Director Masaaki Yuasa will be recognized by the Japanese government for hiswork in the anime industry. Yuasa will receive the fall 2021 Medal with Purple Ribbon, an award that celebrates “individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements and accomplishments.”
Other notable figures to receive the honor areAkiracreator Katsuhiro Otomo, manga artist Rumiko Takahashi, andSazae-sancreator Machiko Hasegawa. Plenty of notable names outside of the manga and anime industry have been given the award as well. Martial Artist Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, received the award in 1960, while celebrated biologist Kono Yasui received it in 1955 for her various academic accomplishments.
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Yuasa began his career as an animator in 1987. He served as an in-between animator for the 1988 film,Doraemon: The Record of Nobita’s Parallel Visit to the West, which provided him with his first credited role. He then went on to work on variousDoraemonprojects as well as other popular titles such asCrayon Shin-chanandChibi Maruko-chan.
Yuasa would branch out into directing in 1992, but would not helm a feature film until 2004’sMind Game. He would thengo on to direct notable workssuch asDevilman Crybaby, The Tatami Galaxy,and most recently,Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!andJapan Sinks: 2020.
In 2013, Yuasa and longtime collaborator Eunyoung Choi set out to crowdfundKick-Heart, a short film produced by Production I.G. The film was the first crowdfunded anime project and received over $200,000 USD from backers. That same year, Yuasa and Choi founded their own animation studio, Science Saru.
Yuasa would direct a number of the studio’s projects over the following years, finding great success withThe Night Is Short, Walk On Girl,Devilman Crybaby,Lu Over the Wall,andEizouken. Thestudio’s latest project,Inu-Oh, tells the story of a blind musician and dancer, focusing on the friendship between the two. It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on September 9th and is set for a theatrical release in 2022.
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