “second golden age” [1]. There seems to be some truth to this statement: the number of new productions…
Kyojin no Hoshi, Lupin III, Sabu & Ichi's Arrest Warrant, Tomorrow's Joe, Dororo
The History of Mushi Pro – 02 – Anime business (1965-1966)
While I’m hesitant to speak of “golden ages”, if Mushi Production had one, it was certainly the years 1965-1966. Still riding on Tetsuwan Atom’s prodigious popularity, the studio…
The History of Mushi Pro – 1.5 – Atom through its storyboards
In the previous article of this series, I stated that Tetsuwan Atom’s production was “centered on one document, the storyboard”. Although the production pipeline of anime has changed…
The History of Mushi Pro – 3 – The beginning of the end (1967-1969)
With the huge debt left by its former acting director and the end of Mushi’s partnership with NBC Enterprises, the studio found itself in an increasingly difficult financial…
The History of Mushi Pro – 01 – The Road to TV Anime (1960-1965)
Osamu Tezuka, the God of Manga, is also the father of modern anime – not only did he coin the word, his Tetsuwan Atom was the first animated…
The History of Mushi Pro – 06 – Towards the World Masterpiece Theater (1971-1973)
Rather than narrate Mushi’s supposedly inevitable fall, I’d like to paint a related, but different picture: that of a studio which, by the end of Tezuka’s presidency and…
New Moomin 39/52 - The Laughter Mask (笑いの仮面) (1972) (English subtitles)
It's the day of the Mask Festival, and Sniff wants a special laughter mask that the old mask-maker doesn't want to give him at first. Eventually, he relents,…
New Moomin 8/52 - The Marvelous Spoon (ふしぎなスプーン) (1972) (English subtitles)
Moomin is a picky eater, and is curious about starvation. When Pappa takes out a giant spoon and discusses how it has kept the family from starving, Moomin…
New Moomin 38/52 - The Curse of the Red Moon (赤い月の呪い) (1972) (English subtitles)
Every lunar eclipse, swarms of bats arrive in Moominvalley, and these bats are said to be vampiric. When it turns out that Snufkin has been taking care of…
New Moomin 43/52 - Arion's Lyre (アリオンのたて琴) (1972) (English subtitles)
Pappa waxes lyrical about the stars, and tells Moomin the tale of Arion and his lyre to convey to him the power of beautiful poetry. The next day,…
Arion, Maku, Moomin, Moomin, New Moomin
New Moomin 52/52 - Farewell, Moominvalley (さらばムーミン谷) (1972) (English subtitles)
It is time for Moominvalley to go into hibernation, and for Snufkin to leave for the winter. Before he departs, Snufkin takes one last look around Moominvalley and…
New Moomin 14/52 - Sorry-oo's Own Home (メソメソ君のマイホーム) (1972) (English subtitles)
Sorry-oo has been too mischievous and destructive lately, and no one in Moominvalley can stand having him anymore, not even the Snork family. Eventually, the kids decide to…
New Moomin 35/52 - Pappa's Old Shoes (パパの古い靴) (1972) (English subtitles)
While searching for his ball in the storeroom, Moomin discovers Pappa's old shoes. As Mamma explains, they are a memento of the hardships he went through when he…
New Moomin 44/52 - Let's Play With the Clouds (雲と遊ぼう) (1972) (English subtitles)
It's a quiet, peaceful autumn day, and Moomin is lying on a hill while looking at the clouds. All of a sudden, one of the clouds calls out…
New Moomin 40/52 - The Torn Picture Book (やぶれた絵本) (1972) (English subtitles)
As a gift to celebrate her recovery from illness, Moomin gives Nonnon a mysterious but beautiful picture book that Too-Ticky found on the beach. However, the last page…
New Moomin 42/52 - Flap Your Wings! Pegasus (はばたけ! ペガサス) (1972) (English subtitles)
One late autumn day, the weather is unusually warm, and Mr. Hemulen puts up a portrait of two pegasuses who, according to an old story from his parents,…
New Moomin 41/52 - Language Is Disappearing? (言葉が消える?) (1972) (English subtitles)
One morning, as a repairman visits Moominvalley, words begin to disappear, and in due time this is followed by sounds and even voices. Moomin and his friends find…
New Moomin 34/52 - I Am King! (ぼくは王様だ!) (1972) (English subtitles)
Moomin has to clean the storehouse before he can go play with his friends in the sea. While rummaging through the items, he finds a strange pair of…
New Moomin 47/52 - Slip Out Of the Land of Ice (氷の国をぬけだせ) (1972) (English subtitles)
Winter is starting to arrive in Moominvalley, and Moomin and pals go ice-skating in the morning. However, after an accident, they find themselves in a strange icy wonderland,…
New Moomin 11/52 - Moominvalley Is Full of Holes (ムーミン谷は穴だらけ) (1972) (English subtitles)
After an argument with the Muskrat, My digs a massive hole in Moominvalley in an attempt to figure out how holes are useful. All of a sudden, a…
New Moomin 4/52 - Snufkin Is Back (スナフキンが帰って来た) (1972) (English subtitles)
Moomin seems to have broken Mr. Hemulen's horn, so he takes on various jobs in an attempt to buy a new one for him. Along the way, however,…
New Moomin 48/52 - The Broken Necklace (こわれたくびかざり) (1972) (English subtitles)
The snows are approaching in Moominvalley, and Moomin and his pals are making their own necklaces while they still can. My, jealous of Nonnon's beautiful necklace, attempts to…
Mushi-shi Episode 1: A World of Mushi
Japanese folklore abounds with encounters with the unusual – numerous tales of humans meeting yōkai, specters and other beings can be found throughout literature from Japan, from the…
Episode 116, "Mushi Mushi"
On this special episode of The One Piece Podcast we have all Piece Together, all the time. We call out to fans who submitted questions to us and…
Episode 116, "Mushi Mushi"
On this special episode of The One Piece Podcast we have all Piece Together, all the time. We call out to fans who submitted questions to us and…
New Moomin 33/52 - Pappa All Alone (ひとりぽっちのパパ) (1972) (English subtitles)
Pappa is feeling underappreciated. Moomin and Mamma did not tell him about a fire, and his idea to take them on vacation for a day conflicts with Moomin's…
New Moomin 37/52 - The Bell That Rings On Moonlit Nights (月夜になる鐘) (1972) (English subtitles)
On moonlit nights, Moominvalley's bell tolls mysteriously, and the culprit seems even stranger, leaving leaves behind. When everyone tries to take the bell down to figure out who…
My Last Days: The Jesus Anime
Ok, fabulous people of the Internet. I know I said I would be taking off for Easter, but I honestly couldn’t watch this and not cover it after…
Range Murata, Last Exile, Shangri-La, and PSE Pro #01 Skipper and Scooter
Range Murata is a well known Japanese artist and illustrator. I first became familiar with his work in the early 2000s when I started watchi...
