Unico: Black Rain and White Feather

Unico: Black Rain and White Feather was produced by Sanrio in 1979 as the second animated feature film following the adventures of the titular mythological unicorn created by Osamu Tezuka. Originating from Tezuka's manga series serialized in the magazine Lyra, the project was part of Sanrio's ambitious late-1970s push into high-quality feature animation. The studio sought to blend Western-style fairy tale whimsy with the distinct, expressive character designs and philosophical underpinnings characteristic of Tezuka's body of work.

The film was directed by Toshio Hirata, who brought a more somber and atmospheric tone to this installment compared to its predecessor. Tezuka's design philosophy for Unico centered on a character who represented pure innocence and altruism, often placing him in narratives that explored themes of loneliness and the cruelty of the world. While the film was initially produced for the Japanese market, it gained a dedicated cult following among global animation enthusiasts for its surprisingly mature emotional core and the technical proficiency of its hand-drawn sequences.