Osamu Kobayashi (illustrator)

Japanese animator (1964–2021)

Osamu Kobayashi (小林治, Kobayashi Osamu) (January 10, 1964 – April 17, 2021^[1]) was a Japanese animator, illustrator, mechanical designer, and animation director primarily known for BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad and Paradise Kiss; his guest appearance as director of episode 4 of Gurren Lagann, and, most recently, episode 15 of Dororo.^[2] After graduating from high school, he worked as a designer and manga artist, but following his participation in Grandia he was mainly active in the field of animation. He originally directed avant-garde shorts and music videos for Studio 4°C and has more recently done two TV series for Madhouse Studios.^[2]^{[better source needed]} Kobayashi was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2019, and died on April 17, 2021, at 57 years old, from a colon infection caused by the disease.^[3] His name is occasionally rendered in full katakana to differentiate from Osamu Kobayashi, an unrelated anime episode director.

Filmography

Director

table&fishman (short) (2002) (first directorial work)
End of the world (short - part of Grasshoppa! series) (2002)
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (TV) (2004-2005)^[2]
Paradise Kiss (TV) (2005)^[2]
Sancha (The Aromatic Tea) Blues (short) (2007)
Someday's Dreamers: Summer Skies (TV) (2008)
Naruto: Shippuden (TV) (2016) (eps 480–483)
Rinshi! Ekoda-chan (TV) (2019) (ep 11)

Other

Venus Wars (Movie) (1989) - Mecha cleanup
Grandia (Game) (1997) - World setting design
Blue Submarine No. 6 (OVA) (1998) - Art design, art setting
Evolution: The World of Sacred Device (Game) (1999) - World setting design, mechanical design, demo director
Gungrave (Game) (2002) - Art design, mechanical design, stage concept design
Gad Guard (TV) (2003) - Set design, original drawing animation director, storyboard, episode director, key animation, ending animation
Kaiketsu Zorori (TV) (2004) - Ending animation
Zoids: Genesis (TV) (2005-2006) - Digald concept design
Kemonozume (TV) (2006) - Storyboard, episode director, animation director, key animation (ep 7)
Gurren Lagann (TV) (2008) - Storyboard, episode director, animation director, key animation (ep 4)
Hanamaru Kindergarten (TV) (2010) - ED animation special director, animation director (ep 7)
Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (TV) (2010) - Setting, episode director, storyboard, key animation (ep 5b)
Tegami Bachi REVERSE (TV) (2010) - ED2 illustration
The Mystic Archives of Dantalian (TV) (2011) - Storyboard, episode director (ep 9)
One Night City (Manga) (2014)
The Last: Naruto the Movie (Movie) (2014) - Concept art
Garo: Crimson Moon (TV) (2014) - Storyboard (ep 4)
Lupin the 3rd Part IV: The Italian Adventure (TV) (2015) - Storyboard, episode director (ep 12)
Dororo (TV) (2019) - Storyboard and episode director (ep 15), ending animation

References

^ Harding, Daryl. "BECK, Naruto Shippuden Anime Director Osamu Kobayashi Passes Away Aged 57". Crunchyroll. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Wong, Amos. "Creator Profile: Osamu Kobayashi". Newtype USA. 6 (1) pp. 44–47. January 2007. ISSN 1541-4817.
^ Harding, Daryl. "BECK, Naruto Shippuden Anime Director Osamu Kobayashi Passes Away Aged 57". Crunchyroll. Retrieved April 20, 2022.