西島克彦

Best known as the creator of Project A-Ko. He is particularly noted for his work during the ‘80s, going all out in Urusei Yatsura and many OVAs and films such as Outlanders and Dirty Pair. He is among the many Kanada-influenced animators of the ‘80s, and his work is recognizable from its wide-eyed characters, attention to anatomical detail, and characterful impact frames.

Initially he wanted to be a mangaka, but enrolled in university instead after not being sure if he could make a living - though, he did drop out after a year. During his short lived time there, he was watching Gundam and had sent a letter to Yoshiyuki Tomino with the hopes of joining Sunrise. They weren’t accepting in-betweeners at this time, so a producer of theirs referred him to Studio Live, which he then joined after passing an entrance test in 1979. There he studied under the studio’s founder, Toyoo Ashida, and started gaining attention for his work on Urusei Yatsura.

After working at Studio Deen for a while, he took part in the establishment of Studio Graviton alongside Hideaki Anno, Shouichi Masuo and Kouji Itou. He then went freelance and worked regularly for Studio Fantasia.

Lately he has shifted more and more towards directing and storyboarding rather than animating himself, often collaborating with his long-time friends Yuuji Moriyama and Noriyasu Yamauchi.