Yoshinori Kanada

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 80s and 90s, 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 legendary animators such as Hiroyuki Imaishi and Pendleton Ward.

Anime and video game works

Partial list (he was involved in over 50 TV, OVA series and movies since the 70s, and also involved in many Square and Square Enix works)

• Zukkoke Knight - Don De La Mancha (Storyboard (episode 6), Character Design, Key Animation (episode 6))
• Mahou no Mako-chan (Animation)
• Sarutobi Ecchan (Animation)
• GeGeGe no Kitaro (OP Animator)
• Birth (Character Design, Animation director, Lead Animator)
• Castle in the Sky (Key Animation Supervision)
• Genesis Climber MOSPEADA(OP Animator)
• Blue Submarine No. 6 (Key Animator)
• Fushigi Yuugi (OP Animator)
• Galaxy Express 999 (Key Animator)
• Toward the Terra (Key Animator)
• Harmegeddon (Key Animator)
• My Neighbor Totoro (Key Animator)
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Key Animator)
• Kiki's Delivery Service (Key Animator)
• Porco Rosso (Key Animator)
• Princess Mononoke (Key Animator)
• X (Key Animator)
• Vampire Hunter (Key Animator)
• Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals (Key Animator)
• CLAMP School Detectives (Key Animator for Opening Animation)
• Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D (Opening Animation Director)
• Hanjuku Hero 4: 7-Jin no Hanjuku Hero (Opening Animation Director)
• Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Key Animator, Layout Artist)
• Final Fantasy XIII (Storyboard Director)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: Daughter of the Dusk (Key Animator, One of his last works)

External links

• Yoshinori Kanada at Anime News Network's encyclopedia