Line #41 Creator/MasaakiYuasa


1	[[quoteright:288:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/masaaki_yuasa_at_anime_expo_2013_6406.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:288:A rare sighting of Yuasa staying on-model.]]
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4	Masaaki Yuasa (born March 16, 1965) is one of the most prominent figures of alternative anime. His visual style is immediately recognizable as it significantly differs from standard anime iconography and rather displays influence from Western animation, particularly American cartoons as well as Russian and European avant-garde animation. He learned his profession in London, hence the international style with [[SignatureStyle extensive manipulation of perspective, bright colors, exaggerated facial expressions and fast-paced action sequences]]. He has been compared to independent animator Creator/BillPlympton, cartoon savage Creator/JohnKricfalusi, the films of Creator/MushiProductions and George Dunning.
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6	He's not only considered a virtuoso animator and art director, he also directed a variety of own films and series himself, brought to life with Creator/{{Madhouse}} and Creator/Studio4C. Some of his works achieved cult status among anime fans, most notably Anime/MindGame and Anime/TheTatamiGalaxy.
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8	In 2013, Yuasa received an offer to direct an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. He teamed up with frequent collaborator Eunyoung Choi in order to form a studio to produce the episode. This studio became Creator/ScienceSARU, which has produced all of Yuasa's works since then. Yuasa left Science SARU on good terms on March 25, 2020, just three days after the series finale of the anime adaptation of ''Manga/KeepYourHandsOffEizouken'', which he directed; Choi has since taken over the position of CEO. His final project with the studio, ''Inu-Oh'', is due for release in 2021.
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10	'''Notable Works as Director:'''
11	[[index]]
12	* ''Vampiyan Kids'' (1999), pilot film
13	* ''Anime/MindGame'' (2004)
14	* ''Anime/{{Kemonozume}}'' (2006)
15	* ''Genius Party'' (2008), director of ''Happy Machine''
16	* ''Anime/{{Kaiba}}'' (2008)
17	* ''Literature/TheTatamiGalaxy'' (2010)
18	* ''Kick Heart'' (2012)
19	* ''Manga/PingPong'' (2014)
20	* ''Anime/SpaceDandy'' (2014), episode "Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Baby"
21	* [[/index]]''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' (2014), episode "Food Chain", also sung the intro for the episode.[[index]]
22	* ''Anime/TheNightIsShortWalkOnGirl'' (2017)
23	* ''Anime/LuOverTheWall'' (2017)
24	* ''Anime/DevilmanCrybaby'' (2018)
25	* ''Anime/RideYourWave'' (2019)
26	* ''Manga/KeepYourHandsOffEizouken'' (2020)
27	* ''[[Anime/JapanSinks Japan Sinks: 2020]]'' (2020)
28	* ''Anime/InuOh'' (2021)
29	[[/index]]
30
31	'''As Art Director or Key Animator:'''
32	* ''Manga/ChibiMarukoChan'' (1990), opening and ending animation (first season)
33	* ''Manga/CrayonShinChan'' (1992), opening animation (fifth and sixth seasons) and ending animation (third and fourth seasons), animation director on episodes 48, 126, 260, 291 and specials. Also worked as a key animator on several movies.
34	* ''Anime/AgentAika'' (1995), key animation on episode 5
35	* ''Anime/MyNeighborsTheYamadas'' (1999), key animation
36	* ''Anime/CatSoup'' (2001), art direction, screenplay
37	* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' (2004), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TDu8kiz7Jo#t=15s Key animation on episode 9]]
38	* ''Anime/MichikoAndHatchin'' (2008), ending animation direction and storyboards
39	* ''Anime/WelcomeToTheSpaceShow'' (2010), opening titles
40	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'' (2010), character design for "Noximilien" episode
41	* ''Literature/TheMysticArchivesOfDantalian'' (2011), key animation on episode 11
42	* ''Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine'' (2012), key animation on episode 12
43	* ''Anime/PhotoKano'' (2013), storyboards for episode 7
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45	!!Tropes associated with his work:
46	* ArtShift: Constantly. Not sticking with one SignatureStyle ''is'' his SignatureStyle.
47	* AuthorAppeal: His name has almost become a ''brand'', so people expect virtuoso offbeat animation.
48	* BottomlessBladder: Averted in many of his works.
49	* CastOfSnowflakes: ''Anime/{{Kaiba}}'' and ''Anime/MindGame'' exceed in this category.
50	* DerangedAnimation: A noted master, even respected [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVgv1d0PeZQ among his oversea peers]]. It's almost more common for an animation of his to be off-model than on-model!
51	* GainaxEnding: Many of his works end like this.
52	* Main/{{God}}: Spoofed in ''Anime/MindGame'' and ''Anime/CatSoup''.
53	* MediumBlending: He uses whatever he finds suitable, most excessively in ''Anime/MindGame'' and ''Anime/TheTatamiGalaxy''.
54	* MindScrew: Since most of his films are surrealistic or even kafkaesque.
55	* PlayedForLaughs: Many jokes are created by [[ExaggeratedTrope exaggerating]] a trope up to eleven with his surrealist animations.
56	* PostModernism: Good luck finding a conventional narrative of his.
57	* SignatureStyle:
58	** Extensive manipulation of perspective, bright colors, exaggerated facial expressions and fast-paced action sequences.
59	** Thematically he is a specialist of surrealism and twisted drama.
60	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Projects vary but most are usually idealistic with some cynical undertones.
61	** ''Anime/MindGame'' starts off leaning more towards the cynical end but ends on a beautiful and downright awe-inspiring finale.
62	** ''Anime/LuOverTheWall'' goes back and forth on the scale. It starts and ends idealistic, but slides to the cynical side during the middle act.
63	** ''[[Anime/DevilmanCrybaby DEVILMAN Crybaby]]'' may be the only major project of his that leans closer to the cynical side.

Context Creator / MasaakiYuasa