It is possible that the first modern anime, or at least the film itself, is now in the Japanese public domain.

Considered by how ever many to be the first modern anime, a Toei Animation film called "Panda and the Magic Serpent" (USA title) had a late-Oct. 1958 release. It was the first Japanese anime released in the USA. While it had a mid-March 1961 on American soil, it was an exhibition screening.

So, the director was a man namd Taiji Yabushita (DOB: 2/1/1903-7/15/1986). So, it is possible that the Japanese version has fallen into the Japanes public domain. The death of a co-composer named Chûji Kinoshita (4/9/1916-4/30/2018) means that it is possible the film won't become public domain in Japan until 1/1/2089. This is based on what user "GornSpelljammer" said in the below Reddit link.

It might still be copyighted. Toei has a page called Lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/en/movie/movie\_hakujaden. I don't know if it would be worthwhie to list an anime title on their site that is now public domain, outside of a "This is part of the our historic catalog, even though it is now public domain."-type angle.

However, even if the film itself is now in the Japanese public domain, that is counting only the original Japanese theatrical version. Japanese home video releases of it earn their own copyrights. Also, the music for the film is slated to enter the Japanese public domain on 1/1/2029. Refer to a post by user "tribeoftheliver" in the Reddit link.

What about the Eng. dub? It is my understanding the film's Eng. dub itself now public domain in the USA. I am not sure about the Americanized music. With American copyright laws for pre-1972, it will enter the American public domain devoid of state protections in mid-Feb. 2067. The Americanized music might fully be in the American pubic domain (read: devoid of state protections) already.

Disclaimer: Yes, the copyright info on the Reddit and WikiMedia info links might not be the most up-to-date or accurate. Yes, I get it helps to consult a lawyer about copyright protections. It should be obvious that legal info is not the same or necessarily the same as legal advice.

For me, I hope the initial Japanese version with the original theatrical soundtrack is now in the Japanese public domain. That way, we could finally do a legalized fan sub of it and even fan dub of it.

I detest about how extremely rare it is or to can be to fine/imprison a person for false claims of copyright. I am applying this mainly in the USA, but I extend the same to every country with copyright laws.

Sources: animenewsnetwork.com/the-mike-toole-show/2011-03-27.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Copyright\_rules\_by\_territory/Japan.
[publicdomainsherpa.com/public-domain-sound-recordings.html](http://publicdomainsherpa.com/public-domain-sound-recordings.html)
reddit.com/r/publicdomain/comments/1b6a0ze/comment/ktbc0n0.

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Commentaires

Kadmos12026-01-24 18:51

Admittedly, I have only seen clips of the film. However, out of all of the modern Japanese anime still in existence, this one might the candidate for the first modern anime to be in the Japanese public domain.

For the sake of argument, let's say the original Japanese version and the original theatrical sound recordings are now public domain in Japan. Let's also say that the same applies to the Japanese version being public domain in the USA. Heck, let's say that the both the Eng. dub and its Americanized music are both now public domain in the USA.

Now, if the above paragraph does apply, it would be an interesting though to give the film a Eng. re-dub. Heck, it would arguably among the few times a professional Eng. dub VA could legally do a fan dub.

Salty1452026-01-24 18:53

Bit of a stretch to call it “modern”. *Panda and the Magic Serpent* is so old, its release is closer to the first known Japanese anime than it is to today.

Kadmos12026-01-24 18:55

In your opinion, how many youngs would an anime have to be for it to be called "modern"? Also, do you have similar or contrasting takes on what I wrote in this thread?

Salty1452026-01-24 18:58

Modern these days is 2006-2007 and newer.

As for your other points, I’m afraid the whole thing is too much of a rambly mess to really know what your point even is.

Kadmos12026-01-24 19:00

Well, I was trying to make the point that the first case of Japanese anime as we know it could be out of Japanese copyright.

Xanill2026-01-24 19:01

10 years or less is what is generally considered "modern"

dienomighte2026-01-24 19:31

I don't want to live in a world where gurren lagann is an old anime

Sandtalon2026-01-25 08:55

I think it's reasonable to call it "first modern anime," in the sense that it was the first anime to kick off the modern anime production system. It was the first major postwar anime.

Chadzuma2026-01-24 19:00

All I gotta do is live to be like 110 and the theatrical version of Jojo Phantom Blood will be mine to watch at my leisure

Kadmos12026-01-24 19:02

I am a copyright minimalist and detest how copyrighted protections can last near or over a century.

eaulik20052026-01-25 08:27

Digiview Productions (a distributor of mostly public domain content) released it in 2004 [https://www.amazon.com/Panda-Serpent-Hakujaden-Hisaya-Morishige/dp/B0007Z2KEC](https://www.amazon.com/Panda-Serpent-Hakujaden-Hisaya-Morishige/dp/B0007Z2KEC) and had recieved a VHS release by Kids Klassics (a division of Goodtimes Entertainment another public domain distributor) [https://www.amazon.com/Panda-Serpent-Hakujaden-Hisaya-Morishige/dp/B0007Z2KEC](https://www.amazon.com/Panda-Serpent-Hakujaden-Hisaya-Morishige/dp/B0007Z2KEC) and whatever this horrifying thing is [https://www.ebay.com/itm/394589706343](https://www.ebay.com/itm/394589706343)