| Following the success of Disney's 1937 film Snow | | | | the title of Panda and the Magic Serpent, Toei |
| White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Japanese domestic | | | | continued to develop and produce Disney-like movies, |
| anime market faced severe pressure from foreign | | | | as well as venturing into animated series such as |
| filmmakers. Early pioneers such as Yasuji Murata and | | | | Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Digimon. Toei's |
| Noburo Ofuji, whilst masters of cut out animation, found | | | | contribution to modern anime was to place an |
| it difficult to compete against the quality of foreign | | | | emphasis on the animators own ideas during the |
| imported animation. With large profits being invested in | | | | production process. This style of production lead to |
| new techniques, Disney took the lead, using cell | | | | Isao Takahata's 1968 movie Hols: Prince of the Sun, |
| animation and introducing sound. | | | | which demonstrates a change in style from what is |
| Nonetheless, animators, with increasing help from the | | | | considered "normal" anime. |
| Japanese government, through the production of | | | | Toei's other major contribution was the introduction of |
| pre-war propaganda films, animators such as Mitsuyo | | | | "money shot" animation. This style of animation was |
| Seo and Kenzo Masaoka, began to improve quality | | | | developed to cut production costs, whilst placing |
| and the techniques employed. Local animators | | | | emphasis on important frames within the film. The main |
| received a further boost, following the introduction of | | | | body of the anime was produced with limited |
| the 1939 film law. This law placed emphasis on cultural | | | | animation, with greater detail being used on important |
| nationalism and promoted documentary and | | | | sections of cells. Toei animator Yasuo Otsuka further |
| educational films. | | | | developed this style of production. |
| Government sponsorship and the support of the Navy, | | | | During the 1960s, Osamu Tezuka set up Mushi |
| lead to the production of Japan's first true full-length | | | | productions as a rival studio to Toei Animation. It |
| feature animation. Produced by Shochiku Studios and | | | | released Mighty Atom in 1963, which became both the |
| animated by Mitsuyo Seo, Momotaro's Divine Sea | | | | studios first hit and the first popular anime series in |
| Warriors was released in 1945. However, it took a | | | | Japan. The huge success of Atom opened up the |
| further thirteen years for Toei Animation to release the | | | | foreign markets. Fledgling American television, looking |
| first colour full length anime, the 1958 movie Hakujaden, | | | | for content and programming, adapted Atom for the |
| The Tale of the White Serpent. Whilst the general | | | | US market in 1964, renaming it Astro Boy. Others soon |
| tone of Hakujaden is more Disney than modern anime, | | | | followed, including Mitsuteru Yokoyama's super robot |
| with animal sidekicks and musical numbers, it is widely | | | | anime Tetsujin 28-go, released as Gigantor in the |
| quoted as the first "real" anime. | | | | United States. |
| Following the films release in the United States, under | | | | |