Hisashi Mori

Hisashi Mori(森　久司) spent some of his early years at Dogakobo¹, with his real name being Hisashi Nakayama(中山久司). Works regularly with his friend Hiroyuki Okuno.

Under the Mori pseudonym he’s built up a catalog of the strangest effects animation work of the 00s. Originally somewhat obscure, he’s now mentioned in the same breath with Shinya Ohira and Masaaki Yuasa as anime’s most daring, experimental animators².

Mori went through various phases in his early years as a key animator; a Kanada School phase, a realist phase where he idolized Mitsuo Iso, and finally a phase inspired by the expressionism of Ohira. However, Mori’s mature style transcends these classifications and becomes something of his own, with the old Kanada style still showing sometimes. The most notable quality of Mori’s KA is its unpredictability; fragments and debris not only traveling across different vectors, but with different timings, colors, and densities (Mori’s cuts intermingle dense clusters of jagged shapes and bold strokes of the pen). The cumulative effect is one that leaves the viewer unmoored in its chaos, truer to the nature of the explosion than the strictly timed alternative. Mori is just as adept at character animation but even there he tends to abstract his figures and submit them to his unmistakable flow of motion. His animation could be summarized as the mixture of Jackson Pollock and street art².

Mori debuted his mature style circa 1999 in Tenamonya Voyagers and Digimon Adventure 02: Hurricane Touchdown!. Throughout the 90s he was encouraged by sakkan and colleague Hiroyuki Okuno to develop his style and it was on Okuno’s art-hentai projects Virgin Night and Square of the Moon that Mori revealed his true potential (Virgin Night was solo KA). Thereafter he’s appeared in the films of Satoshi Kon and Mamoru Hosoda, and has become something of a prestige animator. Every one of his cuts is an event; the first appearance of Gurren in Gurren Lagann 2, the dinosaur fight in Doraemon: Nobita’s Dinosaur (2006), the supernatural FX of Space Dandy 11, the weird dance cut in Kemonozume 5, and so on. He’s dabbled in design too, starting with Hosoda’s Our War Game and recently with Toei’s Rainbow Fireflies movie².

Probably the most condensed display of his animation occurs in the first half of Gonzo’s Samurai 7 episode 7. Partnering up with his mentor Okuno, Mori solo animated the first half of the episode in a completely different manner than the rest of the series. The result is a half episode which quickly became a must-see in the sakuga community².

MAD1- MAD2 - MAD3 - Sakugabooru - Japanese Wiki Page

Works

• Idol Densetsu Eriko(1989/TV)

1. In-betweens: #19.

• Kennosuke-sama(1990/OVA)

1. In-betweens.

• Chibi Maroko-chan(Movie)

1. In-betweens.

• Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S(1994/TV)

1. Key Animation: #37.

• Soukou Kihei Votoms: Kakuyaku taru Itan(1994/OVA)

1. Layout　Assistant: #1, #2, #4
2. Key Animation: #1~#3, #5.

• Doukyuusei: Natsu no Owari ni(1994~1995/OVA)

1. Key Animation: #4.

• Giant Robo Gaiden Ginrei(1994~1995/OVA)

1. Key Animation: #3.

• Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS Gaiden: Ami-chan no Hatsukoi(1995/SP)

1. Key Animation.

• Juusenshi Gulkeeva(1995/TV)

1. Key Animation: #18.

• Ougon Yuusha Goldran(1995~1996/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1, #28.

• Dragon Ball: Saikyou e no Michi(1996/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Meiken Lassie(1996/TV)

1. Key Animation: #11, #14.

• Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars(1996~1997/TV)

1. Key Animation: OP, #17, #21, #28, #32.

• Giant Robo the Animation: Chikyuu ga Seishi Suru Hi(1992~1998/OVA)

1. Key Animation: #6, #7.

• Kyou kara Ore wa!!(1992~1997/OVA)

1. Key Animation: #6~#10.

• Bakusou Kyoudai Let's & Go(1996~1997/TV)

1. Key Animation: #3.

• Jigoku Sensei Nube: Gozen 0 Ji Nube Shisu!(1997/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Cutey Honey F(1997~1998/TV)

1. Key Animation: #5, #23.

• Dennou Sentai Voogie's★Angel(1997~1998/OVA)

1. Mechanical Animation Direction(PEN NAME).

• Ginga Tetsudou 999: Eternal Fantasy(1998/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• LUNAR ETERNAL BLUE(1998/Game)

1. Animation Direction(Joint).
2. Key Animation.

• Eve the Lost One(1998/Game)

1. Animation.

• Gokudou-kun Manyuuki(1999/TV)

1. Key Animation: #10.

• Power Stone(1999/TV)

1. Key Animation: #20.

• Himalaya no Hikari no Oukoku(1999/OVA)

1. Key Animation.

• Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo: Satsuriku no Deep Blue(1999/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Great Teacher Onizuka(1999~2000/TV)

1. Key Animation: #8.

• Digimon Adventure(1999/Movie)

1. Key Animation.
   1. The dinosaur battle.

• Tenamonya Voyagers(1999/OVA)

1. Key Animation: #2.

• Mushrambo(2000/TV)

1. Key Animation: #9, #12, #23.

• Digimon Adventure Bokura no War Game!(2000/Movie)

1. Character Design.
2. Animation Direction.

• Digimon Adventure 02 Movies(2000/Movie)

1. Key Animation: #1, #2.

• Ginsoukikou Ordian(2000/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1.

