 The production was ridden with problems, mainly due to the difficult  union relationships between the artists and the company Toei Doga.  The movie was released far beyond schedule, and kept in the theaters  only for 10 days. Because of this, it bombed, and Takahata never  directed for Toei again. However, the movie became immediately an  underground hit among students and young anime artists, and is now  widely considered the first modern anime.