The man who changed the face of Telecom, even more than Hayao Miyazaki.
Born in 1960, Toshihiko Masuda is one of the major directors at Telecom Animation Film. He joined with Telecom in 1980 as a in-between animator and became a director in 1983, taking over Hayao Miyazaki's unit after he left to go work at Topcraft to do Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Masuda is known for his wacky and fluid animation, and is the one who set the style in Telecom's western productions in the '80s and '90s.
In more recent years, he's broken off into being a freelancer; not only working with TMS/Telecom from time to time, but also with TMS's partner studios Studio Hibari and Magic Bus among other companies.
Productions worked on by Toshihiko Masuda:
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80's work
- Ulysses31: First known production that Masuda worked on, worked on the pilot; In-Betweener.
- The New Adventures Of Zorro: In-Betweener
- Inspector Gadget: First production as a director, in this case as Animation Director for Coo Coo Clock Caper.
- The Littles: Episode Animation Director
- Sherlock Hound: Post Miyazaki, In-Betweener
- Mighty Orbots: Episode Director
- The Real Ghostbusters: Animation Director for the pilot.
- The Wuzzles: Chief Telecom Director and Episode Animation Director.
- Adventures of the Gummi Bears: Chief Telecom Director and Episode Animation Director.
- Galaxy High: Key Animation
- Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers: Key Animation
- DuckTales (1987): Chief Telecom Director and Episode Animation Director.
- ALF The Animated Series:Director, first episode.
- Lupin III:
- The Fuma Conspiracy: Key Animation
- Bionic Six: Episode Director; notably Episode 65.
- The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Chief Telecom Director and Episode Animation Director.
- AKIRA: Key Animation
- Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland: Directing Animator
- Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers: Chief Telecom Director and Episode Animation Director.
90's work
- Tiny Toon Adventures: Chief Telecom Director; Storyboard Artist; Timing and Lay Out Revisionist; Character and BG Key Design and Episode Animation Director for the opening, "Tiny Toons Music Television", parts of Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation and "Take Elmyra Please".
- Ozanari Dungeon: Director for OVA 1.
- Peter Pan & the Pirates: Episode Animation Director
- Batman: The Animated Series: Storyboards; Character and BG Key Design; Lay Out Revisionist and Animation Director ("Fear Of Victory" and the cut scenes to the Sega CD version of "The Adventures Of Batman and Robin").
- Animaniacs: Chief Telecom Director; Storyboard; Timing and Lay Out Revisionist; Character (notably for Mr. Director) and BG Key Design and Animation Director for several shorts, including "Potty Emergency","Clown and Out" and "Hooked on a Ceiling".
- 2 Disk Station shorts: 1 Puyo Puyo Based (the one when Rulue has the hots for Minotauros but it turns out it was just a dream
) and one not Puyo based. - Lupin III
- Farewell to Nostradamus: Assistant Animation Director
- The Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries: Chief Telecom Director
- Astal: Telecom Director
- A Pinky and the Brain Christmas: Head Animation Director (he is listed as a director and under the name Toshiko Masuda, but the special's real director is Rusty Mills).
- Superman: The Animated Series: Animation Production Supervisor for two episodes; Episode Director for two episodes and World's Finest; Storyboards; BG Key Design and Key Animation.
- An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island: Key Animation
- Cyber Six: Chief Telecom Director, Storyboards and Episode Director.
2000's work
Side Note: Due to other studios outsourcing varying amounts of work to Telecom by this time, not everything will be listed from here on. For a slightly more extensive list, click here.
.- DanceDanceRevolution-Disney Dancing Museum: Key Animation
- Inuyasha: Key Animation
- Medabots Spirits: Key Animation
- Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker: Director
- Patapata Hikousen No Bouken: Storyboards
- Pita-Ten: Storyboards
- Sonic X: Storyboards
- Mankatsu: Character Design
- Mujin Wakusei Survive: Storyboards
- Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew: Key Animation
- Howl's Moving Castle: Key Animation
- Bleach: Storyboards and Key Animation
- Flag: Storyboards
- Death Note: Key Animation
- The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: Key Animation
- Ramen Fighter Miki: Storyboards
- Pururun Shizuku Chan: Character Design and Animation Director (Character Design only in series 2)
- Red Garden: Animation Direction
- Live On Card Live R Kakeru: Character Design Animation Director and Key Animation.
