Underplayed Gems

Momotarō no Umiwashi (1943)

Momotarō no Umiwashi poster
Original title
桃太郎の海鷲
Directed by
Mitsuyo Seo
Genre
fantasy anime and manga
Country
Japan
Runtime
37 min
Rating
6.0 of 10 from 5 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A short animated film from 1943 aimed at children. It uses the Japanese folk hero Momotaro and his animal soldiers to depict a fictionalized version of the attack on Pearl Harbor as a battle against demons.

nationalisticlight-heartedcartoonishpropagandisticwhimsicalfast-pacedsimpledatedjingoistic

What happens

Momotarō's Sea Eagles (Japanese: 桃太郎の海鷲, Hepburn: Momotarō no Umiwashi) is a Japanese animated propaganda film produced in 1942 by Geijutsu Eigasha and released on 25 March 1943. With a running time of 37 minutes, it was close to being a feature-length film. A DVD version without English subtitles was released in Japan by the bookstore chain Kinokuniya Shoten in 2004; a version with English subtitles was released in the United States by Zakka Films in 2009. Although recorded as being produced with the cooperation of the Japanese Naval Ministry, there was in fact no such cooperation (due to concerns about official military secrets). However, the Japanese Imperial Navy did endorse the film . Featuring the "Peach Boy" character of Japanese folklore, the film was aimed at children, and tells the story of a naval unit consisting of the young boy Momotarō and several animal species representing the Far Eastern races fighting together for a common goal. In a dramatization of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the force attacks the demons at the appropriately named island of Onigashima ('Demon Island', which represents the British and American military). The film also utilizes actual footage of the Pearl Harbor attack. A sequel, Momotaro: Sacred Sailors, was released in 1945, which was the first full-length Japanese animated film. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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