winter 1969

Lupin III: Pilot Film

Two years after the birth of the manga a pilot film was released. It was a brief film of only 13 minutes that had the purpose of assay the response to a possible future anime realization of Lupin III. The pilot opens with a challenge call from Lupin to Zenigata from a public phone. (Source: AniDB)

Nagagutsu wo Haita Neko

Pero, a sword-wielding cat-in-boots sentenced to death for sparing a mouse, escapes his execution and embarks on a journey. Along the way, he teams up with a company of bandit mice and Pierre, a gentle orphan who has been cheated out of his inheritance. When Pero learns that Princess Rose is seeking a husband, he becomes determined to make sure that Pierre is the one chosen. However, Princess Rose is forcibly betrothed to the wicked ogre Lucifer! Pero begins to spin a web of lies to enthrall Rose with Pierre, but Pero's boasts are far from the truth. Pierre has to keep up with Pero's bold image of him but is frightened, because while Princess Rose is charming, loving her means going against the Devil's wishes. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Himitsu no Akko-chan

Atsuko "Akko-chan" Kagami (known variously as "Stilly," "Caroline," or "Julie" in Western versions of the anime) is an energetic elementary school girl who has an affinity for mirrors. One day, her favorite mirror which was given to Akko by her mother (or in some versions, by her father, as a present from India) is broken, and she prefers to bury it in her yard rather than throw it to the trash can. In her dreams, she is contacted by a spirit (or in some cases the Queen of the Mirror Kingdom) who is moved that the little girl would treat the mirror so respectfully and not simply throw it away. Akko-chan is then given the gift of a magical mirror and taught an enchantment that will allow her to transform into anything she wishes. (Source: Wikipedia)

G-senjou no Higeki

Short experimental animation from Yoji Kuri.

Kaitei Shounen Marine

Yet another expansion of the Marine Boy series. This time 65 episodes were added to the 1966 series and all 78 episodes were sold to the US. The broadcast history of the show in Japan was slightly more complicated, with only the first 36 episodes of the 78 shown at first but later on all 78 were shown, out of which 65 are contained in this entry and 13 in the Ganbare! Marine Kid series. Marine is now equipped with an underwater boomerang, a hydrojet, and the mermaid Neptuna/Neptina has become his girlfriend. Some previous episodes from Ganbare! Marine Kid had their footage recycled in part for this series. (Source: The Anime Encyclopedia)

Hitoribocchi

Wonder-kun no Hatsu Yume Uchuu Ryokou

This is the story of a friendship between a boy named Taro and the mysterious Wonder-kun, using "the first dream of the New Year" as a motif. Guided by Wonder-kun, Taro departs on a space trip searching for adventure. This work combines live-action and animation and was broadcast by NHK for kids staying at home watching TV over the New Year holidays. The program was 20 minutes long but the story portion was roughly 11 minutes, as such MAL will reflect the duration of the anime itself rather than the program it was shown in. (Source: Official Site)

Toumei Ningen

Independent animation by Shimamura Tatsuo.

Kaitei Toshi no Dekiru made

Jataka Monogatari: Kiniro no Shika

A long time ago, an Indian princess dreamed of a golden deer singing in a beautiful voice. Seeing the king's treat, a boy sets a trap in the mountain. But when he sees what the trapped deer has done for his friends, he decides to let the deer go. (Source: Gakken)