Winter 1968 Anime

Prior to the production of the television series, a pilot film was created to give sponsors and broadcasting stations a sense of the work's overall atmosphere. This pilot for "Dororo" features characters that more closely resemble their counterparts from the original manga than those seen in the TV series. In the televised version, the characters' appearances and personalities were frequently tweaked in order to win over audiences. Consequently, viewer reception was sometimes highly favorable, while at other times it fell flat. The Dororo pilot was shot in color, but the TV series was broadcast in black and white due to a more constrained budget. The narrative follows the journey of a young thief named Dororo and a cursed man called Hyakkimaru as they battle and destroy monsters. Hyakkimaru is only able to become a full "human" once he has vanquished 48 demons.

Kitarou, a yokai, uses his unique abilities throughout his life to aid humans in distress. Simultaneously, he confronts malevolent spirits that seek to inflict harm upon people.

In Wanpaku Tanteidan, a group of young boys, along with a girl and her bratty younger sibling, form a detective club. Employing their combined skills in intelligence, physical strength, invention, and driving, they solve mysteries across Tokyo. Police Chief Nakamura is frequently frustrated by their success, as they crack cases that even veteran officers struggle with.