Toy Box Series (partially found Japanese animated short series; 1933-1934)

Title of Episode 3

Status: Partially Found

Toy Box Series (オモチャ箱シリーズ) is a series of Japanese animated short films produced by J.O. Studio, a predecessor of Toho, and directed by Takao Nakano and Yoshitsugu Tanaka. The film is a trilogy, with Episode 1: The Express Fleet, (第1話特急艦隊) released on September 19, 1933^[1], Episode 2: Black Cat Banzai, (第2話黒猫萬歳) on December 22, 1933^[2], and Episode 3: Picture Book 1936, (第3話絵本1936年) on April 13, 1934^[3].

The films are also known as war propaganda, with Episode 3 of the trilogy being the only one available online. Featuring a mouse very similar to Mickey Mouse as the villain, Episode 3 is often referred to as "Evil Mickey Attacks Japan."

Availability

"Episode 3: Picture Book 1936" first appeared online in late February 2008 and was uploaded to YouTube. However, it is difficult to know the specific date of the upload or the name of the channel, as this first upload was removed from the entire channel. According to Cartoon Brew, "Episode 3" was found by animation historians David Gerstein and Cole Johnson^[4], but we do not know if they were the first to upload it. And it is also unclear where or how they discovered this film. The discovered Episode 3 is clearly a later insertion, as it shows the film's title logo and the year of release and production company written in Japanese at the beginning of the film. One possibility is that this had been released in Japan in some form before Gerstein and Johnson discovered it, but such information is a mystery as we have not been able to find it.

A title card, which appears to have been inserted later, listing the year of release and the production company.

For "Episode 1: The Express Fleet" and "Episode 2: Black Cat Banzai", the film's existence remained unknown at the time "Episode 3" was just discovered. However, the Kobe Planet Film Archive did possess a 16mm film of "Episode 2." The film was screened at an event titled "Junichi Kōuchi and Early Japanese Animation"^[5] at the Okayama Video Library Center on December 10, 2017, featuring the Archive's director Yoshio Yasui. According to Yasui, the 16mm film was blown up to 35mm and is now in the collection of the Tokyo Film Center. However, the film is missing the beginning and the last scene^[6]. Another film is known to exists, and that a person living in Kyūshū requested a company called Yoshioka Film Factory to restore the film to DVD. Incidentally, that DVD is in the company's possession^[6]. (The film has been returned to the client)
However, it turns out that these two newly discovered "Episode 2" were actually "Episode 1." It was film historian Yoriaki Sasaki, while researching films for the website Japanese Animation Film Classics, who discovered that the screenshot and caption for "Episode 1" in the book published in 1978 "A History of Japanese Animation Film" were incorrect^[7].

The original "Episode 2" was finally discovered in 2022. It was screened at a National Film Archive of Japan event on May 8 of the same year, but the film was incomplete and the screening time was only about a minute^[8]. A 35mm film of "Episode 1" (originally thought to be "Episode 2") was also shown, which turned out to be silent.

As of 2023, "Episode 1" and "2" have not been available online since their screening at the event. As with Episode 1, it is possible that more than one film of Episode 2 exists somewhere, but the only one currently known is in incomplete condition.

Episode 1 plot

The October 21, 1933 issue of Kinema Junpō (キネマ旬報) mentions the detailed plot of Episode 1^[7].

It is midnight. While the children were fast asleep from the fatigue of the day, the dolls in the toy box were busy building the railroad. Crayon sleepers, xylophone bridges, etc., a chorus of construction songs, and the railroad was complete. From the toy town to the diner. The express train starts to run with the shouts of joy. The train journey continues through tunnels and over railway bridges. Then suddenly there is a loud noise, a derailment, and a collision. It was the work of the cafeteria rat, who was not pleased with the arrival of the toy train. The rats closed in on the startled dolls and dredged up the beautiful female dolls and fled. The whole toy country is mobilized, and a great naval battle begins between the rat boat and the toy army fleet in the pond in the backyard.

Gallery

A screenshot and incorrect caption for Episode 1 from A History of Japanese Animation Film.
A scene from Episode 1 shown at the event in March 24, from a DVD owned by Yoshioka Film Factory.
A Screenshot of Episode 2.
Advertisement for the film in the April 21, 1934 issue of Kinema Junpō. As in the book, the incorrect caption "Black Cat Banzai" is written on the screenshot for Episode 1.
Another screenshot of Episode 1 from the advertisement.