is a Japanese

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful

series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''

Samurai Champloo is a 2004 Japanese historical adventure anime television series. The debut television production of studio Manglobe, the 26-episode series aired from May 2004 to March 2005. It was first partially broadcast on Fuji TV, then had a complete a ...

''. An

auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...

of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized by evocative uses of

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspect ...

, mature themes, and the incorporation of multiple

genres Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

Career

Watanabe was born in

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

. After joining the

Japanese animation is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening ...

studio

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...

, he supervised the episode direction and storyboards of numerous Sunrise anime, and soon made his directorial debut as co-director of the well-received ''

Macross is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and th ...

'' update, ''

Macross Plus is a four-episode anime OVA and theatrical movie in the ''Macross'' series. It was the first sequel to the original ''Macross'' television series that took place in the official timeline (''Macross II'' was quickly retconned by series creator ...

''. His next effort, and first full directorial venture, was the 1998 series '' Cowboy Bebop'', which received universal praise and is considered by many to be one of the greatest anime series of all time. It was followed by the 2001 film ''

Knockin' on Heaven's Door "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, written for the soundtrack of the 1973 film '' Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid''. Released as a single two months after the film's premiere, it became a worldwide hit, ...

''. In 2003, Watanabe directed his first American-produced anime, the short films '' Kid's Story'' and ''

A Detective Story is a 2003 Adult animation, adult animated science-fiction anthology film produced by the Wachowskis. The film details through nine animated short, animated short films the backstory of The Matrix (franchise), ''The Matrix'' film series, includin ...

'', both part of

The Wachowskis Lana Wachowski (born June 21, 1965, formerly known as Larry Wachowski) and Lilly Wachowski (born December 29, 1967, formerly known as Andy Wachowski) are American film and television directors, writers and producers. The sisters are both trans ...

' ''

The Animatrix is a 2003 adult animated science-fiction anthology film produced by the Wachowskis. The film details through nine animated short films the backstory of ''The Matrix'' film series, including the original war between humanity and machines which l ...

'', an anthology of animated short stories from ''

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in ''The Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantolia ...

''. His next directorial effort was the critically acclaimed 2004 anime series ''

'' which began broadcasting on

Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially b ...

in Japan on May 19, 2004. Following the release of ''

'', Watanabe directed a short film called ''Baby Blue'', which was released on July 7, 2007 as a segment of the

anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme ...

Genius Party are two anthology films made up of 12 short animated films from Studio 4°C. It was envisioned to form a single release. Releases The first volume, containing seven shorts and entitled ''Genius Party'', was released on July 7, 2007. The secon ...

''. In recent years, he has been active as a creative music producer, overseeing the 2004 film ''

Mind Game Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the ag ...

'', 2008's ''

Michiko & Hatchin is a Japanese anime television series. The series was produced by Manglobe and directed by Sayo Yamamoto, her first directorial work. The two eponymous starring roles are portrayed by film actresses Yōko Maki (''The Grudge'') and Suzuka Ohg ...

'', and supervising the storyboards for episode 12 of '' Tetsuwan Birdy: Decode''. In 2012, he directed the anime series ''

Kids on the Slope is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuki Kodama. It was serialized in the manga magazine '' Monthly Flowers'' from 2007 to 2012, and was published as ten ''tankōbon'' volumes (collected editions) by Shogakukan. The serie ...

'' (Japanese title: ''Sakamichi no Apollon''), a coming-of-age story about young jazz musicians, which premiered in April 2012 on Fuji TV's

Noitamina is a Japanese Block programming, programming block on Fuji TV devoted to anime, originally broadcast every Thursday late night/Friday morning from 00:45 to 1:15. It was launched with the intention of expanding the target audience beyond the typic ...

block. In 2009, it was announced that Watanabe would be working as an associate producer on the upcoming live-action adaptation of ''Cowboy Bebop'', alongside his fellow Sunrise staff members

Kenji Uchida is a Japanese anime producer. He is noted anime studio Sunrise's president. Debuting in 1980, with '' Muteki Robo Trider G7'', among Sunrise's first works in the 1980s, Uchida has gone on to produce numerous of Sunrise's works, such as various i ...

and

Keiko Nobumoto was a Japanese screenwriter. She wrote the screenplay for '' Cowboy Bebop'' and created ''Wolf's Rain''. Nobumoto died from esophageal cancer on December 1, 2021, at the age of 57. Filmography * Series head writer denoted in bold Anime televi ...

. During FicZone in

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, it was reported that Watanabe was collaborating with anime studio

BONES A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, a ...

on a space science-fiction comedy.

subsequently confirmed that the studio was working with Watanabe, but did not confirm the genre of the series. In late 2013, the original trailers for ''

Space Dandy , is a 2014 Japanese comic science fiction anime television series produced by Bones. The series follows the misadventures of Dandy, an alien hunter who is "a dandy guy in space", in search for undiscovered and rare aliens with his robot assi ...

