Lost 1971 Golgo 13 anime reairing in December

Golgo 13's Japanese fanbase woke up to astonishing news on Friday, as newspapers across the country announced the 1971 Golgo 13 TV anime adaptation will rebroadcast for the first time in 52 years in December, just in time to celebrate the 55th anniversary of its namesake manga by Takao Saito.

The "graphic drama" (as described by Saito Productions) which initially premiered in 1971 was produced in the wake of Golgo 13's initial groundswell in popularity from its initial publication in 1968. The anime employed a "scale animation" style whereby the action effects were added onto still and scale images of manga panels prior to filming episodes with sound effects, giving a rough look similar to gekiga manga. In contemporary terms, it's closer to a motion comic with voice acting than a conventional animated work.

The program air on the BS-TBS satellite network in Japan from December 10 to 17 under the title "Golgo 13 Selection." The anime will feature narration by TOKYO FM DJ Tatsuya Ishii with music by Takeo Yamashita of Lupin the Third fame.