Hiroshi Saitō

Hiroshi Saitō
Director
Family name (in kanji)	斉藤 (Saitō)
Given name (in kanji)	博 (Hiroshi)
Born	March 17, 1935
Died	June 26, 2015 (aged 79)
Birthplace	Dalian, Kwantung Leased Territory, Manchukuo
Occupation	Director Storyboard Artist Animator Screenwriter
Years active	1961-????

Hiroshi Saitō (March 17, 1935 - March 17, 1935), also sometimes known as Jirô Kiyose (清瀬二郎), Takeshi Kiyose (清瀬武), Ryoichi Koganei (小金井良一) or Nobiru Takeda (竹田のびる) was a Japanese director, storyboard artist and animator. Born in Dalian, Kwantung Leased Territory. He was series director for Alfred J. Kwak.

Biography

In 1946, after the end of the Pacific War Saitō moved to Japan in the Kyoto Prefecture. In his early 20s, he aspired to become an oil painter. However, after getting married in 1960, he joined [[wikipedia:manga artist|] wikipedia:Ryūichi Yokoyama's studio Otogi Pro. There he worked on animations for the anime Instant History, as well as on several theatrical productions. He left the studio in 1963 when senior animator Eiichi Yamamoto introduced him to the rest of Mushi Production, where Saitō worked on the 1963 incarnation of Astro Boy. In 1966, he left Mushi Production together with Shingo Araki to form the animation studio Jagard (ジャガード). This lead to Saitō making his directorial debut when he directed episode 2 of the anime Star of the Giants (巨人の星). Saitō also took over from Sōji Yoshikawa as the director of the anime Genius Bakabon (天才バカボン).

In 1972 Jagard went bankrupt. He joined the company Zuiyo Eizo. He worked on several anime as animator, assistent director and storyboards. When Zuiyo Eizo took over production of Vicky the Viking or 小さなバイキング ビッケ (Chiisana Viking Bikke, lit: Little Viking Vicky) Saitō became chief director, until he stepped down later to take of chief director of Maya the Honey Bee or みつばちマーヤの冒険 (Mitsubachi Māya no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Maya the Honeybee). In 1975 Zuiyo Eizo turned the studio Nippon Animation. In 1977, he was appointed as co-director with Seiji Endo for Rascal the Raccoon or あらいぐまラスカル (Araiguma Rasukaru, lit: Rascal the Raccoon). He later stepped down due to disagreements with Endo influenced by Akira Miyazaki's script. Afterwards he directed several anime. In 1980 he also directed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or トム・ソーヤーの冒険 (Tomu Sōyā no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) taking on scriptwriting duties in the early stages due to Akira Miyazaki's illness and hospitalization, under the pseudonym Takeshi Kiyose.

In 1989 he became series director for Alfred J. Kwak. Herman van Veen had written outlines for the 52 episodes of the series while Harald Siepermann and Hans Bacher created the Character- and Color-Designs bible. Based on that Saitō's team started storyboarding, but it soon became clear that their vision of the world of Alfred Jodocus Kwak was very different to what the original creators had imagined. Akira Miyazaki, the head storyboard artist, had apparently drawn characters on all-fours similar to Saitō's earlier project Kimba the White Lion or ジャングル大帝 (Janguru Taitei, lit: Jungle Emperor) for which he had done key animation. Harald Siepermann was the only one of the creative team who was in Tokyo. Due to Japanese work standards, Saitō was not allowed to be told by another person outside of the team what to do, so Siepermann had to meet with Hiroshi Saitō in secret, with an interpreter as their only witness. The only solution was for Siepermann to redo all the storyboards overnight.

Afterwards he went on to direct 1990's Moomin or 楽しいムーミン一家 (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka, lit: The Wonderful Adventures of Moomin Family) and the follow-up movie Comet in Moominland or 楽しいムーミン一家 ムーミン谷の彗星 (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Mūmindani no Suisei, lit: The Wonderful Adventures of Moomin Family: Comet in Moominland).<ref name="Wiki1"/ >

Works

This list is incomplete.

Anime Director

• Maya the Honey Bee or みつばちマーヤの冒険 (Mitsubachi Māya no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Maya the Honeybee) (1975 Nippon Animation) (Chief Director)
• Adventures of Pinocchio or ピコリーノの冒険 (Pikorīno no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Piccolino) (1976 Nippon Animation) (Co-director with Shigenobu Kiyose)
• Rascal the Raccoon or あらいぐまラスカル (Araiguma Rasukaru, lit: Rascal the Raccoon) (1977 Nippon Animation) (Co-director with Seiji Endo)
• ペリーヌ物語 (Perīnu Monogatari, lit: The Story of Perrine) (1978 Nippon Animation) (Co-director with Shigenobu Kiyose)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or トム・ソーヤーの冒険 (Tomu Sōyā no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) (1980 Nippon Animation, Fuji TV) (under the name of Takeshi Kiyose)
• wikipedia:Lucy-May of the Southern Rainbow or 南の虹のルーシー (Minami no Niji no Rūshī, lit: Lucy of the Southern Rainbow) (1982 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Jirô Kiyose)
• Katri, Girl of the Meadows or 牧場の少女カトリ (Makiba no Shōjo Katori, lit: Katri, the Farm Girl) (1984 Nippon Animation)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz or オズの魔法使い (Ozu no Mahōtsukai, lit: The Wizard of Oz) (1986 Panmedia)
• Alfred J. Kwak or 小さなアヒルの大きな愛の物語 あひるのクワック (Chiisana Ahiru no Ōkina Ai no Monogatari Ahiru no Kwak, lit: The Little Duck's Big Love Story: Quack the Duck) (1989 Telescreen, TV Tokyo)
• Moomin or 楽しいムーミン一家 (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka, lit: The Wonderful Adventures of Moomin Family) (1990 Telescreen)
• ペリーヌ物語（劇場版） (Perīnu Monogatari (Gekijōban), lit: The Story of Perrine (Theatrical Version)) (1990 Nippon Animation) (Co-director with Shigenobu Kiyose)
• Comet in Moominland or 楽しいムーミン一家 ムーミン谷の彗星 (Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Mūmindani no Suisei, lit: The Wonderful Adventures of Moomin Family: Comet in Moominland) (1992 Telescreen)
• Fortune Dogs or ふぉうちゅんドッグす (Fortune Dogs, lit: Fortune Dogs) (2002 Vega Entertainment)

