Toei Animation Celebrates 70 Years With Five Classic Anime Films Restored for Blu-ray

Seventy years after its founding, Toei Animation is celebrating its history by bringing five classic animated films back to home video through a new restoration series.

The collection begins on October 14, 2026, with the Blu-ray release of Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke, a landmark production from the studio's early years. Four additional films will follow through February 2027.

The releases span nearly three decades of Japanese animation, from the late 1950s through the 1980s. They include Saiyūki, Flying Phantom Ship, Animal Treasure Island, and Grimm's Fairy Tales: The Golden Bird.

According to distributor Toei Video, all five films have undergone 4K film-negative scanning and 4K remastering, with the restored versions presented on standard 1080p Blu-ray discs.

The project offers anime fans an opportunity to revisit films that helped establish the foundations of Japan's modern animation industry, including productions associated with influential creators such as Osamu Tezuka and Hayao Miyazaki.

Five Classic Anime Films Return Between October 2026 and February 2027

The anniversary series features one release per month, beginning with Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke.

The films represent different periods in the studio's development, from early theatrical features to later productions created in collaboration with other animation companies.

Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke Opens the Anniversary Collection

The first release, Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke, originally premiered in Japan on December 25, 1959.

Also known internationally as Magic Boy, the film follows Sasuke, a young boy who trains in ninjutsu to confront a supernatural enemy.

Its historical importance extends beyond its story. Toei identifies the production as Japan's first feature-length animated film produced in the CinemaScope widescreen format.

The film also earned international recognition, including a Grand Prix at the Venice International Children's Film Festival.

The restored Blu-ray includes the 83-minute feature, its original monaural audio, a theatrical trailer, and the 1959 documentary How Animated Films Are Made.

For anime historians and collectors, the release provides another opportunity to examine the studio's early experimentation with widescreen theatrical animation.

Saiyūki Highlights Osamu Tezuka's Early Animation Work

Arriving November 11, Saiyūki is a 1960 adaptation inspired by Osamu Tezuka's manga Boku no Son Gokū.

The film retells the adventures of Sun Wukong and his companions as they journey westward, drawing from the classic Chinese story Journey to the West.

Tezuka contributed to the film's planning and direction, as well as its storyboards.

The production is especially notable because it connects Toei's early theatrical animation work with one of the creators who would become central to the development of Japanese television anime.

The restored edition includes the 88-minute film and archival promotional material.

Flying Phantom Ship and Animal Treasure Island Feature Early Hayao Miyazaki Work

Two of the collection's most recognizable titles for animation enthusiasts are Flying Phantom Ship and Animal Treasure Island.

Released in 1969, Flying Phantom Ship is a science-fiction adventure based on work by Shotaro Ishinomori.

The film follows a boy investigating a mysterious flying vessel and the destructive forces threatening his world. Its production credits include Hayao Miyazaki, years before his later work at Studio Ghibli.

Animal Treasure Island, released in 1971, adapts elements of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island into an animated adventure featuring animal pirates.

Miyazaki also contributed to this production, which was directed by Hiroshi Ikeda.

These films offer viewers a look at the artistic environment in which several important Japanese animators developed their craft.

Their inclusion also broadens the anniversary collection beyond Toei's earliest films, showing how the studio's theatrical animation evolved during the 1960s and early 1970s.

The Golden Bird Receives Its First Home Video Release

The final title in the series, Grimm's Fairy Tales: The Golden Bird, arrives February 10, 2027.

Originally released in 1987, the film adapts the Brothers Grimm fairy tale about a prince searching for a mysterious golden bird.

The production was created by Toei and Madhouse, with Toshio Hirata directing.

According to Toei Video, this anniversary edition marks the film's first home video release.

That makes The Golden Bird particularly notable among the five selections, as the collection is not simply upgrading films that have already circulated widely on disc.

For collectors of older Japanese animation, its inclusion may be one of the series' biggest attractions.

What Does 4K Remastering Mean for These Blu-rays?

Toei Video describes the restoration process as 4K negative scanning followed by 4K remastering.

That means the original film elements were scanned and processed at 4K resolution to produce new restored masters.

However, the physical releases are standard Blu-rays presented at 1080p, not 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.

This distinction is important for buyers expecting a native 4K home video release.

The benefits of the restoration may still include improved image clarity and a better representation of the original film materials, but the final presentation remains Full HD.

Toei's specifications list monaural Linear PCM audio for the five releases.

Toei Animation's Anniversary Looks Back at Its Foundations

Founded in 1956, Toei Animation became one of the defining studios in Japanese animation, eventually producing television and theatrical works recognized around the world.

Its 70th-anniversary restoration project places attention on an earlier period, when feature-length animated films were still helping establish the industry's visual language and production practices.

Rather than concentrating only on its best-known modern franchises, Toei is using the collection to revisit the filmmakers, techniques, and stories that shaped its early decades.

With Shōnen Sarutobi Sasuke now released in Japan, the series will continue monthly until The Golden Bird concludes the lineup in February 2027.

The complete release information is available through Toei Video's 70th-anniversary collection page and its official press announcement.