Osamu Dezaki

Osamu Dezaki (出﨑 統, Dezaki Osamu) (November 18, 1943 – April 17, 2011), also known as Makura Saki (崎 枕, さきまくら, Saki Makura), (斉九洋), Matsudo Kan (松戸 完, Matsudo Kan) or Yabuki Toru (矢吹 徹, Yabuki Toru), was a Japanese director of anime born on November 18, 1943, in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. His older brother, Satoshi Dezaki, is also an anime director.

Dezaki started out as a manga artist while still in high school. In 1963 he joined studio Mushi Productions, which was founded by manga and anime pioneer Osamu Tezuka. His made his debut as a director in 1970 with Ashita no Joe.

Dezaki was known for his distinct visual style, which makes use of split screen, stark lighting, and pastel freeze frames that he called "postcard memories", which may be his most famous trademark. They feature a process whereby the screen fades into a detailed "painting" of the simpler original animation. Many of his techniques became popular and came to be seen as special techniques of Japanese animation.

Desaki died from lung cancer on April 17, 2011, at the age of 67.

Works

Television anime series

• Astro Boy (the first series, 1963–1966)
  • animator → episode director
• 悟空の大冒険, Goku no Dai-bouken / Great adventure of Goku (based on Hsi Yu Chi, 1967)
  • episode director
• わんぱく探偵団, Wanpaku Tanteidan / Naughty Detective Corps (1968)
  • episode director
• Dororo (1969)
  • episode director
• Tomorrow's Joe (1970–1971)
  • chief director, screenplay and episode director (as Saki Makura)
• Lupin the 3rd (the first series, 1971–1972)
  • storyboard (episodes 7, 13 & 17, as 斉九洋)
• Jungle Kurobe (1973)
  • chief director
• Aim for the Ace! / Ace o Nerae! (1973–1974)
  • chief director
• はじめ人間ギャートルズ, Hajime Ningen Gyatoruz / Giatrus, The Dawn of Mankind (1974–1976)
  • episode director, director of OP and ED
• Ganba no Bōken (ガンバの冒険, Adventures of Ganba) (1975)
  • chief director, and episode director (as Saki Makura)
• Ganso Tensai Bakabon (1975–1977)
  • episode director, and the image leader of this work
• Ie Naki Ko / Nobody's Child (based on Hector Malot's novel, Sans Famille / Nobody's Boy, 1977–1978)
  • chief director, and episode director (as Saki Makura)
• Takarajima(based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, 1978–1979)
  • chief director
• The Rose of Versailles (also known as Lady Oscar, 1979–1980)
  • chief director (from episode 19)
• Tomorrow's Joe (1980–1981)
  • chief director
• Space Adventure Cobra / Space Cobra (1982–1983)
  • chief director (with Yoshio Takeuchi)
• Rainbow Brite (1983)
  • joint chief director
• The Mighty Orbots (1984)
  • chief director
• Bionic Six (1987)
  • chief director
• Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light (1987)
  • creative consultant
• Oniisama e (1991–1992)
  • chief director
• The Old Testament story of Osamu Tezuka (1997)
• Hakugei: Legend of the Moby Dick (Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick influenced this series.) (1997-1999)
  • original bill, chief director
• The Snow Queen (based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, The Snow Queen. (2005-2006)
  • chief director, storyboard
• Ultraviolet: Code 044 (2008)
  • chief director, screenplay, storyboard
• Genji Monogatari Sennenki, 源氏物語千年紀 (2009, based on Genji Monogatari by Murasaki Shikibu.)
  • chief director, screenplay

Television anime special programs

• Botchan (June 13, 1980) – supervisor
• Lupin the 3rd (TV special) – chief director
  1. Bye-Bye Liberty Crisis (April 1, 1989)
  2. Mystery of the Hemingway Papers (July 20, 1990)
  3. Steal Napoleon's Dictionary! (August 9, 1991)
  4. From Russia With Love (July 24, 1992)
  5. The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure (August 4, 1995)
• Koushi-den (孔子傳) (Confucius tradition) (October 15, 1995) (coproduction of Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei) – chief director

