Katsuhiro Otomo
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese comic book creator
, screenwriter
and film director
. He is best known as the creator of the manga
Akira
and its animated film adaptation
. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the 2006 feature film adaptation of the manga Mushishi
.
and grew up in Tome-gun. While he was in high school he was fascinated with movies, often taking a three-hour train during school holidays just to see them. In 1973 he graduated high school and left Miyagi, heading to Tokyo with the hopes of becoming a manga
artist. On October 4, 1973, he published his first work, a manga adaptation of Prosper Merimee
's short novel Mateo Falcone, titled A Gun Report.
In 1979, after writing multiple short-stories for the magazine Action, Otomo created his first science-fiction work, titled Fireball
. Although the manga was never completed, it is regarded as a milestone in Otomo's career as it contained many of the same themes he would explore in his later, more successful manga such as Dōmu. Dōmu began serialization in January 1980 and ran for two years until completed. In 1983, it was published in book form and would win the Nihon SF Taisho Award
, the Japanese equivalent to the Nebula Award
.
In 1982, Otomo made his anime
debut, working as character designer for the animated film Harmagedon. The next year, Otomo began work on a manga which would become his most acclaimed and famous work: Akira
. It took eight years to complete and would eventually culminate in 2000 pages of artwork. In 1987, Otomo continued working in anime, directing an animated work for the first time: a segment, which he also wrote the screenplay and drew animation for, in the anthology feature Neo Tokyo
. He followed this up with two segments in another anthology, Robot Carnival
.
While the serialization of Akira was taking place, Otomo decided to animate it into a feature film, although the comic was yet to be finished. In 1988, the animated film Akira
was released.
Otomo has recently worked extensively with noted studio Sunrise
. The studio has animated and produced his recent projects, including the 2004 feature film Steamboy
, 2006's Freedom Project
and his latest project, SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next, released in 2007.
Otomo is apparently going to be the executive producer of the live action adaptation of his manga series Akira.
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He is best known as the creator of the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Akira
Akira (manga)
is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha...
and its animated film adaptation
Akira (film)
is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira....
. Otomo has also directed several live-action films, such as the 2006 feature film adaptation of the manga Mushishi
Mushishi
is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, published in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1999 to August 2008.The manga was adapted into an anime television series in 2005. The Artland production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama...
.
Biography
Katsuhiro Otomo was born in Miyagi PrefectureMiyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
and grew up in Tome-gun. While he was in high school he was fascinated with movies, often taking a three-hour train during school holidays just to see them. In 1973 he graduated high school and left Miyagi, heading to Tokyo with the hopes of becoming a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
artist. On October 4, 1973, he published his first work, a manga adaptation of Prosper Merimee
Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
's short novel Mateo Falcone, titled A Gun Report.
In 1979, after writing multiple short-stories for the magazine Action, Otomo created his first science-fiction work, titled Fireball
Fireball (manga)
Fireball is an unfinished science fiction manga by Katsuhiro Otomo, created for Action Deluxe magazine and published in 1979. It is notable for establishing ground Otomo would later explore successfully in Domu and his best-known work Akira....
. Although the manga was never completed, it is regarded as a milestone in Otomo's career as it contained many of the same themes he would explore in his later, more successful manga such as Dōmu. Dōmu began serialization in January 1980 and ran for two years until completed. In 1983, it was published in book form and would win the Nihon SF Taisho Award
Nihon SF Taisho Award
Nihon SF Taishō Award is a Japanese science fiction award. It has been compared to the Nebula Award as it is given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan or SFWJ...
, the Japanese equivalent to the Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
.
In 1982, Otomo made his anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
debut, working as character designer for the animated film Harmagedon. The next year, Otomo began work on a manga which would become his most acclaimed and famous work: Akira
Akira (manga)
is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha...
. It took eight years to complete and would eventually culminate in 2000 pages of artwork. In 1987, Otomo continued working in anime, directing an animated work for the first time: a segment, which he also wrote the screenplay and drew animation for, in the anthology feature Neo Tokyo
Neo Tokyo (film)
, also titled Manie-Manie on its title card, is a 1987 anime science fiction anthology film produced by Project Team Argos and Madhouse. Conceived and produced by Madhouse founders Masao Maruyama and Rintarō, it adapts short stories by Taku Mayumura featured in the 1986 collection of the same...
. He followed this up with two segments in another anthology, Robot Carnival
Robot Carnival
is a Japanese anime anthology film released in 1987. It consists of nine shorts by different directors, many of whom started out as animators with little to no directing experience...
.
While the serialization of Akira was taking place, Otomo decided to animate it into a feature film, although the comic was yet to be finished. In 1988, the animated film Akira
Akira (film)
is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira....
was released.
Otomo has recently worked extensively with noted studio Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
. The studio has animated and produced his recent projects, including the 2004 feature film Steamboy
Steamboy
is a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date...
, 2006's Freedom Project
Freedom Project
Freedom Project is a Japanese promotional project by Nissin Cup Noodles for their 35th anniversary in 2006. As part of the project, the 7-part OVA series, titled Freedom, was commissioned with and designed by Katsuhiro Otomo serving as the character and mecha designer...
and his latest project, SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers: The Next, released in 2007.
Otomo is apparently going to be the executive producer of the live action adaptation of his manga series Akira.
