Skip to content
MovieCove
Mitsuo Iso

Mitsuo Iso

Writer and director · Born January 1, 1966 (60) · Aichi, Japan

One of the most important animators in anime history, known for the extreme realism of his animation.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1966 (60)
From
Aichi, Japan
Works as
Writer and director
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 50 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 114% in 30 days

What are Mitsuo Iso's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
49%
Survival
17%
Bonds
14%
Society
11%
Ideas
9%
Identity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 0 · Dark 3

Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 0 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 0 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 0 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Full focus: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their full focus movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 3

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 3

Ambiguous: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their ambiguous movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 0 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
3
Dread
1
Warm
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Mitsuo Iso's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Crunchyroll (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Mitsuo Iso's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

50 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • HYPERSONIC Music Club (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Animation

  • DIY!!: Do It Yourself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · Original Story

  • Do It Yourself!!(2022)

    Show 12 episodes · Additional Storyboarding · Animation · Original Story · Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Extra-Terrestrial Boys & Girls: Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • Extra-Terrestrial Boys & Girls: Part 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

  • The Orbital Children(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Original Story · Screenplay · Series Director · Storyboard Artist · Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all shows

  • Blade Runner: Black Out 2022(2017)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Napping Princess(2017)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Dimension W(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • The Rolling Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Giovanni's Island(2014)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Welcome to the Space Show(2010)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Den-Noh Coil(2007)

    Show 26 episodes · Director · Key Animation · Original Story · Series Director · Storyboard Artist · Writer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Kill Bill: Vol. 1(2003)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • RahXephon(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Key Animation · Storyboard Artist · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Cowboy Bebop: The Movie(2001)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Blood: The Last Vampire(2000)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • FLCL(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Digimon Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Key Animation

  • Blue Submarine No. 6 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Evangelion: Death (True)²(1998)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Revival of Evangelion(1998)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Perfect Blue(1997)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Voogie's Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion(1997)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth(1997)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Ghost in the Shell(1995)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Golden Boy(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion(1995)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation · Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Mighty Space Miners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Junkers Come Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Key Animation

  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

  • Ocean Waves(1993)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Run, Melos! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Key Animation

  • Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Porco Rosso(1992)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Doomed Megalopolis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Roujin Z(1991)

    Mechanical Designer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Only Yesterday(1991)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Hakkenden: Legend of the Dog Warriors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Like the Clouds, Like the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Key Animation

  • MAROKO (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Key Animation

  • Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

  • Explorer Woman Ray (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 4 episodes · Key Animation

  • Hades Project Zeorymer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Transformers: Super-God Masterforce(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack(1988)

    Animation Director · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Cackling Kitarou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 4 episodes · Key Animation

  • Ninja Robots (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

Career shape

A full career of 50 titles from 1985 to 2023.

Biggest box office

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth (1997)

$16M worldwide

Highest rated

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)

Midcredits 97th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 50: 0 only directing, 5 with another roleWriting11 of 50: 4 only writing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rdOther crew44 of 50: 39 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score88th

50 titles, 7 with more than one role — other crew and writing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s8 · crew1990s24 · crew2000s6 · crew2010s6 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Mitsuo Iso's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 91st percentile, the median of all 18; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 89th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

87thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

89thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up17
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

13 of their 27 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved9
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · writer

Revival of Evangelion (1998)

67th percentile spread · 11% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)

Midcredits 97th · 90% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Mitsuo Iso's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Mitsuo Iso work with?

People who share at least 2 of Mitsuo Iso's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yôji Enokido shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers