Mitsuki Nakamura

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Mitsuki Nakamura
Born(1944-04-07)April 7, 1944
Tokyo, Japan
DiedMay 16, 2011(2011-05-16) (aged 67)
Occupations
  • Art director
  • designer
  • illustrator
Years active1965–2011
Employers

Mitsuki Nakamura (中村 光毅, Nakamura Mitsuki) (April 7, 1944 – May 16, 2011) was an art director and mecha designer in the Japanese anime industry.[1]

After working for Toei Doga, he joined Tatsunoko Productions, where he drew background art and designed mecha, supporting the first Tatsunoko golden age.[2][3] After leaving Tatsunoko, he founded Design Office Mecaman and served as its representative director.[3]

Style[edit]

Nakamura worked as art director on a number of anime works and has likewise worked as a mechanical designer.[4]

He is one of the pioneering mecha designers in the Japanese anime industry and was the first to have his name included in the end credits.[3][5][a] His best-known works as a mecha designer include Mach Five from Speed Racer, God Phoenix from Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Time Mechabuton from Time Bokan.[3][6] Mach Five, in particular, is regarded as a masterpiece of the first Tatsunoko golden age for its outstanding design sense, and its design was so perfect that it was used almost unchanged in the 2008 live-action film Speed Racer by The Wachowskis, 40 years later.[3][7]

However, his speciality was not mecha design, but anime background art.[6] Background art plays a very important role in Japanese-style animation expression techniques. This has become increasingly the case in recent years, and Nakamura's art was one of the factors to move in this direction.[7] His representative works as an art director include Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Mobile Suit Gundam, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.[8][9][10]

Career[edit]

After graduating from junior high school, Nakamura joined Toei Doga through the help of his school teacher. He gained experience in various jobs as an assistant and then as a member of the colouring staff, where he developed his knowledge of paints and colours.[3]

Nakamura, who wanted to paint background art, moved to the newly established Tatsunoko Productions in 1964 through an introduction from Toei.[11] After working on the studio's first TV series Space Ace, his love of cars led him to design cars for the studio's second work, the car racing anime series Speed Racer.[12][13]

He became head of the art section, where he instructs Yoshitaka Amano and Kunio Okawara.[6][14][15] At that time, Tatsunoko's art section was not only responsible for art, but also for the design of backgrounds, props, robots and cars, all of which were entrusted to Nakamura, who was trusted by the president, Tatsuo Yoshida.[16][17] The staff included many aspiring painters who had left art college, some working for a living and some with personalities of their own, and he had to lead them as section head. With the number of animations even increasing, it was impossible for him to do everything on his own. He therefore decided to entrust some of the mechanical design work to Okawara, who had just joined Tatsunoko. Nakamura and Okawara were credited as mechanical designers for the first time in Japanese animation history in Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, which began airing in 1972.[17][18]

At the end of 1976, he left Tatsunoko Productions and founded Design Office Mecaman with Kunio Okawara. Initially, Mecaman was planned to be a mecha design company, as Okawara was also a member of the company. However, he soon became independent and the company specialised in background art.[17][18]

Nakamura died of oral cancer on May 16, 2011, at the age of 67.[1][4]

Works[edit]

Year Title Credits Notes
TV anime series
1965-1966 Space Ace Background art
1967-1968 Speed Racer Art director Although only credited as art director, he actually did more than that, working on mecha design and OP key frames.[b] He designed Mach Five.
1967-1968 Oraa Guzura Dado Art director
1968-1969 Dokachin the Primitive Boy Art director
1969 Judo Boy Background art
1969-1970 The Genie Family Art director
1970-1971 The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee Art director
1970-1972 Inakappe Taishō Art director
1971 Animentary: Decision Art settings
1971-1972 Hyppo and Thomas Art director
1972 Pinocchio: The Series Background art
1972-1973 Tamagon the Counselor Art
1972-1974 Science Ninja Team Gatchaman Art director, mecha design He designed the mecha for the main characters, including God Phoenix.[3] The enemy mecha & guest mecha were designed by Kunio Okawara.
1973 Demetan Croaker, The Boy Frog Art director
1973-1974 Casshan Art director He worked not only on art but also on mechanical design.[16] One staff member was selected as an assistant, and Kunio Okawara helped him a little.[17]
1974-1975 Hurricane Polymar Art director, mecha design He designed the main character mecha and Kunio Okawara designed the enemy mecha.
1975 Tekkaman: The Space Knight Art director He designed the Blue Earth, Yoshitaka Amano designed Tekkaman and Pegas, and Kunio Okawara designed the enemy mecha.
1975-1976 Time Bokan Art director, mecha design He designed the main mecha and almost all the sub-mecha and guest mecha.
1976-1977 Paul's Miraculous Adventure Art director, mecha design
1976-1977 Robokko Beeton Art director
1977-1978 Supercar Gattiger Art director, mecha design
1977-1979 Yatterman Mecha design Time Bokan series 2nd. He only designed two main mechas, Yatter One and Yatter Pelican. The other main mecha, which appeared mid-season, and sub mecha were designed by Kunio Okawara.[c]
1977-1978 Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 Art director
1978-1979 Uchū Majin Daikengo Art director
1978-1979 Gatchaman II Art design
1978-1979 Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 Art Credited as Mecaman.[d]
1979 Yamato: The New Voyage Mecha settings
1979 Kaitō Lupine 813 no Nazo Art director
1979-1980 Gatchaman Fighter Art design
1979-1980 Mobile Suit Gundam Art director
1979-1980 The Ultraman Art
1980 The Wonderful Adventures of Nils Art director
1980-1981 Space Runaway Ideon Art director Under the pseudonym Tetsuya Shijō (四条 徹也, Shijō Tetsuya).[7][e]
1981-1984 Urusei Yatsura Art director
1981-1982 Golden Warrior Gold Lightan Art PIC
1981-1983 Fang of the Sun Dougram Art director
1981 Bremen 4: Angels in Hell Art director
1981-1983 Miss Machiko Art director
1982 Shiroi Kiba: White Fang Story Stage settings
1982-1983 The Mysterious Cities of Gold Art director
1983-1984 Mrs. Pepper Pot Art director
1984-1987 Fist of the North Star Art design
1984-1985 Persia, the Magic Fairy Art director
1985 Dirty Pair Art director
1987-1989 The Three Musketeers Art
1987-1989 Metal Armor Dragonar Art
1988-1989 Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics Art director
1988 The Burning Wild Man Art director
1989 Lupin III TV special: Bye-Bye Liberty Crisis Art director
1993-1994 Tanoshii Willows Town Art settings
1994-1995 Ginga Sengoku Gun'yūden Rai Art director
1996-1997 Gambalist! Shun Art director
1996 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Art director
1996-1997 You're Under Arrest Art director
1997 Speed Racer X Art director
1998 Maico 2010 Art director
1998 Zazca Art director
1998 Shadow Skill Art director
2000-2001 The Legend of the Gambler: Tetsuya Art design
2000 Time Bokan 2000: Kaitou Kiramekiman Art director
2000-2001 Mighty Cat Masked Niyander Art director
2001 Kinnikuman: Ultimate Muscle Art director
2002 Jing: King of Bandits Art director
2002-2003 Tsuribaka Nisshi Art director
2003-2005 Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo Art design
2004 Wind: A Breath of Heart Art director
2004-2005 Beet the Vandel Buster Art design
2005-2006 Beet the Vandel Buster: Excellion Art design
2005 Akahori Gedou Hour Rabuge Art director
2005-2006 Gaiking: Legend of Daiku-Maryu Art director
2007 Les Misérables: Shōjo Cosette Art director
2008-2009 Yatterman (remake) Art director
2009 Fresh Pretty Cure! Art Episodes 11 and 18 only.
Anime films
1978 Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie Art director
1981-1982 Mobile Suit Gundam I, II, III Art director
1982 Techno Police 21C Art settings
1982 The Ideon: A Contact & The Ideon: Be Invoked Art director Unlike the TV version, he is credited under his real name.
1983 Crusher Joe Art director
1983 Dougram: Documentary of the Fang of the Sun Art
1984 Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Art director
1984 Chikyuu Monogatari Telepath 2500 Art director
1987 Aitsu to Lullaby: Suiyōbi no Cinderella Art director
1987 Bats & Terry Art director
1989 Hengen Taima Yakō Karura Mau! Nara Onryō Emaki Art director
1991 Musha, Khisi, Command: SD Gundam Kinkyū Shutsugeki Art
1993 Rokudenashi Blues 1993 Art
1994 Raiyantsūrī no uta Art
1996 PiPi Tobenai Hotaru Art director
1997 Eikō eno Spur -Igaya Chiharu Monogatari- Art director
2002 Ecchan no Sensō Art director
2008 Pattenrai!! ~ Minami no Shima no Mizu Monogatari Art director
2009 Movie Fresh Pretty Cure! The Kingdom of Toys has Lots of Secrets!? Art director
OVA
1983-1985 Dallos Art director
1985-1986 Area 88 Art director
1985 Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen mae Hashutsujo Art director
1985 Megazone 23 Art director
1986 Twinkle heart: Ginga-kei made Todokanai Art director, art settings, boards
1988 Space Family Carlvinson Art director
1988 Tokyo Vice Art settings
1989-1992 Crying Freeman Art director
1989-1990 High-Speed Jecy Art director
1990-1991 Hengen Taima Yakō Karura Mau! Sendai Kokeshi Enka Art director
1990 Hana no Asuka-gumi!: Lonely Cats Battle Royale Art director
1991 Vampire Wars Art director
1991 Slow Step Art director
1992 Apfelland Monogatari Art director
1992-1993 Kishin Corps Art director
Video games
1997 Itoi Shigesato no Bass Tsuri No. 1 Art settings
TV drama series
1978 Haguregumo Title picture