Comic and picture books
| Year | Title | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | A Gun Report | Writer Writer A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images.... , Penciller Penciller A penciller is an artist who works in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, and similar visual art forms.The penciller is the first step in rendering the story in visual form and may require several steps of feedback with the writer. These artists are concerned with layout to showcase... |
| 1979 | Short Peace | Writer, Penciller |
| 1979 | Highway Star Highway Star (manga) is a graphic novel created by Katsuhiro Otomo. It is his second published collection of short stories from various years, each running at roughly 20 pages, and includes Otomo's second-earliest collected story... |
Writer, Penciller |
| 1979 | Fireball Fireball (manga) Fireball is an unfinished science fiction manga by Katsuhiro Otomo, created for Action Deluxe magazine and published in 1979. It is notable for establishing ground Otomo would later explore successfully in Domu and his best-known work Akira.... |
Writer, Penciller |
| 1980 | Domu: A Child's Dream | Writer, Penciller |
| 1980 | Kibun wa mō Sensō | Writer, Penciller |
| 1981 | Sayonara Nippon | Writer, Penciller |
| 1982 | Akira Akira (manga) is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha... |
Writer, Penciller |
| 1984 | Visitors | Writer, Penciller |
| 1990 | Kanojo no Omoide... | Writer, Penciller |
| 1990 | The Legend of Mother Sarah The Legend of Mother Sarah is a manga written by Katsuhiro Otomo and illustrated by Takumi Nagayasu. The manga is published in Kodansha's Young Magazine. The English-language release of manga has been licensed in North America by Dark Horse Comics, for a French-language release in France by Delcourt, for a Spanish-language... |
Writer |
| 1991 | ZeD Roujin Z is a 1991 Japanese anime film directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo and written by Katsuhiro Otomo.-Plot:Roujin Z is set in Japan during the early 21st century. A group of scientists and hospital administrators, under the direction of the Ministry of Public Welfare, have developed the Z-001, a... |
Writer |
| 1996 | SOS! Tokyo Metro Explorers | Writer, Penciller |
| 1996 | Batman: Black & White Batman: Black & White Batman Black and White refers both to a four-issue comic book limited series published in 1996 by DC Comics, and three collections of 8-page black-and-white Batman stories, comprising the limited series and backup features from the Batman: Gotham Knights comic.-Publication history:The origin of the... #4 (The Third Mask) |
Writer, Penciller |
| 2001 | Hipira: The Little Vampire Hipira: The Little Vampire is a manga-style story book written by Katsuhiro Otomo and illustrated by Shinji Kimura. The manga is licensed in English by Dark Horse Comics. The manga was adapted into an anime and broadcast on NHK BS-2 from December 21–25, 2009.-Manga:... |
Writer |
| 2006 | Park | Writer, Penciller |
Director
| Year | Title | Segment |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Neo Tokyo Neo Tokyo (film) , also titled Manie-Manie on its title card, is a 1987 anime science fiction anthology film produced by Project Team Argos and Madhouse. Conceived and produced by Madhouse founders Masao Maruyama and Rintarō, it adapts short stories by Taku Mayumura featured in the 1986 collection of the same... |
Construction Cancellation Order |
| 1987 | Robot Carnival Robot Carnival is a Japanese anime anthology film released in 1987. It consists of nine shorts by different directors, many of whom started out as animators with little to no directing experience... |
Opening, Ending |
| 1988 | Akira Akira (film) is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira.... |
Directorial debut |
| 1991 | World Apartment Horror (live-action) | |
| 1995 | Memories Memories (film) Memories is an anime produced in 1995 by artist/director Katsuhiro Otomo which were based on three of his manga short stories. The film is composed of three episodes: , and... |
Cannon Fodder |
| 2004 | Steamboy Steamboy is a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date... |
|
| 2006 | Mushishi (live-action) |
Screenwriter
| Year | Title | Segment |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Neo Tokyo Neo Tokyo (film) , also titled Manie-Manie on its title card, is a 1987 anime science fiction anthology film produced by Project Team Argos and Madhouse. Conceived and produced by Madhouse founders Masao Maruyama and Rintarō, it adapts short stories by Taku Mayumura featured in the 1986 collection of the same... |
Construction Cancellation Order |
| 1987 | Robot Carnival Robot Carnival is a Japanese anime anthology film released in 1987. It consists of nine shorts by different directors, many of whom started out as animators with little to no directing experience... |
Opening, Ending |
| 1988 | Akira Akira (film) is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira.... |
|
| 1991 | Roujin Z Roujin Z is a 1991 Japanese anime film directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo and written by Katsuhiro Otomo.-Plot:Roujin Z is set in Japan during the early 21st century. A group of scientists and hospital administrators, under the direction of the Ministry of Public Welfare, have developed the Z-001, a... |
|
| 1995 | Memories Memories (film) Memories is an anime produced in 1995 by artist/director Katsuhiro Otomo which were based on three of his manga short stories. The film is composed of three episodes: , and... |
Cannon Fodder, Stink Bomb |
| 2001 | Metropolis | |
| 2004 | Steamboy Steamboy is a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date... |
|
| 2006 | Mushishi Mushishi is a manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Urushibara, published in Kodansha's Afternoon magazine from 1999 to August 2008.The manga was adapted into an anime television series in 2005. The Artland production was directed by Hiroshi Nagahama... |