About

Known credits:
31
Birthday:
1963-06-02
Place of birth:
Ehime, Japan
Website:
N/A

Katsuya Kondo

Overview

Katsuya Kondō (近藤 勝也, born June 2, 1963, in Ehime Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese manga artist, character designer, animator, and animation director. He is best known for his character design work on the Studio Ghibli films Kiki's Delivery Service and Ocean Waves, as well as the PlayStation game Jade Cocoon. His character designs are considered the epitome of the Studio Ghibli style.

After graduating from high school, he began working for Osamu Dezaki and Akio Sugino at their Studio Annapuru. Under the direction of Shinji Ōtsuka, Kondō worked as a key animator of the TV anime series Cat's Eye. He then worked as a free agent on such shows as The Mighty Orbots, Rainbow Brite, and Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears. His first work with Studio Ghibli was as a key animator on Castle in the Sky. After working on the Gainax film The Wings of Honneamise and the OVAs Devilman and Meikyū Bukken File 538, Kondō began to be known for the high quality of his work.

Kondō collaborated with Ken'ichi Sakemi on a manga retelling of the Joan of Arc story, as well as doing the character designs for the Jade Cocoon video game series. He also collaborated with Sakemi by creating the character designs for the 1990 NTV TV movie Like the Clouds, Like the Wind (based on Sakemi's novel Kōkyū Monogatari), which tells the story of a young country girl who is chosen to become one of the Emperor's concubines. He also worked with Tomomi Mochizuki on the NHK Minna no Uta music video titled Kaze no Tōri Michi, produced by Ajia-do Animation Works for Sayuri Horishita. In 2007, he was announced as the supervising animator of the Studio Ghibli film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. He also wrote the lyrics for the film's theme song.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Katsuya Kondō, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Directing
2022 Zen - Grogu and Dust Bunnies Directing Director 59
Average
2016 The Journey Continues Directing Director 59
Average
2016 Balance Directing Director 59
Average
2016 Encounter Directing Director 59
Average

Visual Effects
2023 The Boy and the Heron Visual Effects Key Animation 71
Good
2022 Zen - Grogu and Dust Bunnies Visual Effects Animation 59
Average
2021 Earwig and the Witch Visual Effects Character Designer 58
Average
2014 Ronja the Robber's Daughter Visual Effects Character Designer 67
Fair
2014 When Marnie Was There Visual Effects Key Animation 74
Good
2013 The Wind Rises Visual Effects Key Animation 75
Good
2011 From Up on Poppy Hill Visual Effects Character Designer 71
Good
2010 The Secret World of Arrietty Visual Effects Key Animation 73
Good
2008 Ponyo Visual Effects Animation Director 75
Good
2006 House Hunting Visual Effects Animation Director 59
Average
2004 The Path of Wind Visual Effects Character Designer 59
Average
2004 Howl's Moving Castle Visual Effects Key Animation 82
Very good
2004 Howl's Moving Castle Visual Effects Animation Supervisor 82
Very good
2000 The Aurora Visual Effects Character Designer 59
Average
1999 My Neighbors the Yamadas Visual Effects Key Animation 64
Fair
1997 Princess Mononoke Visual Effects Animation 81
Very good
1994 Ocean Waves Visual Effects Animation Director 62
Fair
1994 Ocean Waves Visual Effects Character Designer 62
Fair
1994 Pom Poko Visual Effects Key Animation 67
Fair
1992 Porco Rosso Visual Effects Key Animation 75
Good
1991 Only Yesterday Visual Effects Animation Director 69
Fair
1990 Like the Clouds, Like the Wind Visual Effects Character Designer 59
Average
1990 Like the Clouds, Like the Wind Visual Effects Animation Director 59
Average
1988 My Neighbor Totoro Visual Effects Animation 79
Good
1987 Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honneamise Visual Effects Key Animation 60
Fair
1986 Castle in the Sky Visual Effects Key Animation 77
Good
1986 Amon Saga Visual Effects Key Animation 58
Average