Shinichi Omata


Shinichi Omata is a Japanese director, storyboard artist, and former producer best known for directing Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju and Kaguya-sama: Love is War.

Career

Omata began his career in the industry in the mid-1990s as a producer at Phoenix Entertainment, which he worked with until 2001. He mainly worked as either an animation producer for hentai series, or as an assistant production manager on series Phoenix Entertainment produced. In 2009, he became an active storyboard artist with Shaft, first serving on the 9th episode of Natsu no Arashi! Akinai-chū. During his tenure with Shaft, he worked mainly under the direction of Akiyuki Shinbo and Yukihiro Miyamoto, with whom he directed and storyboarded several episodes to Arakawa Under the Bridge, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and Ground Control to Psychoelectric Girl. In 2012, Omata left Shaft's ranks and began working mainly for Studio Deen, where he would make his first series directorial debut with Sankarea: Undying Love under the pseudonym Mamoru Hatakeyama. Shinbo's own style with Shaft is regarded to be a sort of "artistic renaissance" within the anime industry, and Omata's own directorial works after his leave from the studio have also been regarded as such. Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, for example, has been praised for its storytelling and direction despite limited and inconsistent animation from the studio's animation team. Following his work with Studio Deen, Omata began a relationship with A-1 Pictures in 2018, where he directed the fantasy war series Record of Grancrest War, and the following year was given directorial responsibilities for Kaguya-sama: Love is War. The series garnered immediate success and was included as a runner-up for Funimation's "Decade of Anime" fan-poll award for "Favorite Romance Series of the Decade" was nominated at the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards for Best Comedy. The second season garnered seven awards at the 2020 Newtype Anime Awards, including Best Director for Omata.

Works

Television series

In "Director" column highlights Omata's directorial works.
YearTitleDirectorStudioSBEDOther roles and notesRef
1998Princess NineTomomi MochizukiAnimation producer
2009Natsu no Arashi! Akinai-chū Akiyuki Shinbo
Kenichi Ishikura 		Shaft
2010Hidamari Sketch x HoshimittsuAkiyuki Shinbo
Kenichi Ishikura 		Shaft
2010Arakawa Under the BridgeYukihiro Miyamoto Shaft
2010Arakawa Under the Bridge x BridgeAkiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto 		Shaft
2011Puella Magi Madoka MagicaAkiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto 		Shaft
2011Lotte no Omocha!Fumitoshi OizakiDiomedéa
2011Ground Control to Psychoelectric GirlAkiyuki Shinbo
Yukihiro Miyamoto 		ShaftKey animator
2011Phi Brain: Puzzle of GodJunichi SatoSunrise
2011The World's Greatest First LoveChiaki KonStudio Deen
2012Hidamari Sketch x HoneycombAkiyuki Shinbo
Yuki Yase 		Shaft
2012Sankarea: Undying LoveStudio DeenOpening director and storyboard
Ending director and storyboard
As Mamoru Hatakeyama
2013Rozen Maiden: ZurückspulenStudio Deen
2013Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the EastOsamu Yamasaki
Mitsue Yamazaki		Studio DeenAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2013Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East 2Osamu Yamasaki
Mitsue Yamazaki		Studio Deen
2013Da Capo IIIKenichi IshikuraActas
2014Sakura TrickKenichi IshikuraStudio Deen
2014Wake Up, Girls!Yutaka YamamotoOrdet
Tatsunoko Production
2014Dramatical MurderKazuya MiuraNAZ
2014Black Butler: Book of CircusNoriyuki AbeA-1 PicturesEnding director and storyboard
2016The Asterisk WarKenji SetoA-1 Pictures
2016Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo ShinjuStudio DeenAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2017Hell Girl: The Fourth TwilightTakahiro OmoriStudio DeenAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2017Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju 2nd SeasonStudio DeenAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2018Record of Grancrest WarMamoru HatakeyamaA-1 PicturesOpening storyboard
Ending storyboard
As Mamoru Hatakeyama
2019Teasing Master Takagi-san 2Hiroaki AkagiShin-Ei Animation
2019Kaguya-sama: Love Is WarA-1 PicturesAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2020I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My LevelNobukage KimuraRevoroot
2020Kaguya-sama: Love Is War?A-1 PicturesAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2021Visual PrisonTakeshi Furuta
Tomoya Tanaka		A-1 Pictures
2022Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – Ultra RomanticA-1 PicturesAs Mamoru Hatakeyama
2023Undead Girl Murder FarceLapin TrackAs Mamoru Hatakeyama