Mitsuki Nakamura (中村 光毅, Nakamura Mitsuki, April 7, 1944 – May 16, 2011) was an art director and mecha designer commonly associated with Tatsunoko Production and Toei, as well as his own Design Office MECAMAN.
Bio[]
Nakamura had loved drawing since he was a child, and after watching Disney 's Cinderella, he was inspired to work in animation. However, he didn't think he could draw characters well, so he aimed to become a background artist from the start . After graduating from junior high school, he joined Toei Animation.
By 1964, he joined Tatsunoko as an art director. He was a regular employee of the company for about 13 years, serving as not only the art director but also in charge of mechanical designs for all of the company's productions, starting with Space Ace. For Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, he was the first employee to be credited as a mecha designer, along with Kunio Okawara, who had just been switched from a background designer at the time.
As a mecha designer, his representative works included the Mach 5, the God Phoenix, almost all mechas except Yagomarin from Time Bokan, plus Yatter-Wan and Yatter Pelican from Yatterman.
In 1976, he founded Design Office MECAMAN with Okawara and then retired from mecha designs to focus on general art direction. While serving as the representative director of MECAMAN, he was involved in numerous anime works, such as Mobile Suit Gundam, Urusei Yatsura, Fist of the North Star, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, as art director, contributing to their success. He created a wide range of background art , from huge structures such as space colonies and space fortresses to various landscapes around the world where the main characters would travel.
He died of oral cancer at his home in Tokyo on May 16, 2011 at the age of 67 years old.
Body of Work[]
Art Direction and Design (Tatsunoko-specific)[]
- Space Ace- Background art
- Mach Go Go Go- Art Director, Mecha design, Original key frames for Mach 5 in OP
- I'm Gazula- Art Director
- Dokachin- Art Director
- Sanshiro Kurenai- Background art
- Hakushon Daimao- Art Director
- The Insect Story of Orphan Hutch- Art Director
- Sky Fighter Z (shelved) - Art Director, Mecha design
- Inakappe Taisho- Art Director
- Decision- Art Settings
- Kabatotto- Art Director
- Mokku of the Oak Tree- Background art
- Tamagon the Counselor- Background art
- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman- Art Direction and Mecha design (G-1 through G-5, and the God Phoenix)
- Quick and Simple Tanmar (pilot) - Art Direction and Mecha design
- Kerokko Demetan- Art Director
- Neo-Human Casshan- Art Director
- Hurricane Polymar- Art Direction and Mecha design
- Tekkaman the Space Knight- Art Director, designer of the spaceship "The Blue Earth"
- Time Bokan- Art Direction and Mecha design
- Paul's Miraculous Adventure- Art Direction and Mecha design
- Yatterman- Mecha design
- Gatchaman II- Art Director
- Phantom Thief Lupin: The Mystery of 813 - Art Director
- Gatchaman Fighter- Art Director
- Golden Warrior Gold Lightan- Art Director
- Divine Legend Sadamoebius (Light novel in My Anime) - Background art
- Mach Go Go Go (1997) - Art Director
He may or may not have also been responsible for the background art in the pilots The Great Man Akanbee and KAGUYAHIME, which were produced during his time at the company.
Trivia[]
- In the 59th episode of Gatchaman, the characters Dr. Ogawara and his assistant Nakamora, who are based on Okawara and Nakamura, appear with their positions as boss and subordinate reversed from the real world.