Otogi Manga Calendar

The show was divided into 2 seasons. In 1961, it was aired in the first season as "Instant History" with 312 episodes, each being just 3 minutes long. The second season "Otogi Manga Calendar" aired 312 episodes, with each being 5 minutes long. While it was the first series ever broadcasted on TV, it should not be mistaken as the first anime ever broadcasted. Three Tales was the first Japanese anime shown on TV, while Tetsuwan Atom was the first 25 minutes anime series. The show was about historical events through a character who was not aware of "what happened on this day in history". Sometimes photographs and film footages were mixed in with the animations to explain what historical event had taken place. The research archives came from the Mainichi Shinbun newspaper where the director's Fuku-chan manga was printing at the time. (AprilRose)