Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes, Tex Avery, Hanna Barbera, Studio Ghibli and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons. With significantly broader knowledge of different directors, animation styles and studios, actually appreciate and love it even more now. Rudolf Ising's cartoons are hit and miss, but have liked all of co-director Jameson Brewer's, as director, work. Had very fond memories of 'The First Swallow'.
Rewatching it, 'The First Swallow' was every bit as great as remembered and perhaps even better, also something of a breath of fresh air after a difficult week and my animation viewings being so up and down. It is a real shame that it is so underseen in general and underrated here (down to lack of votes and that not many have heard of it let alone seen it most likely), to me it is one of Ising's best easily (being one of the few cartoons of his to not fall into any of the traps that most of his others do) and my personal favourite of Brewer's work as director.
Admittedly, 'The First Swallow' is very slight in terms of story and takes a little time to get going, which was expected as that is true of both Ising's and Brewer's work (except not done anywhere near as badly as others).
Everything else is splendid. The animation is rich in detail for design and backgrounds, vibrant in colour and crisp. It is especially good with the backgrounds, and had a watercolour come to life effect. Composer for the prime-era 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons and regular Tex Avery composer Scott Bradley provides a lush and atmospheric music score, that not just adds to the action and mood but enhances it.
'The First Swallow' is a very cute cartoon, without being so much so that it becomes cloying or too sugary, and also immensely charming. It also delivers a lot on the emotion, in a way that's very sincere and never going too far on the sentiment, and told at a beautifully gentle pace. Some of it is also very uplifting.
It is important to have characters worth liking at least, unless there is a specific reason as to why they shouldn't be, and 'The First Swallow' delivers on having one of the most endearing titular characters seen in any animation in a long time. The padre is also very noble and the human design faring better than human designs from other studios and directors. The narration is suitably gentle.
Great cartoon overall and underrated. 9/10.
