Seitaro Hara (原 征太郎 Hara Seitaro) is a Japanese anime director and storyboard artist, previously affiliated with Tatsunoko Production.
Bio[]
Hara was one of the founding members of Tatsunoko's Directing Department, after having trained at Toei Animation in the 1960s. He and Hiroshi Sasagawa followed the Yoshida brothers into their new company. He would get his start as a chief director on Dokachin, co-directing with Sasagawa who would come to be a frequent collaborator.
By the late 1970s, Tatsunoko experienced an exodus of staff after the death of Tatsuo Yoshida. When it came time for a new Gatchaman sequel to happen, Hisayuki Toriumi refused the offer to direct and planned to leave the company. Since nobody else was up for the task, Sasagawa took the job as director and appointed Hara as his co-director for Gatchaman II. After Sasagawa's departure from Tatsunoko in September 1979, Hara had been primed to take the reigns as chief director for Gatchaman Fighter, though admitting it was difficult to make a "fresh" series for children that still had to acknowledge the continuity of the previous ones. This may have been the mindset that made the next work he directed, Muteking the Dashing Warrior, seem much more appealing.
He would branch out to other works as well, such as Tezuka's Blue Blink and working as director on some episodes of the 1990 Moomin series.
Body of Work[]
Director (Tatsunoko-specific)[]
Unless otherwise stated, he was the chief director.
- Dokachin- co-directed with Hiroshi Sasagawa
- Mokku of the Oak Tree
- Kerokko Demetan- Episodic director (1, 6, 9, 17, 21, 22, 32, 36, 38, 39)
- Neo-Human Casshan- Episodic director (3, 9, 14, 18, 22)
- The New Insect Story of Orphan Hutch
- Urikupen Rescue Team - Co-director
- Time Bokan Series: Yatterman - Co-director
- Temple the Balloonist
- Take Off! Machine Hiryuu
- Gatchaman II- Co-director, episodic director (1, 7, 12, 18, 29, 34)
- Gatchaman Fighter
- Muteking the Dashing Warrior
- Dash Kappei - Co-director