Masaru Yamamoto, better known by his alias of Yu Yamamoto (山本優 Yamamoto Masaru/Yu, same kanji but different pronunciation, December 24, 1946 – November 25, 2018) was a Japanese screenwriter and lyricist associated with Tatsunoko Production from the 1970s to 1980s.
Bio[]
He debuted as a professional scriptwriter around 1973. In the 1970s, he wrote many scripts for TV anime works by Tatsunoko, Nippon Animation, and Ashi Production. In the early 1980s, he was in charge of the scriptwriting, series composition, and story ideas for many of the Movie International Company's productions. His most well-known work as a scriptwriter was the J9 Series for which he played a central role as the original creator and main writer for the three films in the series, and he also wrote the lyrics for many of the theme songs and insert songs.
In 2010, he published "The Kyoto Golden Pond Murder Case" and made his debut as a mystery writer.
He passed away at the age of 71 on November 25, 2018.
Body of Work[]
Screenplay Credits (Tatsunoko)[]
- Hurricane Polymar
- Time Bokan
- Gowapper 5 Godam
- Paul's Miraculous Adventure
- Time Bokan Series: Yatterman
- Ippatsu Kanta-kun
- Take Off! Machine Hiryuu
- Gatchaman II
- Time Bokan Series: Zenderman
- Gordian the Warrior -also in charge of series composition
- Gatchaman Fighter
- Time Bokan Series: Time Patrol Otasukeman
- Muteking the Dashing Warrior
- Time Bokan Series: Yattodetaman
- Dash Kappei
- Time Bokan Series: Gyakuten! Ippatsuman
Screenplay Credits (Other)[]
- The Gutsy Frog (TMS)
- Jungle Kurobee (A Production)
- 0 Tester (Sunrise)
- First Human Giatrus (TMS)
- Reideen the Brave (Sunrise)
- Super Electromagnetic Robot Combattler V (Toei)
- Great Sky Dragon Gaiking (Toei)
- Blocker Corps IV Machine Blaster (Ashi)
- Jetter Mars (Toei)
- Super Combining Magical Robot Ginguiser (Nippon Animation, Ashi)
- Her Majesty's Petit Ange (Ashi) -also in charge of series composition
- The Witch Girl Tickle (Toei)
- Josefina the Whale (Ashi)
- Mobile Suit Gundam (Sunrise)
- Urusei Yatsura (Studio Pierrot) - early series composition
- Don de la Mancha (Ashi)
- Mechakko Dotakon (Toei) - also in charge of series composition and OP/ED lyrics
- Ninja Hattori-kun (Shin-Ei)
- Galaxy Cyclone Braiger (Toei) - also in charge of series composition and insert song lyrics
- The Story of Little Goddess Pollon (Movie International Company) - also in charge of series composition and ending lyrics
- Acrobunch: The Quest for Treasure (Movie International Company -> Toei) - also original concept, series composition, OP/ED lyrics
- Galactic Gale Baxingar (Toei, Movie International Company) - also original concept, series composition, OP/ED lyrics, insert song lyrics
- Subspace Operation Srungle (Movie International Company) - also original concept, series composition, OP/ED (1st season) lyrics
- Perman 2nd series (Shin-Ei)
- Nanako SOS (Movie International Company) - also series composition
- Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger (Movie International Company)- also original concept, series composition, OP/ED lyrics, insert song lyrics
- The Tale of Soya (Movie International Company) - also series composition
- Chikkun Takkun (Studio Pierrot) - series composition from episodes 1-12
- New Q-taro the Ghost (Shin-Ei)
- Musashi no Ken (Eiken) - also series composition
- Robotan (TMS)
- Ultra B (Shin-Ei)
- Princess Anmitsu (Studio Pierrot)
- Bugtte Honey (TMS)
- Suddenly Dagon (Nippon Animation)
- Hi, I'm Akko (Eiken)
- Biriken (Shin-Ei)
- Chimpui (Shin-Ei)
- It's Time to Go on an Adventure (NAC, volume 1)
- 21 Emon (Shin-Ei)
- A Free Kick to Tomorrow (Ashi) - also original concept and series composition
- Herohero-kun (Studio Flag -> Public & Basic) - also series composition
- Cyborg Kuro-chan (Public & Basic) -also series composition
- Shimajiro the Striped Tiger (Studio Signpost)
- Gold Muscle (Lost & Forgotten Anime) (WAO World scrapped work) - as a series composer
Tokusatsu Screenplay Credits[]
- Go! Ushiwaka Kotaro
- Choudenshi Bioman
- Ultraman Tiga Gaiden: The Ancient Giant Resurrected
- Ultraman Cosmos
Light Novels[]
- Galaxy Cyclone Braiger (Sonorama Bunko, 1984) - Co-written with Kazuo Komatsubara
- Time Bokan the Novel: Yatterman, Otasukeman, Gyakuten! Ippatsuman (Enix Bunko, December 1989)
- The Kyoto Golden Pond Murder Case (Kodansha Bunko, January 2010)
- The Kyoto Kitayama Sugi Murder Case (Kosaido Bunko, September 2010)