Obscure Anime: Panda and the Magic Serpent

This is the first known licensed animated film from Japan. Around 1952, long after the negative attitude toward the Japanese during world war 2 subsided from the American conscience, a small film company bought the rights to a production called, Panda and the Magic Serpent. This film was based on a Chinese legend about a boy who helped a snake when he was very young. Years later, when the boy grew to become a young man, the snake, which was a magic snake, turned herself into a young woman. The two meet again and fell in love, and decided to marry. But a priest finds out about the woman's identity, and decides to try to break the two up, in fear that the serpent will bring the boy bad luck.
I know you're asking, "It's called PANDA and the magic Serpent, where does the PANDA come into play?" Well, the Panda and his other animal friends are just a support cast, and was thrown into the title so that the movie would be more marketable to children. This is an essential piece anime history, and is a good film to bring home for the kids. You can find it if you dig in those bins at convenient stores that sell those little DVDs for a dollar. Or you can browse around on Digiview Entertainment's website, where you can find other dollar DVDs where they also sell those "Its original we swear" North Korean animations.

[@Grinnerz1]

I remember watching this as a kid. That might have been the oldest VHS we had back then. I remember just images, and some flashes, didn't even remember the title until recently.

[@AaCanDeezaA]

hi grandpa

[@nadiaalibaig]

@@AaCanDeezaA Gosh- that's a bit rude don't you think?

[@achillesalwayswins]

@@AaCanDeezaA Just because someone watched an old show or whatever, doesn't mean they are old

[@miko8455]

@@nadiaalibaig ikr

[@joycejayoma3390]

How old are you 😏

[@elcreatescontent]

I’m reading a Miyazaki biography and it references this film as an inspiration

[@ZePtAt05]

Thank you so much for posting this, it was one of my favourite films as a child of the 80s and ive been searching ever since, my sister found it and made my decade lol!

[@miracle69_]

Ya alive?

[@rintamashi2958]

@@miracle69_ Who knows..

[@Ettibridget]

Oh my goodness, we had this movie at home when I was a child. On one of these very old betamax videotapes. I loved it and must have watched it least a hundred times. Despite that English is not even my language! I sure would like to see the full movie again after all these years. Pai Niang was beautiful and an Asian with blue eyes is truly remarkable!

[@xxmabon_massacarexx707]

If you want the full movie is on Prime Video- You need a subscription to watch it though :))

[@marydemerjian4451]

I grew up in the 60's and I remember watching this with my brothers and sisters early in the morning on weekends. I've been searching high and low for it. Thank you for posting it.

[@disneyfan81]

Well it was set in China. But it was done by Toei Animation (who'd later do "Voltron", "Sailor Moon", and "Dragon Ball Z", among others). According to Wikipedia, Toei chose the story as a part of a program of reconciliation between China and Japan.

[@spleej4180]

It is a thrilling, beautiful story full of sadness and epic injustice and also wonderful happenings. My childhood was blessed :)

[@rintamashi2958]

Hey, you alive?

[@spleej4180]

This was my childhood. I couldn't find it for years. I could only rememeber Panda and Mimi. Then one day google was like here you go after thinking this was called Panda and Mimi. Do you know the feeling you get when something is finally resolved after years of yearning!? Mum chucked our vhs out :( Still love mum though.

[@sucrerey]

this was my 2nd favorite movie as a child

[@yullenlover1000]

Oh my god this was probably one of the very first animated movie I saw as a child. This was made when my dad was a kid.

[@thefalsekingslayer3717]

I'd just like to say that this movie has a battle between to people as they fly in the sky, very anime

[@yassie4800]

I wasn't alive when this was posted

[@beautifulspektakular]

Man. This just made MY LIFE. where can we find the full version?

[@playonmute]

amazon prime of you still wondering.

[@samuraijosh1595]

@@playonmute it's still available..? I can't find it.... Am from India.

[@mes6672]

@@samuraijosh1595 if you're still wondering, you can also find it on the kissanime website under the name "the great white snake"! (it's the same movie, although the one i found was in japanese with english subtitles)

[@BlueBlur-et7cp]

People in the comments are talking about how they used to watch this when they were kids and here I am watching this movie that was made before I was born by 48 years. I would like to watch the full movie it has impressive animation for the time it was made in.

[@samuraijosh1595]

And where did you watch it..? I can't find it...

[@Michellelscott1]

I remember having this vhs as a child and I loved it.

[@iLuvChonnyandShimmy7]

i remember watching this when i was younger! finally found it!

[@grimkeeler]

I watched this as a kid in the 90s. I've been looking for it. I better check my collection of vhs -__- memories lol

[@thekiwipotatoe]

I loved watching this, glad i could find it again. I had watched this a couple of times but overtime forgot the name, its really sort of a blur to me but brings me back!

[@tracyhhn]

the panda was always my favorite.!

[@trydowave]

this is beautifully drawn. Must get this.

[@micacam2684]

Grew up watching this. Changed my whole being.

[@franshescavazquez7580]

Bout to cry I finally found it !!! 🙏🙏🙏

[@theodorecarter6601]

I saw it on a DVD I burrowed from the Tulare Public Library and it was entertaining, but the DVD was in shit quality. A classic like this deserves a remaster, maybe Discotek Media can pick it up or something. This anime gem deserves more recognition than it has now.

