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Akio Jissōji

Akio Jissōji

Director and writer · Died November 29, 2006, aged 69 · Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Akio Jissoji was a Japanese television and film director best known outside Japan for the 1960s TV series Ultraman and Ultra Seven, as well as for his auteur erotic ATG-produced Buddhist trilogy Mujō (無常), Mandala (曼陀羅), and Uta (哥). He was also known for his film adaptations of Japanese horror author Rampo Edogawa. Jissoji possessed a very distinctive visual style that was notable even in Japanese cinema which is known internationally for its visual style. Every project he directed, from children's action shows to the most disturbing adult films had an uncompromising approach to cinematic story telling. His episodes of the Ultraman TV shows are unique and quite unusual for children's television. His career is also unusual in that he went back and forth from children's television to film projects that were sexually provocative in some way or another. It is perhaps this aspect of his work that has prevented wider distribution of his films. Sadomasochistic and non-consensual sexual practices are featured in many of his film works with women receiving the brunt of the abuse. Another recurring theme was to pull the camera back and reveal the set his actors were working on.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 29, 1937
Died
November 29, 2006 (aged 69)
From
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Works as
Director and writer
Titles
7 on MovieCove · 62 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 50% in 30 days

What are Akio Jissōji's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
41%
Self
26%
Society
20%
Survival
7%
Ideas
6%
Justice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 2

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 0

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

Steady 0 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

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

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 1

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

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 2

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

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
2
Dread
2
Absurd
1
Contemplative
2
Tense
1
Other
5

How their films linger

Unsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet1
  • Ambiguous2

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 Akio Jissōji's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Akio Jissōji'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

62 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Kaiki Daisakusen - Second File (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Ten Nights of Dreams(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Silver Mask (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • The Rug Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Supervising Producer

  • Summer of Ubume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Arthouse Ultraman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Director

  • Ultraman Max (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Rampo Noir(2005)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Zombie Snake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Title Designer

  • Murder on D Street(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Akio Jissoji's Mystery File 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Producer

  • Akio Jissoji's Mystery File 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Producer

  • Akio Jissoji's Mystery File 3 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Producer

  • Ultraman Dyna (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Ultraman Tiga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Tokyo Decameron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Original Story

  • A Watcher in the Attic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Director

  • Mizuki Mari: Honban rankô (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Seikan: Futomomo naburi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Screenplay

  • Dialogue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

  • Akio Jissoji's Museum of Wonders - Volume of Discourse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Akio Jissoji's Wonder Museum 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Production Supervisor

  • Akio Jissoji's Museum of Wonders - Volume of the Unknown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director

  • Akio Jissoji's Wonder Museum 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Production Supervisor · Screenplay

  • Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Yoru no Maki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Creator

  • Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Kai no Maki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Creator

  • Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Ki no Maki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Creator

  • Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: !! no Maki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Creator

  • Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Ichi no Maki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Creator

  • Kaiki Senyaichiya Monogatari: Sen no Maki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Creator

  • Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director

  • La Valse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · Writer

  • Arietta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Men Who Made Ultraman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Script Supervisor · Story

  • Marquis de Sade’s Prosperities of Vice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director

  • Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Producer

  • The Rapeman: Nerawareta Onna-tachi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director

  • Blue Lake Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Tokyo Illusion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Longing for Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Director

  • Lanterns on Blue Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Twenty-Four Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Director

  • Marital War in Kibogaoka (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Original Story

  • Urutoraman(1979)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Utamaro's World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Director

  • It Was a Faint Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Poem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Silver Kamen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator

  • Mandala (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Director

  • Return of Ultraman(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • This Transient Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • I Want to Buy Kyoto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • The Accursed Urns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • When Twilight Draws Near (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Operation: Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 4 episodes · Director

  • Horror Telephone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Lullaby of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Ultraseven(1967)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series(1966)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • The Birth of Ultraman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The Father of Ultra Q (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 62 titles from 1966 to 2007.

Biggest box office

Ten Nights of Dreams (2006)

$24K worldwide

Highest rated

Rampo Noir (2005)

Midcredits 57th

Most popular right now

Return of Ultraman (1971)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing44 of 62: 34 only directing, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thWriting13 of 62: 5 only writing, 8 with another roleProducing6 of 62: 4 only producing, 2 with another roleEditing1 of 62: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew11 of 62: 8 only other crew, 3 with another role

62 titles, 11 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1960s10 · crew1970s9 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s23 · crew2000s10 · 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 Akio Jissōji's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 7 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th3

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director

Urutoraman (1979)

76th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Return of Ultraman (1971)

Midcredits 90th · 85% 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.

Who does Akio Jissōji work with?

People who share at least 2 of Akio Jissōji's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Akio Satsukawa shares the most, 2.

Writers

Actors