List of animated feature films of 1981

This is a list of animated feature films first released in 1981. List Title Country Director Production company Animation technique Format Notes Release date Duration 21 Emon: Uchū e Irasshai! Japan Tsutomu Shibayama Toho Shin-Ei Animation Traditional Theatrical August 1, 1981 92 minutes 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother South Korea Jeong Su-yong Gang Han-yeong Sunwoo Production Co., Ltd. Sidus Traditional Theatrical Fourth and final installment of the Dreamland Cartoon Theater series; Unauthorized reanimated remake of 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother (1980). January 5, 1981 78 minutes Adieu Galaxy Express 999 Japan Rintaro Toei Animation Traditional Theatrical August 1, 1981 130 minutes American Pop Ralph Bakshi Columbia PicturesBakshi Productions, Inc. Traditional Theatrical February 13, 1981 96 minutes Anime-ban Toukaidou Yotsuya Kaidan Japan Ryuji Sawada Yasuo Otsuka Traditional Television film August 16, 1981 46 minutes Around the World with Dot a. k. a. Dot & Santa Claus Australia Yoram Gross Yoram Gross Studios Traditional/Live action Theatrical June 23, 1981 80 minutes Blizkata Dalechina Bulgaria Slav Bakalov Boyana Film Traditional First animated Bulgarian feature. July 9, 1981 65 minutes Bokura Mangaka: Tokiwa-sou Monogatari Japan Atsutoshi Umezawa Kazumi Fukushima Shinichi Suzuki Toei AnimationFuji TV Traditional Television film Fifteenth animated special produced for Fuji TV's "Nissei Family Special" program. October 3, 1981 72 minutes Bremen 4: Angels in Hell Japan Hiroshi Sasagawa Osamu Tezuka Tezuka ProductionsNippon TV Traditional Television film Fourth animated special produced for Nippon TV's 24 Hour TV "Love Saves the Earth" telethon. August 23, 1981 90 minutes The Call of the Wild: Howl, Buck Japan Kozo Morishita Toei Animation Traditional Television film Tenth animated special produced for Fuji TV's "Nissei Family Special" program. January 3, 1981 85 minutes Captain Japan Satoshi Dezaki Eiken Traditional Theatrical July 18, 1981 95 minutes Chie the Brat Japan Isao Takahata Tokyo Movie Shinsha Traditional Theatrical April 11, 1981 110 minutes Chiisana Love Letter: Mariko to Nemunoki no Kodomo-tachi Japan Yuzo Ishida TV AsahiNOW Planning Traditional Television film Fictionalisation of the life story of Mariko Miyagi (March 21, 1927 – March 21, 2020), a Japanese singer, actress and advocate who founded a school for disabled children, the Kusunoki Gakuen. December 22, 1981 1 hour, 24 minutes The Donbee Story Japan Bonjin Nagaki Eiken Nippon TV Traditional Television special Fictionalisation based on the life of Masanori Hata (born April 17, 1935) and one of the animals his family kept, a brown bear named Donbee. April 26, 1981 84 minutes Doraemon: The Record of Nobita, Spaceblazer Japan Hideo Nishimaki Toho Shin-Ei Animation Traditional Theatrical March 14, 1981 90 minutes Enchanted Journey Japan Hideo Nishimaki Studio Korumi Traditional Theatrical July 21, 1981 85 minutes The Fantastic Adventures of Unico Japan Toshio Hirata Sanrio Madhouse Traditional Theatrical March 14, 1981 90 minutes The Fox and the Hound United States Ted Berman Richard Rich Art Stevens Walt Disney Productions Traditional Theatrical July 10, 1981 83 minutes Frankenstein Japan Yugo SerikawaToyoo Ashida Toei AnimationTV Asahi Traditional Television film July 27, 1981 98 minutes Furiten-kun Japan Takashi Sugiyama Toho Knack Productions Oh! Production Traditional Theatrical April 11, 1981 78 minutes Gongnyong Baengmannyeon Ttori South Korea Kim Cheong-gi Namyang Planning Traditional Theatrical August 7, 1981 75 minutes Grendel Grendel Grendel Australia Alexander Stitt Victorian Film Traditional Theatrical July 9, 1981 88 minutes Gugugui taeyang seongung isunsin South Korea Kim Seong-chil Hana Film Namyang Planning Traditional Theatrical July 22, 1981 71 minutes Heavy Metal Canada Gerald Potterton Columbia Pictures Guardian Trust Company Canadian Film Development Corporation Famous Players Potterton Productions Atkinson Film-Arts Traditional Theatrical August 7, 1981 90 minutes Helen Keller Monogatari: Ai to Hikari no Tenshi Japan Fumio Ikeno TV AsahiNOW Planning Traditional Television film May 5, 1981 81 minutes Kabo-Encho no Dobutsuen Nikki Japan Masayuki Akehi Toei Animation Fuji TV Traditional Television film Fourteenth animated special produced for Fuji TV's "Nissei Family Special" program. August 23, 1981 67 minutes Kaibutsu-kun: Kaibutsu Land e no Shoutai Japan Hiroshi Fukutomi Toho Shin-Ei Animation Traditional Theatrical March 14, 1981 75 minutes Kaitei Daisensō: Ai no 20,000 Miles Japan Ippei Kuri Tatsunoko Production Nippon TV Traditional Television film January 3, 1981 75 minutes The Little Fox Hungary Attila Dargay Pannónia Filmstúdió Traditional Theatrical December 10, 1981 76 minutes The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie United States Friz Freleng Warner Bros. Animation Traditional Theatrical Film compiled from theatrical animated shorts; third of six Looney Tunes compilation feature films November 20, 1981 79 minutes Lupin tai Holmes Japan Masayuki Akehi Toei Animation Fuji TV Traditional Television film Twelfth animated special produced for Fuji TV's "Nissei Family Special" program. May 5, 1981 68 minutes Manga Hana no Kakarichō Japan Noboru Ishiguro Minoru Okazaki Shochiku Tokyo Movie Shinsha Traditional Theatrical November 28, 1981 60 minutes Manzai Taikouki Japan Ryuji Sawada Hideo Takayashiki Shochiku Tokyo Movie Shinsha Traditional Theatrical November 28, 1981 100 minutes Maria, Mirabela a. k. a. The Magical Forest Romania Soviet Union Ion Popescu-Gopo Natalia Bodyul Moldova-Film Soyuzmultfilm Casa de Filme 5 Traditional/Live action Theatrical Maria, Mirabella (1981) - IMDb December 21, 1981 68 minutes Minoïe France Jean Jabely Philippe Landrot Dovidis Antenne-2 Les Productions du Tigre Marubeni Traditional Theatrical December 20, 1981 80 minutes The Great Muppet Caper United States Jim Henson Henson Associates Puppetry Theatrical 26 June 1981 97 minutes Mobile Suit Gundam I Japan Yoshiyuki Tomino Nippon Sunrise Traditional Theatrical Film compiled from TV series episodes March 14, 1981 139 minutes Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow Japan Yoshiyuki Tomino Nippon Sunrise Traditional Theatrical Film compiled from TV series episodes July 11, 1981 133 minutes Mister Giants Glory Number 3 Japan Tameo Kohanawa Hiromichi Horikawa Nippon TV Toho Eizo Co. Tsuchida Production Traditional Television special Fictionalisation of the life of Shigeo Nagashima (born February 20, 1936), a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager. March 1, 1981 71 minutes The Mystery of the Third Planet a. k. a. The Secret of the Third Planet Soviet Union Roman Kachanov Soyuzmultfilm Traditional Theatrical January 1, 1981 50 minutes Natsu e no Tobira Japan Mamoru Masaki Toshio Hirata Toei Animation Madhouse Traditional Theatrical March 20, 1981 59 minutes Old Master Q Hong Kong Xie Jintu Cai Zhizhong Hu Shuru Hong Kong Film Company Far East Cartoon Company Traditional Theatrical First Hong Kong animated feature. July 16, 1981 80 minutes Peter-No-Tail Sweden Stig Lasseby Jan Gissberg Sandrews Svenska Filminstitutet Teamfilm AS Treklövern Traditional Theatrical December 25, 1981 81 minutes Rennyo and His Mother Japan Kihachirō Kawamoto "Rennyo and His Mother" Movie Production Promotion Committee Stop motion/Puppet Theatrical October 7, 1981 93 minutes Renshenguo China Yan Dingxian Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio Traditional Theatrical 45 minutes Robot King South Korea Bae Yeong-lang Sun Production Traditional Theatrical August 9, 1981 67 minutes Run Melos! Japan Tomoharu Katsumata Toei Animation Traditional Television film Eleventh animated special produced for Fuji TV's "Nissei Family Special" program. February 7, 1981 68 minutes The Sea Prince and the Fire Child a. k. a. The Legend of Syrius Japan Masami Hata Nippon Herald Films Sanrio Traditional Theatrical July 18, 1981 108 minutes Shunmao Monogatari Taotao Japan Yoji Yamada Shochiku Shun Mao Production Committee Tianjin City Craft and Art Design Institute Traditional Theatrical December 26, 1981 90 minutes Son of the White Mare Hungary Marcell Jankovics Pannónia Filmstúdió Traditional Theatrical October 22, 1981 90 minutes Sonyeon 007 Jihajeguk South Korea Jeong Su-yong Kim Cheol-jong Geumyong Film Studio Traditional Theatrical July 18, 1981 75 minutes Space Warrior Baldios Japan Kazuyuki Hirokawa Production Reed Traditional Theatrical December 29, 1981 117 minutes Sugata Sanshiro Japan Yasumi Mikamoto Tokyo Movie Shinsha Traditional Television film Thirteenth animated special produced for Fuji TV's "Nissei Family Special" program. June 8, 1981 72 minutes Swan Lake Japan Soviet Union Kimio Yabuki Toei Animation Soyuzmultfilm Traditional Theatrical Fourth film in the anthology film series Sekai Meisaku Dōwa ( "World Masterpiece Fairy Tales"); Co-production with Soyuzmultfilm. March 14, 1981 75 minutes Tomorrow's Joe 2 Japan Osamu Dezaki Nippon Herald Films Tokyo Movie Shinsha Traditional Theatrical Film compiled from TV series episodes July 4, 1981 152 minutes Toshishun Japan Takeichi Saito TBS DAX International Inc. Traditional Television special Based on the 1920 short story of the same title by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. April 12, 1981 73 minutes Yuki Japan Tadashi Imai Nikkatsu Children's Movie Mushi Production Traditional Theatrical August 9, 1981 89 minutes

See also List of animated television series of 1981

References

External links Animated films of the year, listed in the IMDb