Toshio Hirata

Barefoot Gen 2 (1986)

Three years after the Hiroshima bombing, a teenager helps a group of orphans to survive and find their new life.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Akio Sakai
CAST:  Issei Miyazaki  •  Kei Nakamura  •  Masaki Kouda  •  Kae Shimamura

Three years after the Hiroshima bombing, a teenager helps a group of orphans to survive and find their new life.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Akio Sakai
CAST:  Issei Miyazaki  •  Kei Nakamura  •  Masaki Kouda  •  Kae Shimamura

Unico - Black Cloud and White Feather (1979)

The Goddess Venus is jealous of the beautiful human girl Psyche and blames her pet unicorn, Unico, as Psyche's source of good luck that keeps her from the harm of the goddess' cruel intentions. Unico has the amazing power to make anyone he meets happy. Whether it's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST: 

The Goddess Venus is jealous of the beautiful human girl Psyche and blames her pet unicorn, Unico, as Psyche's source of good luck that keeps her from the harm of the goddess' cruel intentions. Unico has the amazing power to make anyone he meets happy. Whether it's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST: 

The Fantastic Adventures of Unico (1981)

Unico the Unicorn has the amazing power to make anyone he meets happy. Whether it's because of his personality or the powers of his horn, no one knows. However, the gods become jealous of Unico, thinking that only they should be able to decide or allow people to be ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Osamu Tezuka
CAST:  Katsue Miwa  •  Kazuko Sugiyama  •  Junko Hori  •  Chieko Baisho

Unico the Unicorn has the amazing power to make anyone he meets happy. Whether it's because of his personality or the powers of his horn, no one knows. However, the gods become jealous of Unico, thinking that only they should be able to decide or allow people to be ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Osamu Tezuka
CAST:  Katsue Miwa  •  Kazuko Sugiyama  •  Junko Hori  •  Chieko Baisho

Little Love Story: Chitchi and Sally, Four Seasons of First Love (1984)

Ogawa Chiiko (Chitchi to her friends) is a vertically-challenged high school student. She's only 132 cm tall (4' 4"), and she's frequently teased by her classmates, except for her loyal friend Tonko. Chitchi's problems are compounded when she falls hopelessly in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Tsukasa Itou  •  Toshio Furukawa  •  Rihoko Yoshida  •  Hirotaka Suzuoki

Ogawa Chiiko (Chitchi to her friends) is a vertically-challenged high school student. She's only 132 cm tall (4' 4"), and she's frequently teased by her classmates, except for her loyal friend Tonko. Chitchi's problems are compounded when she falls hopelessly in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Tsukasa Itou  •  Toshio Furukawa  •  Rihoko Yoshida  •  Hirotaka Suzuoki

Bobby's Girl (1985)

Bobby is an underachieving high school kid with a deep love for motorcycles. His most recent achievement seems to have been getting photos of himself on a road trip printed in a motorcyclist hobby magazine. When he gets a letter from a girl his age, he decides to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Hironobu Nomura  •  Hiromi Murata  •  Jinpachi Nezu  •  Nobuo Tsukamoto

Bobby is an underachieving high school kid with a deep love for motorcycles. His most recent achievement seems to have been getting photos of himself on a road trip printed in a motorcyclist hobby magazine. When he gets a letter from a girl his age, he decides to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Hironobu Nomura  •  Hiromi Murata  •  Jinpachi Nezu  •  Nobuo Tsukamoto

The Phoenix: Yamato Chapter (1987)

The story of a young prince and young princess from opposing tribes, as they struggle to deal with their lives and the hardship brought on by their position in their respective families.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Hiromi Tsuru  •  Kazuhiko Inoue  •  Masako Ikeda  •  Yusaku Yara

The story of a young prince and young princess from opposing tribes, as they struggle to deal with their lives and the hardship brought on by their position in their respective families.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Hiromi Tsuru  •  Kazuhiko Inoue  •  Masako Ikeda  •  Yusaku Yara

Fair, then Partly Piggy (1988)

Noriyasu seems like an average third-grader, but his life goes haywire after he catches his mother reading his private daily journal. In an effort to astonish her, he begins writing outlandish lies about a giant snake in the bathroom, cooking pencils for dinner, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Daisuke Namikawa  •  Rihoko Yoshida  •  Yumi Takada  •  Tessyo Genda

