is a Japanese

mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is ...

designer. Yamane began his career and honed his skills at noted studio

Artmic was a Japanese animation design studio formed in 1978. It went bankrupt and was liquidated in 1997. AIC RIGHTS now holds the intellectual property of most of Artmic's titles. The studio was founded by Toshimichi Suzuki after he left Tatsunoko ...

in the 1980s, beginning with ''

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

'', '' A.D. Police: Dead End City'', ''

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. C ...

'' and ''

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 ...

''. After the studio was disbanded, he started his career as a freelancer and worked on numerous series as mecha designer, including ''

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 ...

'', '' Cowboy Bebop'', '' Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team'' and ''

Mobile Fighter G Gundam ''Mobile Fighter G Gundam'', also known in Japan as (and commonly referred to as simply ''G Gundam''), is a 1994 Japanese animated television series produced by Sunrise and the fifth installment in the long-running '' Gundam'' franch ...

''. He worked for the first time with

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 ...

on ''Cowboy Bebop''. His work on non-robot productions such as ''

The Silent Service is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kaiji Kawaguchi. It was published in Kodansha's '' Weekly Morning'' manga magazine from 1988 to 1996 and collected in 32 ''tankōbon'' volumes. The series was adapted into an anime tele ...

'', ''

Gatchaman (OVA) is a three-part original video animation (OVA) based on the popular 1970s anime '' Science Ninja Team Gatchaman''. It was released in Japan and the United States during the mid-1990s. This version of ''Gatchaman'' is set in the year 2066 wher ...

'' and numerous Artmic works have also been lauded. Yamane has also authored a book, ''Kimitoshi Yamane Mecha Zukan''.

Filmography

*''

'' (1987–1991) *''

Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 is a 1987 original video animation produced by AIC, Soeishinsha and Pony Canyon and directed and conceptualized by Shinji Aramaki. It has been licensed in the United States by AnimEigo. The plot centers on a mechanic who comes across the MADO ...

'' (1988) *'' Hades Project Zeorymer'' (1988–1990) *''

Rhea 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. Ce ...

'' (1989) *'' The Three-Eyed One'' (1990–1991) *''

Bubblegum Crash is a 1987 to 1991 cyberpunk original video animation (OVA) series produced by Youmex and animated by AIC and Artmic. The series was planned to run for 13 episodes, but was cut short to just 8. The series involves the adventures of the K ...

'' (1991) *''

Detonator Orgun is a 1991 Japanese original video animation series by AIC and Artmic, directed by Masami Ōbari with character designs by Kia Asamiya (working under his real name, Michitaka Kikuchi). Planning for the series started in 1989, but the animati ...

'' (1991-1993) *'' Gall Force: New Era'' (1991) *'' Casshan: Robot Hunter'' (1993–1994) *''

Gatchaman is a Japanese animated franchise about a five-member superhero ninja team created by Tatsuo Yoshida and produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The original anime series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatcham ...

'' (1994–1995) *''

'' (1996) *'' Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team'' (1996–1999) *''

Voogie's Angel is a three-episode Japanese original video animation series, based on a 1996 radio drama series of the same name created by Aoi Takeuchi. Character designs in the animation were redone by Masami Oobari, based on the original designs created ...

'' (1997-1998) *''

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) *'' Cowboy Bebop'' (1998–1999) *''

Infinite Ryvius is a 26 episode drama/sci-fi series produced by Sunrise. The character and mecha designs in ''RYVIUS'' were created by Hisashi Hirai, who later went on to act as the character designer for '' Gundam SEED''. The series is also noted for its ...

'' (1999–2000) *'' Escaflowne'' (2000) *''

Argento Soma is a 25-episode anime TV series that aired on TV Tokyo from October 6, 2000, to March 22, 2001, with the final episode, , releasing direct-to-video. The anime was originally licensed by Bandai Entertainment in North America before going out of ...

'' (2000–2001) *'' Cowboy Bebop: The Movie'' (2001) *'' Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' (2002–2003) *''

Overman King Gainer is an anime television series, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, and featuring character designs by Yoshihiro Nakamura, Kinu Nishimura and Ken'ichi Yoshida. The series ran from September 7, 2002 to March 22, 2003 on ...

'' (2002–2003) *''

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny is an anime television series, a direct sequel to ''Mobile Suit Gundam SEED'' by Sunrise and the overall tenth installment in the '' Gundam'' franchise. It retains most of the staff from ''Gundam SEED'', including Director Mitsuo Fukuda. S ...

'' (2004–2005) *''

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO is a Japanese mini-series of nine CGI short films and OVAs based on the Gundam anime franchise, released from 2004 to 2009 in three chapters each comprising three episodes. Directed by Takashi Imanishi (who previously directed '' Gunda ...

'' (2004–2006) *''

Starship Operators A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 1882 in '' Oahspe: A Ne ...

'' (2005) *''

Tide-Line Blue is a Japanese anime series created by Satoru Ozawa and Umanosuke Iida. The series was produced by Bandai Visual and animated by Telecom Animation Film. Background ''Tide-Line Blue'' is set after an environmental disaster later called the "Ham ...

'' (2005) *''

Cluster Edge is an anime television series created by Masashi Ikeda and 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 c ...

'' (2005–2006) *''

Galaxy Angel II is a sequel to the games, anime, and manga franchise of Galaxy Angel, and is the continuation of BROCCOLI's ''Project G.A.''. It features a brand new cast of Angels called the Rune Angel Troupe, and according to the game ''Galaxy Angel II: ...

'' (2006) *''

Glass Fleet , subtitled ''La Légende du Vent de l'Univers'' (lit. ''the Legend of the Wind of the Universe''), is an anime television series, co-animated by Satelight and Gonzo and produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Asahi Broadcasting Corporation (AB ...

'' (2006) *'' Mobile Suit Gundam SEED C.E. 73: Stargazer'' (2006) *''

Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula , also known as '' Apo Mekhanes Theos Gigantic Formula'', is a Japanese anime television series that aired on TV Tokyo from April 4, 2007, to September 26, 2007. A manga adaptation by Shōhei Oka was serialized concurrently in '' Dengeki Da ...

'' (2007) *'' Xam'd: Lost Memories'' (2008–2009) *'' Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2'' (2008–2009) *''

Five Numbers! is a 2011 Japanese anime original video animation release. The OVA was directed by Hiroaki Ando, written by Dai Satō and produced by Sunrise. It is licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks, it was released alongside another Sunrise OVA, ...

'' (2011) *'' Eureka Seven: AO'' (2012) *''

Space Battleship Yamato 2199 ''Star Blazers 2199'', known in Japan as , is a 2012–2013 Japanese military science fiction anime television series that is a remake of the first ''Space Battleship Yamato'' television series created by Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Mats ...

'' (2013) *'' Gundam Reconguista in G'' (2014) Sources:

References

External links

1966 births Mechanical designers (mecha) Living people {{Anime-bio-stub