- Piano No Mori: Storyboards
- Lupin III
- Elusiveness Of The Fog: Director and Storyboards
- Noramimi: Storyboards (both shows).
- The Daughter of Twenty Faces: Key Animation
- Love To Live By (Music Video): Director
- Stitch!: Storyboards for episodes 8 and 22.
- Green Lantern: First Flight: Storyboard Revisionist, Character and BG Design and Key Animation.
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: Key Animation
2010's work
- Spellbound! Magical Princess Lil'Pri (first series): Director for both openings, also did some retakes for the first ending (lead by Kenji Hachizaki).
- Cartoon Style Fighting Kids/It's Tropical (Live Action X Animation cross bread; Also A Music Video): Animation Director.
- Batman: Under the Red Hood: Key Animation
- Cardfight!! Vanguard: Key Animation for the second opening and episodes 53, 60 and 65.
- Tantei Opera Milky Holmes: Storyboards
- You Are Umasou: Animation Director
- ThunderCats (2011): Key Animation for the first episode.
- Blade: Storyboards for episodes 9 and 11. Key Animation for episodes 1 and 12.
- Mobile Suit Gundam AGE: Key animation for four episodes.
- Monsuno: Key Animation for episode 11.
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Key Animation and Animation Director for various entries in David Production's adaptation.
- Justice League: Doom: Storyboards (under the name of Toshihiku Masuda).
- Kids on the Slope: Key Animation on episode four.
- Superman vs. the Elite: Animation Director
- Chousoku Henkei Gyrozetter: Key animation for episode 24.
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Animation director for episodes 5 and 12. Key Animation for episodes 12 and 19.
- Aikatsu! (Season 1): Director for the (main) pre-opening bumper and Storyboards on episodes 13, 21, 26 and 29.
- Aikatsu (Season 2): Storyboards for episode 10, 13, 20, 27, 31, 36, 41 and 48.
- Son of Batman: Key Animation.
- Lupin III
- Lupin III: The Italian Adventure: Storyboards, Animation Direction, Key Animation
- Gravestone of Daisuke Jigen: Key Animation
- Fujiko Mine's Lie: Key Animation
- Shirobako: Key Animation
- Maria the Virgin Witch: Key Animation
- Gate: Key Animation
- Mr Osomatsu: Key Animation
- Digimon Universe Appli Monsters: Key Animation
- Attack on Titan: Key Animation; Seasons 2 through 4
- Atom: The Beginning: Key Animation
- Sakura Quest: Key Animation
- Re:CREATORS: Key Animation
- Mary and The Witch's Flower: Key Animation
- Here Comes the Three Angels: Key Animation
- My First Girlfriend Is a Gal: Key Animation
- Black Clover: Storyboards, Key Animation
- GARO: Vanishing Line: Key Animation
- Zombie Land Saga: Key Animation
- Killing Bites: Key Animation
- Megalobox: Key Animation
- FLCL Progressive: Key Animation
- Karakuri Circus: Storyboards
- Sword Art Online: Alicization: Key Animation
- City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes: Key Animation
- Fire Force: Key Animation
2020's work
- Tower of God: Key Animation
- Sakura Wars the Animation: Storyboards
- One Piece: Key Animation
- Cells at Work!: Key Animation for Season 2
- Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song: Key Animation
- The Detective is Already Dead: Storyboards
- Lupin III
- Lupin III: Part 6: Key Animation
- Lupin Zero: Animation Supervisor, Key Animation
- Scarlet Nexus: Key Animation
- Tekken: Bloodline: Key Animation
- Shenmue: Action and Effects Supervision, Key Animation
- My Hero Academia: Key Animation for Season 6
- Mob Psycho 100: Key Animation
- Scott Pilgrim Takes Off: Key Animation
