Masamitsu Hidaka (日高 政光, Hidaka Masamitsu; 19 October 1960 – 9 March 2022) was a Japanese anime director and storyboard artist of television anime.
He notably served as the supervising director of the Pokémon television anime series from 1997 to 2006.
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Biography
Hidaka was born in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan on 19 October 1960.
Career
After graduating from the Department of Architecture at Miyazaki Prefectural Miyazaki Industrial High School and the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Kyushu Sangyo University, Hidaka relocated to Tokyo due to recession in the construction industry. Even as a student, his background in understanding architectural blueprints and perspectives allowed him to create dynamic and complex transformation sequences, such as the school's robot transformation in Nekketsu Saikyō Go-Saurer.
Inspired by the films Crusher Joe and Urusei Yatsura: Only You, Hidaka aspired to become an animator and joined Studio Cosmos, where he worked on series such as Taotao.
After gaining experience working on backgrounds, he joined Sunrise as a director, where he directed Nekketsu Saikyō Go-Saurer.
He became a freelancer and worked as a storyboard artist for numerous Sunrise productions. He served as the director of the Pokémon television anime from the show's start until Pokémon: Battle Frontier and as a storyboard artist until Pokémon the Series: Black & White.
Death
Hidaka died on 9 March 2022, at the age of 61. Despite the cause of death never being disclosed, Naotake Furusato, who worked with Hidaka on numerous productions, revealed that he had heard that Hidaka had been ill for the past couple of years, with the announcement of his death being shared the following day on social media by former classmate Mitsuo Fukuda.
Filmography
Television anime
Taotao (1983): Production Assistant
Musashi no Ken (1985): Production Assistant
Metal Armor Dragonar (1987): Storyboard and Direction
Mashin Hero Wataru (1988): Storyboard and Direction
Madö King Granzört (1989): Storyboard and Direction
Mashin Hero Wataru 2 (1990): Storyboard and Episode Director
The Brave of Sun Fighbird (1991): Chief Director
Genki Bakuhatsu Ganbaruger (1992): Storyboard and Episode Director
The Brave Express Might Gaine (1993): Storyboard and Episode Director
Nekketsu Saikyō Go-Saurer (1993): Storyboard and Episode Director
Jungle King Tar-chan (1993): Storyboard and Episode Director
Kenyū Densetsu Yaiba (1993): Storyboard
The Brave Police J-Decker (1994): Storyboard and Episode Director
Captain Tsubasa J (1994): Storyboard and Episode Director
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (1995): Storyboard
Wild Knights Gulkeeva (1995): Director, Script (episode 14), Storyboard (5 episodes), Episode Director (episodes 14 and 26)
Mojacko (1995): Storyboard (episodes 12 and 20) and Episode Director (episode 12)
Theatrical anime
Ranma ½: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China (1991): Storyboard and Unit Director
Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (1994): Unit Director
Pokémon: The First Movie (1998): Unit Director
Pokémon the Movie 2000 (1999): Unit Director
Pokémon 3: The Movie (2000): Unit Director
Pikachu & Pichu (2000): Unit Director
Pokémon 4Ever (2001): Unit Director
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew (2005): Production Committee (OLM)
Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea (2006): Production Committee (OLM)
Pokémon—Zoroark: Master of Illusions (2010): Storyboard
Inazuma Eleven: Saikyō Gundan Ōga Shūrai (2010): Unit Director
Pokémon the Movie: Black—Victini and Reshiram and White—Victini and Zekrom (2011): Unit Director
Inazuma Eleven GO: Kyūkyoku no Kizuna Gurifon (2011): Unit Director
Pokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice (2012): Unit Director
Inazuma Eleven GO vs. Danbōru Senki W (2012): Unit Director
Pokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened (2013): Storyboard and Unit Director
Original video animation (OVA)
GREED (1985): Production Management and Animation
Dirty Pair: With Love from the Lovely Angels (1987): Assistant Director
Ushio & Tora (1993): Storyboard and Unit Director
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team (1996): Unit Director
I Dream of Mimi (1997): Director
The Silent Service (1997): Storyboard and Unit Director
POWER DoLLS: Detachment of Limited Line Service Project Alpha (1998): Director
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final (2000): Storyboard
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled "The Wyvern Divided" (2013): Storyboard
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled "The Brightness Falls" (2015): Storyboard
New Initial D the Movie Battle Digest (2022): Director
Western animation
Inspector Gadget (1985): Background
Video games
Inazuma Eleven Strikers (2011): OP Storyboard and Unit Director
Other
Metal Armor Dragonar Pachislot Picture Drama Meio Plato/Min (2015): Script and Storyboard