is a Japanese

animator An animator is an artist who creates multiple images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video gam ...

, director and character designer. He is known for his animation style with constantly shifting linework, described as being both realistic and surreal. He is part of the animator circle Studio Break, along with animators like Atsushi Yano and Shinji Hashimoto. He has worked on several

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...

films, with

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, director, producer, screenwriter, author, and manga artist. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Japanese animated feature films, and is widel ...

even storyboarding certain scenes with Ohira in mind for the animation.

Career

After graduating school, Ohira decided to start working as animator due to family circumstances making it difficult for him to pursue higher education. He joined

Studio Pierrot is a Japanese animation studio established in May 1979 by former employees of both Tatsunoko Production and Mushi Production. Its headquarters are located in Mitaka, Tokyo. Pierrot is renowned for several worldwide popular anime series, such as ...

after seeing an opening for work in the magazine

Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', was serialized in ''Animage'' from 1982 through 1994. Oth ...

. 8 months later, he was promoted to key animator and ''

Ninja Senshi Tobikage , known as ''Ninja Robots'' outside Japan, is a Japanese anime television series, produced by Pierrot, which aired from 6 October 1985 to 13 July 1986 on the Nippon Television network. It was also broadcast to parts of Asia and Australia on Ca ...

'' (1985) was his first work as Key animator. After leaving Pierrot he worked as a freelancer on various mecha anime by studios

AIC AIC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Alice in Chains, American rock band * Alice in Chains: AIC 23, a 2013 mockumentary * Anime International Company, a Japanese animation studio * Art Institute of Chicago, an art museum in Chicago Busin ...

and

Ashi Productions is a Japanese anime studio, located in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan, known for its four magical-girl anime, especially ''Magical Princess Minky Momo''. It was established by Toshihiko Sato and other artists on December 20, 1975, as ''Ashi Productions ...

. Ohira describes his work on the AIC anime ''

Gall Force is a metaseries of science fiction anime OVAs by the studios Artmic and AIC, with production by Youmex. The original character designs were by Kenichi Sonoda, though these were dropped for the ''Gall Force: The Revolution'' remake. Cent ...

'' (1987) as a turning point for his animation style, when he started experimenting with full animation. When he learned that the manga '' Akira'' would be turned into an animated film, he brought some his work to director

Katsuhiro Otomo is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter, animator and film director. He is best known as the creator of '' Akira'', in terms of both the original 1982 manga series and the 1988 animated film adaptation. He was decorated a ''Chevalier'' of th ...

so that he could work on the movie. He drew parts of the elevator scene, as well as parts of the iconic explosion scene. His work on the film would influence his style towards realistic animation. Ohira's first work on a

movie was on ''Only Yesterday'' (1991). Subsequently, he received a handwritten letter from Hayao Miyazaki asking him if he would work on the movie ''

Porco Rosso is a 1992 Anime, Japanese animated Adventure film, adventure-fantasy film, fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is based on ''Hikōtei Jidai'' ("The Age of the Flying Boat"), a three-part 1989 watercolor manga by Miyazaki. It ...

'' (1992). He would go on to become a frequent collaborator with Miyazaki on his films. He worked as director on Episode 4 of '' The Hakkenden: A New Saga'' ''(Hakkenden Shin Sou)'' (1994) "Hamaji's Resurrection". Impressed by animator

Masaaki Yuasa is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Yuasa previously served as president of Science SARU, but stepped down from th ...

's work on '' Crayon Shin-chan'', he invited him to work on the episode. Yuasa ended up working as Ohira's partner, helping him with layouts, key animation and animation direction. The production of the episode went beyond the planned schedule, with layouts taking 4 months and 2 months for corrections. The episode featured constantly moving characters, in contrast to the limited animation seen in commercial anime. In-spite of a lack of visual coherence, the episode was well received and provoked a lot of conversation within the industry. Ohira would later work on several of Yuasa's anime such as '' Ping pong The Animation'' and ''

Lu Over the Wall is a 2017 Japanese animated fantasy film produced by Science Saru and released by Toho about the eponymous ningyo. It was directed by Masaaki Yuasa, and written by Yuasa and Reiko Yoshida. The music was composed by Takatsugu Muramatsu. It is th ...

