Toshimasa Suzuki (鈴木 利正) is a Japanese director, animator, and storyboard artist. He joined Shaft in 1995 as an episode director and storyboard artist, and although he continues to work for Shaft, Suzuki commonly directs series with other studios, most notably with Xebec, where he made his series directorial debut with Heroic Age in 2007.
Career and life
Suzuki joined Shaft around 1988 as a key animator.[1] He made his debut as an episode director and storyboard artist for the studio's first original television series, Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger, in 1995. His employment with Shaft continued until the early 2000s, when he decided to go freelance (he continued to work with Shaft as a freelancer).[1] In 2007, he debuted as a series director with Xebec with Heroic Age under the supervision of Takashi Noto. For the next few years, Suzuki focused solely on freelancing work with other studios. He continued to do work with Xebec, directing Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne and Fafner in the Azure: Heaven and Earth, and started directing series outside of either Xebec or Shaft, such as The Pilot's Love Song and The Price of Smiles. However, he remains a prominent figure at Shaft and works on most of the studio's productions.
Suzuki was born in 1966, and he is married to color designer Mitsuko Sekimoto,[2] who has worked with Suzuki on all of his directorial projects outside of Shaft.
Style
He said that he is a fan of hard sci-fi, as well as a fan of foreign sci-fi productions, which he has used for inspiration on works like Fafner in the Azure and Heroic Age.[1] Although a fan of watching realistic and 'muddy' depictions of emotions, he himself does not like to make realistic depictions in his works, and is instead more interested in making his works beautiful and exaggerated.[1] Writer Tow Ubukata commented on Suzuki's ideal of beauty by saying he was good at directing emotional scenes.[1]
After he worked as Akiyuki Shinbo's assistant on Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase, Suzuki wanted to use some of Shinbo's visual composition techniques himself while working on Fafner: Right of Left succeeding the end of Tsukuyomis production.[3] Broadly, he stated that his way of creating images changed after working on Tsukuyomi. Director Ryūtarō Nakamura's sense of light and shadows, whom Suzuki worked under as the assistant director for Sakura Wars (2000), also had an effect on Suzuki's style.
Works
Television series
In "Director(s)" column highlights Suzuki's directorial works.
OVAs/ONAs
Films
Video games
External links
References
- https://ddnavi.com/interview/1005788/a/ July 11, 2022, retrieved July 12, 2022^
- Suzuki, Toshimasa. May 14, 2024^
- Suzuki, Toshimasa. June 25, 2013^
- Blue Blink^
- Idol Densetsu Eriko^
- Kyatto Ninden Teyandee^
- Oh! My Konbu^
- Thumbelina: A Magical Story^
- Weather Report Girl^
- Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger^
- Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger^
- Juuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto Ranger^
- Hareluya II Boy^
- Sakura Diaries^
- Burn-Up Excess^
- Battle Athletes Victory^
- Battle Athletes Victory^
- Silent Mobius^
- Generator Gawl^
- Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure^
- Power Stone^
- A Pair of Queens^
- Dai-Guard^
- Sakura Wars^
- Sakura Wars^
- Sakura Wars^
- Dotto! Koni-chan^
- Dotto! Koni-chan^
- Mahoromatic^
- Mahoromatic^
- Shaman King^
- Shaman King^
- A Little Snow Fairy Sugar^
- Cyborg 009: The Cyborg Soldier^
- Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful^
- Stellvia^
- Stellvia^
- This Ugly yet Beautiful World^
- This Ugly yet Beautiful World^
- This Ugly yet Beautiful World^
- Tetsujin 28-go^
- Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor^
- Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase^
- Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase^
- Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase^
- Tsukuyomi: Moon Phase^
- He Is My Master^
- He Is My Master^
- Rozen Maiden: Träumend^
- The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye^
- The Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye^
- ヒロイック・エイジ Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 9, 2021^
- Heroic Age^
- Ef: A Tale of Memories^
- Wangan Midnight^
- Kanokon: The Girl Who Cried Fox^
- Kyō no Go no Ni^
- 神曲奏界ポリフォニカcrimson S Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 11, 2021^
- Polyphonica: Crimson S^
- Tears to Tiara^
- Bakemonogatari^
- Bakemonogatari^
- Bakemonogatari^
- Bakemonogatari^
- Bakemonogatari^
- Dance in the Vampire Bund^
- Hidamari Sketch x Hoshimittsu^
- Arakawa Under the Bridge^
- Softenni^
- 輪廻の ラグランジェ Flower declaration of your heart Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 11, 2021^
- Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne^
- Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne^
- Unlimited Psychic Squad^
- Unlimited Psychic Squad^
- Sasami-san@Ganbaranai^
- 輪廻の ラグランジェ Flower declaration of your heart season2 Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 11, 2021^
- The Pilot's Love Song^
- Hanamonogatari^
- Fafner in the Azure: Exodus^
- Fafner in the Azure: Exodus^
- Nisekoi:^
- Sweetness and Lightning^
- March Comes In like a Lion^
- Fate/Extra: Last Encore^
- Loo, Egan. Tatsunoko Marks 55th Anniversary with Egao no Daika TV Anime in January Anime News Network, October 17, 2018, retrieved March 11, 2021^
- The Price of Smiles^
- The Price of Smiles^
- https://anime.magireco.com/story/?id=ep01 Magireco, retrieved March 12, 2021^
- https://anime.magireco.com/story/?id=ep13 Magireco, retrieved March 12, 2021^
- Pineda, Rafael Antonio. Shaft Animates New RWBY TV Anime RWBY: Ice Queendom Anime News Network, March 24, 2022, retrieved March 24, 2022^
- https://natalie.mu/comic/news/647891 Comic Natalie, Natasha, Inc, November 12, 2025, retrieved November 12, 2025^
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes^
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes^
- Legend of the Galactic Heroes^
- Kita e: Pure Session^
- Arcade Gamer Fubuki^
- Shina Dark Anime Music Videos' Samples Posted Online Anime News Network, March 3, 2008, retrieved December 27, 2019^
- シャイナ・ダルク ～黒き月の王と蒼碧の月の姫君～ Highway Star (part of Yukari Higa's official website), retrieved September 17, 2021^
- Hen Semi^
- 蒼穹のファフナー Dead Aggressor HEAVEN AND EARTH Media Arts Database, Agency for Cultural Affairs, retrieved March 11, 2021^
- https://www.shaft-web.co.jp/portfolio/r05mt6sjj/ Shaft, retrieved March 12, 2021^
- https://www.shaft-web.co.jp/portfolio/e_bo12exj/ Shaft, retrieved March 12, 2021^
- Fireworks^
- Fafner in the Azure: The Beyond^
- 『マギアレコード 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ外伝』、5月18日17:00より『リリース1000日記念キャンペーン』と『若菜つむぎ ピックアップガチャ』を開催し、メインストーリー第2部OPムービーを公開！他 PR Times, May 18, 2020, retrieved September 16, 2021^