Masaaki Yuasa, the award-winning animation writer and director known for feature films such as Inu-Oh, Ride Your Wave, Lu Over the Wall, Mind Game and The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl, has joined forces with prodcos ASMIK Ace (Tekkonkinkreet), Aniplex (Demon Slayer) and CoMix Wave Films (Your Name.) to form a new Tokyo-based anime studio collective, Ame Pippin.
According to the studio’s website (amepippin.com), Yuasa serves as CEO & Co-Founder. The filmmaker wrote by way of introduction on the site:
“Greetings,
We are hoping that our new studio will be a place for new opportunities and a fresh creative environment.
As a collective, we will make steady progress, maintain quick turnarounds and flexibility, and foster joy in creativity.
The next chapter of film and media entertainment starts here!”
Yuasa previously co-founded the studio Science SARU with produce Eunyoung choi in 2013, which produced his recent feature films and series (like DEVILMAN crybaby, Ping Pong) as well as other projects by other creators, including Typhoon Noruda, Tatami Time Machine Blues, Dandadan, The Heike Story, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and The Colors Within. Yuasa stepped down as President of Science SARU in 2020.
Since breaking onto the international scene with his 2004 feature Mind Game, considered one of the most influential auteur animated features to come out of Japan, Yuasa has remained prolific and well-laureled. His accolades include two Annecy prizes (feature film Cristal for Lu Over the Wall, TV Jury Award for Japan Sinks 2020), the Japan Academy Film Prize for animation of the year (The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl), four Tokyo Anime Awards, four Crunchyroll Anime Awards, an OIAF prize, three Annie Awards nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for animated feature (Inu-Oh).
Yuasa has also been recognized by the Japanese government with the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Cabinet Minister Award for Media Fine Arts and the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon.
GKIDS and Shout! Factory released a five-film box set collection of Yuasa’s feature works in December of 2023.
[Source: Variety]
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