Animation During the War Era
1931-1944
Ō-atari Sora no Entaku - 1932
Many of the films from the 1930s and 40s would feature ideas of modernity, imperialism, and militarism. This can be seen in Ō-atari Sora no Entaku (1932, The Plane Cabby's Lucky Day). In the film there is a social divergence and humans live in skyscrapers while the surface has been populated by anthromorphic animals. In the film the cabby driver is informed of a treasure on a nearby island, and it's main theme is concerned with imperialism and the idea that by going across the seas it will find rich resources for the taking. Other such films that have similar themes are Sora No Monotarō (1931, Momotarō of the Sky) and it's sequel Umi no Momotarō (1932, Momotarō's Underwater Adventure).
Sora No Monotarō - 1931
In 1936 a new exhibition came into existence, it was a ninety minute mixed media genre programs in small cinemas or "news theaters." They perceived a need for variety in week-long programs and this created a new desire for animation. However they still competed with foreign import films. In 1939 a new law, called The Film Law, demanded that all cast and crew be licensed, and fixed in requirements for late night videos. The censor on films was now pre-production instead of post-production. It also started phasing out foreign films. However since most animated cartoons were from abroad many youth were disappointed due to the absence Japanese cartoons, but this did supply an opportunity for Japanese animators to fill in the void left by foreign cartoons, as long as they meet the criteria of the state.
In 1939 a Special Film Unit (Tokubetsu Eiga-ban) formed by the Tōhō Cultural Film Department and the Nihon Eigasha. It was created to make films on level bombing theory and on practical bombardment. This 'Shadow Staff' of filmmakers were allowed exclusive viewings of biplane training and to be able to watch military exercises. These films were never distributed into theaters, mostly due to their military audience, and have no presence in filmographies nor do they have any exact release dates on record.
Umi no Momotarō - 1932
Fantasia - 1940
During World War II animators secretly screened Walt Disney's film Fantasia (1940), and this film would not be publicly distributed insult 1955, but it was screened so that the animators could understand their enemy. Many of the Japanese filmmakers of that time could not compete with the animation of that time, many mostly only being able to work on black and white films and none nearly having the budget that the American film had of $2.3 million. However, the film was a flop, and the cartoon business of America wasn't as nearly as lucrative as it appeared, but the Japanese didn't know this.
Another Influential film of this era was Tieshan Gongzhu (1941, Princess Iron Fan). It was a Chinese film that was a protest against the Japanese. Fortunately for the animators it cut the film’s original closing line before it fell into the hands of the Japanese which said 'Get the final Win in the anti-Japanese War.' Princess Iron Fan was a major achievement in wartime films, it was a feature length film, it drew upon folkloric tradition, and it even had patches of color namely in the fire which the Wan brothers had painstakingly drew into their film. In Japan, it was clearly reworked to be more 'Japanese' and it became a type of satire. Since the film was release a year before people in Japan saw it is clear that producers were able to react to it months before audiences saw the film.
Tieshan Gongzhu - 1941
The reactions of these films were to make the first feature-length cartoon film, Mamotarō's Sea Eagles (1943), however it being a 'full-length film' may have been promotional hype rather than fact. As Disney figured out earlier films were always fated to be second-string features as long as they were not the main attraction at the movies, and this same notion the animators in Japan had also figured out. However, it was not actually the 'first feature length animated film,' however it was certainly made out to be and billed as such. The Navy Ministry was very willing to fund the film however they had trouble filling positions, as animators were rare as well as the low pay rates of animators also affected this. The navy wanted the film done in a mere three months which is nearly impossible and it was estimated to be done in six or seven. During the production of the film 60 frames were done a day which would become the daily average in animated films afterward, which was similar to American animators at Disney. Mamotarō's Sea Eagles was a defining propaganda cartoon as well as a keystone of achievement in animation during the war era. It became a hit due to multiple school outings to see the film.
During the war a growing sense of paranoia started to fill authorities. Many films were not welcome if they conflicted with the wisdom of the state. Propaganda animators clearly watched the films of their live action colleagues closely, and some even acknowledged the original films in their later titles, such as Mamotarō's Sea Eagles title referring to the live action film Umiwashi (1942, The Sea Eagles). In the final days of war hostiles sought out animators and many 'harmful' films were destroyed, however at least one copy of each film was preserved and sent to archives in Washington, where they were largely returned to Japan in 1967. Many of these films also just seemed to disappear.