Shinji Aramaki

Shinji Aramaki
荒牧 伸志
Aramaki at the Ready Player One Japan premiere in 2018
Born	(1960-10-02) 2 October 1960 Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Nationality	Japanese
Alma mater	Okayama University
Occupation(s)	Anime director and mechanical designer

Shinji Aramaki (荒牧 伸志, Aramaki Shinji; born 2 October 1960) is a Japanese anime director and mechanical designer from Fukuoka Prefecture. He graduated from Fukuoka Prefectural Fukuoka High School and Okayama University. He was a member of Artmic and is currently the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Sola Digital Arts.^[1] He is a leading figure in 3DCG animation in Japan.^[2][3]

From middle school through high school, Aramaki was influenced by Space Battleship Yamato, Mobile Suit Gundam, and Star Wars, and aspired to a career in the visual arts.^[4] During his time at Okayama University, he was a member of the manga club. One of his best-known works from his time in the manga club was the self-produced animation Moonstruck Artemis.

Aramaki himself stated that he did not have a particular desire to work in the animation industry, but rather went into it because he could draw pictures and because the industry had a wide range of opportunities.^[4] He does not distinguish between animation and live-action genres, and says that the spread of digital technology has made it easier for him to work in the animation and live-action fields, as the boundary between the two has disappeared.^[4] He is particularly well known for his work on anime featuring mecha of the sort that can transform into powered exoskeletons and motorcycles.^[5]

In 2004, he directed Appleseed, the world's first 3D live anime that introduced motion capture, which had a great impact on creators not only in Japan but also around the world.

In October 2011, Aramaki participated in a panel discussion at the VFX-JAPAN Kickoff Meeting.^[6][7]

Shinji and Kenji Kamiyama directed the initial season of Blade Runner: Black Lotus, an anime for Adult Swim and Crunchyroll.^[8][9][10]

• Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (director, 1987)
• Megazone 23 III (director, 1989, with Ken'ichi Yatagai)
• Genesis Survivor Gaiarth (director, 1992–1993)
• Appleseed (director, 2004)^[11]
• Appleseed Ex Machina (director, 2007)^[11]
• Viper's Creed (chief director, 2009)
• Halo Legends, episode The Package (director, 2010)
• Starship Troopers: Invasion (director, 2012)^[12]
• Harlock: Space Pirate (director, 2013)^[13][14][15]
• Appleseed Alpha (director, 2014)^[16]
• Evangelion: Another Impact (director, 2014)^[17]
• Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars (director, 2017, with Masaru Matsumoto)
• Ultraman (director, 2019–2023, with Kenji Kamiyama)
• Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 (director, 2020–2022, with Kenji Kamiyama)
• Blade Runner: Black Lotus (director, 2021–2022, with Kenji Kamiyama)

• Genesis Climber MOSPEADA (mechanical design, 1983–1984)
• Pole Position (mechanical design, 1984)
• The Transformers (mechanical design, 1984–1987)^[18]
• Megazone 23 (mechanical design, 1985–1989)
• M.A.S.K. (mechanical design, 1985–1986)
• Bubblegum Crisis (production design, 1987–1991)
• Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (mechanical design, 1988)
• The New Adventures of He-Man (mechanical design, 1990)
• Bubblegum Crash (production design, 1991)
• Genesis Survivor Gaiarth (mechanical design, 1992–1993)
• Gasaraki (mechanical design, 1998–1999)
• Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 (mecha design, 1998–1999)
• Digimon Tamers (CG design, 2001–2002)
• s-CRY-ed (design works, 2001)
• Crush Gear Turbo (mechanical design, 2001–2003)
• Witch Hunter Robin (design works, 2002)
• Wolf's Rain (mechanical design, 2003)
• Astro Boy (2003 TV series) (mechanical design, 2003–2004)
• Fullmetal Alchemist (production design, 2003–2004)
• Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO (mechanical design, 2004–2009)
• Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (mechanical design, 2004)
• Sugar Sugar Rune (makai art concept, 2005–2006)
• Project Blue Earth SOS (mechanical design, 2006)
• Reideen (mechanical design, 2007)
• Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula (mechanical design (Nephthys-IX), 2007)
• Soul Eater (conceptual design, 2008)
• Halo Legends (2010), episodes Prototype (power suit designer) and The Package (mechanical designer)
• Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto (conceptual design, 2010–2011)
• Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (mechanical design, 2011)
• Tenkai Knights (concept design, 2013)
• Blade Runner Black Out 2022 (spinner design, 2017)

• Kappa (CG design)
• Ping Pong (table-tennis scene CG)
• Genocyber (producer, 1994)
• Sonic Unleashed (CG movie director)
• Gasaraki (storyboard writer of episode 25, 1998-1999)
• Halo Legends (creative advisor, 2010)

• Kemps, Heidi (28 August 2014). "Interview: Shinji Aramaki". Anime News Network.

• Shinji Aramaki at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Shinji Aramaki at IMDb
• Shinji Aramaki entry at Gears Online