'' were released to the public. The dubbed version premiered on

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as

dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...

and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...

on its

Toonami Toonami ( ) is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese animation and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a divis ...

block on January 4, 2014 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, hours before airing in Japan. He is frequently ranked among Japan's best animation directors. Watanabe directed the anime short film ''

Blade Runner Black Out 2022 ''Blade Runner Black Out 2022'' is a 2017 tech-noir cyberpunk anime short film directed by Shinichiro Watanabe and animated by Cygames Pictures. The short is one of three short films, (with '' 2036: Nexus Dawn'' and '' 2048: Nowhere to Run'') ...

'', which was released in 2017. On November 29, 2018, it was announced that he would be creative producer of '' Blade Runner: Black Lotus'', an anime series produced for

Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as

and

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...

. in the development of the Netflix live-action He received associate producer credit for one episode and acted as a consultant on each of the ten episodes of the first and only season.

Works

Television productions

;As director: *''

'' (1994) *'' Cowboy Bebop'' (1998) *''

'' (2004) *''

'' (2012) *''

'' (2014, chief director) *''

Terror in Resonance , also known as ''Terror in Tokyo'', is a Japanese anime television series produced by MAPPA. The anime was created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, with character designs by Kazuto Nakazawa and music by Yoko Kanno. The anime began airin ...

'' (2014) *''

Carole & Tuesday is a 24-episode anime television series directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. It was animated by studio Bones, in commemoration of the studio's 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of record label FlyingDog. It aired from April 11 to Octob ...

'' (2019, chief director) ;Other: *''

The Vision of Escaflowne is a 26-episode Japanese anime television series created by Shōji Kawamori and Sunrise Studios and directed by Kazuki Akane. It premiered in Japan on April 2, 1996 on TV Tokyo, and the final episode aired on September 24, 1996. Sony's a ...

'' (1996; episode director (5, 8), storyboard artist (5, 8, 12, 16)) *''

Ergo Proxy ''Ergo Proxy'' is a Japanese cyberpunk anime television series, produced by Manglobe, directed by Shūkō Murase and written by Dai Satō. The series ran for 23 episodes from February to August 2006 on the Wowow satellite network. It is set i ...

'' (2006; storyboard artist (19)) *'' Tetsuwan Birdy DECODE'' (2008; storyboard artist (12), episode director (12)) *''

Michiko to Hatchin is a Japanese anime television series. The series was produced by Manglobe and directed by Sayo Yamamoto, her first directorial work. The two eponymous starring roles are portrayed by film actresses Yōko Maki (actress), Yōko Maki (''The Gru ...

'' (2008; music producer) *'' Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine'' (2012; music producer) *''

Death Parade is a Japanese anime television series created, written, and directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa and produced by Madhouse. The series spawned from a short film, ''Death Billiards'', which was originally produced by Madhouse for the Young Animator Tr ...

'' (2015; unit director (ED)) *'' Sonny Boy'' (2021; music advisor) *'' Blade Runner: Black Lotus'' (2021; creative director)

Films

*'' Macross Plus: Movie Edition'' (1995; director) *'' Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door'' (2001; director) *''

'' (2003; director, "Detective's Story", "Kid's Story") *''

'' (2004; music producer) *''

'' (omnibus): ''Baby Blue'' (2008; director) *''

'' (2017; director)

Music videos

*"More" (featuring Anderson .Paak) –

Flying Lotus Steven Ellison (born October 7, 1983), known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, Disc jockey, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder. Flyi ...

(2019; director)

Use of music

Watanabe has a distinct vision regarding the importance of the

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

of his works and believes that music is the universal language. '' Cowboy Bebop'' is heavily influenced by American culture, especially the jazz movements of the 1940s, hence the title "

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early-to-mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo, complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerous changes of key, instrumen ...

". This style is blended with a score by the prolific composer

Yoko Kanno is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer best known for her work on the soundtracks of anime series, television series, live-action films, video games, and advertisements. She was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. She has wri ...

featuring

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

music. The

anachronistic An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...

soundtrack of ''

'', though an Edo

period piece A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...

, draws heavily from hip hop music, while the later series ''

'' demonstrates many classical forms of jazz, and ''

'' draws from primarily

New wave music New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. La ...

. His series, ''

'', utilizes

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...

and

ambient music Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It u ...

influenced by Icelandic band

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fron ...

. His series '' Carole and Tuesday'' is based entirely off of the bonds made by music.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Watanabe, Shinichiro Sunrise (company) people 1965 births Anime directors Japanese film directors Japanese television directors Japanese animated film directors Japanese animated film producers Japanese music video directors Japanese animators Living people People from Kyoto