Noriyasu seems like an average third-grader, but his life goes haywire after he catches his mother reading his private daily journal. In an effort to astonish her, he begins writing outlandish lies about a giant snake in the bathroom, cooking pencils for dinner, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Daisuke Namikawa  •  Rihoko Yoshida  •  Yumi Takada  •  Tessyo Genda

The Acorns and the Wildcat (1988)

The Acorns and the Wildcat is a unique short film in picture-book format from the creator of Night on the Galactic Railroad and Gauche the Cellist. Unusually for an anime, a narrator reads Kenji's story aloud while the action is played out on the screen by a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Kuni Kawachi

The Acorns and the Wildcat is a unique short film in picture-book format from the creator of Night on the Galactic Railroad and Gauche the Cellist. Unusually for an anime, a narrator reads Kenji's story aloud while the action is played out on the screen by a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Kuni Kawachi

Little Twins (1992)

In these adaptations of lsamu Tsuchida's picture books for children, Tiffle and Tuffle are two little twins in pointed hats who live on Coracle Island and have a few light-hearted adventures.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Isamu Tsuchida
CAST: 

In these adaptations of lsamu Tsuchida's picture books for children, Tiffle and Tuffle are two little twins in pointed hats who live on Coracle Island and have a few light-hearted adventures.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Isamu Tsuchida
CAST: 

Sanpei the Kappa (1993)

Adapted from Shigeru Mizuki's classic manga from the 1960s, 'Kappa no Sanpei', the anime tells a story of a young boy, Sanpei, who lives in the beautiful countryside with his grandfather. One day, he is caught in the muddy streams of the river and wakes up in the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST: 

Adapted from Shigeru Mizuki's classic manga from the 1960s, 'Kappa no Sanpei', the anime tells a story of a young boy, Sanpei, who lives in the beautiful countryside with his grandfather. One day, he is caught in the muddy streams of the river and wakes up in the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST: 

Rail of the Star - A True Story of Children and War (1993)

A young Japanese actress remembers her war childhood in Korea. Her father goes to fight, her baby sister Miko dies of typhoid, her beloved Korean maid Ohana is fired due to a mistake which could cost Chiko her life... By and by Chiko realizes that the country is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Satoru Namekawa
CAST:  Yoshino Takamori  •  Hideyuki Tanaka  •  Keiko Han  •  Kenichi Ogata

A young Japanese actress remembers her war childhood in Korea. Her father goes to fight, her baby sister Miko dies of typhoid, her beloved Korean maid Ohana is fired due to a mistake which could cost Chiko her life... By and by Chiko realizes that the country is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata  •  Satoru Namekawa
CAST:  Yoshino Takamori  •  Hideyuki Tanaka  •  Keiko Han  •  Kenichi Ogata

Little Jumbo (1977)

Adrift at sea a boy and his pet white elephant, Jumbo, wash up on an island that is between two other islands at war with one another in this musical fantasy film.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masami Hata  •  Toshio Hirata  •  Takashi Yanase
CAST: 

Adrift at sea a boy and his pet white elephant, Jumbo, wash up on an island that is between two other islands at war with one another in this musical fantasy film.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masami Hata  •  Toshio Hirata  •  Takashi Yanase
CAST: 

The Golden Bird (1987)

"Kin no Tori" is an adaptation of the homonymous fairy tale "The Golden Bird" by Brothers Grimm. A golden apple is stolen from the King's garden. The King orders his three sons to guard the apples in turn and to find out who is the thief. When the youngest son, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Katsue Miwa  •  Joji Yanami  •  Kohei Miyauchi  •  Junpei Takiguchi

"Kin no Tori" is an adaptation of the homonymous fairy tale "The Golden Bird" by Brothers Grimm. A golden apple is stolen from the King's garden. The King orders his three sons to guard the apples in turn and to find out who is the thief. When the youngest son, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST:  Katsue Miwa  •  Joji Yanami  •  Kohei Miyauchi  •  Junpei Takiguchi

Yap! Bun Bun (1987)

Abandoned in a wooden box, Bun-Bun is an innocent new born puppy. Picked up by a stray dog called Uncle Tyke, Bun-Bun is taught how to look for food, heal sickness, fight off other stray dogs and, in general, how to live on the edge of society.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST: 

Abandoned in a wooden box, Bun-Bun is an innocent new born puppy. Picked up by a stray dog called Uncle Tyke, Bun-Bun is taught how to look for food, heal sickness, fight off other stray dogs and, in general, how to live on the edge of society.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Hirata
CAST: