Yoshinori Kanada

Yoshinori Kanada

Birth : 1952-02-05, Nara, Japan

Death : 2009-07-21

History

Yoshinori Kanada (金田 伊功, Kanada Yoshinori, February 5, 1952 – July 21, 2009) was an influential Japanese animator originally from Nara, Japan. He is best known for his popular 1984 work Birth, one of the first original video animations released in the market. Though he did not create many character designs, he was famous for his character animation skills. His work on Galaxy Express 999 (1979) and Harmagedon (1983) were very influential to an entire generation of animators in Japan. These two works also served as partial inspiration for Takashi Murakami's Superflat art movement. During the 1980s and 1990s, he worked closely with director Hayao Miyazaki on several movies from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to Princess Mononoke. He was also known for breaking down the directorial system in animation, allowing individual key animators to exert their own style into a particular work. He died at the age of 57 of a heart attack on July 21, 2009. His works inspired the art and works of animators such as Hiroyuki Imaishi, Masahito Yamashita, Akira Amemiya and Masami Obari. The final episode of Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt was dedicated in memory of him, and his influential work garnered special praise from many industry figures, such as Hayao Miyazaki.

Profile

Yoshinori Kanada

Movies

The Revolutionary Animator Kanada Yoshinori
MAG・ネット is a television program aired on NHK which delves into the realm of otaku culture on a weekly basis. They cover a wide range of things, from seiyuu, games, animators, manga artists, etc and do a very good job creating a professional and illuminating weekly documentary. This is a special on the work and life of japanese master animator Yoshinori "Iko" Kanada.
Metropolis
Key Animation
Kenichi and his detective uncle, Shunsaku Ban, leave Japan to visit Metropolis, in search of the criminal, Dr. Laughton. However, when they finally find Dr. Laughton, Kenichi and Shunsaku find themselves seperated and plunged into the middle of a larger conspiracy. While Shunsaku searches for his nephew and explanations, Kenichi tries to protect Tima (a mysterious young girl), from Duke Red and his adopted son Rock, both of whom have very different reasons for wanting to find her.
Princess Mononoke
Animation
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
The Dog of Flanders
Key Animation
Poor but happy, young Nello and his grandfather live alone, delivering milk as a livelihood, in the outskirts of Antwerp, a city in Flanders (the Flemish or Dutch-speaking part of modern-day Belgium). They discover a beaten dog (a Bouvier, a large sturdy dog native to Flanders) and adopt it and nurse it back to health, naming it Patrasche, the middle name of Nello's mother Mary, who died when Nello was very young. Nello's mother was a talented artist, and like his mother, he delights in drawing, and his friend Aloise is his model and greatest fan and supporter.
X: The Movie
Key Animation
It's the year of destiny, and 15 year old Kamui Shiro, a powerful psychic, has returned to Toyko after a 6 year absence, having left when he was very young. He wants to be with his childhood friends, Fuma (his best friend) and Kotori, Fuma's little sister (and Kamui's possible girlfriend). He wants to protect them from all dangers, but destiny and fate are haunting Kamui and pulling in himself and his beloved childhood friends. It is his destiny and his sole decision to decide the fate of the world, no matter if he wants the role or not. Now it is a matter of if he will join the side of the Seven Seals and become the Dragon of Heaven to save mankind or join the Seven Angels and become the Dragon of Earth to destroy all civilization so the earth can heal itself from man's destruction.
Yu Yu Hakusho: Poltergeist Report
Key Animation
When the Spirit World is flooded due to an unusual rainfall which overflows the River Sanzu (aka the River Styx), Lord Koenma senses an extremely powerful enemy. He entrusts Death God Botan, to deliver to Spirit Detective Yusuke, a mysterious item which must be protected from the invading enemy. However, by the time Botan finds Yusuke, she's too weak to explain the situation. Yusuke and his friends are left in the dark about the new enemy, but not for long. Soon it is a battle for Earth between mere Spirit Detectives and the almighty king of the Netherworld.
Talking Head
Animation
It's nearly time for the debut of the most anticipated anime movie of the year, Talking Head. There's just a few minor problems: the director has disappeared and the movie isn't even started! Desperate to meet their deadline, the studio hires a "migrant technical director" to fill in for the missing director. But there's more going on here than just slipping deadlines. One by one, the staff is being murdered and it's only a matter of time before the new director's next on the list!
Porco Rosso
Key Animation
In Italy in the 1930s, sky pirates in biplanes terrorize wealthy cruise ships as they sail the Adriatic Sea. The only pilot brave enough to stop the scourge is the mysterious Porco Rosso, a former World War I flying ace who was somehow turned into a pig during the war. As he prepares to battle the pirate crew's American ace, Porco Rosso enlists the help of spunky girl mechanic Fio Piccolo and his longtime friend Madame Gina.
Eguchi's Hisashi's Kotobuki Goro Show
Animation Director
Based on the gag manga by Hisashi Eguchi. Originally released as a feature part of Studio Pierrot's video magazine show Anime V Comic Rentaman (アニメ・V・コミック レンタマン) along with Abashiri Ikka, Yumemakura Baku Twilight Gekijou and Akai Hayate.
Kiki's Delivery Service
Key Animation
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
Akira
Key Animation
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.
My Neighbor Totoro
Animation
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
Space Fantasia 2001 Nights
Storyboard
