Kuma ni Kuwarenu Otoko

My main issue with this short film from 1948 is how terrible it looks. Yes, it is from the 1940s, but films such as Tora-Chan from the previous year, Ari-chan from 1941 or Ahiru Rikusentai from 1940 all have much better, smoother and more expressive animation - and that’s not even mentioning the nicer-looking animations made in the 30s and 20s. This film’s animation is straight-up bad for its time, which is not helped by the genuinely unpleasant, grotesque character designs. The falling leaves are at least nicely animated.

The story is not without its merits, with a couple of funny moments with the bear chasing ... one of the human characters. However, even for its meager length of 10 minutes it feels overlong and boring, in part due to the glacial animation.

The sound at least is entirely fine.

If you’re looking to watch old anime movies, skip this one.

The Bear Dodger (Kuma ni Kuwarenu Otoko) [1948]
a whimsical and moral-filled short film where a mischievous villager's encounter with a baby bear sets off a chain of events, leading to a comical chase through the forest and a lesson in friendship.

It is worth watching for historical purposes, and maybe a few nice animation moments to learn from, but not something I'd recommend to people.

Animation:
Nothing looks floaty. The walk cycles are well done. The falling cherry blossoms look nice. The weird-headed guy walking up the path at 1:09 is an impressive 3D animated scene. The bears look more like a man-bear-pig than a bear.

Sound Design:
Solid. I ... particularly liked the noise when the bear pulls the mountain toward herself at 6:15 to close the gap.

Story:
A waste of time. A very shallow message about how you shouldn't be mean to others, and that when you help someone out, they might have your back in the future.

Plot:
While taking a leisurely stroll in the enchanting woods, a villager's accidental stumble on a rock sets off a series of events: a misdirected kick leads to an unfortunate encounter with a slumbering baby bear, eliciting a callous laugh from the villager. However, when a frog, previously amused by the mishap, becomes the target of the villager's ill-natured actions, a friend of the villager intervenes, rescuing the frog and reprimanding the villager. As the baby bear tearfully recounts the incident to its mother, the villager and his companion continue their path amidst a scenic landscape adorned with cherry blossoms. Soon, they find themselves embarking on an uphill journey, only to be pursued by the bear cub and its watchful mother. Escaping across what appears to be a bridge, they discover it to be a colossal snake, unwittingly becoming a part of the bear's lasso game. Crossing the river on seemingly sturdy stones, they are surprised to find them as playful turtles. Reminded of the frog's earlier wisdom, the friend plays dead upon the bear's approach, leading to an unexpected tickling test. Eventually, everyone retreats home, bringing an end to this tale.