Mitsuyo Seo
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese animator
, screenwriter
and director
of animated films who played a central role in the development of Japanese anime
. He was born in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture
.
for Japan
during World War II
, Seo's political sympathies were leftist and early on he was actually a member of the Proletarian Film League of Japan
, where he helped out on such animated films as Sankichi no Kūchū Ryokō. In 1931, he was arrested for his activities, tortured and spent 21 days in jail. Seo met Kenzō Masaoka
and joined his company, working on Japan's first sound animation film, Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka
, before starting his own production company in 1935, where he made cartoons featuring the character Norakuro
. He joined the Geijutsu Eigasha studio in 1937, and made Ari-chan in 1941, the first Japanese work to fully use the multiplane camera
. His most famous works are two propaganda animated films produced during World War II: Momotarō no Umiwashi, which featured Momotarō
and his animals bombing Pearl Harbor
; and its sequel Momotarō: Umi no Shinpei, which was made for Shōchiku
and was Japan's first real feature length
animated film. (Momotarō no Umiwashi was advertised at the time as the first feature length anime, but since it is only 37 minutes long, today most recognize the 74-minute Umi no Shinpei as the first.) Osamu Tezuka
, the father of Japanese manga
and a later anime artist himself, said he was so impressed with Umi no Shinpei as a teenager that he wanted to become an animator for a time. After the war, Seo joined Nihon Manga Eigasha and made the film Ōsama no Shippo as a pro-democracy anime in 1949, but when Tōhō
, which was supposed to distribute it, found it politically too leftist, the film was left without a distributor. Nihon Manga Eigasha went bankrupt and Seo, finding the conditions for animation in the immediate postwar too difficult, left the industry and became an illustrator
for children's books.
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
of animated films who played a central role in the development of Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. He was born in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
.
Career
Initially working as a sign painter, Seo began dabbling in drawing animation by working at a toy film company that made short movies for home use. Although his most famous films were propagandaPropaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Seo's political sympathies were leftist and early on he was actually a member of the Proletarian Film League of Japan
Proletarian Film League of Japan
The was a left-wing film organization, known as Prokino for short, active in the late 1920s and early 1930s in Japan. Associated with the proletarian arts movement in Japan, it primarily used small gauge films such as 16mm film and 9.5mm film to record demonstrations and workers' lives and show...
, where he helped out on such animated films as Sankichi no Kūchū Ryokō. In 1931, he was arrested for his activities, tortured and spent 21 days in jail. Seo met Kenzō Masaoka
Kenzō Masaoka
was an early anime creator. He is probably most famous for creating the earliest anime to use cell animation and recorded sound. He also did work under the pseudonym...
and joined his company, working on Japan's first sound animation film, Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka
Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka
is a 1933 anime short film by Kenzō Masaoka and the first Japanese anime of any type to feature voiceovers. The film was released in black and white. There are no known prints of this film available, and is considered a lost film....
, before starting his own production company in 1935, where he made cartoons featuring the character Norakuro
Norakuro
is a Japanese manga series created by Suihō Tagawa. The titular protagonist, Norakuro, or Norakuro-kun, is a black and white dog. The name Norakuro is an abbreviation of and ....
. He joined the Geijutsu Eigasha studio in 1937, and made Ari-chan in 1941, the first Japanese work to fully use the multiplane camera
Multiplane camera
The multiplane camera is a special motion picture camera used in the traditional animation process that moves a number of pieces of artwork past the camera at various speeds and at various distances from one another...
. His most famous works are two propaganda animated films produced during World War II: Momotarō no Umiwashi, which featured Momotarō
Momotaro
is a popular hero from Japanese folklore. His name literally means Peach Tarō; as Tarō is a common Japanese boy's name, it is often translated as Peach Boy...
and his animals bombing Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
; and its sequel Momotarō: Umi no Shinpei, which was made for Shōchiku
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
and was Japan's first real feature length
Feature length
Feature length is motion picture terminology referring to the length of a feature film. According to the rules of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a feature length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes to be eligible for an Academy Award.The term may also...
animated film. (Momotarō no Umiwashi was advertised at the time as the first feature length anime, but since it is only 37 minutes long, today most recognize the 74-minute Umi no Shinpei as the first.) Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
, the father of Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and a later anime artist himself, said he was so impressed with Umi no Shinpei as a teenager that he wanted to become an animator for a time. After the war, Seo joined Nihon Manga Eigasha and made the film Ōsama no Shippo as a pro-democracy anime in 1949, but when Tōhō
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
, which was supposed to distribute it, found it politically too leftist, the film was left without a distributor. Nihon Manga Eigasha went bankrupt and Seo, finding the conditions for animation in the immediate postwar too difficult, left the industry and became an illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
for children's books.
Selected filmography
- Sankichi no Kūchū Ryokō (三吉の空中旅行, 1931), Animation
- Chikara to Onna no Yo no NakaChikara to Onna no Yo no Nakais a 1933 anime short film by Kenzō Masaoka and the first Japanese anime of any type to feature voiceovers. The film was released in black and white. There are no known prints of this film available, and is considered a lost film....
(力と女の世の中, 1933), Animation - Ari-chan (アリチャン, 1941), Director
- Momotarō no Umiwashi (Momotaro's Sea Eagles, 桃太郎の海鷲, 1942), Director, Animation, Photography
- Momotarō: Umi no Shinpei (Momotaro's Divine Sea Warriors, 桃太郎 海の神兵, 1944), Director, Script, Photography
- Ōsama no Shippo (王様のしっぽ, 1949), Director, Script