Original video animations

• Aim for the Ace! 2 / Ace o Nerae! 2 (1988)
  • total supervisor, storyboard (as Saki Makura)
• One-Pound Gospel (1988)
  • chief director (as Saki Makura)
• Sinter starlit night music (華星夜曲) (1989)
  • chief director
• Aim for the Ace! / Ace o Nerae! Final Stage (1989–1990)
  • chief director
• B.B. (1990–1991)
  • chief director
• Syura-no-suke Zan-ma-ken･Shirenmon no Otoko (修羅之介斬魔剣・死鎌紋の男) (1990)
  • chief director
• Sohryuden: Legend of the Dragon Kings (1991–1993)
  • chief director
• Treasure Island (Takarajima) Memorial, The man who was called an "evening calm" (宝島メモリアル 夕凪と呼ばれた男) (1992)
  • chief director
• Golgo 13 : Queen Bee (1998)
  • chief director
• Black Jack (1993–2000)
  • chief director
  1. Patient's record I: Drift ice, the man of the chimera (the original: Hurricane)
  2. Patient's record II: Funeral procession game (an original story)
  3. Patient's record III: Decoration of Maria (the original: Promise)
  4. Patient's record Iv: Sitophobia, Two Black Doctors (the original: Two Black Doctors)
  5. Patient's record V: Owl of San Mérida (the original: Instant that passed away)
  6. Patient's record VI: Snowy bedtime story, Princess of love (an original story)
  7. Patient's record VII: White justice (the original: White justice)
  8. Patient's record VIII: Green thought (the original: Bud, Old man and Tree)
  9. Patient's record IX: Eczema of the human face (the original: Eczema of the human face)
  10. Patient's record X: Woman who is depressed (the original: Woman who is depressed)

Movies

• A Thousand & One Nights (June 14, 1969)
  • animator
• Belladonna (June 30, 1973)
  • key animator
• Aim for the Ace! The Movie: Jump High, Hiromi! (September 8, 1979)
  • chief director
• Tomorrow's Joe: The Movie (March 8, 1980)
  • chief director
• Nobody's Child/Ie Naki Ko: The Movie (March 15, 1980)
  • chief director
• Tomorrow's Joe: The Movie (July 18, 1981)
  • chief director and screenplay
• Space Adventure Cobra (July 3, 1982)
  • chief director
• Golgo 13: The Professional (May 28, 1983)
  • chief director
• 冒険者たち ガンバと7匹のなかま Bōkensya-tachi Ganba to 7hiki no Nakama / Venturers "Gamba and seven friends" (Ganba no Bōken: The Movie, March 4, 1984)
  • chief director
• Treasure Island (Takarajima): The Movie (May 9, 1987)
  • chief director
• Black Jack: The Movie (November 30, 1996)
  • chief director
• Hamtaro: The Movie
  • chief director
  1. Hamu Hamu Rando Daibōken/Adventures in Ham-Ham Land (December 15, 2001)
  2. Hamu Hamu Hamu Maboroshi no Purincess/Princess of Vision (December 14, 2002)
  3. Hamu Hamu Guran Purin/Ham-Ham Grand Prix (December 13, 2003)
  4. Hamutaro to Fushigi no Oni no Ehon Tō/Hamtaro and the Mysterious Ogre's Picture Book Tower (December 23, 2004)
• Air (February 5, 2005)
  • chief director
• Clannad (September 15, 2007)
  • chief director

External links

• (Japanese) Osamu Dezaki official blog
• (Japanese) Fan Club
• (Japanese) Dezaki Osamu Production Works Appreciation Society
• Osamu Dezaki at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• OSAMU DEZAKI 1943-2011 | Obituary
• "Interview: Osamu Dezaki" -(Animerica, issue #17 1998)