Atsuko Ishizuka
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese animator and director at Madhouse
, one of the leading animation production companies in the world. She was born on September 30, 1981 and has been with Madhouse since 2004.
During her education at the art school, Ishizuka made a number of short animated films for her own enjoyment, often set to music. One of these films, Gravitation, which was later featured at the 2005 Tehran International Short Film Festival, caught the attention of both the Japanese broadcasting giant NHK
and Madhouse. NHK quickly contacted Atsuko with an offer to have her animate a music video segment for the popular and long running short film program Minna no Uta (Everyone's Songs)
, which was designed to highlight upcoming independent animators and musicians. However, by this time Ishizuka had already been hired by Madhouse as a production assistant, and feeling that it would not be right to accept freelance work outside of the studio, she turned them down. However, the Minna no Uta staff was unwilling to give up, and they requested that Madhouse take on the music video project with Ishizuka as director. The studio agreed, and in 2004, Atsuko rose through the ranks for her first professional film, Tsuki no Warutsu (The Moon Waltz).
Since then, Ishizuka has continued to work on Madhouse projects as a staff animator (including the television series MONSTER
), and has directed an additional short film for Minna no Uta entitled Sen no Hana Sen no Sora (A Thousand Flowers of a Thousand Skies). After this, she moved up to assistant director on NANA
. Her art was featured at the 2007 Tokyo International Anime Fair
, and Madhouse started to promote her talents publicly, leading some within the industry to speculate she would become the first female series staff director at the sudio. Shortly thereafter, it was announced she would again be filling the role of assistant director of the upcoming anime adaptaion of the popular Korea
n online game
MapleStory
. Her continued rise in prominence at the studio was further confirmed when she was identified (along with Satoshi Kon
) by studio head Masao Maruyama
as one of the company's talents. She lists Masayuki Kojima
and Morio Asaka
as the two people at Madhouse she respects most. Ishizuka was finally chosen to direct a television series (along with four others, including Morio Asaka) with the October, 2009 release of Aoi Bungaku Series, an adaptation of six Japanese literary classics. She will be co-directing Supernatural: The Animation alongside Shigeyuki Miya.
Madhouse (company)
is a Japanese animation studio, founded in 1972 by ex–Mushi Pro animators including Masao Maruyama, Osamu Dezaki, Rintaro, and Yoshiaki Kawajiri. It has created and helped to produce many well known shows, starting with TV anime series Ace o Nerae! in 1973, and including western favourites Ninja...
, one of the leading animation production companies in the world. She was born on September 30, 1981 and has been with Madhouse since 2004.
Personal history
Ishizuka's journey to becoming an animator was rather unusual by industry standards in Japan. Unlike many of her contemporaries, she did not grow up watching anime on television, but rather developed an interest in music and graphic arts. Upon graduating high school, she decided to focus on graphic design and entered the Aichi Prefecture University of the Arts. While there, she was prompted to do an arts project and chose to do an animated video because it would allow her to combine her two areas of interest. In this way, she entered the animation world not attempting to secure a career, but to make art for art's sake.During her education at the art school, Ishizuka made a number of short animated films for her own enjoyment, often set to music. One of these films, Gravitation, which was later featured at the 2005 Tehran International Short Film Festival, caught the attention of both the Japanese broadcasting giant NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
and Madhouse. NHK quickly contacted Atsuko with an offer to have her animate a music video segment for the popular and long running short film program Minna no Uta (Everyone's Songs)
Minna no Uta
, literally Everyone's Songs, is a five minute NHK TV and radio program broadcasting several times daily since 1961. The program is generally used as filler at the end of regular television programs...
, which was designed to highlight upcoming independent animators and musicians. However, by this time Ishizuka had already been hired by Madhouse as a production assistant, and feeling that it would not be right to accept freelance work outside of the studio, she turned them down. However, the Minna no Uta staff was unwilling to give up, and they requested that Madhouse take on the music video project with Ishizuka as director. The studio agreed, and in 2004, Atsuko rose through the ranks for her first professional film, Tsuki no Warutsu (The Moon Waltz).
Since then, Ishizuka has continued to work on Madhouse projects as a staff animator (including the television series MONSTER
Monster (manga)
is a seinen manga written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, published by Shogakukan in Big Comic Original between 1994 and 2001, and reprinted in 18 tankōbon volumes. It was adapted by Madhouse as a 74-episode anime TV series, which aired on NTV from April 7, 2004 to September 28, 2005...
), and has directed an additional short film for Minna no Uta entitled Sen no Hana Sen no Sora (A Thousand Flowers of a Thousand Skies). After this, she moved up to assistant director on NANA
Nana (manga)
is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and...
. Her art was featured at the 2007 Tokyo International Anime Fair
Tokyo International Anime Fair
The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as Tokyo International Animation Fair is one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event is held at Tokyo Big Sight, a convention and...
, and Madhouse started to promote her talents publicly, leading some within the industry to speculate she would become the first female series staff director at the sudio. Shortly thereafter, it was announced she would again be filling the role of assistant director of the upcoming anime adaptaion of the popular Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n online game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
MapleStory
MapleStory (anime)
is a Japanese anime based on the popular South Korean online game MapleStory. It began airing on October 7, 2007.-Synopsis:Ten years ago, the World Tree that protected peace and order of the world was being targeted by an evil organization called the Zakums...
