By the start of the 1960s, Shochiku's films were criticized as “old-fashioned” with the popularity of rival Nikkatsu’s "Taiyo-zoku" youth-orientated movies. The studio responded by launching the ("Nuberu bagu") which also launched the career of among others, though Oshima soon went independent; the films of Oshima and other film makers were not financially successful and the company changed its policies.