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Shôichi Masuo

Shôichi Masuo

Director · Died July 24, 2017, aged 57 · Tōkyō, Japan

Shōichi Masuo was a Japanese animator, animation director, and director renowned for his contributions to the anime industry. He began his career in the late 1970s and became known for his work on series such as Gunbuster (1988) and Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995), where he served as an animation director and key animator. Masuo was acclaimed for his dynamic action sequences and mechanical designs. In addition to his animation work, he directed the OVA series Aim for the Top 2! (2004). Masuo's influence extended through his mentorship of younger animators and his dedication to advancing the quality of animation in Japan.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 24, 1960
Died
July 24, 2017 (aged 57)
From
Tōkyō, Japan
Works as
Director
Titles
29 on MovieCove · 64 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 38 days to Oct 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Shôichi Masuo's films like?

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

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
48%
Survival
22%
Bonds
17%
Power
7%
Society
4%
Morality
3%
Identity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 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 4

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 0 · Intense 4

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

Steady 0 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0

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

Straight-faced 4 · 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 4 · 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 1 · 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 4

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

Resolved 1 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
6
Thrilling
2
Contemplative
2
Warm
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • 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 Shôichi Masuo's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 29 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Shôichi Masuo'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

64 credits, 29 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Space Battleship Yamato 2199(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo(2012)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance(2009)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone(2007)

    Key Animation · Special Effects

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Gunbuster vs Diebuster: Aim for the Top! The GATTAI!! Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Gunbuster: The Movie(2006)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Submarine 707 Revolution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director

  • Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea(2006)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Brave Story(2006)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Origin: Spirits of the Past(2006)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Demonbane(2006)

    Show Director

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Kishin Houkou Demonbane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Submarine 707R (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · Series Director

  • Yukikaze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • A Tree of Palme(2002)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time(2001)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Final Fantasy: Unlimited (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

  • VanDread (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Pokémon 3 the Movie: Spell of the Unown(2000)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Meltylancer: The Animation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

  • His and Her Circumstances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · Key Animation

  • Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back(1998)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Evangelion: Death (True)²(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Revival of Evangelion(1998)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

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

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth(1997)

    Director · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Baby and Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Shamanic Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

  • Super Atragon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion(1995)

    Show 7 episodes · Director · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Yuuwaku Countdown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

  • Crimson Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Key Animation · Screenplay · Storyboard Artist

  • 紅狼 ホンラン (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 6 episodes · Key Animation

  • All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 6 episodes · Director

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

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation

  • Moonlight Pierce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Key Animation

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

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Exper Zenon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Key Animation

  • Otaku no Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Otaku no Video (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Otaku no Video 1982 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - The Motion Picture(1991)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - Nautilus Story I (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - Nautilus Story II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water - Nautilus Story III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Animation Director

  • Leda: The Fantastic Adventure of Yohko(1985)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Silent Möbius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Key Animation

  • Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water(1990)

    Show 8 episodes · Director · Key Animation · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Baoh the Caller(1989)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Angel Cop(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · Key Animation · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all shows

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

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Gunbuster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Key Animation

  • Akira(1988)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody(1988)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Dirty Pair OVA (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 10 episodes · Opening/Ending Animation

  • Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise(1987)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Project A-Ko(1986)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Fight!! Iczer-One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Dirty Pair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Magical Emi, the Magic Star (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Urusei Yatsura 3: Remember My Love(1985)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Cream Lemon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Urusei Yatsura(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 63 titles from 1981 to 2013.

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
Directing21 of 63: 16 only directing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score80thWriting1 of 63: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleOther crew47 of 63: 42 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score73rd

63 titles, 5 with more than one role — other crew and directing overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1980s15 · crew1990s30 · crew2000s16 · crew2010s2 · 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 Shôichi Masuo's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 23; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · director

Demonbane (2006)

72nd percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

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.

Who does Shôichi Masuo work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shôichi Masuo's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hideaki Anno shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers