Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji

The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon (わんぱく王子の大蛇退治 , Wanpaku Ōji no Orochi Taiji , lit. "the naughty prince's Orochi slaying") is a Japanese animated fantasy adventure film, the 6th feature produced by Toei Animation (then Tōei Dōga), released in Japan on March 24, 1963. English-dubbed versions have been released under several titles, including The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon, Prince in Wonderland and Rainbow Bridge.[1]

Based on the Shintō myth of the storm god Susanoo's battle with the Yamata no Orochi, the color, "ToeiScope" anamorphic format film is scripted by Ichirō Ikeda and Takashi Iijima and directed by Yūgo Serikawa. It is considered one of the very best of the Tōei Dōga features and a landmark in anime and animated features in general,[2] placing 10th in the list of the 150 best animated films and series of all time compiled by Tokyo's Laputa Animation Festival from an international survey of animation staff and critics in 2003.[3]

It features distinctively modernist, abstracted character, background and color design, formalised the role of supervising animator (performed on this film by Yasuji Mori) in the Japan and drew attention to the talents of animators Yasuo Ōtsuka and Yōichi Kotabe (who made his debut as a key animator on the film, though he is inaccurately credited on screen an in between artist)[4] and assistant directors Isao Takahata and Kimio Yabuki.

The score, composed by Akira Ifukube, is also acclaimed.[5]