Goku no Daiboken

Aired: 1967

A TV anime produced by Mushi Production. A comedy adventure based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West, with Osamu Tezuka's manga 'Boku no Son-Goku' (Kobunsha's Omoshiro Book, 1952-1959) as its conceptual source. Broadcast in 39 episodes on the Fuji TV network from January 7 to September 30, 1967. Son Goku (voiced by Kazuko Migite), born from a rock, journeys with Sanzo Hoshi, Cho Hakkai, and Sa Gojo toward Tenjiku, encountering slapstick gag-filled adventures. As Tezuka's second TV anime venture, the work pivoted sharply from the seriousness of Astro Boy (1963) to outright nonsense comedy. Future masters including Osamu Dezaki, Gisaburo Sugii, Yoshiyuki Tomino, Rintaro, and Soji Yoshikawa participated as young animators, making it a gateway for the founding generation of anime talent. Bold de-iconographic character designs and experimental limited animation were attempted; despite commercial failure, the work became a symbolic monument to experimental spirit in Japanese anime history. (C)Tezuka Productions