While smaller, three-minute series existed, Japanese TV had previously filled its half-hour cartoons blocks with imports like The Flintstones.
Tetsuwan Atom was the very first Japanese cartoon made specifically for a half-hour block on TV. While smaller, three-minute series existed, Japanese TV had previously filled its half-hour cartoons blocks with imports like The Flintstones. As such, Tetsuwan Atom — better known to Western audiences as Astro Boy — became the first “proper” anime. The series was so popular that it went overseas, establishing a market for anime in the West. Even rooted a bunch of still-used anime tropes, like the big eyes and fancy hair, are rooted in Tetsuwan Atom. It’s rather important in anime history.