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Toei Animation
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Foundation date 23 january 1948
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. (東映アニメーション株式会社, Tōei Animēshon Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese animation studio in which Toei Company, Ltd. is the biggest shareholder. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films (日本動画映画, Nihon Dōga Eiga, often shortened to 日動映画 (Nichidō Eiga)). In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name. Over the years, the studio has created a large number of TV series, movies, and adapted many Japanese comics by renowned authors to animated series, many popular worldwide. Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Leiji Matsumoto and Yoichi Kotabe have all worked with the company in the past. Toei is a shareholder in the Japanese anime satellite television network, Animax, along with other noted anime studios and production enterprises such as Sunrise, TMS Entertainment and Nihon Ad Systems Inc. The company headquarters are located in the Ohizumi Studio in Nerima, Tokyo.
Until 1998, the company was known as Toei Doga (東映動画株式会社, Tōei Dōga Kabushiki-gaisha) (although even at that time the company's formal English name was "Toei Animation Co., Ltd."), with "dōga" being the native Japanese word for "animation" which was widely used until the 1970s. Their mascot is the cat Pero, from the company's 1969 film adaptation of Puss in Boots.
Toei Animation produced the anime versions of works by many legendary manga artists, including Go Nagai (Mazinger Z), Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 009), Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro (Toriko), Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk), Mitsuteru Yokoyama (Sally the Witch), Masami Kurumada (Saint Seiya), Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump), Leiji Matsumoto (Galaxy Express 999), and Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon). In addition, the studio helped propel the popularity of the magical girl and Super Robot genres of anime; among Toei's most legendary and trend-setting TV series include the first magical-girl anime series, Mahoutsukai Sally the anime adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga of the same name, and Go Nagai's Mazinger Z, animated adaptation of his manga, which set the standard for Super Robot anime for years to come.
Although Toei Company usually lets Toei Animation handle its official animation works, on occasion they may hire other companies to provide animation on their behalf, such as the Robot Romance Trilogy in which Toei Company handled the overall production, but the animation work went to Sunrise (then known as Nippon Sunrise) instead.
Anime created by Toei Animation that have won the Animage Anime Grand Prix award have been Galaxy Express 999 in 1981, Saint Seiya in 1987, and Sailor Moon in 1992.
In addition to producing anime for domestic release in Japan, Toei Animation also provided animation work for several American box office motion pictures and television series for US companies, dating back as far as the 1960s, but they mostly provided outsourced production work during the 1980s.
Best films
(2013)
(1993)
(1984)Filmography of Toei Animation (100 films)
Production
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, 51minutesOrigin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Masako Nozawa, Shin Aomori, Takeshi Kusao, Hiromi Tsuru, Ryō Horikawa, Megumi Urawa
On a distant planet, a young alien boy frantically searches his surroundings, sword at the ready, but before he can react, he is crushed by a giant foot while someone laughs maniacally in the background.
, 1h1Origin Japon
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Animation, Romance
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Seafaring films, Transport films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life
Actors Kotono Mitsuishi, Terri Hawkes, Masami Kikuchi, Megumi Hayashibara, Katie Griffin, Michie Tomizawa
An extraterrestrial entity named Princess Snow Kaguya (プリンセス・スノー・カグヤ, Purinsesu Sunō Kaguya) arrives on Earth in an attempt to freeze it, but a fragment of her comet has been lost and she is unable to proceed without it. She has her henchwomen, the Snow Dancers, search for the missing fragment. In Tokyo, a young astronomer named Kakeru Ōzora (宇宙 翔, Ōzora Kakeru) finds the fragment and keeps it in his observatory to study it further.
, 50minutesOrigin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Toshio Furukawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Tesshō Genda, Takeshi Kusao, Masako Nozawa, Naoko Watanabe
Bojack is the main villain of the movie. His goal is to conquer the universe and destroy all those that stand in his way. According to King Kai, he was sealed by all four Kais in a star, but when Goku teleported the devolved, ready to self-destruct Cell to King Kai's planet, killing him, the seal has broken, allowing Bojack to reap destruction upon the Earth.
, 1h10Directed by Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Origin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Eric Vale, Bin Shimada, Ryō Horikawa, Takeshi Kusao, Mayumi Tanaka, Toshio Furukawa
On his planet in the Otherworld, King Kai senses the destruction of the South Galaxy by an unknown Super Saiyan, and realizes that the North Galaxy will be next. To this end, King Kai contacts Goku telepathically while he and Chi-Chi are sitting down having an interview inside a private school which they hopefully plan to send Gohan to. In the middle of the interview, Goku teleports to King Kai's planet and is told the entire story.
Sailor Moon R: The Movie (1993)
, 1h2Directed by Kunihiko Ikuhara
Origin Japon
Genres Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Animation, Romance
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Seafaring films, Transport films, Children's films, Films about extraterrestrial life, Mise en scène d'une plante
Actors Kotono Mitsuishi, Aya Hisakawa, Michie Tomizawa, Emi Shinohara, Megumi Ogata, Rica Fukami
Make Up! Sailor Soldier Usagi and Chibiusa overhear two girls talking about the Sailor Soldiers after they see a poster. As the girls debate over the smartest, most elegant, strongest, and the leader of the Sailor Soldiers, Usagi grandly claims those titles for herself. Chibiusa shakes her head at Usagi's delusion. Clips appear from the debut of each Sailor Soldier, and that girl's image song plays in the background. When even Tuxedo Mask has been mentioned, and the girls are about to leave, Usagi butts in on their conversation and asks them directly about Sailor Moon. The girls give a series of glowing compliments about Sailor Moon, but unlike their analysis of the other Sailor Soldiers, they also list her faults. After the girls leave, Usagi sarcastically apologizes for being a clumsy cry-baby and then bursts into exaggerated tears.
, 45minutesDirected by Daisuke Nishio
Origin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Kōhei Miyauchi, Hisao Egawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuyuki Sogabe, Toshio Kobayashi, Takeshi Kusao
The film opens with the introduction showing the death of Dr. Gero at the hands of the Androids 17 and 18 including the Red Ribbon Army, but also reveals that Gero previously copied his consciousness into an underground supercomputer, working on an alternate ultimate android.
, 48minutesOrigin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Toshio Furukawa, Shō Hayami, Masato Hirano, Naoko Watanabe, Ichirō Nagai, Hiromi Tsuru
In the film, Freeza's older brother Cooler is introduced. It begins with a flashback to when Freeza destroyed the Saiyan home world, Planet Vegeta. Cooler's ship soon picks up a Saiyan space pod on the radar. The pod, carrying a baby Saiyan named Kakarot, is shown to be heading towards Earth, but Cooler's henchmen believe it is an escape. Cooler lets the ship go, accounting that it's Freeza's naïveté, and responsibility. More than twenty years later, Kakarot, eventually renamed Goku, transforms into a Super Saiyan and defeats Freeza on Planet Namek. Despite showing no compassion towards his brother, Cooler takes his Armored Squadron - Doore, Neiz, and Salza to Earth with the intention of killing Goku in order to reclaim his family's honor. His forces ambush Goku and his friends on a camping trip, and Goku is wounded when he takes a blast from Cooler that was intended for Gohan.
Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991)
, 49minutesOrigin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Toshio Furukawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Hideyuki Hori, Kenji Utsumi, Shōzō Iizuka, Masako Nozawa
While meditating beside a waterfall, Piccolo is approached by Gohan and Icarus, with Gohan showing Piccolo a tune he has just learned to whistle. To his shock, Piccolo finds the noise excruciatingly painful due to his enhanced Namekian hearing, and angrily orders Gohan to stop. Meanwhile, at the Capsule Corporation compound, Bulma and her father discover that a meteor is heading toward the Earth and will most likely destroy the planet upon impact. Amidst mass panic throughout the Earth, Goku and Krillin rush to intercept the meteor, blasting it with Kamehameha waves, but fail to damage it. The meteor, however, does not hit Earth, instead passing it and exploding in orbit. When the dust clears, a strange building is present on the Earth.
, 1hDirected by Daisuke Nishio
Origin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films, Mise en scène d'une plante
Actors Toshio Furukawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Tōru Furuya, Banjō Ginga, Yūji Machi, Naoko Watanabe
Gohan, Krillin, Bulma, and Oolong are spending a peaceful day camping, but that night a huge fire breaks out in the nearby forest. Using their ki, Krillin and Gohan put out the fire and use the Dragon Balls to restore the forest. Unbeknownst to our heroes, the fire was started by a space probe landing. The next morning the space pod begins scouting the area and it is soon revealed that it was sent by a Saiyan, Turles, who has chosen the Earth to plant the Shinseiju (lit. “Tree of Godly Might”). The Shinseiju absorbs the world’s energy, storing it in its fruit, and whoever eats it is granted godlike power.
, 1h1Directed by Daisuke Nishio
Origin Japon
Genres Science fiction, Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Toshio Furukawa, Mayumi Tanaka, Yukimasa Kishino, Kōji Nakata, Naoki Tatsuta, Daisuke Gōri
While looking at the Dragon Radar, Oolong notices that all of the Dragon Balls are starting to be gathered together. He and Gohan, who were also searching for the Dragon Balls, head out to investigate and end up at the Tsurumai-Tsuburi Mountains’ eternal wall of ice, where coincidentally, Piccolo is also training. Dr. Kochin summons Shenron and wishes for Dr. Wheelo’s lab to be released from the ice. The ice begins to break away and a building emerges. Gohan and Oolong look on in disbelief, when they are suddenly attacked by Dr. Kochin’s Biomen. Piccolo shows up to save Gohan, but is overcome by three mysterious fighters, while Gohan and Oolong escape.
