Akiyoshi Sakai (酒井 あきよし Sakai Akiyoshi, born 酒井 昭義 with same pronunciation, October 23, 1942-) is a Japanese screenwriter, formerly associated with Tatsunoko Production.
Bio[]
His childhood home was a Chinese herbal medicine store. His father, the store owner, would travel around the country with a rokyoku storyteller troupe, selling Chinese herbal medicine during intermissions in their performances. He would accompany them as a child but the store eventually closed. Sakai initially attended a commercial high school, but dropped out because he was not good at abacus and enrolled in a regular high school instead. He began acting during his high school days and as a university student, he would bring his own scripts to Nikkatsu.
After graduating from university, he joined Tatsunoko Production. While working in the company's planning and literary department, he made his debut as a scriptwriter with the 11th episode of Mokku of the Oak Tree (aka: Pinocchio), "I Want to Know My Mother's Love". In this department, he was actively involved not only in scriptwriting but also in planning out works.
In 1977, he left Tatsunoko and participated in the founding of Tori Pro, led by Jinzo Toriumi who had also left Tatsunoko at the same time. He was active in planning and producing Space Genie Daikengo , and co-writing manga with Toriumi and Satoshi Suyama under a shared pen name, but Tori Pro disbanded sometime after Gatchaman Fighter.
After that period, Sakai worked as a freelance scriptwriter, writing dramas and anime and then scripts for live-action television. He currently works at the animation production company Production REED (formerly Ashi Production), and is the one who coined the name "Ashi Production" in the first place.
Body of Work[]
Planning (Tatsunoko-specific)[]
- Kabatotto
- Inakappe Taisho
- Hurricane Polymar
- Time Bokan
- Gowapper 5 Godam
- Time Bokan Series: Yatterman
- Time Bokan Series: Zenderman
Screenplay Credits (Tatsunoko)[]
- Mokku of the Oak Tree
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
- Kerokko Demetan
- Neo-Human Casshan
- The New Insect Story of Orphan Hutch
- Hurricane Polymar
- The Song of Ladybug
- Tekkaman the Space Knight - Under alias of Fumio Hotta
- Gowapper 5 Godam - Under alias of Fumio Hotta
- Time Bokan Series: Yatterman
- Temple the Balloonist
- Gatchaman II
- Gatchaman Fighter
- Time Bokan Series: Zenderman
- Time Bokan Series: Time Patrol Otasukeman
- Time Bokan Series: Itadakiman
- Muteking the Dashing Warrior
- Dash Kappei
- Golden Warrior Gold Lightan
Screenplay Credits (Other)[]
- Great Battle of the Flying Saucers (Toei) - Original concept that was developed into the screenplay by Shozo Uehara. Sakai, along with his co-planners Jinzo Toriumi and Satoshi Suyama, were credited under the joint penname Sacre Burn.
- Space Genie Daikengo (Tori Pro, Toei)
- The Witch Girl Tickle (Toei)
- Cyborg 009 (Sunrise, Toei)
- Space Warrior Baldios (Ashi)
- The Legend of Horror: Mysterious Frankenstein (Toei)
- Don de la Mancha (Ashi)
- Beast King Go-Lion (Toei)
- Asari-chan (Toei)
- Patalliro! (Toei)
- Lightning Speed God Albegas (Toei)
- Tokimeki Tonight (Toei)
- Dream Warrior Wingman (Toei)
- Video Warrior Laserion (Toei)
- Sally the Witch (2nd series, Toei)
- The Tale of Thumbelina (Enoki Films)
- F-ZERO Falcon Legend (Ashi)
- Ultra Maniac (Ashi)