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Kimitoshi Yamane

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Kimitoshi Yamane (山根 公利, Yamane Kimitoshi, born 1966) is a Japanese mecha designer.[1] He was born in Kawamoto, Shimane Prefecture, and lives in Hamada, Shimane Prefecture.[2][3] His representative works include Cowboy Bebop, Infinite Ryvius, The Vision of Escaflowne and the Gundam series.[3][1]

Yamane's designs are characterised by a sense of industrial product, designed with motifs from real vehicles and weapons, or from war and science fiction films.[2][4] While Yamane has a deep knowledge of tanks and ships, he has little interest in robot in human form.[1][5] In the Gundam series, he sometimes designs the main robot Gundam, but his work is basically focused on naval vessels, aircraft and vehicles.[4][5]

His hobbies include fishing, working on cars, and riding motorcycles.[1][6] He owns several old cars and would like to try his hand at designing real cars if he gets the chance.[7]

Biography

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After graduating from high school, Yamane moved to Tokyo and attended the Animation Department of Chiyoda Technical Art College in Tokyo for two years while working as a newspaper scholarship student.[8][9]

Yamane belonged to Artmic[a], whose main business is planning anime works, where he worked on mecha designs for animation, mainly OVAs, while receiving guidance from Shinji Aramaki, Hideki Kakinuma, and Kenichi Sonoda.[8][10] He participated in co-productions with foreign countries such as the United States and France, and spent some time in Paris.[8] He was also involved in the remake of Tatsunoko Production's Casshan and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.[10]

Around the time Artmik went into financial difficulties, Yamane decided to become a freelance designer in 1994, as he began to work for Sunrise on Mobile Fighter G Gundam and made contacts.[8][9][10]

Yamane designed the main robot for the first time in The Vision of Escaflowne.[8][10] However, although his title was main designer, it is more correct to say that he co-designed the robot based on director Shōji Kawamori's first draft.[11]

Yamane participated in Cowboy Bebop from the planning stage.[12] After passing the audition, Yamane was entrusted with the mecha design by director Shinichirō Watanabe, making it his first work as a designer to create a mecha from concept.[9][12][13] In episode 19, Wild Horses, he went beyond the position of mecha designer and proposed the plot of the episode.[14] This work was a huge hit, and he also gained recognition as a mecha designer.[9]

Yamane also participated in the next work, Infinite Ryvius, from the early stages, and was involved in creating the concept for the work.[15]

Yamane subsequently worked on Argento Soma, designing a human-shaped mecha to symbolize the work, as well as most of the aircraft and facilities.[16]

However, after those ambitious works, mecha design became increasingly fixed in the Japanese animation industry, and Yamane's free-thinking designs found it difficult to gain approval.[2][9] Feeling stuck in a rut at work and a sense of entrapment in the industry, he began to think about leaving Tokyo and returning to his hometown to reconsider himself.[2][9] He then returned to his home town of Shimane in 2000 at the age of 34, got married and found a large plot of land in Hamada City where he built a house.[2][9] He thought it would be a good place to build a garage for tinkering with his car, so he could use his hobbies in his work, and it would also be a turning point for his career.[2] At first, he was prepared to lose his job in anime, but the internet infrastructure made it easier to exchange image data, and he continued to receive offers of work from Tokyo.[2][9]

Main works

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TV series

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Anime films

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OVA

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Video game

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Web animation

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Sources:[18][19][20][21][22]

Art books

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  • Yamane, Kimitoshi (January 20, 2008). Yamane Kimitoshi Meka Zukan (山根公利 メカ図鑑) 'Kimitoshi Yamane Mecha Picture Book'. MdN Corporation. ISBN 4-8443-5960-6.
  • Yamane, Kimitoshi (February 19, 2024). Yamane Kimitoshi Mekanikku Dezain Shū Mono Gurafu (山根公利メカニックデザイン集 モノGRAPH) 'Kimitoshi Yamane Mechanic Design Collection Mono Graph'. Time. ISBN 4-9091-8515-1.

Notes and References

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Notes

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  1. ^ He was only affiliated and not a full-time employee with benefits.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Meka Zukan 2008, p. 189.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "「ビバップ」山根公利&IZM designworks・直良有祐が語る「島根で働く」ということ―島根クリエイター対談" [Kimitoshi Yamane of "Bebop" and Yusuke Naora of IZM designworks talk about 'working in Shimane' - Shimane creator conversation]. Inside (in Japanese). IID, Inc. January 10, 2020. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Ichino, Kai (April 5, 2022). "アニメの「メカ」地方で描く 自身の原点、作品に込める - Myway - 島根" [Drawing anime 'mecha' in the countryside: his origins and his work - Myway - Shimane]. The Nikkei (in Japanese). Tokyo. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Meka Zukan 2008, p. 194.
  5. ^ a b Meka Zukan 2008, p. 103.
  6. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 201.
  7. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 195.
  8. ^ a b c d e Meka Zukan 2008, pp. 191–192.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Ichino, Kai (March 2, 2020). "「オリジナルのメカを」 デザイナー山根公利さん" ['Original mecha' Designer Kimitoshi Yamane]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Tokyo. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "クリエイターインタビュー 第17回 『カウボーイビバップ』メカニカルデザイン 山根公利＜前編＞" [Creator interviews Vol. 17 Mechanical design for 'Cowboy Bebop' Kimitoshi Yamane <Part 1>]. Sunrise World (in Japanese). Sunrise. May 10, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 50.
  12. ^ a b Meka Zukan 2008, p. 193.
  13. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 18.
  14. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 40.
  15. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 82.
  16. ^ Meka Zukan 2008, p. 86.
  17. ^ Sega (26 April 1995). Shadow Squadron (32X). Sega. Level/area: Credits.
  18. ^ 山根公利 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  19. ^ "English Newtype Online Site Updated!". Anime News Network. 2001-03-05. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  20. ^ "Argentosoma and Kikaider to premier at LA Comic Convention". Anime News Network. 2001-01-10. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  21. ^ "Esaflowne Movie Announcements". Anime News Network. 2000-04-17. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
  22. ^ "New Escaflowne, Final Fantasy movie details announced". Anime News Network. 1999-08-04. Retrieved 2008-12-20.
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