1917 Anime

A samurai buys a dull sword from a merchant. He is quickly defeated by his intended victims due to his cheap sword and clumsiness.

(Source: IMDB)

Short movie produced by the first generation animator Kitayama Seitarou. Based on the Japanese fairy tale Hanasaka Jiijii, also called Hanasaka Jiisan.

An old childless couple loved their dog. One day, it dug in the garden, and they found a box of gold pieces there. A neighbor thought the dog must be able to find treasure, and managed to borrow the dog. When it dug in his garden, there were only bones, and he killed it. He told the couple that the dog had just dropped dead. They grieved and buried it under the fig tree where they had found the treasure. One night, the dog's master dreamed that the dog told him to chop down the tree and make a mortar from it. He told his wife, who said they must do as the dog asked. When they did, the rice put into the mortar turned into gold. The neighbor borrowed it, but the rice turned to foul-smelling berries, and he and his wife smashed and burned the mortar.

That night, in a dream, the dog told his master to take the ashes and sprinkle them on certain cherry trees. When he did, the cherry trees came into bloom, and the Daimyo (feudal landlord), ing by, marveled and gave him many gifts. The neighbor tried to do the same, but the ashes blew into the Daimyo's eyes, so he threw him into prison; when he was let out, his village would not let him live there anymore, and he could not, with his wicked ways, find a new home.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Shimokawa Hekoten drew with chalk on a blackboard with the help of Tenkatsu (Color Motion Picture CO., Ltd.), and created the background and characters. Overlapping parts were erased with white paint, and the first animation of Japan was completed through repeated shooting.

This work is considered to be the first recorded professional animation of Asia, it also contains the first dramatic structure in which a main character has a humorous name.

(Source: CAPSULE Blog: Total Color List Production Committee)

There is a lot of speculation if this movie was in fact ever released. It was screened several times at a movie company, but it is said that even the author, Shimokawa, was not satisfied with the work due to the sloppy movement. There is however, no evidence that it actually released in theaters. The name of the work does not exist in the list of theater screenings in Magazine "Kinema record" or "Movie Review" for Janurary 1917. Also since there is so few materials that mention this film and no copy has ever been found, the contents of the story are completely unknown.

Some even speculate that was released at a later date in 1917 under a different name.

A man first realizes he's born to be a samurai, but is it possible for him to make in the world with only a newly gained dull sword?

A monkey tricks a crab and steals his food. More crabs arrive and begin fighting the monkey.

(Source: AniDB)

This is a short film made in the fall of 1917. It is about a girl asking for rice.

The events of a day in and around the main character, Post.

(Source: allcinema)

An old mouse gathers young mice and gives a speech about the dangers of cats, and then one young mouse plays a prank in a private house, falls into a water bowl and is rescued by his friends, but is attacked by a cat and escapes with a crawling body.

(Source: allcinema)

It is most likely a story about a great dream like car.

(Source: Wikipedia)