''. After ''The Hakkenden'', Ohira would briefly retire from animation, returning to his hometown of Nagoya and taking over his parents' sewing factory business. However he was convinced by animator Norimoto Tokura to return to the anime industry. In ''

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Tohokushinsha Film, and Mitsubishi and distribut ...

'' (2001), he animated the scene where the main character Chihiro meets the spider man Kamaji. Ohira's animation is described as being "looser and weirder" in comparison with the previous scene, his style serving to convey the character's suspense and hesitation. He worked on the episode "Kid's story" directed by

Shinichirō Watanabe is a Japanese anime television and film director, best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'' and ''Samurai Champloo''. An auteur of the industry, Watanabe's work is characterized ...

from the anthology ''

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 ...

'' (2003). His work in the episode is described as resembling "unfinished pencil sketches", his style emphasizing "the materiality of Kid’s world and the status of his body as a drawn construct". He participated in the climax of the "Wano arc'" in episode 1072 of ''

One piece ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...

'', animating a scene of the main character

Monkey D. Luffy , also known as , is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the ''One Piece'' manga series, created by Eiichiro Oda. Luffy made his debut as a young boy who acquires the properties of rubber after accidentally eating one of the devil f ...

's "Gear 5" power up along with animator Akihiro Ota. Ohira was one of the first animators to join the production of '' The Boy and the Heron'' (2023). He animated the scene at the beginning of the film, where the main character Mahito runs through a fire. Reviewers described the scene as "feverish and desperate", "frenzied and fluid" and "bone chilling". Joshua Fox of ''Screen Rant'' called it "one of the best scenes to ever appear in a Studio Ghibli film".

Style

Shinya Ohira's animation style features exaggerated motion and constantly shifting line work. His style has been described as "

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

". Ohira has stated that the way he draws is free of logic and restrictions. Director Masaaki Yuasa referred to Ohira as "one of those masters capable of not only rendering beautifully realistic drawings, but also of imbuing animation with a sense of freedom". He is an experimental animator who sometimes draws key animation with color pencils and crayons. He prefers to express his individuality, even ignoring the storyboard. This mentality has gotten Ohira banned from some productions, but he also believes that it is what brought him to where he is today. Ohira's style has evolved significantly over the years. Originally a mecha animator, he was influenced by the work of animator Masahito Yamashita to use black paint in his animation. After leaving studio Pierrot, he worked on various

OVAs , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

which were less restrictive than TV anime, allowing Ohira to develop his special style. He would experiment with fluid effects animation, such as on the anime ''Gall force'', which featured 300 drawings for just 5 seconds of animation. His work with several well-known realist animators in ''Akira'' would then influence him to pursue more realistic animation, such as his work in ''Only Yesterday''. His work on ''The Hakkenden'' is described as "a type of realism different from Ghibli". ''The Hakkenden'' would also feature the first instance of Ohira's loose and constantly deforming animation style, which he would solidify in the 2000s with his work on titles like ''The Animatrix: Kids story'', '' Kill Bill: Volume 1'', ''

Windy Tales is a Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G, about a group of people who can control the wind. The series premiered from September 11, 2004 to February 26, 2005 across Japan on the anime television network, Animax, which a ...

'' and ''

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 ...

''. Due to his tendency to stray away from

model sheet In visual arts, a model sheet, also known as a character board, character sheet, character study or simply a study, is a document used to help standardize the appearance, poses, and gestures of a character in arts such as animation, comics, and v ...

and style that "defies assimilation" his work is often corrected by animation directors to be more visually coherent, sometimes to the point of losing his characteristic style. His animation featuring chaotic movement in the movie ''Lu Over the Wall'' was heavily altered to work with ''

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

'', which drew criticism. His work on the anime ''Pluto'' was post processed with digital effects. While his work in ''Spirited Away'' was corrected to be visually consistent with the rest of the film, his scene in ''The Boy and the Heron'' was left uncorrected and appears in the film exactly as he drew it.

Works

Animated television series

* Star Musketeer Bismarck (1984-1985) In-between animation *

(1985-1986) In-between animation, Key animation * Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos (1986-1987) Key animation * Mobile Suit Gundam ΖΖ (1986-1987) Key animation * Around the World in 80 Days (1987-1988) Key animation * Peter Pan and Wendy (1989) Key animation * Momotaro Densetsu PEACHBOY LEGEND (1989-1990) Opening Animation, Key animation / Transformation Bank *

City Hunter 3 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo. It was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1985 to 1991 and collected into 35 ''tankōbon'' volumes by its publisher Shueisha. The manga was adapted int ...

(1989-1990) Opening animation, Key animation *

Sci-Fi Harry is a 1995 Japanese manga series written by George Iida and illustrated by Asami Tohjoh which was adapted into an anime series broadcast in Japan in 2000. It was a joint production of TV Asahi Corporation and Nagoya Broadcasting Network. The ...

(2000-2001) Opening animation (as Shinnosuke Harada) *

WIndy Tales is a Japanese anime television series produced by Production I.G, about a group of people who can control the wind. The series premiered from September 11, 2004 to February 26, 2005 across Japan on the anime television network, Animax, which a ...

(2004-2005) Key animation * Ping Pong THE ANIMATION (2014) Opening animation, Storyboard, Animation director, Key animation *

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 ...

(2014) Key animation * Lupin III Part IV (2015) Key animation *

ONE PIECE ''One Piece'' (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' since July 1997, with its individual chapte ...

(1999-) Key animation *

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the S ...

(2023) Key animation

Animated films

Bats & Terry is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuichi Oshima. It was serialized in Kodansha's ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' from 1982 to 1987. ''Batsu & Terī'' received the 1984 Kodansha Manga Award for the shōnen category. Kodansh ...

(1987) Key animation * Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) Key animation * AKIRA (1988) Key animation * Utsunomiko (1989) Key animation * Only Yesterday (1991) Key animation *

(1992) Key animation * Junkers Come Here (Pilot) (1995) Character design, Animation director, Key animation *

Junkers Come Here is a series of novels about Junkers (pronounced Yoon-kers), a miniature schnauzer, language-speaking dog, written by Japanese musician Naoto Kine as a member of TM Network since 1990. Media Anime An anime movie about a girl, Hiromi Nozawa, dir ...

(1995) Ending *

SPRIGGAN A spriggan is a legendary creature from Cornish mythology, Cornish folklore. Spriggans are particularly associated with West Penwith in Cornwall. Etymology ''Spriggan'' is a dialect word, pronounced with the grapheme as /d͡ʒ/, sprid-jan, ...

(1998) Key animation (uncredited) *

My Neighbors the Yamadas is a 1999 Japanese animated comedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata, animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network, Hakuhodo and Buena Vista Home Entertainment, and distributed by Shochiku.

(1999) Key animation *

(2001) Key animation * Ghiblies Episode 2 (2002) Key animation *

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 ...

"Kid's Story" (2003) Key animation *

(2004) Key animation (uncredited) * Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (2004) Key animation *

Howl's Moving Castle ''Howl's Moving Castle'' is a fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, first published in 1986 by Greenwillow Books of New York. It was a runner-up for the annual Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and won the Phoenix Award twenty years ...

(2004) Key animation * Portable Airport (2004) Key animation * Space station No.9 (2005) Key animation * Prince of Tennis: The First Game (2005) Key animation * Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle the Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005) Key animation * xxxHOLiC the Movie: Midsummer Night Dream (2005) Key animation *

Tekkonkinkreet , also known as ''Black & White'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Taiyō Matsumoto, originally serialized from 1993 to 1994 in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Big Comic Spirits''. The story takes place in the ...

