Sometimes this series would feature new directors who then didn't go on to direct anything else of note. This is the case for Orlova and Bogomolova, directors of the first one - they were animators before and they went back to being animators after (although Orlova briefly returned to directing in 1994). I can't say that their film stands out all that much.

The next one, by Galina Barinova, is a short and low-effort entry, as are most of hers at this time (her best period began about a decade later).

Finally, the one by Garri Bardin - his second film. He came to the studio as a voice actor in 1973, and directed his first film in 1975, which caused (in Bardin's words) a lot of resentment from others at the studio as he was perceived as being an outsider who had "jumped the line". This has an early example something that would become common in Bardin's later films - noticing and capturing some ugly aspect of human nature, and encouraging (directly or not) the viewers to do better. This sometimes led to beautiful and sublime films such as Adagio, but not always! Sometimes, I think it's the director's distaste and bitterness for people around him that come through stronger.

I have mixed feelings about this one. The only time I've ever seen someone tying a tin can to an animal's leg is in this cartoon - I don't think it was especially common, at least not in my neighborhood. By showing this ugly behaviour in detail in the first place, the cartoon also teaches kids that this is something that you can do, even though the boy is sorry at the end. I suppose I also didn't find that ending too believable - it's too saccharine. On the other hand, I like the art style and the "play" aspect of a battle in which the two sides transform into various creatures. This sort of "duel" has also appeared in a few other films in this series: "Mosaic" from #1, "The Game" from #16 and "Who Was First?" in #27 (not on the site yet).