Sasuke

Aired: 1968 - 1969

A TV anime produced by TCJ Doga Center (now Eiken). Based on Sanpei Shirato's manga serialized in Kobunsha's Shonen magazine. Broadcast in 29 episodes on the TBS network from September 3, 1968 to March 25, 1969. Set in the Sengoku era, the series follows Sasuke (voiced by Kenbo Raimon), a boy born into an Iga ninja clan, as he learns ninjutsu and swordsmanship from his father Daisuke Oozaru (voiced by Takashi Toyama) and struggles against pursuers including Hattori Hanzo (voiced by Goro Naya), torn between the harsh fate of the ninja and his own humanity. A rare work that sublimated Shirato's signature realism and historical philosophy into children's anime, it both contributed to the ninja boom of the era and prefigured later gekiga-style anime. The insert song Kaasan no Uta (Mother's Song) is remembered as a beloved piece by children of the era. (C)Sanpei Shirato / Kobunsha / TBS / TCJ Doga Center