Takeshi Koike

Takeshi Koike (小池　健) was born in 1968. Currently freelance.

Developed an interest in animation after seeing the Galaxy Express 999 film as a child. Joined Madhouse right out of high school after being interviewed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, who took him under his wing and became his mentor. Koike animated in a conservative mold on Kawajiri’s films and other Madhouse productions for around a decade before debuting his own unique style in 2000¹.

For Koike, the distinctions between design, animation, and direction often blur. Part of the modern renewal of interest in Yoshinori Kanada. Several aspects of his FX and character animation are patently Kanadaesque, particularly in their nearly continuous, ostentatious motion and how he stretches perspective based on a single shifting focal point. He frequently incorporates complicated slow motion and background animation into his cuts. His character designs were influenced by Peter Chung, noticeably in their defined muscles, slender forms, detailed anatomy, and exaggerated limbs. A professed fan of Western comic book artists Mike Mignola and Frank Miller, his scenes are often animated with thick black block shading to replicate the look of graphic novels. Also admires animators Akihiko Yamashita and Masami Obari¹.

First personalized piece of key animation was the animated intro to Katsuhito Ishii’s film Party 7. Thereafter, Koike and Ishii would form a lasting creative partnership: Koike was responsible for the animated segments in Ishii’s films A Taste of Tea and Funky Forest and Ishii would serve as screenwriter for most of Koike’s solo directorial projects¹.

Since 2000, Koike’s output on productions other than his own has drastically shrunk. Some choice exceptions include animating Mamoru Hosoda’s Samurai Champloo OP, select cuts for Dead Leaves and Texhnolyze, and animating/directing/storyboarding the ED for Terror in Resonance¹.

Though Kawajiri was set to direct two entries for The Animatrix, after seeing Koike’s designs he convinced him to direct one of them on his own. For “World Record”, Koike tasked himself with animating an extended scene of running and closely studied slow motion footage of professional runners to this end. The short was the first narrative project by Koike and the beginning of his larger filmmaking ambitions¹.

Around the same time as The Animatrix, he directed Trava: Fist Planet (2003), an OVA written by Ishii and featuring the most robust display of his design and worldbuilding abilities thus far. In contrast to most of his other works, Trava was mellow in tone with a greater emphasis on dialogue¹.

For the next seven years Koike would work on his first feature film, Redline (2010). A racing film set in the same universe as Trava, Redline was the most lavishly animated project Madhouse had ever produced. He also directed and animated a more traditionally Kanadaesque pilot film for Redline a year before release¹.

Following Redline, Koike’s next major job was serving as character designer for the Lupin III reboot A Woman Name Fujiko Mine directed by Sayo Yamamoto. In his designs, Koike abandoned his sleek block shading for a more streamlined, TV-friendly approach. However, Koike was only marginally involved in the show’s animation and as a result the final product bears little of his artistic qualities. He would return to the franchise with Lupin IIIrd: The Grave of Daisuke Jigen (2014), an hour long special in the spirit of Dezaki’s old Lupin specials. In contrast to the show, Koike was actively involved with the film’s animation¹.

Favorite films include Le Mans (the model for Redline), Blue Velvet, Reservoir Dogs, Starship Troopers, and Apocalypse Now. One of his favorite anime films is Dezaki’s Aim for the Ace movie¹.

Married to Studio Chizu's Producer Yukiko Koike.

Interview (jp) - MAD - SakugaBooru - Japanese Wiki Page

Works

• Chironup no Kitsune(1987/Movie)

1. In-betweens.

• Hi no Tori: Yamato-hen(1987/OVA)

1. In-betweens.

• Youjuu Toshi(1987/Movie)

1. In-betweens.

• X Densha de Ikou(1987/OVA)

1. In-betweens.

• Junk Boy(1987/OVA)

1. In-betweens Check.

• Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Waga Yuku wa Hoshi no Taikai(1988/Movie)

1. In-betweens Check.

• Deimos no Hanayome: Ran no Kumikyoku(1988/OVA)

1. In-betweens Check.

• Makai Toshi Shinjuku(1988/OVA)

1. In-betweens Check.

• Midnight Eye: Gokuu(1989/OVA)

1. In-betweens Check.
2. Key Animator.

• Midnight Eye: Gokuu II(1989/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu(1988~1997/OVA)

1. Key Animator: #19.

• Yawara!(1989~1992/TV)

1. Key Animator: #1, #18.

• Jungle Taitei(1989~1990/TV)

1. Key Animator: #4.

• Jungle Book Shounen Mowgli(1989~1990/TV)

1. Key Animator: #12, #16.

• Teki wa Kaizoku: Neko-tachi no Kyouen(1990/OVA)

1. Key Animator: #1, #2.

• Cyber City Oedo 808(1990~1991/OVA)

