1960 Anime

A monkey emerges from a stone on a mountain, with no name, family, or friends. His solitude ends when he meets RinRin, a young female monkey who becomes his companion. Urged on by her, he sets out to prove his courage and become king, though his nature later grows darker. When RinRin tells him that humans are the most intelligent creatures on Earth, he decides to surpass them, leaving RinRin behind to study under a hermit who gives him the name Son-Goku. After being imprisoned for stealing a divine fruit using his newfound abilities, he is freed by a monk who invites him to join her on a journey to India, adding another challenge to the monkey's path.

3-tsu no Hanashi is noted as one of the earliest anime series broadcast on Japanese television. It consisted of three distinct episodes: "The Third Plate" (第三の皿), written by Hirosuke Hamada; "Oppel and the Elephant" (オッペルと象), based on a story by Kenji Miyazawa; and "Sleepy Town" (眠い町), adapted from a tale by Mimei Ogawa.

The animated film by Hiroshi Manabe debuted at the first screening hosted by the Animation Sannin no Kai collective, a group that Manabe was a founding member of.