Morio Asaka
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese 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
(his directorial TV anime debut), Galaxy Angel
, Gunslinger Girl
, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
and Nana
.
(Cardcaptor Sakura
) to feminine drama (Nana
) to sports (Yawara!
, Kattobase! Dorīmāzu - Kāpu Tanjō Monogatari), sci-fi (Galaxy Angel
), and action (Last Order -Final Fantasy VII-, Gunslinger Girl
). Many of his works take on a female perspective for the telling of the story, with a feminine protagonist as the central focus. This has contributed to him becoming the main director at Madhouse for handling the more serious series featuring female characters or targeting the female market. However, his works are also known for often elaborate action sequences, and even his most serious stories are frequently laced with comedy.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese 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....
director
Animation director
An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or animated segment for a live-action film...
.
A graduate of the Osaka Designers' College, he is a member of the studio Madhouse
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...
. His noted works include, among others, Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
(his directorial TV anime debut), Galaxy Angel
Galaxy Angel
In the video game universe, the Galaxy Angels are from the "Special Guardian Division" and they work closely with the "Imperial Special Guards" and the "Satellite Defense Teams". They are the guardians of the White Moon, the sacred planet of the Transbaal Empire, and the personal protectors of the...
, Gunslinger Girl
Gunslinger Girl
Gunslinger Girl is an ongoing manga by Yu Aida. It first premiered in the November 2002 issue of the monthly shōnen magazine Dengeki Daioh. The chapters are also being published in tankōbon volumes by ASCII Media Works. 13 volumes have been released in Japan as of April 2011...
, Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
, also abbreviated as Last Order or LO, is a 2005 Japanese anime original video animation produced by Madhouse and released by Square Enix. It was directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Masao Maruyama, Jungo Maruta, and Akio Ofuji. Tetsuya Nomura acted as the supervising director...
and 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...
.
Directorial style
Asaka has covered a wide range of genres in the shows and films he has worked on, from magical girlMagical girl
belong to a sub-genre of Japanese fantasy anime and manga. Magical girl stories feature young girls with superhuman abilities, forced to fight evil and to protect the Earth. They often possess a secret identity, although the name can just refer to young girls who follow a plotline involving magic...
(Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura
, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
) to feminine drama (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...
) to sports (Yawara!
Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl
YAWARA!, also known as Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, is a Japanese manga series by Naoki Urasawa which ran in Big Comic Spirits from 1986 to 1993...
, Kattobase! Dorīmāzu - Kāpu Tanjō Monogatari), sci-fi (Galaxy Angel
Galaxy Angel
In the video game universe, the Galaxy Angels are from the "Special Guardian Division" and they work closely with the "Imperial Special Guards" and the "Satellite Defense Teams". They are the guardians of the White Moon, the sacred planet of the Transbaal Empire, and the personal protectors of the...
), and action (Last Order -Final Fantasy VII-, Gunslinger Girl
Gunslinger Girl
Gunslinger Girl is an ongoing manga by Yu Aida. It first premiered in the November 2002 issue of the monthly shōnen magazine Dengeki Daioh. The chapters are also being published in tankōbon volumes by ASCII Media Works. 13 volumes have been released in Japan as of April 2011...
). Many of his works take on a female perspective for the telling of the story, with a feminine protagonist as the central focus. This has contributed to him becoming the main director at Madhouse for handling the more serious series featuring female characters or targeting the female market. However, his works are also known for often elaborate action sequences, and even his most serious stories are frequently laced with comedy.
TV anime
- Jungle TaiteiKimba the White Lion, known in the United States as Kimba the White Lion, is an anime series from the 1960s. Created by Osamu Tezuka and based on his manga of the same title which began publication in 1950, it was the first color animated television series created in Japan. The manga was first published in serialized...
(1989–1990; storyboards, episode direction) - Yawara!Yawara! A Fashionable Judo GirlYAWARA!, also known as Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, is a Japanese manga series by Naoki Urasawa which ran in Big Comic Spirits from 1986 to 1993...