Tanoshii Moomin Ikka and the Value of Loose Adaptations
We take a deep dive into Tove Jansson's Moomins franchise, shining a light on its anime adaptation, to explore the value of loose adaptations in other media
The Unreality of Pro Wrestling
Roman Reigns journey from The Shield to The Bloodline is one of the most bizarre and disastrous stories in pro wrestling. I shall now talk about it. EYEPATCH WOLVES…
Girls’ Last Tour’s Deathless End of Days
In this discussion of the Girls' Last Tour anime and manga, I focus on the surprising lack of death shown within the series.
New Moomin 51/52 - I Hate You, Snufkin (スナフキンなんか大きらい) (1972) (English subtitles)
It's almost time for hibernation in Moominvalley, and Moomin is mostly idling. After he and his friends wonder why Snufkin has a guitar, he goes to Snufkin's tent…
Casino, The (1972)
Director: Chang Tseng-chai Starring: Yueh Hua, Lily Ho, Shih Kien, Fan Mui-shang, Chiang Nan Entering a casino and casually cleaning out the House, Luo (Hua) demonstrates his gambling…
The Last Days of Termite Terrace | THE MERRIE HISTORY OF LOONEY TUNES
EPISODE 7 All things must come to an end. But in the case of Looney Tunes and the studio that made them, it was not a dignified one. 00:00…
New Moomin 10/52 - The Police Inspector Goes Away (署長さんがいなくなる) (1972) (English subtitles)
The Police Inspector feels that he is unnecessary in the peaceful Moominvalley, and resolves to leave. However, Stinky overhears this, and connives with Moomin and pals to instigate…
New Moomin 36/52 - Grandpa Is the Best In the World (おじいちゃんは世界一) (1972) (English subtitles)
Snork's grandfather is visiting, and Moomin wishes he had a grandpa as amazing as him. Thereafter, the Ancestor drops in to be Moomin's grandpa, and quickly proves to…
Mushi-Uta
You know the drill by now. I would never have watched Mushi-Uta had not Mamiko Noto had a cameo in here. Heh. Yup, the sole reason for me…
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The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
A very engaging samurai narrative that does not only offer an intriguing glance at one of the most important crossroads of Japanese history, but also a melodramatic exploration…
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The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
A very engaging samurai narrative that does not only offer an intriguing glance at one of the most important crossroads of Japanese history, but also a melodramatic exploration…
Trail Of Blood (1972) review
Ikehiro stylishly celebrates the Matatabi film of the past and offers the chanbara-enthusiast enough sword-fighting action to satisfy him/her.
Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World – 06 – Apples and Lemons
Ever since the vortex incident that thrust her and Iska apart, Alice has been sighing heavily a lot while looking out the window of her bedchamber. She’s clearly…
The Last of Us and the Importance of Player Agency
So I just recently finished The Last of Us (yes, yes, I’m years late to this party) and I am…upset about it. I was really enjoying the game…
The Fearless Avenger (1972) review
A satisfying sequel to `Trail Of Blood` that delivers everything a fan of the genre desires – blood, betrayals and lots of sword-fighting.
Brand New Theatre Days: The Idolmaster, Million Live, and Passing the Baton
Shimmering meetings, sparkling worlds. Our brand new theatre life. Those harbouring a penchant for otaku-fuelled ideations of the late noughties will possess an uncannily intimate familiarity with myriad…
A brief history of Kaname Pro
Unlike other great and influential studios with a distinct animation philosophy, like A Pro, Ghibli, Sunrise or Kyoto Animation, the Kanada school never had a single, durable place…
Dallos, Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Once Upon A Time
Raya and the Last Dragon
By Andrew Osmond. The newest Disney feature animation, Raya and the Last Dragon, is available on the Disney+ platform. At the moment, it’s the same deal as the…