In the year 2058, mankind is about to take its first leap into the distant reaches of space. Using the resources at the tail end of a comet, massive spaceships will be sent to the corners of the universe in an attempt to colonize other worlds, but due to the length of time it will take to arrive at even the closest solar system, the comets must be destroyed in-flight, resulting in super-fast speeds that will kill any life onboard; only frozen sperm and eggs, and machines will survive the journey. Carrying the unborn children of the Robinsons, the first of these ships must now set forth to Ozma; and with its precious cargo is coupled the hopes and fears of all humanity.
The Phoenix: Karma Chapter
Key Animation
The story of two men - sculptor genius Akanemaru, and former bandit Gao. Discover how the lives of the two men cross repeatedly throughout their lives, how they struggle with their own fate, and how they are forced to compete with each other for a great honour, when karma is the only prize.
Castle in the Sky
Lead Animator
A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.
The Chocolate Panic Picture Show
Storyboard Artist
Based on a manga by Fujiwara Kamui, serialised in Monthly Super Action and partly inspired by Jamie Uys's The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980). Grossly caricatured Africans Manbo, Chinbo, and Chonbo causes chaos in civilisation despite the efforts of their pretty tour guide/bedmate to tame their zany, grass-skirted cannibal ways.
Odin: Starlight Mutiny
Animation Director
Odin centers around the novice crew of the laser sailing space schooner Starlight as they embark on an historic interstellar test flight. They are intercepted by what seems to be a wrecked spaceship only to find that it contains a lone survivor; a young woman named Sara Cyanbaker. Unknown to the crew at this time, a mechanized space fleet approaches Earth and a scout vessel from that fleet was responsible for the destruction of Sara's ship.
Birth
Animation
Life on apocalypse Aqualoid proceeds humorously and grandiosely; Nam's new sword starts attracting aggressive Inorganics, however, endangering him, Rasa, friends and the whole planet.
Birth
Animation Director
Life on apocalypse Aqualoid proceeds humorously and grandiosely; Nam's new sword starts attracting aggressive Inorganics, however, endangering him, Rasa, friends and the whole planet.
Harmagedon
Key Animation
From the depths of space he is coming... Ancient beyond understanding, his power is immeasurable. He has destroyed half the universe and is on his way here. He is… Genma. Only two people are aware of the imminent catastrophe: Princess Luna, a modern day prophetess and Vega, a cybernetic crusader from a world long since ravaged by Genma. Determined to spare the Earth from a similar fate, Luna and Vega must try to mobilize the most potent psychics in the world. Together, this army of fledging psychic warriors must succeed where billions have tried... and failed. But will they be able to gather their champions in time? Genma’s agents are already on Earth to ensure that their master meets with no opposition!
Future War 198X
Mechanical Designer
An American scientist constructs a laser satellite with hopes of preventing any nuclear conflicts from occurring. However, after a fatal error from both the US and the USSR governments, war breaks out and humanity faces a new bloodshed.
Space Pirate Captain Harlock: Arcadia of My Youth
Key Animation
After a drawn-out, viciously-fought war, the earth has been conquered by the alien Illumidus Empire. Harlock, a captain in earth's fleet, crashes his ship to prevent the Illumidus from using it, and flat-out refuses to join them. With the help of his allies, Tochiro and the space pirate Emereldas, and his lover Miya, he wages a private and bitter war against the Illumidus.
Queen Millennia
Key Animation
The planet LaMetal is on a collision (and conquering) course with the Earth, and the only one who can stop the forthcoming catastrophe is Queen Millennia, a former princess of La-Metal who has made Earth her home.
Bremen 4: Angels in Hell
Key Animation
The story concerns four animals fighting to expel war from the earth. Though based on the "Band of Bremen (Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten)", Tezuka Osamu's fans could easily associate the story with "The Amazing Three." The cat, dog, donkey, and chicken who transform into human beings with the power of spacemen and fight to save the earth are entirely reminiscent of the three characters in the "Amazing Three" who transform themselves into animals and devote all their energies to saving the earth.
Adieu Galaxy Express 999
Key Animation
Two years after the events of Galaxy Express 999, Earth has become a battlefield, and Tetsuro is summoned to board the Three-Nine once more. In this, the shattering, full-length theatrical conclusion to Leiji Matsumoto's epic story, all questions will be answered and all mysteries will be revealed as Tetsuro embarks on a journey which will reveal a secret so awful, even Maetel herself can hardly bear to speak of it.
Be Forever Yamato
Key Animation
The Black Nebula Empire attacks Earth and threatens to blow up the planet with a bomb they placed on Earth if counter attacked. Earths hopes rest on the Yamato crew as they go to the Black Nebula Planet and try to find a way to difuse the bomb before it's too late.
Toward the Terra
Key Animation
A young boy learns he is part of a powerful race of psionic humans who must fight the normal humans determined to keep them from Earth.
Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage
Key Animation
Time to ease up ... not! Although the Yamato's crew has witnessed the end of the long, hard-fought Comet Empire War, a peaceful future will have to wait. While Dessler gathers together the shattered remnants of his Gamilus Empire, new forces are at work in the universe that could augur in another conflict. Seems the Black Star Empire has invaded Dessler's homeworld and is decimating it, all the while gathering power for its war machine.
Galaxy Express 999: The Movie
Key Animation
In the future, one can achieve immortality by obtaining a mechanized body. Orphaned, young Tetsuro hitches a ride on the space train Galaxy Express 999 in the hope of obtaining a cyborg body to avenge his mother's death. Along the way, he meets Maetel, who is the spitting image of his dead mother.