“Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus” / 「太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険」, Original Japanese Toei Manga Parade Poster 1968, Featuring GeGeGe no Kitarō, Ultra Seven and Sally the Witch, Rare B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) I349

This is an original Japanese B2 promotional poster printed for Toei’s summer 1968 Manga Parade / 「東映まんがパレード」, a special theatrical programme presenting animation and live-action children’s entertainment together on one bill.

The headline attraction was Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus / 「太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険」, the feature directorial debut of Isao Takahata, with major creative contributions from Hayao Miyazaki and Yasuo Ōtsuka.

The programme also included GeGeGe no Kitarō, Ultra Seven, and Sally the Witch, bringing together several of the most important names and characters in post-war Japanese animation and tokusatsu.

Festival background

Before the familiar Toei Manga Matsuri seasonal festivals, Toei presented anthology programmes under the Toei Manga Parade name. Families could see several animated and live-action productions within a single theatrical presentation.

This 1968 programme featured four titles:

Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus / 「太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険」

The feature follows the young hero Horus after he discovers the legendary Sword of the Sun. He travels to a village threatened by the demonic Grunwald, encountering the mysterious Hilda and becoming involved in a battle requiring courage, cooperation, and collective resistance.

Directed by Isao Takahata, the film represented a major artistic advance for Toei Animation. Its ambitious characterisation, detailed action, and emphasis on communal struggle anticipated many of the themes later associated with Studio Ghibli.

GeGeGe no Kitarō / 「ゲゲゲの鬼太郎」

Based on Shigeru Mizuki’s influential supernatural manga, the animated story follows Kitarō and his unusual yōkai companions as they confront threats arising between the human and spirit worlds.

Ultra Seven / 「ウルトラセブン」

The programme also included an instalment featuring Tsuburaya Productions’ celebrated live-action hero Ultra Seven, bringing tokusatsu spectacle into the otherwise animation-led presentation.

Sally the Witch / 「魔法使いサリー」

One of Japan’s pioneering magical-girl characters, Sally is a young princess from the magical world who uses her powers while living among ordinary people.

Together, the four works reflect the remarkable variety of Japanese family entertainment during the late 1960s: epic animated fantasy, supernatural folklore, live-action science fiction, and magical-girl comedy.

Poster design

This rare poster functions as a visual programme for the complete Toei Manga Parade presentation.

The upper section is devoted to Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus. Horus appears aboard a roughly constructed sailing vessel, accompanied by the bear cub Koro, while the elegant and enigmatic Hilda sits above him playing her harp. A large orange sun rises behind her as flocks of birds cross the pale blue sky.

The large red title at upper right reads:

「太陽の王子
ホルスの大冒険」

Translated:

“Prince of the Sun: The Great Adventure of Horus.”

The blue text identifies it as:

「カラー長篇まんが《東映動画作品》」

Translated:

“A colour feature-length animated film produced by Toei Doga.”

The prominent red credits read:

「製作　大川 博」
“Produced by Hiroshi Ōkawa.”

「演出　高畑 勲」
“Directed by Isao Takahata.”

Across the left side, the festival title appears in enormous vertical red lettering:

「東映まんがパレード」

Translated:

“Toei Manga Parade.”

The centre of the poster presents GeGeGe no Kitarō, showing Kitarō running beside the comically startled Nezumi-Otoko while Medama-Oyaji floats above them.

The bold red title reads:

「ゲゲゲの鬼太郎」

At lower left appears Ultra Seven, identified by the large red title:

「ウルトラセブン」

At lower right, Sally the Witch holds her magic wand beneath the title:

「魔法使いサリー」

The restrained cream background allows the individual characters and strong red typography to remain clearly separated, giving the poster the appearance of a carefully arranged illustrated festival programme rather than a conventional single-film advertisement.

Rarity and significance

Original Toei Manga Parade posters from the 1960s are increasingly difficult to find, particularly surviving examples featuring such an important combination of titles.

The poster is especially significant for documenting:

Isao Takahata’s feature directorial debut
Hayao Miyazaki’s formative work at Toei Animation
An early theatrical presentation of GeGeGe no Kitarō
The inclusion of Ultra Seven during its original television era
One of Japan’s foundational magical-girl productions

The Great Adventure of Horus is now recognised as a crucial precursor to the creative philosophy later developed by Takahata and Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli.

The combination of this landmark film with Kitarō, Ultra Seven, and Sally the Witch makes the poster an exceptional record of Japanese animation and tokusatsu history.

Condition

Excellent condition. A highly attractive and well-preserved example retaining clean cream areas, vivid red and blue typography, clear illustrated detail, and excellent overall display impact.

The poster was originally folded and has visible horizontal fold lines, with light associated creasing and minor handling wear consistent with an original Japanese festival poster from 1968. The reverse shows corresponding fold lines and some transferred colour from prolonged folded storage. These points do not materially detract from the presentation.

Reference: I349.

Please review both photographs carefully, including the reverse, as they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original Japanese B2 poster from Toei’s summer 1968 Manga Parade programme, not a reproduction or reprint.

It is approximately 58 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.