Kunihiko Yuyama

Kunihiko Yuyama
湯山 邦彦
Born (1952-10-15) October 15, 1952 (age 72)
Tokyo, Japan
NationalityJapanese
OccupationAnime director
Years active1977–present

Kunihiko Yuyama (湯山 邦彦, Yuyama Kunihiko, born October 15, 1952) is a Japanese director best known for his work on the Pokémon anime franchise.[1] He also directed Magical Princess Minky Momo, Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko, The Three Musketeers Anime, Ushio and Tora, Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning, Plawres Sanshiro, Slayers Return, Slayers Great, and Wedding Peach.

Career

Developing an interest in animation while still at high school, Yuyama worked as an animator's assistant on episodes of Space Battleship Yamato and Brave Raideen. He was a sketch artist and storyboard artist on the foreign co-production Barbapapa (1973) and joined Aoi Productions in 1978. The same year, he had his directorial debut while working for Aoi on Galaxy Express 999, and soon struck up a successful working partnership with the screenwriter Takeshi Shudo on GoShogun. In 1982, he promoted to "chief director", an overseeing role on Magical Princess Minky Momo. While remaining in TV during the 1980s, he also played a leading role in anime's exodus into video. His work also showed a mastery of elements for a female audience, most obvious in his Three Musketeers spin-off, Aramis' Adventure. After working on Ushio and Tora, he gained true fame through his involvement with later works on Pokémon.

Filmography

Anime

List of production work in anime
Year Title Crew role Notes Source[2]
1977 Ippatsu Kanta-kun In-between animation
1978–1981 Galaxy Express 999 Episode director
1980 Zukkoke Knight - Don De La Mancha Series director, Episode director, Storyboard
1980 Space Warrior Baldios Episode director, Storyboard
1981 GoShogun Director, Episode director, Storyboard Also director, storyboard on 1982 film and 1985 Time Stranger OVA [3]
1982–83 Magical Princess Minky Momo Series director, episode director, storyboard Also OVAs and specials in 1985–1994
1983 Plawres Sanshiro Chief director, episode director, storyboard
1985 Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko Screenplay, Director OVA, also released to theater
1986 Windaria Director [4]
1987 Tekkamen o Oue - D'Artagnan Monogatari yori
鉄仮面を追え「ダルタニャン物語」より		 Director
1987 TWD Express: Rolling Takeoff
ja:TWD EXPRESS		 Director Also Rolling Takeout
1987 The Three Musketeers Anime Director, Episode director, storyboard
1987 Fujikofujio no kiteretsudaihyakka
藤子不二雄のキテレツ大百科		 Storyboard
1989 The Three Musketeers Anime film Director
1989 Fujiko F Fujio no T P bon
藤子・F・不二雄のT・Pぼん		 Director, Storyboard
1989–90 Time Travel Tondekeman Chief director, Episode director, storyboard
1991 Slow Step Director
1992 Ushio and Tora Director Also OVAs in 1993.
1993 Apfel Land Story
ja:アップフェルラント物語		 Director OVA
1993 Yaiba General director
1995 Jura Tripper Director
1995–96 Wedding Peach Director Also OVA 1996
1995 Kōryū no Mimi Director
1995 Weather Report Girl Screenplay, Director OVA
1996 Slayers Return General director
1996 Shin Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning Director
1997 Kougyou aika volley boys
ja:工業哀歌バレーボーイズ		 Director OVA
1997–2019 Pokémon General director Also OVAs, specials, spinoffs, shorts
1997 Slayers Great General director
1998 Pokémon: The First Movie Director, Storyboard Also director on Pikachu's Vacation
1999 Pokémon: The Movie 2000 Director, Storyboard Also director on Pikachu's Rescue Adventure
2000 Pokémon 3: The Movie Director
2001 Pokémon 4Ever Director Also director on short
2002 Pokémon Heroes Director Also director on short [5]
2002 Pokémon Chronicles Director spin-off show
2003 Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker Director Also director on short [6]
2004 Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys Director
2005 Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew Director
2006 Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea Director
2007 Pokémon: The Rise of Darkrai Director [7]
2008 Pokémon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior Director [8]
2009 Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life Director [9][10][11]
2010 Pokémon: Zoroark: Master of Illusions Director [12]
2011 Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom Director Also director on short [13]
2012 Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice Director Also director on short [14][15]
2013 Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened Director Also director on short [16]
2014 Pokémon the Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction Director, Storyboard Also director on short [17]
2015 Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages General director, storyboard Also director on short
2016 Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel Director, Storyboard
2016 Rudolf the Black Cat Director
2017 Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You! Director
2019 Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution Director
2022 PuniRunes Chief director [18]
2024 Sai-Kyo-Oh! Zukan: The Ultimate Battles Chief director [19]
2024 PuniRunes Puni 2 Chief director [20]

Live-action

List of production work in live-action shows
Year Title Crew role Notes Source
Keitai Sōsakan 7 Episode director TV drama [21]

References

  1. ^ "湯山邦彦 ゆやま・くにひこ". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  2. ^ "検索結果 / アニメ / メディア芸術データベース – 検索キーワード – 湯山邦彦" [Search results for Kunihiko Yuyama in anime]. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Japan: Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "Buried Treasure - Time Stranger". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "Buried Treasure - Windaria". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  5. ^ "Los Angeles Anime Festival". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  6. ^ "Pokémon: Jirachi Wish Maker from BVHE". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  7. ^ "Eva:01 is Japan's #4 Selling DVD of 2008's 1st Half". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "Japanese Box Office, July 26–27: Ponyo Keeps Top Spot (Updated)". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  9. ^ "Japanese Box Office, July 18–19". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  10. ^ "2009's Top Anime Movies at Japanese Box Office". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  11. ^ "Sunrise Makes Original Anime for Shoko Nakagawa's Tour". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  12. ^ "Pokemon, Eden of the East, Working!! Promos Streamed". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  13. ^ "Japan's Animation TV Ranking, July 11–17". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  14. ^ "Pokémon: Kyurem Vs. Seikenshi Film to Open in 2012". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  15. ^ "Pokémon 15th Anniversary Film's Full Title with Keldeo Confirmed". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  16. ^ "Pokémon: ExtremeSpeed Genesect: Mewtwo's Awakening Trailer Posted". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  17. ^ "1st Pokémon XY Film's Teaser Confirms July 19 Opening". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  18. ^ "Pokémon's Kunihiko Yuyama Helms TV Anime of Takara Tomy's PuniRunes Digital Pets". Anime News Network. August 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  19. ^ "Sai-Kyo-Oh! Zukan Children's Book Series Gets Anime Starting on January 6". Anime News Network. December 15, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  20. ^ "PuniRunes Puni 2 Anime's New Video Reveals More Cast, Staff, October 6 Debut". Anime News Network. August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  21. ^ "Miike, I.G Create Mobile Phone Detectives 7 TV Drama". animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017.