Masashi Ando Explained

Masashi Ando
Native Name:	安藤 雅司
Native Name Lang:	ja
Birth Date:	17 January 1969
Birth Place:	Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan
Alma Mater:	Nihon University
Years Active:	1990 - present
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is a Japanese animator, character designer and filmmaker.

He is known for working with Hayao Miyazaki, Satoshi Kon and Makoto Shinkai.He was the animation director and character designer for three of the four anime films in the top five box office revenues of Japanese films of all time: Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Your Name.^{[1] [2]}

Career

Ando took the entrance exam for Studio Ghibli while he was a student at the Nihon University College of Art and was accepted.^[1] At the young age of 25, Ando was chosen to be the chief animation director of Princess Mononoke.^{[1] [3]} Ando also served as Hayao Miyazaki's right-hand man on Spirited Away in 2001, but left Ghibli after a confrontation with Miyazaki over directing methods.^[4]

Ando has been involved in Satoshi Kon's films since 2003, and served as character designer and animation director for Kon's 2006 film Paprika.^[4] He worked as a character designer and animation director for Hiroyuki Okiura's A Letter to Momo in 2012.^[4] He joined Studio Ghibli films for the first time in a long time in 2013 as a member of the animation staff for The Tale of Princess Kaguya. In 2014, he worked on When Marnie Was There as an animation director for Studio Ghibli for the first time in 13 years since Spirited Away, and also co-wrote the script for the film.He led the animation team for the Makoto Shinkai-directed Your Name in 2016.^[5]

Ando made his directorial debut with Shika no Ō: Yuna to Yakusoku no Tabi, alongside co-director Masayuki Miyaji.^{[3] [6]} He also served as character designer and animation director.^{[1] [2]}

Filmography

Films

• Only Yesterday (1991) – in-between animation
• Porco Rosso (1992) – key animation
• Ocean Waves (1993) – assistant animation director (uncredited), key animation
• Pom Poko (1994) – key animation
• Whisper of the Heart (1995) – key animation
• Princess Mononoke (1997) – character design with his mentor Yoshifumi Kondo, chief animation director
• My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) – key animation
• Spirited Away (2001) – character design, chief animation director
• Tokyo Godfathers (2003) – animation director, key animation
• (2004) – key animation
• Tekkonkinkreet (2006) – key animation
• Paprika (2006) – character design, animation director and key animation
• (2012) – key animation
• A Letter to Momo (2012) – character design, animation director, key animation
• The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) – animation
• When Marnie Was There (2014) – screenplay, character design, animation director
• (2014) – key animation
• Miss Hokusai (2015) – key animation
• Your Name (2016) – character design with Masayoshi Tanaka, animation director
• Napping Princess (2017) – key animation
• Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017) – key animation
• The Deer King (2022) – director with Masayuki Miyaji, storyboard, character design, chief animation director

TV series

• The Legend of Zorro (1996) – key animation
• Overman King Gainer (2002) – key animation
• Paranoia Agent (2004) – character design, animation director and key animation
• (2004) – key animation
• Denno Coil (2007) – key animation
• Bunny Drop (2011) – key animation

OVA

• The Animatrix (2003) (on the Kid's Story segment) – key animation

Music videos

• On Your Mark (1995) – character design, animation director

Web animation

• Japan Animator Expo (2014) – key animation

Video games

• (2002) – key animation

Notes and References

1. Web site: 安藤雅司「鹿の王」でアニメファン待望の初監督! 20年9月18日に公開. ja. December 10, 2019. August 30, 2021. 映画ニュース. Kakaku.com.
2. Web site: トップアニメーター・安藤雅司の初監督作品「鹿の王」アヌシー国際アニメーション映画祭2021"長編部門コンペティション"に選出!. ja. May 21, 2021. August 30, 2021. アニメ!アニメ!. 株式会社イード.
3. Web site: The Deer King Review. IGN. IGN Entertainment Inc.. August 19, 2021. August 30, 2021.
4. Web site: ジブリ新作は「人の手を借りる」!実写映画の美術監督&宮崎駿に「NO」を突き付けた作画監督を招へい. ja. April 20, 2014. August 30, 2021. シネマトゥデイ. 株式会社シネマトゥデイ.
5. News: Gibbons. Fiachra. Please don't see my animated blockbuster, says Japan's 'new Miyazaki,' Makoto Shinkai. Dec 27, 2016. August 30, 2021. The Japan Times. The Japan Times, Ltd.. AFP-JIJI. https://web.archive.org/web/20161228143704/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2016/12/27/films/please-dont-see-animated-blockbuster-says-japans-new-miyazaki-makoto-shinkai/. December 28, 2016.
6. Web site: The Deer King Anime Film Promo Highlights milet's Theme Song. Crunchyroll. Funimation. August 13, 2021. August 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210813190545/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2021/08/13/the-deer-king-anime-film-promo-highlights-milets-theme-song. August 13, 2021.