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Hiroyuki Yamaga

Hiroyuki Yamaga

Writer, producer and director · Born March 23, 1962 (64) · Niigata, Japan

Hiroyuki Yamaga (山賀 博之, Yamaga Hiroyuki) is a Japanese anime director and producer, and a founding member of the animation studio Gainax. He is best known for directing the film Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise (1987) at age 24, directing Mahoromatic (2001), Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (2002), and an episode of Gurren Lagann (2007). Yamaga also wrote the screenplay for Gundam 0080 (1989). He is portrayed by actor Tsuyoshi Muro in the 2014 TV Drama Aoi Honō based on the autobiographical manga by his fellow Osaka University of Arts alumnus Kazuhiko Shimamoto. Description above from the Wikipedia article Hiroyuki Yamaga, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 23, 1962 (64)
From
Niigata, Japan
Works as
Writer, producer and director
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 32 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 28Up 15% in 30 days

What are Hiroyuki Yamaga's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
49%
Survival
15%
Ideas
13%
Bonds
9%
Power
7%
Society
5%
Morality
2%
Identity7 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose4 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 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 2 · Dark 5

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

Grounded 0 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 4

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

Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 5

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

Steady 1 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 1

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

Straight-faced 7 · 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 6 · Relentless 1

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 3 · Full focus 4

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

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 6

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Melancholic
7
Hopeful
3
Contemplative
5
Dread
2
Other
8

How their films linger

Thought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous5
  • Other1

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 Hiroyuki Yamaga's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (5).

Subscription and free streaming for Hiroyuki Yamaga'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

32 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page.

  • Indelible (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Producer · Actor

  • Forest of Piano(2018)

    Show 12 episodes · Director · Series Director

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all shows

  • Suna no Akari (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • EA's Rock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Show 13 episodes · Producer

  • The Mystic Archives of Dantalian(2011)

    Show 12 episodes · Art Direction · Writer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Corpse Princess: Aka(2008)

    Show 12 episodes · Producer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all shows

  • Gurren Lagann(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

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

    Screenplay

  • Gunbuster: The Movie(2006)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Theatrical Edition #26 Live Action Part (Special Rush Edit Version) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Executive Producer

  • Sky Blue(2003)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Petite Princess Yucie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 26 episodes · Series Composition

  • Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 13 episodes · Director · Original Story · Writer

  • Mahoromatic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 26 episodes · Director · Writer

  • FLCL(2000)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Evangelion: Death (True)²(1998)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Revival of Evangelion(1998)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

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

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth(1997)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Neon Genesis Evangelion(1995)

    Show Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

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

    Writer

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

    Show 2 episodes · Screenplay

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

    Writer

  • Sakyou Komatsu's Animation Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 24 episodes · Series Composition

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

    Screenplay

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

    Show 6 episodes · Screenplay · Writer

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

    Show 6 episodes · Screenplay · Script · Writer

  • Mahjong Hishouden: Naki no Ryuu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

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

    Director · Original Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Orochi Strikes Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Police Officer

  • Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise Pilot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Director · Original Story · Screenplay

  • Super Dimension Fortress Macross (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1982 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)

$24M worldwide

Highest rated

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 30: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting7 of 30: 3 only directing, 4 with another roleWriting15 of 30: 10 only writing, 5 with another roleProducing9 of 30: 8 only producing, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score89thOther crew3 of 30: 2 only other crew, 1 with another role

30 titles, 6 with more than one role.

By decade

1980s9 · 1 acting · 8 crew1990s7 · crew2000s9 · crew2010s4 · crew2020s1 · 1 acting · 1 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 Hiroyuki Yamaga's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 86th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

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

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 13 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · producer

Revival of Evangelion (1998)

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

Most loved · producer

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)

Midcredits 98th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 49/100 and the plot and story 39/100 in their films, across 4 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 Hiroyuki Yamaga's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles49–92 · median 81 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles42–78 · median 61 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles35–53 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles18–40 · median 37 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense5 titles38–95 · median 83 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Hiroyuki Yamaga work with?

People who share at least 2 of Hiroyuki Yamaga's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Masahiko Ôtsuka shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers