Ippei Kuri (九里 一平 Kuri Ippei, January 1, 1940 - July 1, 2023), born Toyoharu Yoshida (吉田豊治 Yoshida Toyoharu), was a manga artist, animation director, producer, and character designer best known for being part of Tatsunoko Production and the third president of the company from 1987 to 2005. He was the youngest of the three Yoshida brothers.
Bio[]
When Toyoharu Yoshida had seen the occupying forces in Japan as a child, he had a desire to "not be Japanese" and read American comics sold off by them and admired DC Comics' Superman (this would lead to his debut manga Z Boy being like a "kids' version of Superman", as he would later admit). Due to this early experience, his drawing style took on American comic book-like influences.
He had initially wanted to be an illustrator, but his older brother Tatsuo's influence led him to also become a manga artist. After working as Tatsuo's assistant, he made his debut with an original book, Rampaging Tengu, for Shimomura Publishing. He later gained popularity with more of his own works such as Mach Sanshiro. The origin of his famous pen name came from the fact that he was told "It's because you have big round eyes," so he took "Kuri" (kuri = round) and added "Ippei" to it.
Tatsunoko and Anime Friend era[]
After the establishment of Tatsunoko, Ippei Kuri continued to take on the heavy responsibilities of producer, planning, and direction for many of Tatsunoko's anime for about 40 years. His Western influences would also color the worldview of the anime he worked on; Mach Go Go Go, was made to be more conscious of eventual overseas exports, hence the lack of Japanese school uniforms and more international settings. This would extend to other works having a similar "stateless" feel.
In March 1977, Kuri also founded the subsidiary Anime Friend and served as its representative director until its closure in September 1990. Along with another contractor Green Box, Anime Friend often acted as a liaison for outsourcing key animation and subsequent work to partner studios in South Korea. Anime Friend not only had production management staff, but also directors, animators, and finishing staff, who were there to correct the work that had been completed in South Korea. The company also received subcontracting orders for works other than Tatsunoko's, and was responsible for the illustrations of works such as Mobile Suit Gundam (produced by Sunrise).
Retirement and Death[]
He stepped down as Tatsunoko president in 2005 but continued to do work as an artist, feeling more freedom than he had in having to run business at the company. On July 19th, 2023, Tatsunoko Production announced that he had passed away on the 1st, reserving the announcement until after his private funeral for family was held.
Body of Work[]
Kashihon[]
- Rampaging Tengu (あばれ天狗): Two volumes published December 25, 1958 and April 23, 1959. Shimomura Publishing.
Manga[]
- Z Boy (Ｚボーイ): July to December 1959, Hinomaru.
- Missile Kintaro (ミサイル金太郎): October 1959 to September 1960, Manga King.
- Mach Sanshiro (マッハ三四郎): February 21, 1960 to December 24, 1961, Weekly Shonen Magazine. Work written by Minoru Kume, Tatsuo Yoshida.
- Undersea Man 8823 (海底人８８２３): January to December 1960, Shonen. Work written by Ken Kuronuma.
- 000 Directive (指令０００): February to November 1961, Adventure King.
- Judo Boy (ジュードー・ボーイ): January 1961 to March 1962, Shonen Book. Work written by Yutaka Arai, Tatsuo Yoshida.
- Boy Speed King (少年スピード王): April 1961 to February 1962, Shonen. Work written by Minoru Kume.
- Marine Boys Corps. (海洋少年隊): August to November 1961, Primary School Studies. Also serialized in Manga King from December 1961 to December 1962.
- Speed Bun-chan (スピードぶんちゃん): 1962, Elementary School 1st Grade.
- Tester Z (テスターZ): March to December 1962, Shonen. Written by Kenji Maruyama.
- Fighter Ken (ファイター健): May 1962 to April 1963, Shonen Book. Written by Tatsuo Yoshida.
- Heaven's Oath Part 1 (大空のちかい 1): November 4, 1962 to December 15, 1963, Weekly Shonen Sunday. Ghostwritten by Masato Tenma, with art by Kuri.
- Malay White Tiger Squad (マレー白虎隊 ): May to December 1963, Shonen Book. Ghostwritten by Masato Tenma, with art by Kuri.
- Heaven's Oath Part 2 (大空のちかい 2): January 10th to May 3rd, 1964, Weekly Shonen Sunday. Ghostwritten by Masato Tenma, with art by Kuri.
- Rikimaru of the Wind (風の力丸): April 1964 to March 1965, Junior High 1st Year.
- Bullet Boy (弾丸児): July 9, 1967 to March 31, 1968, Weekly Shonen Sunday.
- Sanshiro Kurenai (紅三四郎): July 28th to November 17, 1968, Weekly Shonen Sunday. It was meant to be a media-mix with the anime, but it took a while for the Sanshiro anime to be greenlit. Ghostwritten by Mamoru Uchiyama, with art by Kuri.
Anime[]
- Space Ace- Planning, Screenwriting, Character design, Animation director, Episodic director
- Mach Go Go Go - Episodic director
- Sanshiro Kurenai- Director
- The Insect Story of Orphan Hutch - Director
- Sky Fighter Z (shelved)- Director
- Decision - Director, Animation director, animation
- Mokku of the Oak Tree - Episodic director, Character design
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman - Producer, Character design
- Kerokko Demetan- Producer
- Neo-Human Casshan- Producer
- The New Insect Story of Orphan Hutch - Producer
- Tekkaman the Space Knight - Producer
- Gowapper 5 Godam - Episodic director
- Paul's Miraculous Adventure - Producer
- Temple the Balloonist - Episodic director
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman 2 (rejected)- Character design, would-be Producer
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II - Character design, Producer
- Gordian the Warrior- Planning, Character design
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman Fighter - Planning, Producer
- Muteking the Dashing Warrior- Planning, Character design, Producer
- Divine Legend Sadamoebius (Light novel for My Anime and scrapped anime project) - Planning, Character designs, would-be Producer
- The Great Undersea War: 20,000 Miles of Love - Storyboards, Director
- Golden Warrior Gold Lightan- Planning, Character design (stemming from the Abaranger prototype stages)
- Dash Kappei - Producer
- Future Policeman Urashiman - Planning
- Showa-era Idiot Story Book: Most Refined - Planning
- Doteraman - Original author
- Red Photon Zillion - Producer
- I'm Gazula (1987 remake) - Planning
- Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato - Producer
- The Insect Story of Orphan Hutch (remake) - Character design, Producer
- Legendary Ninja Cats - Executive producer
- The Great Adventure of Robin Hood - Animation producer
- Space Knight Tekkaman Blade - Producer
- Cinderella Story- Producer
- Mach Go Go Go (1997 remake) - Character design, Art direction
- Call On Me, I'll Jump Out! Akubi-chan- Planning, Producer
- KARAS- Producer (final work with Tatsunoko)
In scrapped works for the company, he was a producer for the 1998 Gatchaman remake pitch as well as pivotal in a remake proposal for Space Ace and an ultimately unaired and colorized 1990s version of Dokachin. He had also tried to push the sci-fi project Space Science Challenge Team Challendar.
Bibliography[]
- "Dreams of Kyoto, Memories of Tomorrow - Invited by the Me of Those Days" Kodansha , November 2004. ISBN 4062126508
- "Collection of Ippei Kuri's Works" Kyuryudo , November 2012. ISBN 4763012347
- "Ippei Kuri PAST & FUTURE" Kawade Shobo Shinsha ( MOBSPROOF EX Publishing Works), September 2016. ISBN 4309920942