was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was best known for his contributions to the cyberpunk genre.
Life and career While attending university, Fukui worked for a video company shooting live performances. During this time he produced three short films: Chaser of the Ranger, Scourge of Blood and Metal Days.
In total: Fukui produced six experimental shorts—Scourge of Blood, Metal Days, Gerorisuto, Caterpillar, S-94 and The Hiding—along with two full-length films, 964 Pinocchio (1991) and Rubber's Lover (1996). 964 Pinocchio is often compared to the cyberpunk classic Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) directed by Shinya Tsukamoto.
Excluding Metal Days, Fukui's films were widely available, having been issued on DVD by Unearthed Films. However, these releases have since gone out of print. Fukui has released four films since then, Onne, Den-Sen, The Hiding, and S-94.
Fukui worked as an assistant director during Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Iron Man. Many fans and critics consider Fukui's aesthetic to be different enough from Tsukamoto's for Fukui's films to stand on their own, even considering their thematic similarities.
Fukui died on 2 April 2026. This came shortly after his production company, Honekoubou, resumed their activity in 2025 to organize a retrospective of the director's filmography. The retrospective included two screenings of Metal Days, a film that has long been sought after by fans due to its unavailability.
Filmography +TitleYearNoteChaser of the RangerUnknownShortScourge of Blood1984ShortMetal Days1986ShortGerorisuto1986ShortCaterpillar1988Short964 Pinocchio1991FeatureRubber's Lover1996FeatureHentai Randō2004DocumentaryOnne2006Den-Sen2006Derenai2007Directors cut of OnneThe Hiding2008S-942009
References
External links
Shozin Fukui interview at wordriot.org Shozin Fukui's Honekoubou Website