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Satoko Okudera

Satoko Okudera

Writer · Born February 16, 1966 (60) · Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Satoko Okudera (奥寺 佐渡子 Okudera Satoko, born 1966 in Iwate Prefecture) is a Japanese screenwriter. She is known for her screenplays in both the live-action and anime mediums. Her 1995 screenplay for Gakkō no kaidan was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize. She is best known for her collaborations with anime director Mamoru Hosoda. A graduate of the Literature Department of Tokai University in Tokyo, Okudera did not originally consider a career in screenwriting. Instead, she worked for an oil company until 1991, after which she quit her job and became a full-time writer. After over a decade of work in live-action film and television, Okudera was offered her first animation project: adapting Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel Toki o Kakeru Shōjo for director Mamoru Hosoda. The resulting film, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, received worldwide acclaim and gave her international recognition upon its release in 2006. Okudera again collaborated with Hosoda on the 2009 film Summer Wars. At the 2009 Anime Festival Asia in Singapore, Hosoda revealed Okudera would be writing the script for his next project, Wolf Children. (Wikipedia)

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 16, 1966 (60)
From
Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Works as
Writer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 38 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 157 days to Oct 28Down 11% in 30 days

What are Satoko Okudera's films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Animation4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Drama4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
38%
Bonds
19%
Morality
17%
Survival
13%
Society
9%
Power
4%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 2 · Dark 4

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

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

Steady 2 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 0

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 3 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

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

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 5

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Melancholic
6
Warm
4
Contemplative
5
Thrilling
3
Other
10

How their films linger

Bittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet6
  • 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 Satoko Okudera's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Satoko Okudera'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

38 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • LOST10 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • Kokuho(2025)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Worst to First: A Teen Baseball Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 10 episodes · Creator · Screenplay

  • Dearest(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Kawa no Hotori de (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 6 episodes · Screenstory

  • Hope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Screenplay

  • Farewell: Comedy of Life Begins with a Lie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Screenplay

  • I Will Not Work Overtime, Period! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Writer

  • Café Funiculi Funicula(2018)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Reverse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 10 episodes · Writer

  • Maestro! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Screenplay

  • Testimony of N (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 10 episodes · Screenplay

  • The Vancouver Asahi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Screenplay

  • Kiki's Delivery Service(2014)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • A Chair on the Plains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Screenplay

  • Midnight Ferris Wheel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 10 episodes · Screenplay

  • Wolf Children(2012)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Princess and the Pilot(2011)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Egoists (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Screenplay

  • Rebirth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Screenplay

  • Permanent Nobara (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Screenplay

  • Miyori's Forest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Screenplay

  • Summer Wars(2009)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Kaidan(2007)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Talk, Talk, Talk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Screenplay

  • The Girl Who Leapt Through Time(2006)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Screenplay

  • Zoo(2005)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • OLDK (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Writer

  • Hana (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Writer

  • Samurai Resurrection(2003)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

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

    Adaptation · Screenplay

  • Haunted School 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Writer

  • Haunted School 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Writer

  • Haunted School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Screenplay

  • Yoi Ko to Asobou (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Screenplay

  • Human Scramble: Rain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Screenplay

  • Moving(1993)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles from 1993 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Kokuho (2025)

$135M worldwide

Highest rated

Wolf Children (2012)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing37 of 37: 36 only writing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score85thOther crew1 of 37: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s6 · crew2000s10 · crew2010s15 · 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 Satoko Okudera's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 85th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 88th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 12 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · writer

Samurai Resurrection (2003)

56th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Wolf Children (2012)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 60/100 and the plot and story 53/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

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 Satoko Okudera's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 35 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 16 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

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

Who does Satoko Okudera work with?

People who share at least 2 of Satoko Okudera's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Mamoru Hosoda shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers