Mushi Production (虫プロダクション lit. bug production), or Mushi Pro for short, was a Japanese animation studio. Osamu Tezuka started it in rivalry with Toei Animation, Tezuka's former employer, after Tezuka's contract with Toei expired. The studio pioneered TV animation in Japan, and was responsible for many successful TV anime, such as Astro Boy, Princess Knight, Kimba the White Lion, Dororo, and Ashita no Joe, as well as more adult-oriented feature films such as 1001 Nights, Cleopatra (the first X-rated animated film), and The Belladonna of Sadness. Mushi Production, plagued by financial difficulties, declared bankruptcy in 1973 and its assets were divided. Tezuka had already left the company by then, having stepped down as acting director in 1970 and formed a new animation studio, Tezuka Productions (which made such works as Marvelous Melmo and Unico). A new Mushi Production company was later founded in 1977. This company continues to operate today.
Original productions
(based on the works of Osamu Tezuka)
- Astro Boy (1963-1966)
- Ginga Shonen Tai (Galaxy Boys Squad) (1963-1965)
- Astro Boy: Hero of Space (movie; 1964)
- Shin Takara Jima (New Treasure Island) (TV special; 1965)
- The Amazing 3 (1965-1966)
- Kimba the White Lion (1965-1966)
- Son Goku ga Hajimaruyō (TV special; 1966)
- Kimba the White Lion: the Movie (1966)
- Leo the Lion (1966-1967)
- Princess Knight (TV special; 1966)
- Goku no Daibouken (The Adventures of Goku) (Jan.-Sept.1967)
- Princess Knight (1967-1968)
- Vampire (1968-1969)
- Dororo (original TV series) (Apr.-Sept.1969)
- Wansa-kun (1973)
Non-original produtions
(original TV/film productions, or adaptations of other material)
- Wanpaku Tanteidan (Naughty Detectives) (1968-1969)
- Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae (Sabu and Ichi's Arrest Warrant) (co-production with Toei Animation and Studio Zero; 1968-1969)
- Animal 1 (1968-1969)
- Frosty the Snowman (1969) (American production by Rankin Bass with animation by Mushi Production)
- Ashita no Joe (original; second series was created by TMS) (1970-1971)
- Andersen Monogatari (1971)
- Wandering Sun (1971)
- Kunimatsu-sama no Otōridai (1971-1972)
- Animerama (film series)
- One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (1969)
- Cleopatra: Queen of Sex (1970; given self-applied "X" rating in U.S.)
- Belladonna (1973)
- Vicky the Viking (1974; first six episodes only)
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
- Article and interview over Mushi Production (German)
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