is a Japanese production company, which has produced
anime
is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
and
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...
television programs, with minor work in motion pictures. It was founded in 1960 by the late TV producer
Tomio Sagisu (also known as Soji Ushio).
The company exists today as a stockholder.
Overview
Perhaps their most famous creations are
Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu'', – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist and animator. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques an ...
's ''
Ambassador Magma'', one of the first tokusatsu series
dubbed into
English and aired in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, and the three series that make up the unique
''Lion-Maru'' franchise, featuring
anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...
samurai
The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
battling evil in
feudal Japan
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...
. Most of P Productions' film and television projects, like ''Ambassador Magma'' for example, features animation sequences created with
matte painting
A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. Historically, matte painters and film technicia ...
s by Yoshio Watanabe with Tomio Sagisu himself, and termed in Japanese as or . The company is currently owned by
Shirō Sagisu, best known for composing scores for the
''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' series, and the 2016
''Godzilla'' film, ''
Shin Godzilla''.
On August 21, 2024, after almost 18 years after ''
Lion-Maru G'' the company ceased producing tokusatsu series. P-Pro subsequently announced that they had successfully sold the intellectual property of all their tokusatsu works to
Khara, Inc.
Selected productions
Anime
*''
Zero-sen Hayato'' (1964)
*''Kurabu-kun no Bōken'' (1964, 1965) Unaired TV pilot
*''
Harris no Kaze
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tetsuya Chiba, serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' in 1965. It was the first manga to be reprinted as a ''tankōbon'' in 1967 as part of the Kodansha Comics series.
Plot
The story ...
'' (1966)
*''
Donkikko'' (1967)
*''
Chibikko Kaiju Yadamon'' (1967)
*''
Warera Salaryman Dô'' (1970)
*''
Warera Salaryman Tou'' (1970)
Tokusatsu
*''
Ambassador Magma'' (TV 1966–1967)
*''Jaguar Man'' (TV 1967) Unaired TV pilot
*''Hyouman'' (TV 1967) Unaired TV pilot
*''Gokemidoro'' (TV 1967)
*''
Monster Prince'' (TV 1967–1968)
*''
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell'' (1968) - Special effects
*''
Spectreman'' (TV 1971–1972)
**''Uchū Enjin Gori'' (1970) Unaired TV pilot
*''
Kaiketsu Lion-Maru'' (TV 1972–1973)
*''
Fuun Lion-Maru'' (TV 1973)
*''
Tetsujin Tiger Seven'' (TV 1973–1974)
*''
Denjin Zaborger'' (TV 1974–1975)
*''
Bouken Rockbat'' (TV 1975)
*''Silver Jaguar'' (TV 1979, 1980) Unaired TV pilot
*''
Lion-Maru G'' (TV 2006)
References
Sources
*
External links
*
*
Anime companies
Tokusatsu
{{Japan-company-stub