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The following is a list of works by Japanese filmmaker and artist Masaaki Yuasa, divided into the categories of works where he primarily served in an animation or artistic capacity, his filmography of projects where he had directorial or substantive creative control, and his published works in print.
| Work | Year | Format | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doraemon: The Record of Nobita's Parallel Visit to the West | 1988 | Feature Film | In-between Animator |
| Oishinbo | 1988-92 | TV series | Key Animator (episodes 12, 17) |
| Kiteretsu Daihyakka | 1988-96 | TV series | Key Animator (episode 19) |
| Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet | 1990 | Feature Film | Key Animator |
| Chibi Maruko-chan: Ono-kun and Sugiyama-kun | Setting Designer, Key Animator | ||
| Chibi Maruko-chan (first series) | 1990-92 | TV series | Storyboard Artist (episode 126), Key Animator (episodes 1, 6, 9, 16, 21, 31–32, 40) |
| Little Polar Bear: Shirokuma-kun, Fune ni Noru | 1991 | OVA | Character Designer, Animation Director, Key Animator |
| 21 Emon: To Space! The Barefoot Princess | 1992 | Feature Film | Key Animator |
| Ai Monogatari | OVA | Key Animator (segment: "Stop the Time") | |
| Video Girl Ai | OVA Series | Key Animator (episode 2) | |
| Chibi Maruko-chan: My Favorite Song | Feature Film | Key Animator | |
| Crayon Shin-chan | 1992–present | TV series | Storyboard Artist (episodes 126, 291), Animation Director (episodes 48, 126, 260, 291) |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Action Mask vs. Leotard Devil | 1993 | Feature Film | Setting Designer, Key Animator |
| Crayon Shin-chan: The Hidden Treasure of the Buri Buri Kingdom | 1994 | Feature Film | Setting Designer |
| The Hakkenden: A New Saga - Hamaji’s Resurrection | OVA Episode | Animation Director | |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Unkokusai's Ambition | 1995 | Feature Film | Setting Designer, Key Animator |
| Agent Aika | 1995-97 | OVA Series | Key Animator (episode 5) |
| Chibi Maruko-chan (second series) | 1995–present | TV series | Storyboard Artist and Key Animator (opening credit sequence 1) |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Great Adventure in Henderland | 1996 | Feature Film | Storyboard Artist, Setting Designer, Key Animator |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Pursuit of the Balls of Darkness | 1997 | Feature Film | Setting Designer, Key Animator |
| Licca-chan to Yamaneko Hoshi no Tabi | OVA | Key Animator | |
| Noiseman Sound Insect | Short Film | Character Designer, Animation Director | |
| Manmaru The Ninja Penguin | 1997-98 | TV series | Key Animator (ending credit sequence) |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Blitzkrieg! Pig's Hoof's Secret Mission | 1998 | Feature Film | Setting Designer, Key Animator |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Explosion! The Hot Spring's Feel Good Final Battle | 1999 | Feature Film | Key Animator |
| My Neighbors the Yamadas | Key Animator | ||
| Crayon Shin-chan: Jungle That Invites Storm | 2000 | Feature Film | Character Designer, Key Animator |
| Kasumin | 2001-03 | TV series | Setting Designer |
| The Whale Hunt | 2002 | Short Film | Character Designer, Key Animator |
| Doraemon: Nobita in the Wan-Nyan Spacetime Odyssey | 2004 | Feature Film | Key Animator |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Fierceness That Invites Storm! The Kasukabe Boys of the Evening Sun | Key Animator | ||
| Samurai Champloo | TV series | Key Animator (episode 9) | |
| Sweat Punch: A Wake in Garakuta Town | 2006 | Anthology OVA | Key Animator |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Fierceness That Invites Storm! The Singing Buttocks Bomb | 2007 | Feature Film | Key Animator |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Fierceness That Invites Storm! The Hero of Kinpoko | 2008 | Feature Film | Setting Designer |
| Genius Party Beyond: Wanwa the Doggy | Anthology Feature Film | Key Animator | |
| Michiko & Hatchin | 2008-09 | TV series | Director and Storyboard Artist (ending credit sequence) |
| Wakfu: Noximilien the Watchmaker | 2010 | TV Episode | Character Designer [1] |
| The Mystic Archives of Dantalian | 2011 | TV series | Key Animator (episode 11) |
| Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine | 2012 | TV series | Key Animator (episode 12) |
| Photo Kano | 2013 | TV series | Storyboard Artist (episode 7) |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Very Tasty! B-class Gourmet Survival!! | Feature Film | Key Animator | |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Intense Battle! Robo Dad Strikes Back | 2014 | Feature Film | Storyboard Artist, Setting Designer, and Key Animator ("Giant Hiroshi Robot Battle" sequence) |
| Crayon Shin-chan: My Moving Story! Cactus Large Attack! | 2015 | Feature Film | Storyboard Artist, Animation Assistance |
| Everyday Is The Song | 2023 | Album Art | Artist |
