Mamoru Hosoda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mamoru Hosoda
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| 細田 守 | |
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Hosoda in 2016
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| Born | September 19, 1967 Kamiichi, Toyama, Japan
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| Alma mater | Kanazawa College of Art |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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Notable work
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Mamoru Hosoda (born September 19, 1967) is a famous Japanese film director and animator. He is known for directing popular animated movies like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), Summer Wars (2009), and Wolf Children (2012). His film Mirai (2018) was even nominated for an Oscar!
Contents
Life and Career Highlights
Early Life and Inspiration
Mamoru Hosoda was born in Kamiichi, Japan. His dad was a railway engineer, and his mom was a tailor. When he was in sixth grade, he watched many animated shows and movies. These really inspired him to want a career in anime. Some of these influential works included Anne of Green Gables and Mobile Suit Gundam.
Hosoda even started making his own paper animations in junior high. He tried to join the animation studio Toei Dōga for a film called Shōnen Kenya when he was in high school, but he had to stop because of school exams.
He later studied oil painting at the Kanazawa College of Art. While there, he joined a film club and made live-action movies. He even applied to work at Studio Ghibli for their film Only Yesterday. He didn't get the job, but he received a special letter from the famous director Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki said he didn't hire Hosoda because he thought it would limit Hosoda's unique talent. This encouraged Hosoda to keep going.
Starting at Toei Animation
After college, Hosoda joined Toei Animation in 1991. He first worked as an animator for six years on different TV shows and movies. He then got his first chance to direct episodes for the TV series GeGeGe no Kitarō 1996 series.
His directing skills really shone in two short Digimon Adventure films: Digimon Adventure (1999) and Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! (2000). Even though he was new to directing, his talent was clear. These films helped him build a strong reputation in the animation world.
A Brief Time at Studio Ghibli
In 2001, Studio Ghibli announced that Mamoru Hosoda would direct their new film, Howl's Moving Castle. This was a big deal, as Ghibli was looking for new directors beyond their founders, Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.
However, the project faced challenges. Hosoda left the film in 2002, and Hayao Miyazaki took over as director. It's believed that the different ways Toei Animation and Studio Ghibli worked, along with the pressure of working with Miyazaki, made things difficult. Hosoda later said he wanted to make his own film his way, but he was told to make it similar to Miyazaki's style. He also mentioned that the team was short-staffed because Studio Ghibli was also making Spirited Away at the same time.
Returning to Toei and New Opportunities
After leaving Studio Ghibli, Hosoda returned to Toei. He continued to work on various projects, including directing a short film for Louis Vuitton with artist Takashi Murakami. A turning point came when he directed episode 40 of the TV series Ojamajo Doremi Dokkān! in 2002.
This episode caught the attention of Masao Maruyama, the president of Madhouse, another animation studio. Maruyama was so impressed that he offered Hosoda the chance to direct The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Hosoda accepted this exciting offer. In 2005, after directing the One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island movie, Hosoda left Toei Animation.
Becoming a Freelance Director
In 2006, Hosoda released The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. This was his first film as a freelance director. The movie was a huge success, even though it was shown in only a few theaters at first. People loved it so much that it played for 40 weeks and was shown in over 100 theaters! It won the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year in 2007.
In 2009, Hosoda released his first original film, Summer Wars. This movie was also a big hit, drawing over a million viewers and earning a lot of money. It also won the Japan Academy Award for Animation of the Year.
Founding Studio Chizu
In 2011, Mamoru Hosoda decided to start his own animation studio called Studio Chizu. He founded it with producer Yuichiro Saito, who has worked on all of Hosoda's films since The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Their first film was Wolf Children, released in 2012. Hosoda not only directed it but also wrote the story. The movie was a massive success, earning even more than his previous films.
His next film, The Boy and the Beast, released in 2015, was another big hit. In 2018, Mirai was released. This film was nominated for an Oscar, making it the first Japanese animated film not from Studio Ghibli to receive such an honor!
In 2021, Hosoda's film Belle became his biggest success yet, earning over 6.6 billion yen at the box office.
Filmography
Film
| No. | Title | Animation studio | Distributor | Release date | Note | Ref. |
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| Feature films | ||||||
| 1 | Digimon: The Movie | Toei Animation | 20th Century Fox | October 6, 2000 | Written by Jeff Nimoy and Bob Buchholz | |
| 2 | One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island | Toei Company | March 5, 2005 | Written by Masahiro Ito | ||
| 3 | The Girl Who Leapt Through Time | Madhouse | Kadokawa Herald Pictures | July 15, 2006 | Written by Satoko Okudera | |
| 4 | Summer Wars | Warner Bros. Japan | August 1, 2009 | |||
| 5 | Wolf Children | Studio Chizu | Toho | July 21, 2012 | ||
| 6 | The Boy and the Beast | July 11, 2015 | Written by Mamoru Hosoda | |||
| 7 | Mirai | July 20, 2018 | ||||
| 8 | Belle | July 16, 2021 | ||||
| 9 | Scarlet | Winter 2025 | ||||
| Short films | ||||||
| 1 | Digimon Adventure | Toei Animation | Toei Company | March 6, 1999 | Released as part of the Spring 1999 Toei Animation Fair, alongside Yu-Gi-Oh! and Doctor Slump: Arale's Surprise Burn. Written by Reiko Yoshida. | |
| 2 | GeGeGe no Kitarō: Kitarō's Ghost Train | March 20, 1999 | A short 3D film released at various events including at Hanayashiki, and re-released as part of the Toei 3D Animation Fair in October 2009. | |||
| 3 | Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! | March 4, 2000 | Released as part of the Toei Animation Fair (being screened alongside One Piece: The Movie). Written by Reiko Yoshida. | |||
| 4 | Digimon Adventure 3D: Digimon Grand Prix! | July 20, 2000 | Originally screened at the Time Machine of Dreams theme park attraction at Sanrio Puroland, and re-released as part of the Toei 3D Animation Fair in October 2009. Written by Atsushi Maekawa. | |||
| 5 | Superflat Monogram | N/A | 2003 | Short film with Takashi Murakami | ||
Television Work
- Digimon Adventure (episode 21, 1999)
- Ojamajo Doremi Dokkān (episode 40, 49)
- One Piece (episode 199)
- Ashita no Nadja (opening, ending, episodes 5, 12, 26)
- Samurai Champloo (opening under the name Katsuyo Hashimoto)
As Key Animator
A key animator draws the most important frames in an animation sequence.
- Ashita no Nadja (episode 26)
- Crying Freeman
- Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
- Dragon Ball Z (episode 173)
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan
- Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming
- Galaxy Express 999 ~Eternal Fantasy~
- GeGeGe no Kitarō (1996 series, Episode 94, 105, 113)
- GeGeGe no Kitarō: Dai-Kaijū (Japanese, 1996 film)
- Slam Dunk (episodes 29, 70)
- Sailor Moon Sailor Stars (episode 7)
- Sailor Moon Super S: The Movie
- Yu Yu Hakusho The Movie: Poltergeist Report
See also
In Spanish: Mamoru Hosoda para niños