Animation Director

• ハムスター倶楽部 (Hamusutā Kurabu, lit: Hamster Club) (2000 Tsuburaya Productions/Vega Entertainment) (Chief Director)

Episode Direction

• かみなり坊やピッカリ・ビー (Kaminari Bōya Pikkari Bī, lit: Pikkari Bee, the Thunder Boy) (1967 Broadcast Animation Production)
• 珍豪ムチャ兵衛 (Chingō Mucha Bei, lit: The Extraordinary Mucha Bei) (1971 Tokyo Movie)
• 天才バカボン (Tensai Bakabon, lit: Genius Bakabon) (1971 Tokyo Movie) (Co-directed with Eiji Okabe)
• まえがみ太郎 (Maegami Tarō, lit: Forelock Tarō) (1979 Nippon Animation)
• Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics or グリム名作劇場 (Gurimu Meisaku Gekijō, lit: Grimm Masterpiece Theater) (1987 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Takeshi Kiyose)
• 一つの花 (Hitotsu no Hana, lit: One Flower) (2002 Onkyo Eizo/Vega Entertainment)

Storyboard

• Heidi, Girl of the Alps or アルプスの少女ハイジ (Arupusu no Shōjo Haiji, lit: Heidi, Girl of the Alps) (1974 Zuiyo Eizo)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or トム・ソーヤーの冒険 (Tomu Sōyā no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) (1980 Nippon Animation, Fuji TV) (under the name of Nobiru Takeda)
• The Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island or ふしぎな島のフローネ (Fushigi na Shima no Furōne, lit: Swiss Family Robinson: Flone of the Mysterious Island) (1981 Nippon Animation)
• Story of the Alps: My Annette or 大草原の小さな天使 ブッシュベイビー (Watashi no Annetto, lit: My Annette) (1983 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Jirô Kiyose)
• Katri, Girl of the Meadows or 牧場の少女カトリ (Makiba no Shōjo Katori, lit: Katri, the Farm Girl) (1984 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Jirô Kiyose)
• [[wikipedia:Uchūsen Sagittarius|宇宙船サジタリウス (Uchūsen Sajitariusu, lit: Spaceship Sagittarius) (1986 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Ryoichi Koganei)
• Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics or グリム名作劇場 (Gurimu Meisaku Gekijō, lit: Grimm Masterpiece Theater) (1987 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Ryoichi Koganei)
• Little Lord Fauntleroy or 小公子セディ (Shōkōshi Sedi, lit: Little Prince Cedie) (1988 Nippon Animation)
• Dagon in the Land of Weeds or いきなりダゴン (Ikinari Dagon, lit: Suddenly Dagon

) (1988 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Ryoichi Koganei)

• チロリン村物語 (Chirorin Mura Monogatari, lit: The Story of Chirorin Village) (1992 NHK Enterprises)
• Calimero or カリメロ (Karimero, lit: Calimero) (1992 Telescreen)
• Yamato Takeru or ヤマトタケル (Yamato Takeru, lit: Yamato Takeru) (1994 Nippon Animation)
• ヨシモトムチッ子物語 (Yoshimoto Muchikko Monogatari, lit: The Story of Yoshimoto Muchikko) (1999 Shin-Ei Animation)
• 一つの花 (Hitotsu no Hana, lit: One Flower) (2002 Onkyo Eizo/Vega Entertainment)

Screenwriting

• Fables of the Green Forest or 山ねずみロッキーチャック (Yamanezumi Rokkii Chakku, lit: Rocky Chuck, the Mountain Rat) (1973 Zuiyo Eizo)
• Manxmouse or トンデモネズミ大活躍 (Tondemo Nezumi Daikatsuyaku, lit: The Amazing Adventures of Tondemo Mouse) (1979 Nippon Animation) (Co-written with Toshiyuki Yukimuro)
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or トム・ソーヤーの冒険 (Tomu Sōyā no Bōken, lit: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) (1980 Nippon Animation, Fuji TV) (under the name of Takeshi Kiyose)
• Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics or グリム名作劇場 (Gurimu Meisaku Gekijō, lit: Grimm Masterpiece Theater) (1987 Nippon Animation) (under the name of Takeshi Kiyose)

Key Animation

• Kimba the White Lion or ジャングル大帝 (Janguru Taitei, lit: Jungle Emperor) (1965 Mushi Production)
• Leo the Lion or 新ジャングル大帝 進めレオ! (Shin Janguru Taitei Susume Reo!, lit: New Jungle Emperor: Move Ahead, Leo!) (1966 Mushi Production)
• ファイトだ!!ピュー太 (Faito da!! Pyūta, lit: Go Pyūta!!) (1968 Broadcast Animation Production)
• 巨人の星 (Kyojin no Hoshi, lit: Star of the Giants) (1968 Tokyo Movie)
• Moomin or ムーミン (Mūmin, lit: Moomin) (1968 Tokyo Movie)