| Spy x Family Season 2 | 2023 | TV series | Director and Storyboard Artist (Opening credit sequence) [2] |
| Year | Title | Format | Director | Writer | Producer | Other Roles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Anime Rakugo Kan | OVA Series | Yes (episode 3) | Yes (episode 3) | Character Designer and Key Animator (episode 3) | ||
| 1999 | Slime Adventures: Yay, the Sea! | Short Film | Yes | ||||
| Vampiyan Kids | TV Pilot | Yes | Storyboard Artist | ||||
| 2001 | Cat Soup | Short Film | Yes | Animation Producer | Storyboard Artist | ||
| 2004 | Mind Game | Feature Film | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2006 | Kemonozume | TV series | Yes | Yes (series composition; episodes 1–2, 6, 8–9, 13) | Storyboard Artist (episodes 1–2, 13), Key Animator (episode 2) | ||
| 2007 | Genius Party: Happy Machine | Anthology Feature Film | Yes | Yes | Storyboard Artist, Character Designer, Animation Director | ||
| 2008 | Kaiba | TV series | Yes | Yes (episodes 1–12) | Storyboard Artist (episodes 1, 10–12) | ||
| 2010 | The Tatami Galaxy | TV series | Yes | Yes (episodes 1–11) | Storyboard Artist (episodes 1, 11; opening credit sequence) | ||
| Welcome to the Space Show | Feature Film | Yes (sequence) | Storyboard Artist and Key Animator (sequence) | ||||
| 2010-12 | Shin-men | TV mini-series | Yes | Storyboard Artist (episodes 1–5), Animation Director (episodes 1, 4–5) | |||
| 2013 | Kick-Heart | Short Film | Yes | Yes | |||
| 2014 | Adventure Time: Food Chain | TV Episode | Yes | Yes | Yes | Storyboard Artist, Key Animator | |
| Space Dandy | TV series | Yes (episode 16) | Yes (episode 16) | Storyboard Artist, Alien Designer, Setting Designer, and Key Animator (episode 16) | |||
| Ping Pong The Animation | TV series | Yes | Yes (series composition; episodes 1–11) | Storyboard Artist (episodes 1–11) | |||
| 2017 | The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl | Feature Film | Yes | Storyboard Artist | |||
| Lu Over the Wall | Feature Film | Yes | Yes | Executive producer | |||
| 2018 | Devilman Crybaby | Original Net Animation | Yes | Storyboard Artist (episodes 1–2, 9–10) | |||
| 2019 | Ride Your Wave | Feature Film | Yes | ||||
| 2019-20 | Super Shiro | Original Net Animation | Yes | Yes (episode 1) | |||
| 2020 | Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! | TV series | Yes | Yes (series composition) | Storyboard Artist (opening credit sequence) | ||
| Japan Sinks: 2020 | Original Net Animation | Yes | Storyboard Artist (episodes 2–5) | ||||
| Japan Sinks: 2020 Theatrical Edition | Feature Film | Yes | |||||
| 2021 | Inu-Oh | Feature Film | Yes | ||||
| Work | Year | Summary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sketchbook for Animation Projects | 2016 | Compilation of watercolor illustrations from projects including Crayon Shin-chan, Noiseman Sound Insect, Mind Game, and Kick-Heart. The book also includes a short manga entitled Rocket Boy. | |
| The Mysterious World No One Knows About - Masaaki Yuasa Sketchworks | 2018 | Compilation of watercolor illustrations from projects including Kemonozume, Kick-Heart, Lu Over the Wall, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, and Devilman crybaby. Also includes two transcribed conversations between Yuasa and Japanese animation directors Katsuhiro Otomo and Mamoru Oshii, respectively. |
GS Yuasa Corporation is a Kyoto-based Japanese company specializing in the development and production of lead acid and lithium-ion batteries, used in automobiles, motorcycles and other areas including aerospace and defense applications.
Masaaki Yuasa is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Yuasa previously served as president of Science SARU, but stepped down from this role in 2020. Recognized for his idiosyncratic art style and directorial voice, Yuasa began his career as an animator on the landmark television series Chibi Maruko-chan (1990–1992) and Crayon Shin-chan (1992–present), before moving into directing with the feature film Mind Game (2004) and developing a cult appeal following.
Mind Game is a 2004 Japanese adult-animated experimental comedy-drama film based on Robin Nishi's manga of the same name. It was planned, produced and primarily animated by Studio 4°C, and adapted and directed by Masaaki Yuasa in his directorial debut, with chief animation direction and model sheets by Yūichirō Sueyoshi, art direction by Tōru Hishiyama and groundwork and further animation direction by Masahiko Kubo.
Kaiba (カイバ) is a Japanese science fiction anime television series produced by Madhouse. The series is created, written, and directed by Masaaki Yuasa, it was broadcast for 12 episodes on WOWOW from April to July 2008. In North America, the series is licensed by Discotek Media. The story revolves around an enigmatic character named Warp, and takes place in a strange world mixed with a universe where changing bodies and trafficking memories are possible.
Joji Yuasa is a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music.
Vampiyan Kids is a Japanese anime television series created by Production I.G and directed by Masatsugu Arakawa, with Suzuka Yoshida and Miyako Yatsu in charge of character designs and Toshihiko Sahashi composing the music. It began airing in Japan on October 13, 2001, and finished airing on March 30, 2002. The series lasted 26 episodes, with 3 episodes being DVD only.
Japan Sinks is a disaster novel by Japanese writer Sakyo Komatsu, published in 1973.
Akira Fudo is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Devilman manga series created by Go Nagai. A shy teenager living in Japan while his parents work abroad, Akira absorbs the powers of the devil Amon thanks to his friend Ryo Asuka. Then as the self-proclaimed title character Devilman, Akira starts fighting numerous enemies hidden in the world. The character also appears in the multiple anime adaptations of the series, though his role differs based on media. The spin-off Amon: The Darkside of the Devilman tells an alternate story of when Akira's body is taken over by Amon after losing his humanity.
The Ōfuji Noburō Award is an animation award given at the Mainichi Film Awards. It is named after Japanese animator Noburō Ōfuji.
Kick-Heart is a 2013 Japanese anime short film that uses surreal animation and storytelling to tell a love story between a professional wrestler and a nun. The film was directed by Masaaki Yuasa through Production I.G studios, who ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the short. The short screened on Toonami in 2013 and has screened at several festivals such as the BFI London Film Festival.
Ping Pong is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Taiyō Matsumoto about table tennis. It was serialized in Shogakukan's seinen manga magazine Big Comic Spirits from 1996 to 1997 and collected in five tankōbon volumes. The story follows high schoolers and childhood friends Peco and Smile, as they compete in the national table tennis tournament where they face talented players from all over the country.
"Food Chain" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series Adventure Time. The episode was written, storyboarded, and directed by Japanese anime director Masaaki Yuasa in cooperation with creative director Eunyoung Choi, and guest stars Regular Show storyboard artist Minty Lewis as Erin the caterpillar.
Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a 2017 Japanese animated romantic comedy film directed by Masaaki Yuasa. The film is based on the 2006 novel The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl written by Tomihiko Morimi and illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura, who also served as the film's original character designer. The film was released in North America as The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl, with a leading article added, but in other English-speaking regions without one. It has been awarded the Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.
Lu Over the Wall is a 2017 Japanese animated fantasy film produced by Science Saru and released by Toho about the eponymous ningyo. It was directed by Masaaki Yuasa, and written by Yuasa and Reiko Yoshida. The music was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu. It is the second Science Saru film, though it was the first to be produced.
Devilman Crybaby is a 2018 Japanese original net animation (ONA) series based on Go Nagai's manga series Devilman. The web anime is directed by Masaaki Yuasa, produced by Aniplex and Dynamic Planning, animated by Science SARU, and released by Netflix. Yuasa was offered the opportunity to create a Devilman project by Aniplex, and envisioned Devilman Crybaby. Announced in 2017 to mark Nagai's 50th anniversary as a creator, Crybaby was made available for worldwide streaming on January 5, 2018, as a Netflix original series.
Science Saru, Inc., stylized as Science SARU, is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Kichijōji, Tokyo. Established on February 4, 2013, by producer Eunyoung Choi and director Masaaki Yuasa, the studio has produced four feature films and five animated series, as well as co-productions, a compilation film, and episodes of series for other studios. Science Saru's first animation was the "Food Chain" episode of the American animated series Adventure Time (2014); its most recent projects are the animated feature film Inu-Oh (2021), two short films for the animated anthology project Star Wars: Visions (2021), and the animated series The Heike Story (2021), Yurei Deco (2022), and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023).
Ride Your Wave is a 2019 Japanese animated film produced by Science Saru and directed by Masaaki Yuasa. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 2019 and was released in Japan on June 21, 2019.
Eunyoung Choi (Korean: 최은영) is a South Korean studio executive, producer, director and animator. She is the President and CEO of Science Saru, a Japanese animation studio which she co-founded with Masaaki Yuasa in 2013, and has served as producer of the company's works. In 2020, following the announcement that Yuasa would step down from an executive role at Science Saru, Choi assumed responsibility for the management of the studio. In 2021, she directed a short animated film entitled Akakiri for the short film anthology Star Wars: Visions.
Super Shiro is a Japanese anime television series produced by Science SARU. A spin-off of the popular Crayon Shin-chan franchise, the series focuses on the adventures of Shiro, a seemingly-normal family dog who, when the Earth is threatened, secretly transforms into a canine superhero to protect the planet from nefarious villains. The series, consisting of 48 five-minute episodes, aired in Japan on the TV Asahi-affiliated streaming platforms AbemaTV and Telasa from October 2019 to September 2020, and was subsequently aired on Cartoon Network in Australia, India, and throughout Southeast Asia.
Inu-Oh is a 2021 Japanese animated musical film directed by Masaaki Yuasa and produced by Science SARU. Based upon the novel Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh by Hideo Furukawa, the film is set in 14th century Japan and centers on the friendship between Inu-Oh, a dancer born with unique physical characteristics, and Tomona, a blind musician. Ostracized by society due to their physical differences, Inu-Oh and Tomona nonetheless utilize their artistic abilities to propel themselves to stardom.