Seitarō — Kitayama [top]

So the next time someone asks, "Who made the first anime?" don't just say Astro Boy or Hakujaden . Smile and say: . The man who drew the first line. Do you have a favorite "hidden pioneer" in animation history? Let me know in the comments below.

Then, in 2008, a miracle. A film historian found a 35mm print of "The Dull Sword" at an antique market in Osaka. It was scratched, faded, and missing a few frames—but it was real. Today, that 7-minute short is preserved at the National Film Center in Tokyo and is designated as an Important Cultural Property. seitarō kitayama

But pioneers don't need monuments. They just need one person to remember the path they cleared. So the next time someone asks, "Who made the first anime