Kazuo KOMATSUBARA

Kazuo Komatsubara was involved in producing various animation works as a main staff for a major production including Toei Animation and Madhouse, through working for his own animation studio. His numerous works was important as itself could serve for the development history of Japanese animation for the television generation.

Komatsubara started his career as in-between animator of “Okami Shonen Ken (Ken, the Wolf Boy)”(1963) and played a main role in key animated drawings followed by such titles as “Maho Tsukai Sally (Sally, the Witch)” (1966), “Kyojin no Hoshi” (1968) and “Himitsu no Akko chan (Secret Little Akko)” (1969). Directing animator debut followed on “Tiger Mask” (1969). In 1970, he founded OH!Production with Koichi Murata and other two animators.

In 1972, Komatsubara worked as character designer for “Devil man” for the first time, and was responsible for character design and animation direction in “Getter Robo” (1974), “Getter Robo G” (1975) and “UFO Robo Grendizer” (1975) which were based on the comics by Go Nagai same as “Devil man”. With his mature technique and elegant touch, Komatsubara was succeeded as a well-known animator in such works.

Komatsubara was invited to work on Reiji Matsumoto’s “Uchu Kaizoku Captain Harlock (Space Pirate Captain Harlock)” and “Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Galaxy Express 999) ” (1978) by Toei animation as character designer and directing animator, which were also the studio’s main works. He also challenged in various designs of work such as “Gambare Genki” (1980) and “Ginga Senpu Braiger (Galactic Whirlwind Braiger)” (1981), and contributed greatly to the development of the TV animation.

Not only TV series, but also Komatsubara participated in the animated features and worked as character designer and directing animator for “Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Galaxy Express 999)” (1979) and “Sayonara Ginga Tetsudo 999 (Adieu Galaxy Express 999) ” (1981). In these films, he created the world different from the original TV animations and they became his best-known work.

In 1982, Komatsubara served as planning and producing in the background role, and succeeded on the animated feature “Sero Hiki no Goshu (Goshu, the Cellist)” while it was said that a subcontract production was not able to self-produce. (This film has received Ofuji Noburo Award in Mainichi Film Awards as the best animation film in 1981.)

After joining the animated feature “Waga Seishun no Arcadia (Arcadia of My Youth) ” (1982), Komatsubara was invited by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki to participate in the production of “Kaze no Tani no Naushika (Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind)” (1984), for which he served as directing animator and contributed to success on work of Hayao Miyazaki.

Komatsubara also created many original characters for children or young women, including “Tongari Boshi no Memoru” (1984) and “Hare Toidoki Buta” (1987).

Komatsubara was never interested in fame, and his craftsmanship and dedication to work won respect among his peers. Now, many of the people who were affected by his work are working at the front line of Japanese animation industry.

Komatsubara worked on key-animation for the feature film “Metropolis” while battling his illness. Unfortunately, He was unable to see the completion of the film and passed away in March 2000.