Akiyuki Shinbo

Akiyuki Shinbō (新房 昭之), born September 27, 1961 in Fukushima, Japan, is a Japanese animation director. Shinbō started his career as an animator in 1981 at Studio One Pattern. He then made his directorial debut with Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. He is most notable for his involvement in a number of Shaft works since 2004. His style is unique and readily recognizable due to the amount of surreal imagery, typographic art, and frequent cuts to text and photographs.

Early career
Akiyuki Shinbō started his career after graduating from Tokyo Design Institute as an animator in 1981 for the anime series Urusei Yatsura. Shinbō participated with Studio Pierrot in 1990 as a unit director in Karakuri Kengouden Musashi Road and started to provide storyboards for YuYu Hakusho in 1992. His first full directorial debut was 1994's Metal Fighter Miku, produced by J.C.Staff. He continued his directional career with several OVA series starting with Devil Hunter Yohko 6: Double Jeopardy in 1995, followed by Galaxy Fraulein Yuna: The Abyssal Fairy in 1996, Debutante Detective Corps and New Hurricane Polymar. That year and in 1997, he directed the two Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko OVA series, which led to his second TV anime series directorial job in 1999 (the Yamamoto Yohko TV series). He then served as a director for Tatsunoko Production's The SoulTaker in 2001.

Recent work
Shinbō participated with Seven Arcs starting with Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever in 2003, and then become a director for 2004's spin-off Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. In the same year, he directed Le Portrait de Petit Cossette by Doumu and Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase by Shaft. He has since participated in most of Shaft's works as a director or supervisor.

Director

 * Metal Fighter Miku (1994)
 * Devil Hunter Yohko 6: Double Jeopardy (1995)
 * Galaxy Fraulein Yuna: The Abyssal Fairy (1996)
 * Debutante Detective Corps (1996)
 * New Hurricane Polymar (1996)
 * Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko series (1996–1999)
 * Detatoko Princess (1997)
 * Twilight of the Dark Master (1997)
 * Tenamonya Voyagers (1999)
 * The SoulTaker (2001)
 * Triangle Heart: Sweet Songs Forever (2003)
 * Le Portrait de Petit Cossette (2004)
 * Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase (2004)
 * Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha (2004)
 * Pani Poni Dash! (2005)
 * Negima!? (2006)
 * Hidamari Sketch series (2007–2010)
 * Sayonara Zetsubō Sensei series (2007–2010)
 * Ef: A Fairy Tale of the Two. series (2007–2008) [Supervisor]
 * Mahō Sensei Negima!: Shiroki Tsubasa Ala Alba (2008)
 * Maria Holic (2009)
 * Natsu no Arashi! series (2009)
 * Bakemonogatari (2009)
 * Mahō Sensei Negima! : Mō Hitotsu no Sekai (2009)
 * Dance in the Vampire Bund (2010)
 * Arakawa Under the Bridge (2010)
 * Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru (2010)
 * Puella Magi Madoka Magica (2011)

Unit director

 * Karakuri Kengouden Musashi Road (1990)
 * Marude Dameo (1992)
 * YuYu Hakusho (1992)
 * Kyōryū Wakusei (1993)
 * Montana Jones (1994)
 * Ninku (1995)
 * Midori no Makibaō (1996)
 * Kaiketsu Zorro (1996)

Storyboard

 * YuYu Hakusho (1992)
 * Galaxy Fraulein Yuna: Siren's Sadness (1995)
 * Kaiketsu Zorro (1996)
 * Saber Marionette J (1996) [Opening movie]
 * Saber Marionette J Again (1997) [Opening movie]
 * Saber Marionette J to X (1998)
 * Tatsunoko Fight (2000) [Opening movie]
 * Denkō Sekka Volter (2000) [Opening movie]
 * The God of Death (2005) [Opening movie]