Notes and References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Prior to this, there were still no designers specialising in mecha in the anime industry, and the character designers or art directors doubled as designers for the mecha that appeared in animation. Robot-like objects were often assigned to character designers, while building facilities and vehicles were often assigned to art directors.
  2. ^ He himself redrew the key frames for the OP as the animators of the time could not grasp the three-dimensional shape of the car and could not draw Mach Five.[19]
  3. ^ After this work, Okawara took over the mecha design of the Time Bokan series.
  4. ^ Actually he was the art director.
  5. ^ This was because he had previously signed a contract to work on The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Loo, Egan (May 17, 2011). "Art Director Mitsuki Nakamura Passes Away". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  2. ^ ""機動戦士ガンダム展"の全貌が明らかに" ["Mobile Suit Gundam Exhibition" revealed in full]. Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (1/8)" [Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (1/8)]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Mynavi. August 24, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "ガンダム、ナウシカの美術監督 中村光毅氏死去" [Mitsuki Nakamura, art director of Gundam and Nausicaa, passes away]. Sports Nippon (in Japanese). Tokyo. May 17, 2011. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  5. ^ Marumoto, Daisuke (December 18, 2012). "今だから話せる「ガンダム」「ダンバイン」「パトレイバー」生みの親たちのメカデザイナーズサミットレポ （1/5）" [Now's the time to talk about it. Report from the Mecha Designers Summit, featuring the creators of Gundam, Dunbine and Patlabor (1/5)]. Excite Review (in Japanese). Excite. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Mishina, Takashi (August 23, 2015). "大河原邦男展（中） 「ガッチャマン」のメカは実にリアルだった…タツノコプロで発揮された大河原邦男の異彩" [Kunio Okawara exhibition (Part 2) The mecha in Gatchaman were truly realistic... Kunio Okawara's unique style demonstrated at Tatsunoko Production]. Sankei News (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Hikawa, Ryusuke (May 20, 2011). "追悼・中村光毅美術監督 SFアート&デザインの草分けにして巨匠" [Memorial to Mitsuki Nakamura, art director, pioneer and master of SF art and design]. Bandai Channel (in Japanese). Bandai Namco Filmworks. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "「中村光毅」初の回顧展 デンマークでオリジナル美術・イラスト中心の約70点" [Mitsuki Nakamura's first retrospective exhibition in Denmark with around 70 works, mainly original art and illustrations.] (in Japanese). Animation Business Journal. October 1, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "ジブリ美術館・高橋望氏、「『ガンダム』がなければ『ナウシカ』は生まれなかった」" [Nozomu Takahashi, Director of the Ghibli Museum, "Without 'Gundam', 'Nausicaä' would not have been created"]. Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. December 9, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  10. ^ Barder, Ollie (Jul 20, 2015). "'The Art Of Gundam' Exhibit Showcases The Craftsmanship Behind The Series". Forbes. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  11. ^ "『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (2/8)" [Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (2/8)]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Mynavi. August 24, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  12. ^ "『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (3/8)" [Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (3/8)]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Mynavi. August 24, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (4/8)" [Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (4/8)]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Mynavi. August 24, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  14. ^ "#001 メカニックデザイナー 大河原邦男さん" [#001 Mechanic designer Kunio Okawara]. FUN'S PROJECT (in Japanese). Dai Nippon Printing. February 8, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Mishina, Takashi (August 16, 2015). "大河原邦男展（上） 「ヤッターマンぽく」作ったＧガンダム メカデザインの大河原邦男さん 後輩は「大河原ロボを一番うまく動かせるのは自分」（1）" [Kunio Okawara Exhibition (Part 1) Kunio Okawara, a mecha designer, says, "I made the G Gundam like Yatterman." His junior colleague says, "I am the one who can move the Okawara robot the best." (1)]. Sankei News (in Japanese). Sankei Shimbun. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Takahashi, Ryosuke (February 19, 2018). "アトムの遺伝子【第11回】リバイバル連載：サンライズ創業30周年企画「アトムの遺伝子 ガンダムの夢」" [Genes of the Atom [Vol. 11] Revival Serialisation: 30th Anniversary of Sunrise 'Genes of the Atom: Gundam's Dream']. Yatate Bunko (in Japanese). Sunrise. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d "伝説のタツノコヒーローたちが集う「Infini-T Force(インフィニティフォース)」について笹川ひろし＆大河原邦男が語る【完全版】" [Hiroshi Sasagawa & Kunio Okawara talk about "Infini-T Force" where the legendary Tatsunoko heroes gather [Complete version]]. GIGAZINE (in Japanese). OSA. July 10, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "大河原邦男：笹川ひろしとタツノコプロの"歴史"語る メカデザインの秘けつも" [Kunio Okawara & Hiroshi Sasagawa talk about the "history" of Tatsunoko Productions and the secrets of mechanical design.]. mantan-web (in Japanese). Mantan. July 16, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  19. ^ "『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (5/8)" [Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (5/8)]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Mynavi. August 24, 2007. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
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