Animation &(sometimes) Video

In the world of Japanese animation Yutaka Nakamura is a influential animator. Many of his techniques have been taken inspiration from, to a point where some animation cuts could be mistaken for Nakamura’s. Though, out of all the techniques he has both created and implemented; none is more iconic as his use of geometrically square debris. Nakamura uses them to such a degree that they have been dubbed Yutapon Cubes. This could have been mistaken for Nakamura

Nakamura’s cubes

Those who use take inspiration from Yutaka Nakamura

Yutaka Nakamura has worked on many shows over his career, mainly at studio Bones. Primarily his animation cuts are major action scenes, either animating the scene himself or animating the climax. They usually involve large camera movement, geometric debris, and impact frames. The range of actions he animates is widely varied. He has done many types of fights, swords, guns, fists, super powers; not only limited to that he has done dance and vehicle animation. At Bones the shows he has worked on include Sword of the Stranger, Cowboy Bebop the movie, Soul Eater, Full Metal Alchemist, Blood Blockade Battlefront, and My Hero Academia.

Being primarily a games animator, Mariel has always had an interest in video games throughout her life. Her first video game console was an Atari 800, and later her first fighting game would be Street Fighter 2 on the Sega Genesis. She would then process to play fighting games casually, playing them on and off with friends. They ranged from more 2d fighters like Street Fighter, to 3d fighters such as Soul Caliber. In particular she admired Guilty Gear, and Dead or Alive. Guilty Gear she liked how it emulated the anime aesthetic, and for Dead or Alive she really liked the character Lei Fang. Personally I believe that the characters that she liked in these games heavily influenced her art style, notably Cammy from Street Fighter and Lei Fang bare similar large breasts and/or hips. Though she was never good at fighting game or desired to get better, she always just wanted to watch them for their animation. These influences not only allowed her to animate for Skullgirls, but she also carried this style to the game Indivisible.

Observed from both her work at Lab Zero games with Skullgirls and Indivisible, and the art work on her Tumblr blog; Mariel prefers to draw and animate women, partially ones with both large breasts and hips. It is difficult to discern her exact animation style as there is no obvious signature technique that she implements into her work. Instead she is expert in base animation principle. She frequently use follow through, over shots, smears, and distortion to create easily readable animations to fit the frame limitations of games. Link to her Tumblr where most of these images are from (18+ warning): http://kinucakes.tumblr.com/

Having been founded by former staff from Toei Animation, I can only assume that the creators over at Doga Kobo would have carried experiences they accumulated there over to their works. However, early 70s Toei were producing shows like Mazinger Z, and Devilman; both don’t reflect Doga Kobo’s current image. Doga Kobo themselves in the early 2000s were only producing generic light/visual novel adaptations such as Ryōko Yakushiji's Strange Case Files and 11eyes. So it is my belief that their image stems from the success of a show they made at the end of 2011. From their track record of shows, the start of them producing more light hearted comedies began with 2011′s Yuruyuri. Quickly in the years following three or even four of the total of the roughly four shows they made per year were comedy focused. This would make sense given that Yuruyuri became hugely successful in Japan, gaining a large cult following.

Over the past 44 years studio Doga Kobo has produced many animated shows. However because of the nature of the Japanese animation industry many of the staff change from production to production. Thus the studio has no definitive consistent style, though the nature of material the studio decides to adapt influences the image of the company as a whole. The major of their works are light-hearted comedies that depict everyday life, or romance comedies. Having many experiences working these types of shows, the majority of Doga Kobo’s original works such as Plastic Memories also fall into these categories. Thus they have built an image of bright contrasting colours, cutesy character designs, and expressive character animation

Established on the 11th of July 1973, Doga Kobo is an Japanese animation studio. They were founded by former members of Toei Animation, namely Hideo Furusawa and Megumu Ishiguro. Toei Animation is well known for their adaptations of both Dragon Ball and One Piece. Doga Kobo’s offices are located in Nerima, Tokyo. Their productions include adaptations of manga such as Yuruyuri, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, and New Game; as well as visual/light novel adaptations and original works. They continue to produce shows multiple times a year to this day.

Growing up playing gaming all her life, Mariel ‘Kinuko’ Cartwright, originally posted her artwork on a site called Mecha Fetus visual blog in 2006 while attending college between 2005 and 2009. During college she took freelance video game animation jobs, and through one her Mecha Fetus colleagues Paul Roberson she got to work on the Scott Pilgrim video game which release in 2010. She is most well known for her work in the indie fighting game Skullgirls; with her having a history with fighting games, playing Street Fighter 2 when she was young. Beyond that she was also an animator on Shantae: Half-Genie Hero in 2016.

She is currently working on the action role-playing, Indivisible.

Yutaka Nakamura was born on the 22th of December 1967, with his hometown residing in Fukuoka, Japan. Graduating from Yoyogi animation school, Nakamura worked for a company which outsourced animators to Japanese animation studios such as Sunrise. Through being outsourced he went on to work on many mecha shows such as Mobile Suit Gundam G, and neon genesis evangelion; before making one of his first influential contributions with his work in the show Cowboy Bebop, animating major cuts in 12 of its 24 episodes. This lead him to working on the Cowboy Bebop movie which was helmed by the newly formed studio Bones, which then hired him on as contractor. There he would provide cuts for important action scenes in shows such as Soul Eater, FullMetal Alchemist, and My Hero Academia.

Koyaanisqatsi (1982) by Godfrey Reggio strongly portrays the chaotic nature of 1980s America through the excellent use of pattern and rhythm. A consistent rhythm of motion is present throughout the film. Amount of which and its speed creates a rhythm which starts very slow, slow pans of rocky mountains. But then gradually speeds up to a peak of dashing neon lights of the city before crashing back down to a slow crawl. Slowly panning again, but this time of the city scape. This contrast of visuals creates a pattern of technological advancement. The film begins with a cave painting and the launch of a rocket, and ends with same visuals but in reverse. Both are respectfully the low and high of human advancement. Between those cilps, the film starts with barren rocky mountains but then, gradually more human constructs are introduces.

Each time this change happens it is signaled by destruction, creating a new pattern. Whether it be the explosions at the quarry, the bomb detonation, or collapsing buildings. Each causes an increase in technology until all nature is replaced by the city, and the speed of the footage becomes extremely fast. Till the film comlunates back to the rocket, and just like other signs of change, the rocket is destroyed.

Beyond these overarching themes, the film is edited to preserve many different visual patterns. Sped up footage creates patterns of fast moving items on an assembly line seamlessly cut together with fast moving crowds of people. Moving ocean waves are matched up with the moving clouds, and lines of cars are matched up with lines of tanks.