Yoshiaki Kawajiri

[
DVD.] nihongo|Yoshiaki Kawajiri|川尻 善昭|Kawajiri Yoshiaki|born November 18, 1950 is a critically acclaimed writer / director of Japanese animation. He is the creator of titles such as "Yoju Toshi (Wicked City)", "Jubei ninpucho (Ninja Scroll)", and "", and is considered one of the most revolutionary directors in Anime history.

Background

Kawajiri was born on November 18, 1950 and grew up in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. After he graduated from Yokohama High School in 1968 he began working for a few years as an animator at Mushi Production Animation until it closed in 1972. He then joined Madhouse Studio and in the 1970s was promoted to "animation director" and finally debuted as a film director in 1984's "SF Shinseiki Lensman", jointly with the more experienced Kazuyuki Hirokawa (Kawajiri also did the character design along with Kazuo Tomizawa). Gaining an interest in darker animation, he began directing "The Running Man" then after that was completed he was instructed to make a 35 minute short based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's novels, which was released as "Yoju Toshi" (also known as Wicked City). However after completing it, his producers were so impressed he was asked to make it feature length. Kawajiri enjoyed the dark tone so much he agreed and managed to complete the entire film in under a year. "Yoju toshi" was the first film Kawajiri had been involved from conception to completion.

After "Yoju toshi" received such critical and commercial success when released in 1987, Kawajiri gained a lot more freedom and began scripting and designing his own film set in feudal Japan, which was released as "Jubei ninpucho", an homage about the Japanese folk hero Jubei Yagyu. After the western release in 1996, Kawajiris status as a director received international recognition and was asked in 2002 to guest direct episode 6, "Program" of the "Animatrix", considered as a showcase of the best directors Japanese animation has to offer. Before the "Animatrix", he also directed which was also based by a novel by Hideyuki Kikuchi. This is his third film that was directed by him. The second was Demon City Shinjuku.

Kawajiri has finished filming and directing "". It was released on DVD on 5th June 2007. In an interview with Ain't It Cool News with producer Galen Walker, about 7-8 minutes of added scenes with no opening exposition text sequence were removed when the film was released and Kawajiri did not like it. But the director's cut will include the footage once it is released later this year.

He is also directing "Jubei Ninpuuchou"s sequel, which is slated to be released in 2008.

On an interesting note, the women of Kawajiri films have a dichotomy of either being physically capable but emotionally vulnerable and prone to victimization (Like Kagero of Ninja Scroll and Makie of Wicked City ), or physically mundane but courageous and strong of character (Like Sayoko of ``Demon City Shinjuku`` and Charlotte of ``Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust).

Movies & programs worked on

*Jubei ninpuchô 2 (2008) (production) - Writer, Director
* (2007) - Director
*The Animatrix (2003) (episode Program,World Record) - Writer, Director (Program/World Record)
*X (TV Series) (2001)
* (2000) - Writer, Director
*The Cockpit (1994) (segment 1) - Writer
*Jubei ninpucho (1993) - Writer, Director
*Cyber City Oedo 808 (1990)
*Goku Midnight Eye (1989)
*Makaitoshi Shinjuku (1988) - Director
*Yoju toshi (1987) - Director
*Meikyû Monogatari (1987) (segment The Running Man)
*Lensman: Kozumosu no daisenso (1987)
*SF Shinseiki Lensman (aka Lensman: Secret of the Lens) (1984)
*A Wind Named Amnesia: Screenplay, Supervision
*Azuki-chan: Character Design
* (live-action movie) : Screenplay
*Barefoot Gen: Key Animation
*Biohunter: Script
*Birdy the Mighty: Director, Screenplay
* : Storyboard, Key Animation
*Cleopatra (movie) : Animation
*Dagger of Kamui: Key Animation
*Future Boy Conan (TV) : Key Animation
*Judo Sanka (TV) : Animation director
*Legend of the Forest (movie) : Key Animation
*Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars (movie) : Scriptor
*Master Keaton (TV) : Script (ep 34), Storyboard (ep 34)
*Metropolis (movie) : Key Animation, Layout
*Natsu e no Tobira (movie) : Design
* : Script, Original creator, Original Character Design
*Pet Shop of Horrors (TV) : Storyboard (ep 3), Animation Supervisor
*Phantom Quest Corp. (OAV) : Animation (OP)
*Slipstream (OAV) : Director, Screenplay, Character Design, Animation director
*Space Pirate Captain Herlock The Endless Odyssey (OAV) : Storyboard (ep 11)
*Stink Bomb (movie) : Key Animation
*The New Adventures of Kimba The White Lion (TV) : Character Design
*Unico (movie) : Art, Settings
*Unico: To The Magic Island (movie) : Storyboard
*X OAV : Script, Storyboard

External links

*
* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/people.php?id=72 Yoshiaki Kawajiri at Anime News Network]
* [http://www.intothematrix.com/rl_cmp/rl_interview_kawajiri.html Interview With Yoshiaki Kawijiri at The Animatrix Official Website]