Hiroyuki Kitakubo

Hiroyuki Kitakubo (北久保 弘之, Kitakubo Hiroyuki) is a Japanese director, screenwriter, storyboard artist and animator credited for his work on the OVA adaptation of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure by Studio A.P.P.P.. He primarily wrote, storyboarded and directed several of its episodes.

Biography

Born on November 15, 1963, Hiroyuki Kitakubo first broke into the animation industry after graduating middle school, working as an inbetweener for the first 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam Animation Series. Despite only being a teenager, Kitakubo worked on various notable shows, including Urusei Yatsura and Doraemon. In 1985, Kitakubo would gain notoriety after making his directorial debut on the fourth episode of Cream Lemon, titled "Pop Chaser", which was part of an ero-OVA series produced by A.P.P.P..

During the early stages of his career, Kitakubo worked at various studios such as Nakamura Pro and Neo Media before establishing his own freelance animator group, "Studio MIN", with four others in 1982. Other well known animators in the group included Nobuteru Yuki, Yuji Moriyama and Hideki Tamura. Studio MIN fell through in 1991 around the time Kitakubo worked on and directed Roujin Z, which was written by AKIRA creator Katsuhiro Otomo.

Kitakubo is credited as director for numerous animated series such as Robot Carnival, Golden Boy, and Blood: The Last Vampire. He has also been particularly praised for the intro sequence to Mobile Police Platabor: Early days, which he key animated.

Kitakubo's Art for Ghost in the Shell (PS1)

With Blood: The Last Vampire being his most notable work, its success in 2001 would prompt him to win the 'Individual Award' at the 6th Animation Kobe. The movie itself won two prizes, one in 2000 which was a grand prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival and another coming in as a first prize at the 2001 World Animation Celebration.

Kitakubo is also known for his involvement with the likes of Shirow Masamune, creator of the manga series, Ghost in the Shell. He first worked with Masamune as the director of the 1987 OVA adaptation of Black Magic, titled BLACK MAGIC M66, and once more in 1997 with writing and co-designing of the PS1 Ghost in the Shell video game.

Credits

• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (OVA)
  • Director: Episode 8Episode 9Episode 10Episode 11Episode 12Episode 13
  • Script: Episode 8Episode 9Episode 10Episode 11Episode 13
  • Episode Director: Episode 8Episode 9Episode 13
  • Storyboard: Episode 13

Interviews

Special Talk: Hirohiko Araki vs. Hiroyuki Kitakubo (July 1994)

Incomplete transcript

Home Media

Interview

Published July 21, 1994

👤 Hirohiko Araki, Hiroyuki Kitakubo, Marco d'Ambrosio, Tom Myers, John Countryman

📜

Manga

OVA

Stardust Crusaders

Diamond is Unbreakable

Gallery

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  V Jump 11/1992, Interview with Hirohiko Araki 1/2
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  11/1992, Interview with Araki 2/2
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  V Jump 02/1993, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (SFC Game) Interview
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  V Jump 04/1993 Interview
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  V Jump 07/1993 Interview
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  V Jump 08/1993 Interview
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  V Jump 08/1993, Interview with Araki
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  Animage Feb 1994 Interview

Trivia

• Famous artist Katsuya Terada, who is known for his Legend of Zelda artwork in American magazine Nintendo Power, worked with Kitakubo on his movie Blood: The Last Vampire. Terada was commissioned by Kitakubo to draw character designs and eventually drew promotional art for the movie.

See also

• Junichi Hayama
• Takahiro Kishida
• Satoshi Kon
• Marco d'Ambrosio