is a Japanese animator, illustrator, character designer, and director.
Early life Nakura was born in Hamakita, Shizuoka, Japan, on January 10, 1959. His parents ran a textile shop.
Career He enrolled in an animation course offered by Toei Animation that he saw advertised in and moved to Tokyo. After completing the course, he joined Studio Carpenter where he debuted as an in-between animator on Starzinger (1978), and later as a key animator on Dotakon (1981). He worked at Studio Carpenter for about three years and then went freelance, mainly for Toei Animation's works.
His character concepts were used for the 1984 television series Little Memole, which he also worked on as an animation director (his debut in the role). The following year, he was the animation director for Mamoru Oshii's film, Angel's Egg, with designs by Yoshitaka Amano, in which he supervised and corrected drawings to follow Amano's original image boards. In 1987, he served as character designer and animation director to another feature film, The Tale of Genji (1987) with director Gisaburō Sugii. In 1990, he participated in Moomin as the animation character designer, having been a fan of the series prior. He also served as the character designer and chief animation director for Rintaro's Metropolis (2001).
At some point in his career, Nakura began to take on more work as an illustrator, rather than an animator or animation director. While he continued to work on animated series and films, his output in either decreased significantly during the 1990s and 2000s. He was the character designer and chief animation director for the Tenshu Monogatari arc of Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales and was the animation director for Gothicmade in 2012, but contributed in minor key animation roles between them.
In the early 2010s, Nakura developed a relationship with animation studio Shaft as a key animator and animation director on the Monogatari series. His output in the industry increased during this time as he contributed to other Shaft series like Mekakucity Actors (2014) and contributed as a guest director, designer, and animator for an episode of the Bones series Space Dandy (2014). In 2016, Nakura worked as the main layout artist, layout setting designer, and art setting designer for Shaft's adaptation of March Comes In like a Lion. He also regularly contributed to some of the series' ending animation themes, which he storyboarded, directed, and animated on his own.
Style Director and founder of studio Satelight Tsuneo Maeda, who was the animation technical director for The Tale of Genji, described Nakura as an emotional person, which he called rare among key animators, and that he was slow, which was connected to his tenacity and made his work attractive. Maeda also considered Nakura to not be pattern-based, and thus it was always difficult or mysterious as to how his drawings and work would come out. Although he said that it may be difficult for some of his drawings to be used, Maeda lamented that Nakura was able to create cuts of animation that others could never draw as well.
Works Teleivison series Highlights main staff roles. Year Title Director(s) StudioCDCADADKA Other roles and notes Ref(s)1978StarzingerYuugo SerikawaToei AnimationIn-between animator1981DotakonTakeshi ShiratoToei Animation1984Little MemoleOsamu KasaiToei Animation1990MoominHiroshi SaitouVisual 801991Moomin 2Takeyuki KandaVisual 801996Shounen Santa no DaiboukenYuuji MutouStudio Deen2006Ayakashi: Samurai Horror TalesKouzou NagayamaToei AnimationTenshuu Monogatari episodes2012Nekomonogatari: BlackAkiyuki ShinboTomoyuki ItamuraShaft2nd key animator2014Space Dandy 2Shinichirō WatanabeMasaaki YuasaBonesArt settingGuest character designerEpisode directorStoryboard artistMekakucity ActorsAkiyuki ShinboYuki YaseShaftPicture book animationStoryboard artistHanamonogatariAkiyuki ShinboTomoyuki ItamuraShaftKey animator2016Flip FlappersKiyotaka Oshiyama3HzKey animator March Comes In like a LionAkiyuki ShinboKenjirou OkadaShaftArt settingLayout settingMain layoutED direction, storyboards, and animation2018Zoku OwarimonogatariAkiyuki ShinboShaft"Play"2020Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side StoryDoroinuShaft2021Pretty Boy Detective ClubAkiyuki ShinboHajime OotaniShaftArt settingLayout supervisor2022RWBY: Ice QueendomToshimasa SuzukiKenjirou OkadaShaft2024Astro NoteShinji TakamatsuHaruka KasugamoriTelecom Animation FilmLayout supervisor
OVAs/ONAs Year Title Director(s) StudioCDCADADKA Other roles and notes Ref(s)1985Angel's EggMamoru OshiiStudio Deen1988Bride of DeimosRintaroMadhouseDonguri to YamanekoToshio HirataMadhouseProject Team Argos2013Space Battleship Yamato 2199Akihiro EnomomtoYutaka IzubuchiAICXEBEC2022The Tatami Time Machine BluesShingo NatsumeScience Saru2024Monogatari Series: Off & Monster SeasonAkiyuki ShinboMidori YoshizawaShaftArt setting
Films Year Title Director(s) StudioCDCADADKA Other roles and notes Ref(s)1980Toward the TerraHideo OnchiToei AnimationIn-between animatorCyborg 009: Legend of the Super GalaxyMasayuki AkehiToei AnimationIn-between animator1982Future War 198XToshio MasudaTomoharu KatsumataToei AnimationIn-between animator1983Dr. Slump: The Great Race Around the WorldMinoru OkazakiToei Animation1984Wata no KunihoshiShinichi TsujiMushi Production1985Night on the Galactic RailroadGisaburō SugiiGroup TAC1986Castle in the SkyHayao MiyazakiStudio Ghibli1987The Tale of GenjiGisaburō SugiiGroup TAC1994RampoRintaro MayuzumiKazuyoshi OkuyamaAnimation (live-action film)2001MetropolisRintaroMadhouse2004Ghost in the Shell 2: InnocenceMamoru OshiiProduction I.G2006The Girl Who Leapt Through TimeMamoru HosodaMadhouseAssistant animation director2007Miyori no MoriNizo YamamotoNippon Animation2009Summer WarsMamoru HosodaMadhouse2012GothicmadeMamoru NaganoAutomatic Flowers Studio2013Puella Magi Madoka Magica: RebellionAkiyuki ShinboYukihiro MiyamotoShaft2016Kizumonogatari I: Tekketsu-henAkiyuki ShinboTatsuya OishiShaft2017FireworksAkiyuki ShinboNobuyuki TakeuchiShaftBlade Runner: Black Out 2022Shinichiro WatanabeCygames Pictures2022Inu-OhMasaaki YuasaScience Saru
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