Pre-1970s Compilation of Anime Short Films

We start our series with a curated collection of seven pre-1960s anime short films to place the series within its proper historical context. Highlights include Namakura Gatan, a four minute film from 1917 (making it one of the genre’s oldest-surviving entries) centered on a foolish rōnin’s purchase of a dull-edged sword and his attempts to test it on innocent civilians, and Kumo to Tulip, a 1943 fable following a menacing spider’s exploits to lure in a beautiful ladybug amidst a forest storm.