(1989–1992; storyboards, episode direction) - Kaze no Naka no Shōjo Kinpatsu no JennyJeanie with the Light Brown Hair (anime)is an anime series produced by Nippon Animation which ran for 52 episodes on Japanese TV from 1992–1993. It is based on the 1854 song "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" by Stephen Foster.-Plot:...
(1992–1993; storyboards) - Azuki-chanAzuki-chanis an anime series about a young schoolgirl named Azusa Noyama, nicknamed Azuki-chan because when she was younger she was accidentally called Azuki.-Plot summary:...
(1995–1998; storyboards, episode direction) - Cardcaptor SakuraCardcaptor Sakura, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
(1998–2000; director, storyboards, episode direction) - Galaxy AngelGalaxy AngelIn the video game universe, the Galaxy Angels are from the "Special Guardian Division" and they work closely with the "Imperial Special Guards" and the "Satellite Defense Teams". They are the guardians of the White Moon, the sacred planet of the Transbaal Empire, and the personal protectors of the...
(2001; director, storyboards, episode direction) - Galaxy Angel Z (2002; director, storyboards, episode direction)
- ChobitsChobitsis a Japanese manga created by the Japanese manga collective Clamp. It was published by Kodansha in Young Magazine from February 2001 to November 2002 and collected in eight bound volumes....
(2002; director, storyboards, episode direction) - Galaxy Angel AAGalaxy AngelIn the video game universe, the Galaxy Angels are from the "Special Guardian Division" and they work closely with the "Imperial Special Guards" and the "Satellite Defense Teams". They are the guardians of the White Moon, the sacred planet of the Transbaal Empire, and the personal protectors of the...
(2003; storyboards, episode direction) - Gunslinger GirlGunslinger GirlGunslinger Girl is an ongoing manga by Yu Aida. It first premiered in the November 2002 issue of the monthly shōnen magazine Dengeki Daioh. The chapters are also being published in tankōbon volumes by ASCII Media Works. 13 volumes have been released in Japan as of April 2011...
(2003–2004; director, storyboards) - 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...
(2004–2005; storyboards, episode direction) - Rozen MaidenRozen Maidenis a manga series created by Peach-Pit. The story centers on Jun Sakurada, a young hikikomori boy that forms a bond with Shinku, a living doll of the "Rozen Maiden" series, who was created by the mysterious dollmaker Rozen hundreds of years ago...
(2004; storyboards, episode direction of OP theme sequence) - 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...
(2006–2007; director, storyboards, episode direction) - Black LagoonBlack Lagoonis a manga series written and illustrated by Rei Hiroe, and published in Shogakukan's Sunday GX since 2002. An animated television series based on the manga aired in Japan from April 8, 2006, to June 24, 2006, totaling twelve episodes. A second season, subtitled "The Second Barrage", ran for twelve...
(2006; storyboards) - Devil May Cry: The Animated SeriesDevil May Cry: The Animated Seriesis an anime series based on the video game series by Capcom. It debuted on the WOWOW TV network in Japan on June 14, 2007 and ran 12 episodes.The show was produced by the anime studio Madhouse and was directed by Shin Itagaki...
(2007; ending storyboards) - ClaymoreClaymore (manga)is a dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi. The series initially premiered in the now defunct Monthly Shōnen Jump in the May 2001 issue. When the magazine was canceled in June 2007, the series was temporarily moved to Weekly Shōnen Jump where it was still published...
(2007; storyboards)
TV specials
- Yawara! Special: Zutto Kimi no Koto gaYawara! A Fashionable Judo GirlYAWARA!, also known as Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, is a Japanese manga series by Naoki Urasawa which ran in Big Comic Spirits from 1986 to 1993...
(July 19, 1996; director, storyboards)
Anime films
- Yawara! Soreyuke Koshenuke Kiss!!Yawara! A Fashionable Judo GirlYAWARA!, also known as Yawara! A Fashionable Judo Girl, is a Japanese manga series by Naoki Urasawa which ran in Big Comic Spirits from 1986 to 1993...
(August 1, 1992; storyboards, episode direction) - Kattobase! Dorīmāzu - Kāpu Tanjō Monogatari (January 22, 1994; storyboards, episode direction)
- Anne no Nikki (Anne's Diary) (August 19, 1995; storyboards, episode direction coordination)
- X (1996 film) (August 3, 1996; assistant director, coordination)
- Cardcaptor Sakura: The MovieCardcaptor Sakura: The Movieis a Japanese anime film directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Madhouse and Bandai Visual. The film is based on the anime TV series adaptation of Clamp's Cardcaptor Sakura manga series. Written by Nanase Ohkawa, Clamp's head writer, it was released in Japanese theaters on August 21, 1999. It was...
(August 8, 1999; director, storyboards) - Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed CardCardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Cardis the second anime film, sequel, and the finale to the anime television series adaptation of Clamp's Cardcaptor Sakura. The animation was produced by Madhouse, while it was directed by Morio Asaka and written by Nanase Ōkawa . It won the Feature Film Award at the 2000 Animation Kobe.. The film was...
(July 15, 2000; director, storyboards) - Leave It To Kero! MovieCardcaptor Sakura, abbreviated as CCS and also known as Cardcaptors, is a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by the manga artist group Clamp. The manga was originally serialized monthly in Nakayoshi from the May 1996 until the June 2000 issue, and later published in 12 tankōbon volumes by Kodansha...
(July 15, 2000; composition)
OVA
- Junk Boy (1987; assistant director)
- Pops (1993; director)
- Ningyo no KizuMermaid Sagais a series of manga graphic novels in three volumes by Rumiko Takahashi. Two of the stories from the series, Mermaid Forest and Mermaid's Scar, have been adapted as anime OVAs, and all of the tales, except one, were later produced as an anime TV series.-Manga:The original manga was serialised in...
(1993; director) - BRONZE KoJI NANJo cathexis (1994; director)
- Clamp in WonderlandClamp in WonderlandClamp in Wonderland is a series of music videos produced by Clamp, a creative team made up by Satsuki Igarashi, Ageha Ohkawa, Tsubaki Nekoi and Mokona ....
(1994; director, storyboards) - Yōgen Kaisha (1994–1995; director)
- Birdy the MightyBirdy the Mightyis a manga by Masami Yuki, who is best known for producing the long-running series Patlabor. His initial work on the series was quickly abandoned, but it was made into an anime, which was produced and, on the last episode, scripted by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who is known for anime titles such as Vampire...
(1996–1997; storyboards, episode direction)
Other works
- Attack! Future's Challenge! J League (1996; artbook)
- TankōbonTankobon, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
: Shiobunsha, art: Akihiko Tanaka, ISBN 4811302990- Noel (1996; game, storyboards)
- PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
game.- Ryūjin Numa (2001; storyboards)
- Special anime museum screening by Shotaro IshinomoriShotaro Ishinomoriwas a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and tokusatsu, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and Himitsu Sentai Goranger, what would go on to become part of the Super Sentai series, and the Kamen Rider Series...
.- Last Order: Final Fantasy VIILast Order: Final Fantasy VII, also abbreviated as Last Order or LO, is a 2005 Japanese anime original video animation produced by Madhouse and released by Square Enix. It was directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Masao Maruyama, Jungo Maruta, and Akio Ofuji. Tetsuya Nomura acted as the supervising director...
(2005; director, storyboards)
- Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
- Limited-edition special DVD production included in Final Fantasy VII: Advent ChildrenFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Childrenis a 2005 Japanese computer-animated science fiction film directed by Tetsuya Nomura, co-directed by Takeshi Nozue, and produced by Yoshinori Kitase and Shinji Hashimoto. It was written by Kazushige Nojima and the music was composed by Nobuo Uematsu...
.