Ask John: Who is John’s Favorite Director?

Question:
Who is John’s favorite Anime Director and why? I personally think Kazuhiro Furuhashi is the best of his generation. From Rurouni Kenshin (TV and OVA), Hunter x Hunter to Le Chevalier D’Eon and Real Drive, Amatsuki to his latest, Gundam Unicorn. He continues to make compelling works and most of all, his realistic characters and situations. I think he is the best director for adding emotion to a scene which is vital in any great story or film. One of the many things he makes use of is his trademark use of first person point of view and choice of music that reflects mood in certain scenes which makes his work so effective.

Shinichiro Watanabe is probably a close second but I feel he hasn’t created enough work yet [which] sometimes makes Cowboy Bebop seem like a one hit wonder even though Samurai Champloo was great too.

Answer:
I maintain a personal credo of attempting to not follow specific anime directors. I understand that appeal and value of doing so, but doing so also inevitably encourages predisposition to upcoming productions and can lead to inflated expectations and disappointment. I have an academic interest in the work of many individual anime directors, but I try to avoid expecting any particular director to consistently produce shows that I’ll adore. Instead, I want to appreciate each anime I watch on its own strengths. That said, there are anime directors whom I respect and directors that I like. It would be very easy to give a predictable answer. I can’t imagine any anime fan that wouldn’t call Hayao Miyazaki a favorite director. Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii, Masaaki Yuasa, and Koji Morimoto are particular critical favorites. Seiji Mizushima has come to prominence for me, particularly, with his recent run of Fullmetal Alchemist, Oh! Edo Rocket, Gundam OO, and Hanamaru Yochien. I’m also particularly fond of Tsutomu Mizushima, director of Hare Nochi Guu, several Crayon Shin-chan movies, Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan, Dai Mahou Touge, Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku, Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san, and XXXHOLiC. However, if I’m forced to choose a single favorite director, my selection is Koji Masunari.

With titles including Photon, Android Ana Maico 2010, Kokoro Toshokan, Risky Safety, Kamichu, R.O.D., and Saber Marionette R on his resume, Masunari has consistently helmed productions that I’ve enjoyed immensely. Moreover, Masunari’s productions are consistently imbued with a personal character that’s not always present in every anime production. Masunari’s directorial efforts – with the partial exception of the R.O.D. television series, I would say – are consistently distinguished by stylistic creativity and evocative atmosphere. Photon remains one of the most hilarious anime series I’ve ever watched. Maico 2010 took place almost exclusively inside one room, yet the series never felt isolated or dull. Kokoro Toshokan, Risky Safety, and Kamichu – especially the later – are heartfelt and charming productions that deftly merge whimsy, fantasy, sci-fi, and tender sentimentality. The R.O.D. and Saber Marionette R OVA series are exhileratingly exciting. In its short length, Saber R packs in a tremendous amount of character. The R.O.D. OVA series remains one of the most kinetic screen productions I’ve ever watched. Masunari’s upcoming feature film, Welcome to the Space Show, promises to again contain the wondrous visual creativity evenly balanced with engrossing characterization that has typified his directing career. Anime otaku typically think of directors like Miyazaki, Kon, Oshii, Yuasa, and Morimoto as anime’s preeminent personal directors – creators who express their distinctive artistic vision through each of their unique anime productions. We tend to not give as much credit to the directors who helm productions that seem less personal and more commercial. However, considering the way that Koji Masunari drastically diverged Maico 2010 and Risky Safety from their original manga, in the process creating his own original vision of these titles, and his creative involvement in the development of R.O.D, Kamichu, and Welcome to the Space Show, I think that Masunari deserves to be recognized as one of the anime industry’s great personal directors – a director that makes his shows uniquely his own and imbues each of his works with an extraordinary degree of personality.