[@unamed2516]

Omg I totally forgot the name and what this movie looked like I was so little when I watched it but memories are coming back to me thanks!

[@zohhako]

YOOO! I remember watching this as a kid and I finally found the name again!

[@engel8231]

Moja bajka z dzieciństwa 🥰🥰🤗

[@marianoromero142]

was voted the best anime of all time

[@birdsquad3557]

Watched this when I was small! The nostalgia. I've been wondering what the name of this was for years ㅠㅠ

[@highclassweeb4442]

I remember watching this when i was a kid it was ona dvd of cartoon craze :]

[@nodogsinhere]

I think I had this on dvd

[@claireandmatt1]

I wish this movie came out on PSN (PlayStation Network) because it's a classic! :D

[@fizzul15]

Oh my Gosh, my childhood

[@erenedcatgirl6641]

Interesting anime

[@kilerman-kakuzu6902]

This was the first anime ever made

[@seashell9570]

My Childhood :O

[@kaylawilliams2250]

this movie should have a remake

[@claireandmatt1]

The cheap DVDs don't look appealing on amazon.com. There's gotta be a way that this movie can be restored like you've never seen it before like almost all the other movies. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937), "Fantasia" (1940), "Dumbo" (1941), and all those classics were restored, but "白蛇伝" [AKA: Hakujaden, Panda and the Magic Serpent] should be fixed so people can enjoy it once again! :D

[@supermarioglitchy10]

The original was restored, but the english dub (the one you are viewing) isn't

[@jonathanginge]

this was the first licensed anime but in Japan it was called The tale of the white serpent

[@EddieMillerStudios]

You have the same crappy Digiview print as me. They need to make a new English dub of this movie.

[@Kenjuu]

Hmm, that's very interesting.

[@sarahkamara5712]

Watched this as a kid

[@HHSDaily]

It's on AMAZON prime now

[@JulianPope]

Funny the way things have changed, by the time this (the first full color feature anime) came out, the Golden Age of Animation, pioneered by Walt Disney, had completely come and gone.

[@liamailiam]

top 10 anime

[@MrThebestever1234]

I wanna watch the whole thing..... :(

[@headtonix]

agreed what kenjuu said

[@hegesuyotowollan9820]

does anyone know where I can buy the music from this movie?

[@deniseduron3261]

this was the first anime

[@swifty1969]

Hayao Miyazaki was inspired by this movie.

[@PsychopathUltimate]

Does anyone know where to find the Japanese cut of the film?

[@ScienceDiscoverer]

This film inspired Miyazaki!

[@unlegoenelanonimato4770]

Vine de parte de DavidCartoons

[@leaha888]

How does it end? I never seen this

[@chanmanc.e.o4880]

By that he meant human maiden, right?

[@MiniMight]

I now have a new waifu

[@Oshyrath]

A fish that turns into a Human? Yep, definitely Anime.

[@Kenjuu]

Well anime is just Japanese animation, of course it has no style restrictions. But the characters' names are Chinese and I've never seen anime drawn this way before. Plus, wasn't there black and white anime before there was color TV? So how could this, which is in color, be older? Is this a later continuation of an older series that was the first known licensed anime?

[@samuraijosh1595]

Yeah, I have the same questions..

[@Kenjuu]

@@samuraijosh1595 According to the wikipedia article, it was the first color anime feature film, and was released in 1958.

[@samuraijosh1595]

@@Kenjuu Lol, didn't expect a reply at all... How's life been all these years? How many anime have ya watched..?

[@Kenjuu]

@@samuraijosh1595 My original comment was 8 years ago... Weird. I didn't realise it was that long ago. I've watched a lot of anime since, but I try to focus more on quality than quantity. I watch more live action movie than anime. anilist.co/user/Faceplantfloor/animelist Although I don't really go on anilist.co much anymore because I can't stand the way its admins are authoritarian Marxists. I'm more active on letterboxd. letterboxd.com/Zotis/

[@samuraijosh1595]

@@KenjuuLmao, you really were serious when you said "quality over quantity", huh..? _Drops Death note, My hero academia, black lagoon, Attack on titan. Gives one punch man a 6......_ You're indeed a tough guy, I admit!

[@shrivak]

did he die?

[@ReybelScum]

Heh heh...I have this video...

[@FlyingHawlucha]

This was the oldest anime forget Astro boy

[@yotsuba361]

Dubbed?

[@robblumenberg5965]

hayao miyazaki;'s waifu!

[@Kenjuu]

Is this really an anime, it looks Chinese? And I have a hard time believing this was the first known licensed anime.

[@arielzhang679]

ITs about Chinese famous。folklore

[@uddinmashrafe]

D

[@mittROMNEY666]

stupid panda

[@RabbitSlayer5]

it looks disney

[@arescraft]

lol deep blue eyes? XD She's not even asian

[@pythoncasey]

she's not even human haha

[@killergoose7643]

Still better than Mulan.

[@tragicjon6193]

God America butchered the movie and top of that they took credit for a the movie when they had no hand in making it.