Yutaka Yamamoto

Yutaka Yamamoto (山本 寛, Yamamoto Yutaka, born September 1, 1974) is a Japanese anime director from Osaka Prefecture. He is known for his incendiary behavior on Twitter and for being fired from Kyoto Animation and Ordet, the latter of which he helped co-found.

For the Japanese mathematician, see Yutaka Yamamoto (mathematician).
Yutaka Yamamoto
山本 寛
Yamamoto at Anime Central 2014
Born (1974-09-01) September 1, 1974
Minoh, Osaka, Japan
Occupationanime director, blogger
Years active1998–present
Notable work
Fractale [1]
Watashi no Yasashiku nai Senpai [1]
Wake Up, Girls! [1]

Biography
Yutaka Yamamoto's signature at 2016 Taipei International Comics & Animation Festival

As a member of Kyoto Animation, Yamamoto rose to prominence within the company after serving as assistant director on Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time. In 2006, he was selected to be the series production director of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, after which he became well known among anime fans for the ending dance theme he choreographed.[1] He was to make his full directorial debut with Lucky Star, but was replaced after four episodes due to "performance issues".[2] In a later radio interview, Yamamoto confirmed he was fired by Kyoto Animation and unsuccessfully attempted to win back his job.[3] He later assumed the position of Ordet's president.[4] In 2008, he directed Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens with Ordet and A-1 Pictures.

In 2009, he directed a 90-second short film for inclusion in the fourth volume of the Tonari no 801-chan manga. The short was produced by A-1 Pictures and featured character designs by Satoshi Kadowaki.[5] Production of the short came after the announcement that Kyoto Animation would be producing a Tonari no 801-chan television series.[6] However, less than two weeks later, the series was canceled without explanation by its broadcaster, TBS.[7] Yamamoto wrote that the short was a chance to "avenge myself" on his blog.[5]

His next project was Black Rock Shooter, an OVA released in July 2010. Yamamoto was the supervising director for the project, Ordet's first solo production as the main animation studio, while Shinobu Yoshioka, another former Kyoto Animation member, directed it.[8] Yamamoto attended the American anime convention Otakon in 2009. In early 2011, Yamamoto directed the anime Fractale with production by A-1 Pictures and Ordet. He directed three films and a television series for Wake Up, Girls!, but was removed as director for the sequel series.[9] Yamamoto was fired by Ordet on March 25, 2016.[10] On February 25, 2017, he announced his next work would be an original anime film titled Hakubo, to be financed via crowdfunding. Yamamoto served as writer and director on the film, which is set to be released in 2019.[11] On March 4, 2019, the Tokyo District Court commenced bankruptcy proceedings against Yamamoto.[12][13] His lawyer stated that this would not affect his Hakubo film project.[14]

Yamamoto has threatened to quit his career in anime production six times over the years.[15] In May 2019, Yamamoto vowed never to "work on anything related to animation again" after finishing Hakubo.[16] He has become notorious for his incendiary behavior on Twitter, including calling fans of anime "[mentally] disabled",[17] discriminatory remarks about Chinese and Korean anime fans,[18] and attacking his former cast members,[19] which have resulted in him being temporarily suspended from Twitter in 2018.[20]

In September 2019, Yamamoto announced that he will crowdfund a dark fantasy anime titled Magical Girls on Crowdfire, which is inspired by the Kyoto Animation arson attack.[21]

Filmography

Credited as a director

Other

References
  1. "I was director who need care. I have never directed my anime by myself". Yutaka Yamamoto. November 30, 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-30.
  2. "Lucky Star Changes Director After Four Episodes". Anime News Network. 2007-04-30. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  3. "Director Yutaka Yamamoto Talks About Lucky Star Firing". Anime News Network. 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  4. "Kannagi/Lucky Star Director Yutaka Yamamoto at Otakon". Anime News Network. 2009-06-13. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  5. "Tonari no 801-chan Anime Short Green-Lit (Update 3)". Anime News Network. 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  6. "Haruhi's Kyoto Animation to Produce Tonari no 801-chan". Anime News Network. 2008-08-17. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  7. "TBS Acknowledges Tonari no 801-chan's Cancellation". Anime News Network. 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  8. "Black Rock Shooter Anime with Yutaka Yamamoto Confirmed for Spring (Updated)". Anime News Network. 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
  9. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2017-06-27/yamakan-tweets-separation-from-new-wake-up-girls-anime/.118085
  10. "Order was bought out for 20 million Yen". Yutaka Yamamoto. 2017-10-08. Retrieved 2017-10-08.
  11. "Wake Up, Girls' Yutaka Yamamoto Reveals 2018 Twilight Anime Film Project". Anime News Network. 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  12. "平成31年3月13日（本紙　第7466号）". Official Gazette of Japan. Tokyo District Court. 2019-03-12. p. 15. Retrieved 2019-03-12.
  13. Yamamoto, Yutaka (2019-03-11). "自己破産？". 山本寛 公式ブログ (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  14. Hodgkins, Crystalyn. "Anime Director Yutaka Yamamoto Files For Bankruptcy". Anime News Network. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  15. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-01-25/in-startling-post-yamakan-again-hints-he-may-retire-from-anime/.142563
  16. Antonio Pineda, Raphael (May 28, 2019). "Yutaka Yamamoto Vows to Leave Anime Industry After Finishing Hakubo Film". AnimeNewsNetwork. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  17. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2017-09-28/anime-director-yamakan-apologizes-for-disabled-otaku-comment/.121990
  18. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2018-06-07/yamakan-angrily-blames-otaku-china-for-new-life-anime-cancellation/.132541
  19. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2017-10-11/yamakan-lashes-out-at-wake-up-girls-cast-on-twitter/.122497
  20. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2018-08-28/director-yamakan-twitter-accounts-suspended-for-abusive-threatening-discriminatory-behavior/.136028
  21. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-09-27/wake-up-girls-director-yamakan-returns-to-crowdfund-magical-girls-dark-fantasy-anime/.151612
  22. "avex Pictures deleted credit of Yutaka Yamamoto". avex Pictures. 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
  • Maeda, Hisashi et al. "Lucky☆Star". (May 2007) Newtype USA. p. 67.
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