1. Mecha Animation Direction: #1, #2, #3.

• Nineteen 19(1990/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Kaze no Na wa Amnesia(1990/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Urusei Yatsura Itsudatte My Darling(1991/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Teito Monogatari(1991~1992/OVA)

1. Animation Director Help.
2. Key Animator.

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

1. Key Animator: #1, #6.

• Juubee Ninpuuchou(1993/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• The Cockpit(1993/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• POPS(1993/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Shin Kujakuou(1994/OVA)

1. Character Designs.
2. Key Animator.

• CLAMP in Wonderland(1994/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Darkside Blues(1994/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Oira Uchuu no Tankoufu(1994~1995/OVA)

1. Opening & Ending Animation.

• DNA²(1994/TV)

1. OP Animation.
2. Mechanical Design.

• DNA²(1995/OVA)

1. OP Animation.
2. Mechanical Design.

• Bio Hunter(1995/OVA)

1. Key Animator.

• Memories(1995/Movie)

1. Key Animator: #2.

• X(1996/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Tetsuwan Birdy(1996/OVA)

1. Key Animator: #1, #2, #3, #4.

• Aeon Flux Promotion

1. Key Animator.

• Cardcaptor Sakura(1998~2000/TV)

1. Key Animator: #1, #57.

• Juubee-chan: Lovely Gantai no Himitsu(1999/TV)

1. Animation Director: #10, #11.

• Kazemakase Tsukikage Ran(2000/TV)

1. Key Animator: OP, #1, #5.

• Hidamari no Ki(2000/TV)

1. Key Animator.

• Hajime no Ippo(2000~2002/TV)

1. Key Animator: OP1, #20.

• Cardcaptor Sakura: Fuuin Sareta Card(2000/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Blood: The Last Vampire(2000/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• PARTY7 OP (2000/Live-action)

1. Animation Direction.
2. Character Designs.

• SMAP Concert Animated Parts

1. Animation Director.
2. Character Designs.

• Vampire Hunter D(2000/Movie)

1. Setting Design.
2. Key Animator.

• Frog River

1. Interval Animation Director.
2. Key Animator.

• Trava: Fist Planet(2002/OVA)

1. Director.
2. Animation Director.
3. Character Designs.
4. Storyboard: #1, #2, Extras.
5. Key Animator: Extras.

• WXIII Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor(2002/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Animatrix(2003/OVA)

1. Mecha Design: "Program".
2. Director: "World Record".
3. Animation Director: "World Record".
4. Key Animator: "World Record".

• Afro Samurai Pilot

1. Director.
2. Storyboard.
3. Character Designs.
4. Key Animator.
5. Setting.

• SmaSTATION

1. Director.
2. Character Designs.

• Dead Leaves(2004/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Samurai Champloo(2004/TV)

1. Key Animator: #5, OP.

• Texhnolyze(2003/TV)

1. Key Animator: #1.

• The Taste Of Tea(Live-action)

1. Animation Director (Twice, once in normal kanji and once in katakana).
2. Character Designs.

• Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Promotion Anime

1. Key Animator.

• Funky Forest(Live-action)

1. Animation Director (Twice, once in normal kanji and once in katakana).
2. Character Designs.

• Iron Man(2009/PV)

1. Director.
2. Animation Director.
3. Mecha Design.
4. Character Designs.

• TRIGUN Badlands Rumble(2010/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Redline(2010/Movie)

1. Director.
2. Storyboard.
3. Episode Director.
4. Character Designs.
5. Background Design.
6. Machine Design.
7. Animation Director.

• Iron Man(2010/TV)

1. Mecha Design.
2. Key Animator: #1, #7, #11.

• Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine(2012/TV)

1. Character Designs.
2. Key Animator: OP, #13.
3. Animation Director: #1, #13(Joint).

• Kamisama Hajimemashita(2012/TV)

1. Key Animator: #4, #12.

• Zankyou no Terror(2014/TV)

1. Storyboard: ED.
2. Episode Director: ED.
3. Animation: ED.

• Lupin the IIIrd: Jigen Daisuke no Bohyou(2014/Movie)

1. Director.
2. Character Designs.
3. Mecha Design.
4. Storyboard.
5. Unit Director.
6. Animation Director.
7. 2nd Key Animation.

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

1. Key Animator.

• Bakemono no Ko(2015/Movie)

1. Key Animator.

• Lupin the IIIrd: Chikemuri no Ishikawa Goemon(2017/Movie)

1. Director.
2. Storyboard.
3. Unit Director.
4. Character Designs.
5. Mecha Design.
6. Key Animator.
7. Animation Director.

• Dororo(2019/TV)

1. Storyboard: OP.
2. Animation Director: OP.
3. Episode Director: OP.