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->''"I consider that someone else is more interested in something that is light and cute. There are many other creators who are skilled at that genre so I defer that work to them."''

Yoshiaki Kawajiri (川尻 善昭 Kawajiri Yoshiaki, born November 18, 1950 in Yokohama) is a critically acclaimed writer and director of Japanese animation. A former aspiring manga artist, he began his career in the "deceased" Mushi Production Animation until it closed in 1972, then went to have a succesful career in Studio Madhouse. Around 1987, Kawajiri was commissioned to make ''Anime/WickedCity'', a very dark movie based on Creator/HideyukiKikuchi's novels; it was supposed to be a short one, but his bosses loved it so much that they told him to make it feature length, which he complied to. Ever since then, Kawajiri has been regarded as a pioneer of DarkerAndEdgier animation in Japan.

Compared to other big names of anime, Kawajiri has kept himself relatively low-key and unprolific as a director, having helmed less than a dozen of full projects and most of them being adaptations of little known works. However, he has worked as an animator for MANY series and movies, and has enough of a CultClassic following in United States and abroad to be invited to animation ventures from time to time.

The love of many Americans for him is reciprocal: he is a fan of United States TV series like ''Series/MissionImpossible'', ''Series/{{Rawhide}}'' and ''Series/{{Lost}}'', and was already a big fan of ''Film/TheMatrix'' when he was called to partake in ''Anime/TheAnimatrix''. Aside from Americans with big guns, he likes eveything related to {{Ninja}}, and it shows.

Not to be confused with [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable Kosaku Kawajiri]].

!!Main works in which Yoshiaki Kawajiri has been involved:

* ''[[Literature/{{Lensman}} Lensman: Secret of the Lens]]'' - From 1984.
* ''Anime/WickedCity'' - From 1987, his breakout work.
* ''Anime/DemonCityShinjuku'' - From 1988.
* ''Manga/GokuMidnightEye'' - Also from 1988.
* ''Literature/AWindNamedAmnesia'' - From 1990.
* ''Anime/CyberCityOedo808'' - From 1990.
* ''Anime/NinjaScroll'' - From 1993, the first work of his to really become famous in the West and still arguably his best-known work. Had a TV series in 2003, though Kawajiri had zero involvement on it.
* ''Manga/{{X 1999}}'' - Both the film and the TV series.
* ''Literature/VampireHunterD'' - The ''Bloodlust'' movie (adapted -[[AdaptationExpansion loosely]]- from the 3rd novel of the book series) from 2000.
** ''Vampire Hunter D: Resurrection'' - AllCGICartoon produced by Unified Pictures and Digital Frontier set to be released stateside first before Japan. Both Kawajiri and Hideyuki Kikuchi are involved in production.
* ''Anime/TheAnimatrix'' - From 2003. Directed the segment "Program" and wrote that and "World Record".
* ''Film/{{Azumi}} 2: Death or Love:'' - Live action film from 2005 in which Kawajiri worked as a guest writer.
* ''Anime/HighlanderTheSearchForVengeance'' - From 2007.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanGothamKnight'' - From 2008. Directed the segment "Deadshot" (uncredited).

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!!Tropes found in works by Yoshiaki Kawajiri:

* ActionGirl: Loves strong female fighters, although he also plays with the FauxActionGirl trope depending of the medium. He went to [[https://www.matrixfans.net/the-animatrix/world-record/interview-with-writer-yoshiaki-kawajiri/ reveal]], however, that strong female leads represent his own personality.
* BadassNormal: Kawajiri's protagonists and/or relatively heroic-oriented characters often use "common" skills, including smarts and tech, against enemies who are usually endowed with impressive supernatural or groundbreaking abilities. It kinda makes a point of MugglesDoItBetter, as the heroes always manage to overcome their opponents on their own way despite the comparative lack of power.
* BloodierAndGorier - DarkerAndEdgier - HotterAndSexier: He ''pioneered'' in all of them!
* BodyHorror
* BornLucky: Played with. Although he isn't over contundent victories, Kawajiri loves to include at least a battle in which the heroes win by sheer luck or are saved by a very external factor; however, it never affects the medium's mood and its possible tragic outcomes.
* {{Cyberpunk}}
* DarkFantasy
* DesignatedVictim: Some of his female leads.
* FanDisservice ''and'' FanService
* HumansArePsychicInTheFuture: All of his works set in the future feature PsychicPowers in some way or another.
* LanternJawOfJustice: His male characters, both heroes and villains.
* PersonalityPowers: Kawajiri favors large casts of enemies fitted with unique abilities, many of them reflecting their individual personalities or fighting styles.
* PluckyGirl: Being victimized doesn't mean they'll give up on their purposes, though. Makie from ''Anime/WickedCity'' and Sayaka from ''Anime/DemonCityShinjuku'' are the best examples.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: Common traits of his female characters are very pale skin and black or dark bluish hair, along with an inverted triangle-shaped face design.
* TallDarkAndSnarky: His leads, both male and female, often fall into it.

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