Ippei Kuri Explained

Ippei Kuri
Native Name:	九里一平
Native Name Lang:	ja
Birth Name:	Toyoharu Yoshida
Birth Date:	1 January 1940
Birth Place:	Kyoto, Japan
Notable Works:	Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
Relatives:	Tatsuo Yoshida (brother) Kenji Yoshida (brother)
Website:

, better known as, was a Japanese manga artist and the third president of animation production company Tatsunoko Production.^[1]

History

Ippei Kuri was born Toyoharu Yoshida on January 1, 1940, in Kyoto. As a child, he read comics such as Superman that were discarded by American troops stationed in Japan during the Allied occupation following World War II. Kuri stated he wanted to make a manga like that when he grew up. This had an influence on his manga and anime character design style.^[2] He attended Kyoto Municipal Rakuyō High School (now Kyoto Municipal Rakuyō Technical High School), but left in 1958 before graduating to join his older brother Kenji in Tokyo to work as a manga artist.^[3]

Kuri worked as an assistant for his older brother Tatsuo, who was already a successful illustrator and manga artist. Kuri made his manga debut in 1959 with, published as an akahon and in the Japanese magazine Z-Boy from Shueisha. From 1960 to 1961, Kuri worked on with creator Minoru Kume. In 1962, Kuri co-founded the animation production company Tatsunoko Production with his brothers, Kenji and Tatsuo. Thereafter, he worked in many roles, including as an animation producer, in planning and design, and as a director.

Kuri was appointed the managing director of Tatsunoko Production subsidiary Anime Friend in 1977. In 1987, due to his brother Kenji's retirement, Kuri became the president of Tatsunoko Production. Anime Friend was dissolved in 1990. When Tatsunoko Production became a subsidiary of the major toy manufacturer Takara on July 1, 2005, Kuri stepped down as president. The Yoshida brothers' involvement in the company then became very limited.

At the 10th Animation Kobe event in October 2005, Kuri was awarded the special award for lifetime contributions to anime as a general producer at Tatsunoko Production.^[4] Kuri served as a guest professor at the Kyoto University of Arts and Crafts.^[5]

Ippei Kuri died on July 1, 2023, at the age of 83. His family held a private funeral on July 10.^[6]

Works

Listed in chronological order.

Manga

• with Minoru Kume (1960–1961)
• (1962–1964, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Shueisha)
• Judo Boy (writer, 1961–1962, Shōnen Book, Shueisha)
• (1967–1968, Weekly Shonen Sunday, Shueisha)
• Judo Boy (writer, 1968–1969, Weekly Shōnen Sunday and Weekly Shōnen Jump, Shueisha)
  • • • • Messenger of Allah (Bōken-Ō, Akita Shoten)

Anime

• Space Ace (1965–1966, planning, script, executive producer, character designer, animation director)
• Speed Racer (1967–1968, executive producer)
• Judo Boy (1969, creator, series director, executive producer)
• The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee (1970–1971, executive producer, series director)
• (1971, series director, executive producer, animation director, key animator)
• (1972–1973, executive producer)
• Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972–1974, producer)
• Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog (1973, producer)
• Casshan (1973–1974, producer)
• New Honeybee Hutch (1974, producer)
• (1975, producer, executive producer)
• Time Bokan (1975–1976, planning, producer)
• Gowappa 5 Gōdam (1976, executive producer)
• Paul's Miraculous Adventure (1976–1977, producer)
• Temple the Balloonist (1977–1978, executive producer)
• Yatterman (1977–1979, planning, producer)
• Gatchaman II (1978–1979, producer, character designer)
• Gatchaman Fighter (1979–1980, planning, producer)
• Zenderman (1979–1980, planning, producer)
• Gordian Warrior (1979–1981, planning, character designer)
• Muteking, The Dashing Warrior (1980–1981, planning, producer, character designer)
• Rescueman (1980-1981, planning, producer)
• Dash Kappei (1981–1982, planning)
• Golden Warrior Gold Lightan (1981-1982, planning, character design)
• Yattodetaman (1981–1982, planning, producer)
• Gyakuten! Ippatsuman (1982–1983, planning, producer)
• Itadakiman (1983, planning, producer)
• Mirai Keisatsu Urashiman (1983, planning)
• (1985–1986, planning)
• Doteraman (1986–1987, development)
• Zillion (1987, producer)
• Oraa Guzura Dado (1987–1988, planning)
• The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee (1989–1990, producer, character design)
• Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato (1989–1990, producer)
• Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (1990–1991, general production manager)
• Robin Hood (1990–1992, animation producer)
• Tekkaman Blade (1992–1993, producer)
• (1993, executive producer)
• (1993–1994, planning, producer)
• The Story of Cinderella (1996, producer)
• Speed Racer X (1997, character development, art director, theme song lyrics, etc.)
• Yobarete Tobedete! Akubi-chan (2001–2002, planning, producer)

Books

• (November 2004, Kodansha,)

External links

• Ippei Kuri biography on Lambiek

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2023-07-20 . タツノコプロ元社長・吉田豊治さん死去 83歳 『ガッチャマン』『みなしごハッチ』『マッハGoGoGo』などに参加 . 2023-07-19 . ORICON NEWS.
2. 1998 . 7 . 76–94 . ja:動画王 . Dōga-Oh . Animation King . Kinema Junpo. . ja . Kinema Junposha KK.
3. Web site: GATCHAMAN! The story of Tatsuo Yoshida and his greatest creation. . 2008-05-11.
4. Web site: Dai-Jū-Kai Animēshon Kōbe Shō. 10th Animation Kobe Awards. ja:第10回アニメーション神戸賞. ja. October 2, 2005. November 9, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20160322192417/http://anime-kobe.jp/archive/2005/anime-kobe/. March 22, 2016. dead.
5. Web site: Kyakuin Kyōju. ja:客員教授. Guest Professors. ja. November 9, 2015. Kyoto University of Arts and Crafts. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081500/http://www.kyobi.ac.jp/subject/teachers03.html. March 4, 2016. dead.
6. Web site: Tatsunoko Production Co-Founder Ippei Kuri Passes Away. Anime News Network. Mateo. Alex. July 19, 2023. July 19, 2023.