Mahiro Maeda

Wiki jphttps://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/29 A prominent anime creator and one of the founders of studio Gonzohttps://anilist.co/studio/3/. While still in university Maeda was part of a manga club together with Yoshiyuki Sadamotohttps://anilist.co/staff/98158/ during which both of them got invited to participate on Macrosshttps://anilist.co/anime/1088/ and Daicon IVhttps://anilist.co/anime/121664/. This brought Maeda enough recognition to get invited on the production of Nausicahttps://anilist.co/anime/572/ and the subseqeunt late 80s Studio Ghiblihttps://anilist.co/studio/21/ films. He also worked on Gainaxhttps://anilist.co/studio/6/s projects during this time. In 1992 after having completely cut ties with Ghibli due to differences in working methods Maeda founded Gonzo together with Shinji Higuchihttps://anilist.co/staff/107646/ Hiroshi Yamaguchihttps://anilist.co/staff/97308/ and Shouji Murahamahttps://anilist.co/staff/119708/ who were Gainax employees he had previously worked with on The Wings of Honneamisehttps://anilist.co/anime/1034/ and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Waterhttps://anilist.co/anime/1251/. At Gonzo he debuted as a director in 1998 with Blue Submarine No.6https://anilist.co/anime/1051/. In 2004 Maeda directed Gankutsuouhttps://anilist.co/anime/239/ an adaptation of an 1844 novel The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumashttps://anilist.co/staff/102535/. Initially Maeda wanted to adapt an Alfred Bester novel The Stars My Destination but was rejected by the novels copyright holders after proposing the numerous changes he wanted to make to the original narrative. He then searched for another work he could adapt into a science fiction setting and ended up going with The Count of Monte Cristo. The series was praised by Western critics and received multiple international accolades. Called one of the most imaginative visualists in anime by Helen McCarthy a British anime reference book author. Took part as a key animator on Quentin Tarantinos Kill Bill: Vol. 1 in 2003. Known to have been a close friend of Yoshinori Kanadahttps://anilist.co/staff/106398/s before his passing.