Panda and the Magic Serpent facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Panda and the Magic Serpent
Film poster
Directed by	Taiji Yabushita [ja] Kazuhiko Okabe
Produced by	Hiroshi Ôkawa
Written by	Taiji Yabushita Shin Uehara
Narrated by	Marvin Miller
Starring	Hisaya Morishige Mariko Miyagi Virginia Blackman Lisa Lu George Matsui Jodie McDowell Miiko Taka Mel Welles
Music by	Chuji Kinoshita
Cinematography	Takamitsu Tsukahara
Editing by	Shinataro Miyamoto
Distributed by	Toei Animation
Release date(s)	October 22, 1958 (1958-10-22)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Panda and the Magic Serpent (白蛇伝, Hakujaden), also known as The Tale of the White Serpent, is a very important movie in the history of anime. It was the first full-length color anime film ever made! It was released in Japan in 1958.

This amazing film was also one of the first three anime movies to be shown in America. It premiered in 1961 under the title Panda and the Magic Serpent. You might also hear it called Legend of the White Snake or The Great White Snake. In 2019, a special restored version of the movie was chosen to be shown at the famous Cannes Film Festival.

About the Movie

Landmark at Nerima City, Tokyo

Panda and the Magic Serpent is based on an old Chinese folktale called "Legend of the White Snake". The story was adapted by Shin Uehara, who kept the characters and names in a Chinese style.

The head of Toei Animation, Hiroshi Ōkawa, wanted to use a Chinese story. He hoped it would help create a friendly feeling with Japan's Asian neighbors.

Making the Film

Making this movie pushed Japanese animation technology to its limits for the time. It was a huge project! Even though it involved many people, it was finished in just eight months.

The film won an award at the Venice Children's Film Festival in Italy in 1959. However, when it was released in the United States in 1961, it didn't do as well as hoped. This movie was Toei Dōga's first big attempt to be like the American animation studios, aiming to become the "Disney of the East."

Changes for the US Version

When the movie was released in the US, some changes were made. For example, the small red panda character named Mimi was shown as a cat. Also, all mentions of the Japanese production team were removed from the credits.

A famous Japanese animation director named Rintaro got his very first job in animation on this film. He was only 17 years old and worked as an in-between animator.

Story of the Film

The story follows a young boy named Xu-Xian. He once had a pet snake by West Lake, but his parents made him give her up.

Years later, during a big storm, the snake magically turns into a beautiful princess named Bai-Niang. Bai-Niang finds Xu-Xian, and they fall in love. But a local monk named Fa-Hai believes Bai-Niang is an evil spirit and tries to separate them.

Xu-Xian's two pet pandas, Panda and Mimi, try to help him find Bai-Niang. In the end, Bai-Niang gives up her magic powers. She stays in human form to show that her love for Xu-Xian is real and true.

Voice Cast