Yoh Yoshinari

Japanese anime director

Yoh Yoshinari
吉成曜
Born	(1971-05-06) May 6, 1971 (age 53) Tokyo, Japan
Occupation(s)	Anime director, animator, character designer, storyboard artist, illustrator
Years active	1992–present
Family	Koh Yoshinari (older brother)

Yoh Yoshinari (吉成曜, Yoshinari Yō, born May 6, 1971) is a Japanese key animator, storyboard artist, and anime director.

Biography

Early life

Yoshinari was born in Tokyo on May 6, 1971. He graduated from Tokyo Designer Gakuin College.^[1]

Career

Yoshinari entered the anime industry through the influence of his older brother, Kou Yoshinari. Several of his early works were uncredited second key animation and in-betweens for his brother during high school. After leaving professional school, he applied to Gainax and Madhouse. Not receiving a response from Gainax, he joined Madhouse. Due to a misunderstanding, Gainax failed to process his application until three months later. Not wanting to explain, Yoshinari told Madhouse "being an animator is too hard for me", and switched to Gainax.^[2]

At Gainax, Yoshinari had joined just after the closure of Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water.^[2] With nothing to do, he was immediately put onto visual development for the film Aoki Uru.^[3] The brief turn around after Nadia put Yoshinari on the fast track to becoming a key animator.

Animation style and influences

He is recognized by the way he represents volume and perspective using spheres,^[3] especially for smoke and explosions,^[2] as well as his character action in general. He remarks Nijitte Monogatari is one of his most important influences,^[3] with his artistic style particularly visible in his design work for Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann,^[4] and Little Witch Academia.^[5] His favorite American creators are Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken and Lauren Faust.^[6]

Notable works

Neon Genesis Evangelion (key animator, mechanical animation director)
The End of Evangelion (key animator, assistant animation director)
Dead Leaves (key animator)
Mahoromatic (key animator)
Medabots (key animator)
One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (key animator)
Valkyrie Profile (concept art, character designer)
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (concept art, character designer)
FLCL (storyboard artist, key animator)
Diebuster (key animator)
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World (key animator, creature design)
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (key animator)
Gurren Lagann (mechanical design)^[4]
Gurren Lagann Parallel Works (director, animation director, storyboard artist, key animator, ep. 8)
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (concept art, animation director, key animation, ep. 12B)^[7]
Little Witch Academia (concept creator, director, character designer, animation director)^[5]
Kill la Kill (storyboard artist, key animator)
Kizumonogatari (key animator, part 1, 3)
Space Patrol Luluco (effect artist)^[8]
Promare (storyboard artist, key animator)
BNA: Brand New Animal (director)^[9]
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (character designer)^[10]

References

^ コミックマーケット88で「吉成曜画集　イラストレーション編」を発売！イベント特典小冊子は「吉成曜のうすい本」!!. Anime Style (in Japanese). August 5, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Yoh Yoshinari Interview (Animestyle, 03/2013) Part 1/3". Wave Motion Cannon. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Yoh Yoshinari Interview (Animestyle, 03/2013) Part 2/3". Wave Motion Cannon. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Interview: Gainax on Gurren Lagann". Anime News Network. July 28, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
^ ^a ^b "Studio Trigger's 'Little Witch Academia' Trailer Posted - News". Anime News Network. January 17, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
^ Varun, Gupta (September 16, 2022). "Hiromi Wakabayashi & Yoh Yoshinari From Studio Trigger Interview Otakon 2022". Manga Mavericks. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
^ "Gainax's Newest Is Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (Updated)". Anime News Network. May 6, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
^ 宇宙パトロールルル子. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
^ "Yoh Yoshinari, Trigger Reveal Brand New Animal Original TV Anime for 2020". Anime News Network. July 5, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
^ "Trigger Announces Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Anime for Netflix Debut in 2022". Anime News Network. June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2022.