(2006) Key animation * Genius Party Beyond "Wanwa" (2008) Director, Storyboard, Character Design, Animation Director, Key animator *

REDLINE Redline refers to the maximum engine speed at which an internal combustion engine or traction motor and its components are designed to operate without causing damage to the components themselves or other parts of the engine. The redline of an en ...

(2010) Key animation *

A Letter to Momo is a 2011 Japanese anime drama film produced by Production I.G and distributed by Kadokawa Pictures. The film was written and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura and stars an ensemble cast featuring Karen Miyama, Yuka, Toshiyuki Nishida, Chō and Kō ...

(2012) Key animation *

Rainbow Fireflies is a 2012 Japanese anime film directed by Kōnosuke Uda. Plot On a hot summer day, a young boy named Yuta visits the dam where his father died one year ago. At the site he meets a mysterious old man. He gives the old man something to drink and l ...

(2012) Key animation * Berserk: The Golden Age III: Advent (2013) Storyboard (co-) *

The Wind Rises is a 2013 Japanese animated historical drama film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon Television Network, Dentsu, Hakuhodo DY Media Partners, Walt Disney Japan, Mitsubishi, Toho and KDDI. It was rele ...

(2013) Key animation *

Giovanni's Island is a 2014 Japanese animated historical drama film directed by Mizuho Nishikubo and produced by Production I.G and co-produced and presented by the Japan Association of Music Enterprises. The film was released on February 22, 2014, in Japan and ...

(2014) Key animation * The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014) Key animation *

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a 2017 Japanese animated romantic comedy film directed by Masaaki Yuasa. The film is based on the 2006 novel ''The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl'' written by Tomihiko Morimi and illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura, who also served as the film's o ...

(2017) Storyboard *

Mary and the Witch's Flower is a 2017 Japanese animated fantasy film co-written and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, produced by Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, animated by Studio Ponoc, and distributed by Toho in Japan. Based on the 1971 book ''The Little Bro ...

(2017) Key animation *

Batman Ninja is a 2018 Animation, animated superhero film directed by Junpei Mizusaki, produced by Warner Bros., and animated by Kamikaze Douga and YamatoWorks, which features the DC Comics character Batman. Takashi Okazaki, the creator of ''Afro Samurai'', ...

(2018) Key animation (under the name of Shinnosuke Harada) * The Boy and the Heron (2023) Key animation

Live-action films

* Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) Key animator (Animation Part) *

The World of Kanako is a 2014 Japanese suspense film directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, starring Kōji Yakusho and Nana Komatsu. It was released on 4 July 2014, and is based on the novel by Akio Fukamachi. Plot Akikazu Fujishima (Kōji Yakusho) is a former detective ...

(2014) Animation director, Storyboard

OVA

* Armored Gallian Part III Iron Emblem (1986) Key animation (uncredited) *

Ai City is a Japanese science fiction manga created by Syufo (real name ). The story was later adapted into an anime film directed by Kōichi Mashimo and released on July 26, 1986. Plot In 1983, off-duty policeman Reiden picks up a suspicious coup ...

(1986) Key animation *

Megazone 23 is a four-part Japanese cyberpunk original video animation created by Noboru Ishiguro, written by Hiroyuki Hoshiyama and Emu Arii, and directed by Ishiguro, Ichiro Itano, Kenichi Yatagai, and Shinji Aramaki. The series debuted in 1985. It ...

Part II (1986) Key animation * GALL FORCE 2 DESTRUCTION (1987) Key animation *

Bubblegum Crisis is a 1987 to 1991 cyberpunk original video animation (OVA) series produced by Youmex and animated by Anime International Company, AIC and Artmic. The series was planned to run for 13 episodes, but was cut short to just 8. The series involv ...

(1987) Key animation * Gakuen Special Search Hikaru On (1987) Key animation * Blackmagic M-66 (1987) Key animation * GOD BLESS DANCOUGA (1987) Key animation * Dragon's Heaven (1988) Key animation * Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody (1988) Key animator (uncredited) *

Riding Bean is a 1989 anime original video animation following the exploits of courier-for-hire Bean Bandit and his partner, gunwoman Rally Vincent. A manga was also published in the Japanese magazine that was left unfinished (due to the closure of the ...

(1989) Key animation *

Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! is a 1989 Japanese comedy drama science fiction OVA written and directed by Mamoru Oshii and animated by Pierrot. A compilation film consisting of footage from the episodes entitled , also directed by Oshii, was released in 1990. Plot The s ...

(1989) Key animator *

Angel Cop is a six-part original video animation created and directed by Ichirō Itano. A manga adaptation written and illustrated by Taku Kitazaki was serialized in ''Newtype'' in 1989 and collected into a ''Newtype 100%'' collection released in April ...

(1989) Key animation * Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989) Effect settings, original publicity video "ALL THAT GUNDAM" * Peacock King 2 Phantom Castle (1989) Key animation *

The Hakkenden , also known as ''The Legend of the Dog Warriors: The Hakkenden'', is an OVA series by AIC in two sequences, the second subtitled . The anime is based on the epic novel ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' written by Kyokutei Bakin during the latter h ...

(1990) Animation Director (Co-) * Project A-ko: Gray Side/Blue Side (1990) Key animation (uncredited) * Violence Jack Hellwind (1990) Key animation * Yume Pillow (1991) Director, Script, Storyboard, Character design, Animation Director *

- A New Saga - Episode 4 "Hamaji's Resurrection" (1994) Director, Storyboard, Key animator * Blue Submarine No. 6 (1998-2000) Key animation (uncredited) *

FLCL is an original video animation (OVA) anime series created and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, written by Yōji Enokido, and produced by the FLCL Production Committee, which consisted of Gainax, Production I.G, and King Records. ''F ...

(1999) Key animation * Slime Bōkenki (1999) Key animation *

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly ''seinen'' manga ...

(2000-2002) Key animation (under the name of Shinnosuke Harada) * Kage (2004) Art setting and original art (under the name of Shinnosuke Harada)

Web animation

Japan Animator Expo is a weekly series of original net animations released as part of a collaboration between Hideaki Anno's Studio Khara and Dwango, consisting of various anime shorts produced by many directors. The project began release from 7 November 2014 ...

"20min Walk From Nishi-Ogikubo Station, 2 Bedrooms, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2mos Deposit, No Pets Allowed" (2014) Key animation * Blade Runner Blackout 2022 (2017) Key animation

Games

* Captain Power Training Video (1988) Animation Director (Co-Production) * Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) Key animation *

Tales of the Abyss is an action role-playing game developed by Namco Tales Studio as the eighth main title in their '' Tales'' series in celebration of the series' 10th anniversary. Originally released for the PlayStation 2, the game was published by Namco in Japan ...

(2005) Event animation *

Asura's Wrath is an action video game developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Capcom. It was first announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2010, and was released worldwide in February 2012. The game was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game follows ...

Episode 11.5 "Forging ahead" (2012) Director, Character design, Storyboard, Animation Director

In popular culture

In the first episode of ''

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Sumito Ōwara. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's ''seinen'' manga magazine ''Monthly Big Comic Spirits'' since 2016 and has been collected in seven ''tankōbon'' volumes as of July ...

'', the character Tsubame rushes home to watch a fictional anime by "the dream team, Inoue-san, Iso-san and Ohira-san" referring to

Toshiyuki Inoue is a Japanese animator and character designer. He was the representative director of Japanese Animation Creators Association from 2014 to 2016. He is known as the "Perfect Animator", a title given to him by Mamoru Oshii. He is known for influen ...

Mitsuo Iso is a Japanese animator, director, and screenwriter. He began his career as an animator in the mid-1980s and worked as a freelance artist through Neomedia, Studio Zaendo, and Studio Ghibli. Iso is known for his offbeat key animation in the prolog ...

and Shinya Ohira.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ohira, Shinya 1966 births Living people Japanese animators 21st-century Japanese artists