, known professionally as is a Japanese anime director. He works frequently with the animation studio Madhouse (which he co-founded), though he is a freelance director not employed directly by any one studio. He began working in the animation industry—at age 17—as an in-between animator on the 1958 film Hakujaden. His works have won and been nominated for multiple awards, including a nomination for Best Film (Metropolis) at the 2001 Festival de Cine de Sitges.
Rintaro has also worked under the name Kuruma Hino, in addition to his best known pseudonym and his birth name. His pseudonym is sometimes miswritten as Rin Taro or Taro Rin. He is a founding member of the Japanese Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) labor group.
Biography Rintaro was born in Tokyo. His first job in the animation industry was as an in-between animator on the 1958 film Hakujaden, which he worked on while working at Toei Animation. After working on two additional films there, he began working for Mushi Productions, the studio run by Osamu Tezuka. His first directing job was the fourth episode of the 1963 series Astro Boy. After leaving Mushi in 1971 to become a freelancer, he worked on many TV series and films, and established himself as one of the most respected and well-known anime directors in Japan.
Rintaro is a fan of science fiction, and has been influenced by American westerns, gangster films, film noir, and French films. Additionally, he was influenced by Osamu Tezuka, and worked with him on Kimba the White Lion and Astro Boy. He said that when he was making Metropolis, which was based on Tezuka's manga of the same name, he "wanted to communicate Tezuka's spirit". Rintaro personally introduced the film at the Big Apple Anime Fest in 2001, where it was screened before its theatrical release by TriStar Pictures.
In recent years, Rintaro has lectured at Kyoto Seika University.
In 2023, a short film directed by Rintaro, Yamanaka Sadao ni Sasageru Manga Eiga 'Nezumikozō Jirokichi, premiered at the 1st Niigata International Animation Film Festival.
Rintaro's brother, Masayuki Hayashi, is himself an anime director and animator with credits including Wandering Sun, Kimba the White Lion, Combattler V and several Tatsunoko productions including Kerokko Demetan, Dash Kappei, The Littl' Bits, and Okawari Boy Starzan S. Some sources, including The Anime Encyclopedia, erroneously claim that "Masayuki Hayashi" and "Rintaro" are one and the same.
Filmography Films Year Title Director Producer Writer Notes 1964 Mighty Atom, the Brave in Space As Shigeyuki Hayashi 1979 Galaxy Express 999 1981 Adieu Galaxy Express 999 1983 Harmagedon 1985 The Dagger of Kamui 1986 Phoenix: Karma Chapter Toki no Tabibito: Time Stranger 1996 X 2000 Reign: The Conqueror Co-directed with Yoshinori Kanemori 2001 Metropolis 2009 Yona Yona Penguin
Short films Year Title Director Writer Notes 1978 Mystery of the Arcadia 1987 Labyrinth Labyrinthos Segment of Neo Tokyo 2023 Yamanaka Sadao ni Sasageru Manga Eiga 'Nezumikozō Jirokichi
Original video animation Year Title Director Writer Notes 1987 Take the X Train 1988 Bride of Deimos Matasaburo of the Winds Peacock King 1991 Doomed Megalopolis Episode 4: "The Battle for Tokyo";Also chief director 1992 Download: Devil's Circuit 1993 X² - Double X 1994 Spirit Warrior 2 episodes Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals 4 episodes 2002 Space Pirate Captain Herlock: The Endless Odyssey 13 episodes
TV series Year Title Director Writer Notes 1963 Astro Boy Episode "Don Tay's Infernal Machine" 1965–1967 Kimba the White Lion 10 episodes 1968 Wanpaku Tanteidan Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae 6 episodes 1969 Moomin 1972 New Moomin 1974 Hoshi no Ko Chobin 1975 Wanpaku Omukashi Kumu Kumu 1975–1977 Manga Nihon Mukashi Banashi 3 episodes;Co-directed with Mitsuo Kobayashi and Tsuneo Maeda 1976 UFO Warrior Dai Apolon Episode "Invasion of the Demon Beast Bagladon from the Dark Nebula" 1977 Jetter Mars 27 episodes;Also producer 1977–1978 Arrow Emblem: Hawk of the Grand Prix 26 episodes 1978–1979 Space Pirate Captain Harlock 42 episodes 1980 Ganbare Genki 35 episodes 1982 Tiger Mask II 1 episode I Am a Cat TV movie 1989 The Tezuka Osamu Story: I Am Son Goku TV movie The New Adventures of Kimba The White Lion 1989–1990 Dragon Quest 15 episodes 2005 Manga Entertainment: The Art of Anime 2011 Wolverine Episode "Mariko";Co-directed with Hajime Ootani and Hiroshi Aoyama 2012 Lupin VIII Pilot episode for a cancelled TV series. Released on home video in 2012.
Books Galaxy Express 999 movie Storyboard (映画「銀河鉄道999」絵コンテ帳). Fukkan.com, 2019.
References
External links
Rintaro page at Madhouse