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Hiroshi Watanabe

Director, also producer · Born February 11, 1960 (66) · Kumamoto, Japan

Originating from Studio Live, where he studied under Ashida Toyoo. He made his debut as in-betweener on Manga Nihon Emaki and became a key animator on Cyborg 009 but it was his work as animation director on the Minky Momo series that brought him recognition and he was asked to draw illustrations of Momo. Subsequently he became the character designer for the later OVAs. In 1986 he made his debut as director on Kyoushoku Soukou Guyver. Following some more work as animator he switched to directing in the beginning of the '90s. He is nowadays affiliated with Studio Deen.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 11, 1960 (66)
From
Kumamoto, Japan
Works as
Director, also producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 47 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 23% in 30 days

What are Hiroshi Watanabe's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
45%
Self
28%
Power
21%
Morality
6%
Friendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition2 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Wry: How sincerely it treats its story and characters, from ironic to earnest. Browse their wry movies.
Tone · Sincerity
ironicearnest

A split, not a type: Ironic 2 · Wry 0 · Earnest 2

Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 5 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 3 · Charged 1 · Intense 1

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

Steady 5 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 4

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 2

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

Casual 5 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
5
Warm
2
Absurd
2
Manic
1
Romantic
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Fun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy6

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 Hiroshi Watanabe's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Crunchyroll (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Hiroshi Watanabe'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

47 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister(2024)

    Show 24 episodes · Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Collar×Malice -deep cover- The Movie: Part 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director

  • Super Cub(2021)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Hetalia: World Stars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Series Director · Storyboard Artist

  • Sailor Moon Eternal(2021)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Hell Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    Original Concept

  • Ken En Ken: Aoki Kagayaki(2018)

    Show 13 episodes · Art Designer · Series Director

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Meiji Tokyo Renka: Yumihari no Serenade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Sailor Moon Crystal(2014)

    Show Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Sakura Trick(2014)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Meganebu! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Show 12 episodes · Assistant Director

  • Sankarea(2012)

    Show 12 episodes · Color Designer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 25 episodes · Series Director

  • Fantastic Detective Labyrinth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 25 episodes · Series Director

  • Shainingu tiâzu kurosu windo(2007)

    Show 13 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Hell Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 12 episodes · Original Concept

  • When They Cry(2006)

    Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Hell Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 90 episodes · Director · Key Animation · Original Concept

  • The Law of Ueki(2005)

    Show 51 episodes · Director · Series Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Jing: King of Bandits Seventh Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Storyboard

  • Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 26 episodes · Director · Series Director

  • Jing: King of Bandits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Series Director · Storyboard Artist

  • Star Ocean EX (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 24 episodes · Director · Storyboard Artist

  • Ceres: Celestial Legend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 3 episodes · Storyboard Artist

  • If I See You in my Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 16 episodes · Technical Supervisor

  • If I See You in My Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · Character Designer · Series Director

  • Slayers Gorgeous(1998)

    Director · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Slayers Great(1997)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • You're Under Arrest!(1996)

    Show 51 episodes · Series Composition · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all shows

  • Slayers Return(1996)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Slayers(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • New Cutey Honey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Please Save My Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 6 episodes · Animation Director

  • Mahô no purinsesu Minkî Momo: Yume ni kakeru hashi(1993)

    Character Designer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Devilman - Volume 2: Demon Bird (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Key Animation

  • Jû-kyû(1990)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Kiki's Delivery Service(1989)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Venus Wars(1989)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Mobile Suit SD Gundam (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Animation Director

  • Guyver: Out of Control (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Director

  • Vampire Hunter D(1985)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Magical Princess Minky Momo: La Ronde in My Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director

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

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Dr. Slump: Hoyoyo! Space Adventure(1982)

    Key Animation

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Dr. Slump (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 1 episode · Key Animation

  • Zoku Yumechiyo Nikki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles, 45 of them dated from 1981 to 2024.

Highest rated

Slayers Return (1996)

Midcredits 76th

Most popular right now

Sakura Trick (2014)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing17 of 46: 9 only directing, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stWriting5 of 46: 2 only writing, 3 with another roleOther crew34 of 46: 26 only other crew, 8 with another role · typical Midcredits score69th

46 titles, 9 with more than one role — other crew and directing overlap on 7 of them.

By decade

1980s9 · crew1990s12 · crew2000s12 · crew2010s7 · crew2020s5 · 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 Hiroshi Watanabe's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

12 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser12
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director

Shainingu tiâzu kurosu windo (2007)

63rd percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Slayers Return (1996)

Midcredits 76th · 68% 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 Hiroshi Watanabe work with?

People who share at least 2 of Hiroshi Watanabe's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hajime Kanzaka shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers