Kōichi Mashimo Explained

Birth Date:21 June 1952
Birth Place:Tokyo, Japan
Nationality:Japanese
Known For:Bee Train animation studio
Alma Mater:Sophia University
Occupation:Anime director and screenwriter
Years Active:1975–2012

(born June 21, 1952) is a Japanese former anime director and the founder of the animation studio Bee Train. Since the creation of the studio, Mashimo directed or otherwise participated in a large number of the studio's works, for example, as a member of the art or sound department.

Biography

Kōichi Mashimo was born in Tokyo, Japan and from his early years showed interest in photography, under the influence of his father. Mashimo studied jurisprudence at Sophia University and during his fourth university year, he participated in the making of several television commercials. However, this was a rather disappointing experience, and on November 6, 1975, he applied for a position of Hiroshi Sasagawa's assistant director in Tatsunoko Production. The first anime series he worked on was Time Bokan (1975–76).

In the mid-1980s, while still working for Tatsunoko, Mashimo survived a severe alpine skiing accident. During his stay in an intensive care unit, he came up with an idea of a "hospital for animators", an animation studio whose primary goal would be fostering and self-actualization of talented artists rather than commercial success and money.[1] Some time after that, he founded a small freelance studio called Mashimo Jimusho that was mainly producing in-between animation for larger companies. In 1997, Mashimo presented his studio-as-hospital concept to Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, the president of Production I.G, who was so impressed with it that he immediately agreed to sponsor Mashimo. The new subsidiary has become known as Bee Train[1] and in February 2006, it ended its relationship with I.G and became independent.

Approach and style

Mashimo generally storyboards all the anime he directs. As one of the leading and only regular on-staff directors at Bee Train, most series are fully directed by him. As Bee Train has expanded, more directors have been able to handle episode direction under Mashimo's supervision, such as Tsubasa Chronicle.

Mashimo is known for frequently hiring Yuki Kajiura to compose for his projects. Their first project being Eat-Man, then going onto Noir, as well as .hack//Sign, Liminality, and Tsubasa Chronicle. Besides Kajiura, many Mashimo and Bee Train's projects bring back voice actors and crew members. Some noted cast members include: Maaya Sakamoto (.hack//SIGN, Blade of the Immortal, Tsubasa Chronicle), Sanae Kobayashi (Madlax, .hack//Roots, .hack//Liminality), as well as noted crew members such as character designer Minako Shiba, Satoshi Oshawa, and artist and director Kōji Sawai, as well as writers such as Hiroyuki Kawasaki.

Mashimo believes in giving music prominence in his works, rather than using it as background noise.[2]

Some of Mashimo's major projects have featured strong female protagonists. The famous "girls with guns" trilogy (Noir, Madlax, El Cazador de la Bruja) have all featured female characters in lead roles. One of his earlier films, The Weathering Continent, also featured a young woman who takes matters into her own hands to save her people. Others such as Madlax have also been known to contain subtle hints at lesbian relations.[3] [4]

Mashimo once remarked that he would like to have met the photographers Richard Avedon, Jeanloup Sieff, and Helmut Newton and film directors John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock. Mashimo is particularly fond of the French movie Les Aventuriers (1967) and has even named a character in Madlax after the protagonist of that film.[5]

Filmography

YearAnimeJob
1975Time BokanAssistant director, episode director
1978Gatchaman IIDirector
1979Gatchaman FighterDirector
1981Golden Warrior Gold LightanChief director, episode director, storyboards
1981Kaitei Daisensou: Ai no 20.000 MilesEpisode director
1983Mirai Keisatsu UrashimanChief director
1985Night on the Galactic RailroadStoryboards
1986Ai CityDirector
1987Director, general superintendent
1988FDirector, script
DominionDirector, script, special advisor
1989Dragon WarriorScript
1990Robin Hood no DaibokenDirector
1992The Weathering ContinentDirector, script
1993The Irresponsible Captain TylorDirector, episode director, script, supervisor, storyboard
1996Sorcerer HuntersDirector
1997Eat-ManDirector, storyboards, scripts
1998XenogearsAnimation movie producer
1999Arc the LadSpecial thanks
PopolocroisDirector, script
Director, planning
2001NoirDirector, storyboards, sound director, music director
Captain KuppaDirector, Series Composition
2002.hack//SignDirector, script, storyboards, sound director, soundtrack supervisor, off-line editor
.hack OVAs: .hack//Intermezzo, .hack//Unison, .hack//GiftDirector, storyboard
.hack//LiminalityDirector, soundtrack supervision, animation director
.hack//InfectionStaff member: Bee Train
.hack//MutationStaff member: Bee Train
.hack//OutbreakStaff member: Bee Train
Wild Arms 3Event scene direction
2003AvengerDirector
.hack//Legend of the TwilightDirector, general superintendent
.hack//QuarantineStaff member: Bee Train
Immortal Grand PrixDirector, script
2004MadlaxDirector, script, storyboards
Ginyuu Mokushiroku Meine LiebeDirector, script
2005Tsubasa Chronicle (first season)Director, storyboards
2006Ginyuu Mokushiroku Meine Liebe wiederplanner
.hack//RootsDirector, supervision, soundtrack supervision, consulting producer
.hack//G.U. vol. 1//RebirthStaff member: Bee Train (G.U. grand design)
.hack//G.U. vol. 2//ReminisceStaff member: Bee Train (G.U. grand design)
Spider RidersDirector, storyboards
Tsubasa Chronicle (second season)Director (co-director: Hiroshi Morioka)
2007.hack//G.U. vol. 3//RedemptionStaff member: Bee Train (G.U. grand design)
El Cazador de la BrujaDirector, storyboards
Spider Riders: Yomigaeru TaiyouDirector
Murder PrincessPlanner
2008.hack//G.U. ReturnerDirector
Blade of the ImmortalDirector, storyboard artist (episode 1)
Batman Gotham Knight

Field Test

Segment producer
2009Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~Director, storyboards (episode 1; ending animation #2)
2010Halo LegendsSegment executive producer: Origins I
Segment director: "Homecoming" (co-director Kōji Sawai)[6]
2011Hyouge MonoDirector, storyboard, episode director

General references

External links

Notes and References

  1. Wong . Amos . Inside Bee Train . . 8–15 . March 2005 .
  2. News: Wong . Amos . Inside Bee Train . . 4 . 3 . 8–15 . March 2005 . 1541-4817. Can be partly confirmed online at https://web.archive.org/web/20080416234102/http://www.newtype-usa.com/issues/index.php?itemid=71 originally at http://www.newtype-usa.com/issues/index.php?itemid=71--> .
  3. Web site: Shoujo-Ai Archive: Madlax Fanfiction. ShoujoAi.com. 2007-06-14.
  4. Web site: Madlax. Friedman . Erica. Okazu. 2004-06-29. 2007-06-14.
  5. Madlax Volume 1: Connections. 2004. Kōichi Mashimo. insert leaflet Staff Talk #1 (Shigeru Kitayama). ADV Films. Houston, Texas. DMAD/001. 2005.
  6. Web site: Halo Legends. 2009-10-26. 2009-12-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20091205224914/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/halolegends#video_1. dead.