Anime is just a touch younger than Western animation, as Japanese animators and studios took inspiration from the likes of Disney, Fleischer, McCay, etc. Yet, it’s easier to catch old Mickey Mouse and Popeye cartoons than black and white anime from back in the day. There’s plenty out there, but given their cult status outside Japan, the demand for localization is relatively low.
That and their age goes beyond their monochrome looks, as not every animation studio had the budget to bring cinema-quality movements to TV screens back then. Nonetheless, these black and white anime either provided the stepping stone for every succeeding genre to come or were modern works that used their limited color palette to aid their stellar storytelling.
8Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat In Space
MyAnimeList Score: 6.02
If a black and white anime isn’t actually old-school, it’s taking on an old-school look, likeTamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space. Set in the far-off year of 2010, it sees Cat Earth and much of the galaxy run by the Catty & Co Megacorporation. One such feline, Tamala, aims to leave the planet for her home world of Orion, only to crash on Planet Q.
Aided by a local called ‘MoiMoi’ Michelangelo, Tamala explores the planet and finds it swamped in conflict. Hate City is caught in a feud between cats and dogs, including the cult of Minerva and a biker dog called Kentauros. It resembles 1960s sci-fi anime, though its plot is more surreal, tackling capitalism and religion in a strange, Thomas Pynchon-inspired plot.
7Tetsujin 28
MyAnimeList Score: 6.33
Another Mitsuteru Yokoyama creation,Tetsujin 28was another old-school anime that made it westward asGigantor. The name was changed to avoid getting in legal trouble, as its literal translation (‘Iron Man #28’) would’ve clashed with Marvel Comics’ then-new metal-based superhero, Iron Man. Aside from the name, though, there’s not much in common between the two.
The giant robot was originally made to fight the Allies in World War 2. But Japan surrendered before it could be put into action. Dr Kaneda completed the robot and passed down control of it to his young son, Shotaro, who uses it to aid his detective work. Aside from it beingone of the first mecha anime, it inspired later sci-fi megahits likeAkiraandPacific Rim.
6Sabu & Ichi’s Arrest Warrant
MyAnimeList Score: 6.48
Shotaro Ishinomori is better known for reinventing tokusatsu shows into what they are today via hisKamen Riderseries. But before he got into television production and alien superheroes, he drew a crime series set in feudal Japan calledSabu & Ichi’s Arrest Warrantin which Sabu, an investigator for the shogunate, and Ichi, a blind swordsman, help solve crimes for those in need.
As grave as some anime at the time could get, they still had fanciful elements like robots, magic powers, and fantastical settings. By contrast,Sabu & Ichiwas grounded, telling realistic stories of struggle, murder, and betrayal that seemed more suited to a cop drama than a comic. It was a big step in showing that animation could be more than just kid stuff.
5Sally The Witch
MyAnimeList Score: 6.50
Based on Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s original manga,Sally the Witchwas only partially in black and white. After 17 episodes, the show made the jump to full color. It followed the titular Sally, Princess of the Magic Kingdom, as she accidentally ends up on Earth. She tries her best to blend in, but she uses her magic here and there to help people, like her new friends Yotchan and Sumire.
It was essentially the first magical girl show, but it’s also arguably considered the first shōjo series. The genre had existed in print for a while at the time via other series likeHimitsu no Akko-chan(which also had magical elements). But,Sally the Witchgot picked up for animation first and set the template for later shows likeSailor MoonandStar Vs the Forces of Evil.
4GeGeGe No Kitaro
MyAnimeList Score: 6.75
Inspired by his time as an artist for kamishibai street theater, Shigeru Mizuki took youkai, spirits and figures from Japanese folklore, and used them as inspiration forGeGeGe no Kitarō. The story of Kitarō, the last member of the Ghost Tribe, and his quest to unite humanity and youkai has been entertaining people for decades with its comedy horror antics.
There have also been more modern, all-color series since 1971, but the first 69 episodes from 1968 were all in black and white. Produced by Toei, it still holds up well today with its endearing animation. Still, it’s a hard show to find online, regardless of subs or dubs. For a taster, the Internet Archive has its first movie, made of episodes 5 and 6 clipped together.
3Astro Boy
MyAnimeList Score: 7.07
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the one that started it all.Astro Boywas one of the first anime series to make it over to the West. 104 of its original 124 episodes made the jump over the Pacific to NBC in 1963 and began the fanbase’s long love/hate affair with localization, as the US version renamed the characters and censored its grislier scenes.
Aside from that accolade, it would inspire fans East and West to get into sci-fi, leading to the likes ofCasshern,Pluto,and theMega Mangame series. It also gavefamed voice actor Masako Nozawaone of her first roles before voicing practically every Japanese (and sub-preferring) person’s childhood since then inDragon Ball,Doraemon,GeGeGe no Kitarō,and more.
2Dororo And Hyakkimaru
MyAnimeList Score: 7.26
People might already be familiar with Tezuka’s samurai slasherDororo,as it received a 2019 reboot, but the 1969 seriesDororo and Hyakkimaruwas the original, produced by Tezuka himself via his company, Mushi Production. Curiously, it was also the first entry inWorld Masterpiece Theater, a series of animated classical stories thatCapcom spoofed forResident Evil 4’s remake.
It was also the only one in black and white due to the limited budget, but it worked to the show’s advantage. The different demons Hyakkimaru has to slaughter to regain his missing limbs and features were considered more monstrous in the show’s stark monochrome. It also gave Tezuka the chance to give it a proper ending, as the original manga was cut short by cancelation.
1She And Her Cat: Their Standing Points
BeforeWeathering with You,Your Name, and evenThe Place Promised in Our Early Days, Makoto Shinkai tinkered with Adobe After Effects and his own drawings in 1999 to produce a 5-minute monochrome short calledShe and Her Cat: Their Standing Points. It’s about a cat called Chobi, who gets adopted by a woman known only as ‘She.’
It was enough to kickstart Shinkai’s career and get an expanded color series inShe and Her Cat: Everything Flows, complete with a tie-in manga. It’s an effective display of Shinkai’s skill and heartstring-tugging storytelling. So, if anyonewas curious about his films, they could look up this short online to get a taste of what to expect from his feature-length work.
