What is the oldest anime ever?

Have you ever wondered what the first Japanese animation of all time was? What is the oldest anime? What was the first color anime? What's the first OVA? What is the first anime of each genre?

Some believe that the oldest anime title is "Astro Boy" by Osamu Tezuka, which first aired in Japan in 1963. But is it true?

Indeed, Astro Boy was a booster of anime and manga in their early success, but the first Japanese animation is much older and dates back to before the First World War.

What is the oldest anime ever?

According to Natsuki Matsumoto, the first animated film produced in Japan may have originated in 1907. The film is called Katsudō Shashin (Activity Photo) which shows a boy writing on a board, he was first found in 2005.

The first Japanese animation films were presented in 1917 and 1918, but they are unknown and some of them were found only 90 years later in an antique shop in Osaka.

The oldest anime is a movie and is called Namakura Katana (An Obtuse Sword). It is a comedy that tells the story of a samurai warrior who bought a blunt sword and when trying to test it on people, he was beaten.

Another film released in 1918 was Utrashima Tarou, a famous Japanese folk story about a fisherman invited to an underwater castle after saving a sea turtle from a beach.

We recommend reading:

• Urashima Taro and Otohime - Japanese Tale
• Osamu Tezuka - All about the God of Manga

The first anime in the west

Astro Boy is often credited with being the first anime to be exported to the West, although this is a claim that is somewhat controversial.

Another contender for the oldest anime title is Toei Animation's 1965 Sally the Witch. This show was the first anime series to be directed by a woman, and is the longest-running surviving anime series still in existence.

Another anime from the same era is “Speed Racer”, released in 1967. This anime follows the adventures of a young race car driver, Speed Racer, who competes in races around the world to become the best racing driver. This anime was also revolutionary for its time as it featured a unique approach to character design and animation.

We recommend reading: Speed Racer- One of the first anime in Brazil

The oldest anime movie

Although the oldest anime were short films, the first Japanese animated feature films were released in the 1950s and 1960s.

The first anime film released is Momotaro's Divine Sea Warrion from 1945. It is a musical film lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes. During World War II, the Japanese army commissioned films to show its achievements.

Others credit Hakujaden, released by Toei Animation in 1958, as the longest-running anime film. In this feature film we follow the adventures of a boy named Haku as he learns the martial art of ninjutsu and fights against a variety of monsters.

The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

FAQ - the first oldest of anime

We've already answered anime movie and older anime, but what about other first anime related questions? We'll answer a few below: (Just click on the question to view the answer).