• Gekitou! Crush Gear Turbo(2001~2003/TV)

1. Key Animation: #68.

• Gensō Suikogaiden Suikoden Volume 2: Duel at Crystal Valley(2001/Game)

1. Key Animation: OP.

• Spirited Away(2001/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Virgin Night(2001/OVA)

1. Scene Setting.
2. Layout.
3. Key Animation.
   1. Solo

• Yoru Ga Kuru!(2002~2003/OVA)

1. Key Animation: #2.

• Interstella5555(2003)

1. Key Animation.

• Tokyo Godfathers(2003/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• The Big O (1999~2003/TV)

1. Mechanical Animation Direction: #21.
2. Key Animation: #15.

• Last Exile(2003/TV)

1. Key Animation: #23.

• R.O.D the TV(2003~2004/TV)

1. Key Animation: #13.
   1. #13: The last water scene.

• Saumari 7(2004/TV)

1. Design Works.
2. Key Animation: #2, #7, #17, #18, #23.

• Diebuster(2004~2006/OVA)

1. 2nd Key Animation: #6.

• One Piece: Omatsuri Danshaku to Himitsu no Shima(2005/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Speed Grapher(2005/TV)

1. Key Animation: OP, #8.
2. Design Works.

• Kemonozume(2006/TV)

1. Key Animation: #5.

• Doraemon: Nobita no Kyouryuu 2006(2006/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• NHK ni Youkoso!(2006/TV)

1. Key Animation: #8.

• Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo(2006/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Happy Lucky Bikkuriman(2006~2007/TV)

1. Key Animation: #29.

• Afro Samurai(2007/TV)

1. Key Animation: #4, #5.

• Tengen Toppa Gurren lagann(2007/TV)

1. Key Animation: OP, #2, #3, #8, #15.

• Mononoke(2007~2008/TV)

1. Key Animation: $5.

• Bokurano(2007/TV)

1. Key Animation: #24.

• One Piece: Episode of Chopper Plus(2008/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Genius Party Beyond(2008/Movie)

1. Key Animation: #3.

• Kurogane no Linebarrels(2008~2009/TV)

1. Key Animation: #2.

• Michiko to Hatchin(2008~2009/TV)

1. Key Animation: #8.

• Afro Samurai Resurrection(2009/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Nijiiro Hotaru Pilot

1. Character Design.

• Magic Tree House(2012/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Zetman(2012/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1, #3, #11, #12.

• Marimo no Hana: Saikyou Butouha Shougakusei(2012/Short)

1. Key Animation.

• Nijiiro Hotaru(2012/Movie)

1. Character Design.
2. Key Animation.
3. Animation Direction.

• Arcana Famiglia(2012/TV)

1. Key Animation: #6.

• Fairy Tail: Houou no Miko(2012/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• One Piece Film Z(2012/Movie)

1. Animation Direction Assistance.
2. Key Animation.

• Vividred Operation(2013/TV)

1. Key Animation: #8.

• Doraemon: Nobita no Himitsu Dougu Museum(2013/Movie)

1. Animation Direction(Joint).
2. Key Animation.

• Precure All Stars Movie New Stage 2: Kokoro no Tomodachi(2013/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Photo Kano(2013/Game)

1. Intermediary(劇中) Characters' Designs: #4.
2. Key Animation: OP, #4.

• Tanken Driland: 1000-nen no Mahou(2013~2014/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1.

• Toriko: Bishokushin no Special Menu(2013/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Toaru Hikuushi e no Koiuta(2014/TV)

1. Key Animation: OP.

• Buddha 2: Tezuka Osamu no Budda - Owarinaki tabi(2014/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Giovanni no Shima(2014/Movie)

1. Key Animation.
2. Sketch Animation.

• Precure All Stars Movie New Stage 3: Eien no Tomodachi(2014/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Detective Conan: The Sniper from Another Dimension(2014/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Space Dandy(2014/TV)

1. Mechanical Animation Direction: #11.
2. Key Animation: #11.

• Arise Ghost in the Shell(2013~2014/Movie)

1. Key Animation: #4.

• Sore Ike! Anpanman: Ringo Boy to Minna no Negai(2014/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Yama no Susume 2nd(2014/TV)

1. Key Animation: #13.

• Detective Conan(1997~/TV)

1. Key Animation: OP39, OP41, OP43, OP47.

• Nihon Animator Expo the Dragon Dentist(2014/WEB)

1. Key Animation.

• The Disappearance of Conan Edogawa: The Worst Two Days in History(2014/TVSP)

1. Key Animation.

• Arise Ghost in the Shell Alternative Architecture(2015/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1, #2.

• Detective Conan: The Hellfire Sunflowers(2015/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Gunslinger Stratos the Animation(2015/TV)

1. Key Animation: #4.

• Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku(2015/TV)

1. Key Animation: #4.

• Nihon Animator Expo The Ultraman(2015/WEB)

1. Character Design.
2. Animation Direction.

• Dragon Ball Super(2015~2018/TV)

1. Key Animation: #16.

• Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare(2016/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Sore Ike! Anpanman: Mija to Mahou no Lamp(2015/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• D.Gray-man HALLOW(2016/TV)

1. Key Animation: OP.

• Occultic;Nine(2016/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1.

• Meitantei Conan: Episode One - Chiisaku Natta Meitantei(2016/TVSP)

1. Key Animation.

• The Dragon Dentist(2017/TVSP)

1. Key Animation.

• Detective Conan: Karakurenai no Love Letter(2017/Movie)

1. Key Animation.

• Megalo Box(2018/TV)

1. Key Animation: #1.