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. 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). 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.

Suzuki was born in 1966, and he is married to color designer Mitsuko Sekimoto, 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. 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. Writer Tow Ubukata commented on Suzuki's ideal of beauty by saying he was good at directing emotional scenes.

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. 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. Year Title Director(s) StudioSBED Other roles and notes Ref(s)1989Blue BlinkOsamu TezukaSeitarou HaraTezuka ProductionsAnimatorIdol Densetsu ErikoTetsurō AminoAshi ProductionsIn-between animator1990Kyatto Ninden TeyandeeKunitoshi OkajimaTatsunoko ProductionIn-between animator1991Oh! My KonbuTetsuo ImazawaShaftKey animator1993Thumbelina: A Magical StoryHiromitsu MoritaKey animator1995Weather Report GirlKunihiko YuyamaPastelKey animatorJuuni Senshi Bakuretsu Eto RangerKunitoshi Okajima ShaftKey animator1997Hareluya II BoyKiyoshi EgamiTriangle StaffSakura DiariesKunitoshi OkajimaShaftBurn-Up ExcessShinichiro KimuraMagic BusBattle Athletes VictoryKatsuhito AkiyamaAIC1998Silent MobiusHideki TonokatsuShaft (Radix)Generator GawlSeiji MizushimaTatsunoko Production1999Dual! Parallel Trouble AdventureKatsuhito AkiyamaAICPower StoneTakahiro OmoriPierrotKey animatorA Pair of QueensTakashi WatanabeTriangle StaffKey animatorDai-GuardSeiji MizushimaXebec2000Sakura WarsRyūtarō NakamuraMadhouseAssistant director (13 episodes)Dotto! Koni-chanShinichi WatanabeShaft2001MahoromaticHiroyuki YamagaGainaxShaftShaman KingSeiji MizushimaXebec2002A Little Snow Fairy SugarHiroaki Sakurai Shinichiro KimuraJ.C. StaffCyborg 009: The Cyborg SoldierJun KawagoeJapan Vistec2003Mahoromatic: Something More BeautifulHiroyuki YamagaGainaxShaftStellviaTatsuo SatōXebec2004This Ugly yet Beautiful WorldShouji SaekiGainaxShaftKey animatorTetsujin 28-goYasuhiro ImagawaPalm StudioFafner in the Azure: Dead AggressorNobuyoshi HabaraXebecTsukuyomi: Moon PhaseAkiyuki Shinbo ShaftAssistant directorEnding director2005He Is My MasterShouji SaekiGainaxShaftEnding directorRozen Maiden: TräumendKō MatsuoNomad2006The Third: The Girl with the Blue EyeJun KamiyaXebec2007Heroic AgeXebecEf: A Tale of MemoriesShin OonumaShaftAssistant episode director2008Wangan MidnightTsuneo TominagaA.C.G.TKanokon: The Girl Who Cried FoxAtsushi ŌtsukiXebecKyō no Go no NiTsuyoshi NagasawaXebec2009Polyphonica: Crimson SDiomedéaEnding director and storyboardTears to TiaraTomoki KobayashiWhite FoxBakemonogatariAkiyuki ShinboTatsuya Oishi ShaftAssistant episode directorOpening directorKey animator2010Dance in the Vampire BundAkiyuki ShinboMasahiro Sonoda ShaftEnding directorHidamari Sketch x HoshimittsuAkiyuki ShinboKenichi Ishikura ShaftEnding directorArakawa Under the BridgeAkiyuki ShinboYukihiro Miyamoto Shaft2011SoftenniRyouki KamitsuboXebecOpening director and storyboard2012Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-neXebec2013Unlimited Psychic SquadShishō IgarashiManglobeEnding storyboardSasami-san@GanbaranaiAkiyuki ShinboShaft2014The Pilot's Love SongTMS Entertainment3xCubeHanamonogatariAkiyuki Shinbo Tomoyuki ItamuraShaftEnding director and storyboard2015Fafner in the Azure: ExodusTakashi Noto Nobuyoshi HabaraXebecNisekoi:Akiyuki Shinbo ShaftOpening director2016Sweetness and LightningTarō IwasakiTMS Entertainment3xCubeOpening directorMarch Comes In like a LionAkiyuki ShinboKenjirou Okada Shaft2018Fate/Extra: Last EncoreAkiyuki Shinbo Yukihiro Miyamoto Shaft2019The Price of SmilesTatsunoko Production2020Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side StoryDoroinu VariousShaftKey animator2022RWBY: Ice QueendomShaftOpening director2025The Shiunji Family ChildrenRyouki KamitsuboDoga KoboOpening storyboard artist2026Eren the SouthpawSignal.MDProduction I.GOpening storyboard artist

OVAs/ONAs Year Title Director(s) StudioSBED Other roles and notes Ref(s)1994Legend of the Galactic HeroesNoboru Ishiguro Masatoshi Tahara Keizou Shimizu K-Factory (Shaft)Key animator2000Kita e: Pure SessionMitsuko KaseStudio D-Volt2003Arcade Gamer FubukiYūji MutōShaftKey animator2008Shina DarkShaft2010Hen SemiRyouki KamitsuboXebecOpening director and storyboard2012Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-neXebec2025MoonriseMasashi KoizukaWit Studio

Films Year Title Director(s) StudioSBED Other roles and notes Ref(s)2010Fafner in the Azure: Heaven and EarthXebec2016Kizumonogatari I: TekketsuAkiyuki Shinbo Tatsuya OishiShaft2017Kizumonogatari III: ReiketsuAkiyuki Shinbo Tatsuya OishiShaftFireworksAkiyuki Shinbo Nobuyuki TakeuchiShaft2019Fafner in the Azure: The BeyondTakashi NotoXebec Zwei2023Fafner: Behind the LineTakashi NotoI.G ZweiKey animator

Video games Year Title Studio Roles Ref(s)2016Fate/EXTELLAShaftOpening cinematic storyboard artist

Notes General notes

Web citations

References

External links