is a Japanese director, storyboard artist, writer, and animator known for directing and writing several series for studios Gainax and Shaft.

Early life During his days at Teikyo University, Saeki rented a room in the art club where he learned the basics of drawing on his own with the desire of making anime. After four years of collegial schooling, his motivation remained unchanged; and once he graduated, he joined studio Gainax.Shaft Shizuoka Studio Aoi display, part of the at the . October 12, 2024, to November 10, 2024.

Career He started as an in-between animator at the studio in 1996, and in 1998, the 25th episode of Cyber Team in Akihabara marked his first storyboard credit, and the following year marked his episode director debut and scriptwriting debut with Kare Kano, where at-the-time fellow Gainax director Hiroyuki Imaishi described that the both of them had "learned our chops." In 2002, Saeki served as assistant director under Hiroyuki Yamaga for the second season of Mahoromatic, Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful, which marked his first work with Shaft. Following Mahoromatic, Saeki made his series directorial debut with the final Gainax/Shaft collaboration series (This Ugly yet Beautiful World (2004) and He Is My Master (2005)).

Some of the cast of Mahoromatic discussed the idea of doing another project together, and eventually This Ugly yet Beautiful World was created with some of the same cast and much of the same staff in mind. Saeki became the director of the work and he invited some staff who worked on the previous series like , Toshimasa Suzuki, and . Hiroyuki Yamaga, who was the co-series composition writer with Saeki, told him that there would be two heroines by way of a dual personality (referring to the character Hikari); and Saeki was given responsibility of deciding the setting, whether or not she and the hero would get together, and the story itself. Elements of the story were taken from a project that character designer had concepted years prior while they had worked on Neon Genesis Evangelion, which Takamura had entitled Extended Definition; though, Takamura abstained from speaking on matters of the setting with Saeki and instead left the details of the work to him. Saeki had felt that his work on Mahoromatic was left unfinished due to the fact that for the second season, Yamaga had done the rough parts of the work and then handed it over to Saeki with the exception of the final part. Saeki felt like his work then remained unfinished as he was unable to complete it himself which he used as some motivation for This Ugly yet Beautiful World.

The following years saw Saeki working mainly as a storyboard artist, scriptwriter, and episode director for Shaft and Gainax series, and notably became an essential member of Hiroyuki Imaishi's team on Gurren Lagann. Between 2011 and 2016, Saeki acted as series director for three more projects with Gainax (Wish Upon the Pleiades (2011/2015), Medaka Box (2012), and Omoi no Kakera (2015)). Beginning in 2017, due to Gainax's minimal production output, Saeki began providing storyboards as a freelance artist. After providing storyboards for a few of Shaft's series in that time, he started freelancing as a series director with the studio, where he first directed Assault Lily Bouquet in 2020, and Luminous Witches in 2022.

According to animator Kazuya Shiotsuki, Saeki's prominence at Shaft has influenced the younger staff at the studio alongside Yasuomi Umetsu.

Works Television series In "Director(s)" column highlights Saeki's directorial works. Year Title Director(s) StudioSBEDSCScriptKA Other roles and notes Ref(s)1998Cyber Team in AkihabaraYoshitaka FujimotoAshi ProductionsLupin III: Tokyo CrisisToshiya ShinoharaTMS EntertainmentBattle Athletes VictoryKatsuhito AkiyamaAICKare KanoHideaki AnnoHiroki Sato Gainax1999MedabotsTensai OkamuraBee Train ProductionDai-GuardSeiji MizushimaXebecCardcaptor SakuraMorio AsakaMadhouse2001Mahoromatic: Automatic MaidenHiroyuki YamagaGainaxShaft2002Mahoromatic: Something More BeautifulHiroyuki YamagaGainaxShaftAssistant director2004This Ugly yet Beautiful WorldGainaxShaftEnding director and storyboardImage boards (uncredited)Tsukuyomi: Moon PhaseAkiyuki Shinbo Shaft2005Pani Poni Dash!Akiyuki ShinboShin Oonuma ShaftSugar Sugar RuneYukihiro MatsushitaPierrotHe Is My MasterGainaxShaft2007Prism ArkMasami ŌbariFrontlineGurren LagannHiroyuki ImaishiGainax2nd key animatorOpening directorEnding directorHidamari SketchAkiyuki Shinbo Ryouki Kamitsubo Shaft2008(Zoku) Sayonara, Zetsubou-SenseiAkiyuki ShinboShaftPsychic SquadKeiichiro KawaguchiSynergySP2nd key animatorStrike WitchesKazuhiro TakamuraGonzoMichiko & HatchinSayo YamamotoManglobeCorpse Princess: AkaMasahiko MurataGainaxfeel.Opening director2009Mahoromatic: I'm Home, SpecialGainaxCorpse Princess: KuroMasahiko MurataGainaxfeel.2010Hanamaru KindergartenSeiji MizushimaGainax2011The Mystic Archives of DantalianYutaka UemuraGainax2012Medaka BoxGainaxOpening director and storyboardMedaka Box AbnormalGainax2015Wish Upon the PleiadesGainax2017March Comes In like a Lion 2nd SeasonAkiyuki ShinboKenjirou Okada Shaft2018Fate/Extra: Last EncoreAkiyuki Shinbo Yukihiro Miyamoto ShaftForest of PianoGaku NakataniRyūtarō Suzuki GainaRevue StarlightTomohiro FurukawaKinema Citrus2020Assault Lily BouquetShaft2022Luminous WitchesShaftOpening storyboard2025A Ninja and an Assassin Under One RoofYukihiro MiyamotoShaftOpening director and storyboardApocalypse HotelKana ShundouCygames Pictures

OVAs/ONAs Year Title Director(s) StudioSBEDScriptKA Other roles and notes Ref(s)1997Agent AikaKatsuhiko NishijimaStudio FantasiaIn-between animator2000FLCLKazuya TsurumakiGainaxProduction I.GIn-between animator2011Wish Upon the PleiadesGainax2015Omoi no KakeraGainax2020Luminous Witches (PV)Shaft2021Assault Lily FruitsShaft

Films Year Title Director(s) Studio Other roles and notes Ref(s)1997Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & RebirthHideaki Anno MasayukiKazuya TsurumakiGainaxTatsunoko Production I.G In-between animatorThe End of EvangelionHideaki Anno Kazuya TsurukamiGainaxProduction I.GIn-between animator2006Gunbuster vs. DiebusterKazuya TsurumakiGainax2nd key animator

Notes Works cited

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