. Her continued rise in prominence at the studio was further confirmed when she was identified (along with Satoshi Kon
Satoshi Kon
was a Japanese anime director and manga artist from Kushiro, Hokkaidō and a member of the Japanese Animation Creators Association . He was a graduate of the Graphic Design department of the Musashino Art University. He is sometimes credited as in the credits of Paranoia Agent...
) by studio head Masao Maruyama
Masao Maruyama (film producer)
is a Japanese film producer, animation developer, the co-founder, board of directors member, and producer of Studio Madhouse, one of the leading animation production companies in the world...
as one of the company's talents. She lists Masayuki Kojima
Masayuki Kojima
is a Japanese animator, director, and member of the renowned animation studio Madhouse. He was born on March 11, 1961 in Yamanashi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, and is a twenty year plus veteran of the anime industry.-Personal history:...
and Morio Asaka
Morio Asaka
is a Japanese anime director.A graduate of the Osaka Designers' College, he is a member of the studio Madhouse. His noted works include, among others, Cardcaptor Sakura , Galaxy Angel, Gunslinger Girl, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII and Nana.-Directorial style:Asaka has covered a wide range of...
as the two people at Madhouse she respects most. Ishizuka was finally chosen to direct a television series (along with four others, including Morio Asaka) with the October, 2009 release of Aoi Bungaku Series, an adaptation of six Japanese literary classics. She will be co-directing Supernatural: The Animation alongside Shigeyuki Miya.
Works
- CREMONA short (2003) – Director, Story, Animator
- Gravitation short (2003) – Director, Story, Animator
- Sakurami Aka short (2004) – Director, Story, Animator
- Minna no UtaMinna no Uta, literally Everyone's Songs, is a five minute NHK TV and radio program broadcasting several times daily since 1961. The program is generally used as filler at the end of regular television programs...
"Tsuki no WarutsuTsuki no Warutsu, literally Waltz of the Moon, is a 2004 Japanese anime music video created for the popular NHK program Minna no Uta by director Atsuko Ishizuka and Studio Madhouse.-Production:...
" short (2004) – Director, Story - MONSTERMonster (manga)is a seinen manga written and illustrated by Naoki Urasawa, published by Shogakukan in Big Comic Original between 1994 and 2001, and reprinted in 18 tankōbon volumes. It was adapted by Madhouse as a 74-episode anime TV series, which aired on NTV from April 7, 2004 to September 28, 2005...
series (2004–2005) – Art Settings, Storyboard Artist (episode 50) - Minna no UtaMinna no Uta, literally Everyone's Songs, is a five minute NHK TV and radio program broadcasting several times daily since 1961. The program is generally used as filler at the end of regular television programs...
"Sen no Hana Sen no Sora" short (2005) – Director, Story, Storyboard Artist, Animator - NANANana (manga)is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Ai Yazawa, serialized in Cookie published by Shueisha. The manga derives its title from the name of the two main characters, both of whom are called Nana. Nana Komatsu is a small town girl who goes to Tokyo to follow her boyfriend and...
series (2006–2007) – Assistant Director, Episode Director, Episode Storyboard Artist - Piano no MoriPiano no Moriis an ongoing manga by Makoto Isshiki, about Shuhei Amamiya, who transfers to Moriwaki Elementary filled with hope and ambition about his new life...
film (2007) – Unit Director - MapleStoryMapleStory (anime)is a Japanese anime based on the popular South Korean online game MapleStory. It began airing on October 7, 2007.-Synopsis:Ten years ago, the World Tree that protected peace and order of the world was being targeted by an evil organization called the Zakums...
series (2007–2008) – Assistant Director, Episode Director, Episode Storyboard Artist - Top Secret ~The Revelation~ series (2008) – Episode Director, Episode Storyboard Artist
- KurozukaKurozukais a novel and Japanese manga series written by Baku Yumemakura and illustrated by Takashi Noguchi. The manga was first serialized in the Japanese seinen manga magazine Super Jump starting in 2003 by Shueisha and ended in December 2006...
series (2008) - Ending Credits Director & Storyboard Artist - Mōryō no HakoMoryo no Hakois a Japanese novel by Natsuhiko Kyogoku. It is the second novel in the series that began with Summer of the Ubume. The novel has been turned into a live action feature film, a manga, and an anime TV series.-Story:...
series (2008) – Episode Director - Chi's Sweet Home: New AddressChi's Sweet Homeis a New York Times best-selling manga series written and illustrated by Kanata Konami. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Weekly Morning since 2004. The manga has been licensed for North American distribution by Vertical Inc. To date, it has been collected in eight volumes,...
series (2009) – Episode Storyboard Artist - Aoi BungakuAoi Bungakuis a twelve episodes anime series featuring adaptations inspired by six short stories from Japanese literature. The six stories are adapted from classic Japanese tales.-Stories Adapted:...
series (2009) – Director, Screenwriter, and Storyboard Artist (Ryūnosuke AkutagawaRyunosuke Akutagawawas a Japanese writer active in the Taishō period in Japan. He is regarded as the "Father of the Japanese short story". He committed suicide at age of 35 through an overdose of barbital.-Early life:...
's "The Spider's Thread" and "Hell ScreenHell Screenis a short story written by Japanese writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. It was originally published in 1918 as a serialization in two newspapers. It was later published in a collection of Akutagawa short stories, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke zenshū.- Translation :...
"), Episode Director ("Hell Screen") - Supernatural: The Animation series (2011) – Director, Episode Director, Episode Storyboard Artist