, 41minutesGenres Drama, Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Masako Nozawa, Ryūsei Nakao, Ryō Horikawa, Shō Hayami, Yukitoshi Hori, Kinpei Azusa
The special is the story of Bardock, a so-called low-level soldier in Frieza's armed forces. At the outset of the story, his son, Kakarot, is born on Planet Vegeta, and is being prepared to be sent to a "frontier planet" (Earth) in order to destroy all life there. Meanwhile, Bardock and his crew are on an assignment to exterminate all the lifeforms of Planet Kanassa. After the planet is seemingly devoid of all other life, Bardock and crew rest up and celebrate their victory until one remaining Kanassan warrior catches him off guard and decides to give him the "gift" of seeing the future, before being destroyed by Bardock. This gives him the ability to see the destruction of Planet Vegeta, and the oppression of the entire universe at the hands of Frieza.
Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989)
, 45minutesDirected by Daisuke Nishio
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Masako Nozawa, Akira Kamiya, Hiromi Tsuru, Mayumi Tanaka, Daisuke Gōri, Naoko Watanabe
The film opens with Piccolo being attacked and supposedly killed by a group of shadowed fighters. Chi-Chi along with her father, Ox King, and Gohan are attacked by the same group. Goku is out fishing during the attack and after sensing danger, he returns only to find his son has been kidnapped. The group responsible for the attack are Garlic Jr.'s henchmen, and it is later revealed that their reason for kidnapping Gohan was to retrieve the four-star Dragon Ball that was attached to his hat. After gathering the remaining Dragon Balls, Garlic Jr. summons Shenron and he immediately wishes for immortality. Shenron, never having had to grant this type of demand before, grants Garlic Jr. his wish. A furious Goku arrives to try to take back his son, but soon discovers Garlic Jr.'s new power. Kami makes an appearance (which surprises Garlic Jr., who thought that his henchmen had killed Piccolo) and meets up with Goku, and describes a brief history of Garlic Jr. and his father Garlic. Goku then proceeds to try to find Gohan when he is attacked by the villain's gang, whilst Kami faces Garlic Jr.
, 44minutesOrigin Japon
Genres Fantastic, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films
Actors Mitsuko Horie, Shin Aomori, Banjō Ginga, Shigeru Chiba, Mayumi Tanaka, Toshio Furukawa
Another retelling of the Dragon Ball story. This time, young Goku and young Krillin are training with Master Roshi for a World Martial Arts Tournament to be held in the country of Mifan. The Emperor of Mifan, Chiaotzu, is trying to find his lost "Ran Ran." "Minister" Master Shen has Emperor Pilaf work on a Dragon Radar, takes it from him, and is using it to locate the Dragon Balls. Shen and his brother, Mercenary Tao claim that they'll use the wish from Shenron to locate Ran Ran, but are actually planning, with Tien's help, to kill Chiaotzu and take over the country. General Blue announces that Ran Ran is being held in Shen's room, and is killed by Tao for it. Bora and Upa have located the final Dragon Ball and they take it to Mifan to use it to demand that Mifan's soldiers be forced to leave the land near Korin Tower.
G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987)
, 1h33Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Action, Animation
Actors Don Johnson, Burgess Meredith, Charles Adler, Jack Angel, Jackson Beck, Bill Ratner
While Cobra Commander and Serpentor blame each other's stewardship of Cobra as the root cause of the organization's failures, Pythona, a woman from the secret civilization Cobra-La, infiltrates the Terror Drome. While there, she reveals to Serpentor that Cobra-La was responsible for inspiring Doctor Mindbender to create Serpentor through dream manipulation. At her urging, Serpentor plans to capture G.I. Joe's latest weapon, the Broadcast Energy Transmitter (BET).
, 43minutesDirected by Daisuke Nishio
Origin Japon
Genres Fantastic, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Horror, Animation
Themes Films about magic and magicians, Films based on mythology, Sports films, Martial arts films, Vampires in film
Actors Mayumi Tanaka, Nachi Nozawa, Hiromi Tsuru, Masato Hirano, Tōru Furuya, Shōzō Iizuka
Twelve-year-old Goku seeks out Master Roshi to ask to be accepted as a student, while the little monk, Krillin, arrives for the same reason (and uses a porno magazine as a bribe). Roshi sends them on a quest far to the west, where "five mountains stand, called the 'Devil's Hand'." Inside a castle, there lies the legendary, and beautiful, "Sleeping Princess." Whoever brings back the Sleeping Princess will become Master Roshi's student. The two boys set out, and Krillin uses all the standard tricks to trip Goku up.