Undoubtably one of the most influential Japanese animation directors working today, Koji Morimoto’s impressive portfolio of work include the role of animation supervisor on Otomo Katsuhiro’s Akira, director of “Magnetic Rose” on Memories, as well as involvement in many other highly acclaimed films like Animatrix, Tekkon Kinkreet, Mind Game, Genius Party, and a whole lot more short films and MTVs.

As an animation student I was deeply impressed and influenced by two of his short films, ( both of which can be viewed on the website ) namely “Noiseman” and “Survival” (an MTV for Japanese rock band Glay) whose beautiful integration of 2D and CG elements was unlike anything the industry has ever seen before. Many years later, I would have the great fortitude of working together with some of the artists from both films when I entered Sunrise.

Koji Morimoto has also published a very popular artbook titled “Orange”, a comprehensive collection of his doodles and sketches. ( Read the book review here.) While his work tend to veer towards the abstract and surreal sometimes, ( I personally prefer a more realistic/detailed style like that of Tatsuyuki Tanaka, who has worked with Morimoto on many films. ) Morimoto’s unique artistic vision and immense contribution to the anime industry cannot be understated.

www.kojimorimoto.com