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Kazuya Tsurumaki (born February 2, 1966) is an anime director once working for Creator/StudioGainax but is now with Creator/StudioKhara, who could be considered the successor to Creator/HideakiAnno, and Anno has indeed described him as his protégé at several occasions. He started out working with Anno on ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'' and ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. After Anno quit working on ''Manga/HisAndHerCircumstances'' due to CreativeDifferences, Tsurumaki took over the director's duties. Since then, he has worked on several major projects for Gainax, including [[Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion the remake]] of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Anno's magnum opus]]. ''Anime/{{FLCL}}'' is perhaps his best-known work (in the West at least) as well as the only thing he's directed that Anno didn't somehow have a hand in[[note]]except for voice-acting a cat[[/note]].

'''Directed:'''
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion: The End of Evangelion'' ([[{{Foil}} co-directed]] with Creator/HideakiAnno)
* ''Manga/HisAndHerCircumstances'' (took over after [[CreativeDifferences Anno quit]])
* ''Anime/{{FLCL}}''
* ''Anime/{{Diebuster}}'' (sequel to [[Anime/GunBuster a series directed by Anno]])
* ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' (remake of [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion a series directed by Anno]])
* ''Anime/TheDragonDentist'' ([[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking produced by]] [[OverlyLongGag Anno]])

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