Yoshihiro Nishimura (1 April 1969 — 25 May 2026) was a Japanese film director, special effects and makeup effects artist, and a screenwriter who has worked predominantly in the horror genre. Nishimura has been described as 'a legendary director and effects artist' and 'the Tom Savini of Japan' with 'talent to burn'. He has been credited with establishing a new type of visual film presentation, the 'gore effect'.
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 1, 1969
- May 25, 2026 (aged 57)
- Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan
- Director, writer, editor, producer and actor
- 19 on MovieCove · 75 credits in all
What are Yoshihiro Nishimura's films like?
Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
A split, not a type: Ironic 5 · Wry 3 · Earnest 2
A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 2
Grounded 1 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 8
Gentle 2 · Charged 1 · Intense 7
A split, not a type: Steady 2 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 5
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 5
Casual 4 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 6 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 3
Resolved 5 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Bittersweet5
- 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 Yoshihiro Nishimura's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (8).
- Exte: Hair Extensions (2007) · special effects · special effects makeup artist · free
- Tokyo Gore Police (2008) · actor, director, writer, editor · free
- The Machine Girl (2008) · special effects makeup artist · free
- Meatball Machine Kodoku (2017) · director, writer, editor · free
- Dead Sushi (2012) · creature design · makeup designer · free
- Meatball Machine (2005) · special effects supervisor · free
- The ABCs of Death (2012) · director, writer, producer · free
- Extremity (2018) · actor · free
- Crunchyroll
Subscription and free streaming for Yoshihiro Nishimura'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
75 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Geisha War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Tokyo Evil Hotel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
The Wizard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)
Samurai Ninja Onimanji (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)
Holy Mother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Freedom in My Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Go Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)
Tokyo Dragon Chef(2020)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Welcome to Japan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Rise of the Machine Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Unfinished (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Unfinished (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Extremity(2018)
Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films
Giver: Revenge's Giver (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Yellow Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Vampire Clay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Last Winter, We Parted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Witch-Which (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Hedoroba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Death Row Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Meatball Machine Kodoku(2017)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Tetsudon: the kaiju dream match (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Tetsudon: Fool Wars -Battlefront Japan- (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)
Making F.R.I.E.N.D.s: Behind-the scenes of 'Jellyfish Eyes' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Attack on Titan: Counter Rockets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
The Ninja War of Torakage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Tag(2015)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Raining Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Kept (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
Zombie TV (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
Jellyfish Eyes(2013)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
The Profane Exhibit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)
The ABCs of Death(2012)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Dead Sushi(2012)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
BAD FILM (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Gekijō-ban: Harapeko Yamagami-kun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Karate-Robo Zaborgar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Sword of Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Tomie: Unlimited(2011)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
Underwater Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Yakuza Weapon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
YOU+ME=LOVE (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
GeishaCop: Fearsome Geisha Corps - Go to Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Helldriver(2010)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all filmsKarma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Mutant Girls Squad(2010)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Yakuza-Busting Girls: Duel in Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Yakuza-Busting Girls: Final Death-Ride Battle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
The Ancient Dogoo Girl: Special Movie Edition (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
The Ancient Dogoo Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
RoboGeisha(2009)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Teketeke 2(2009)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
63 Minutes Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Shyness Machine Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)
Love Exposure(2008)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Tokyo Gore Police(2008)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Machine Girl(2008)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Exte: Hair Extensions(2007)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Meatball Machine: Reject of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Prisoner/Terrorist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Meatball Machine(2005)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Sukeban Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Noriko's Dinner Table(2005)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Tales of Terror: Haunted Apartment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
A Gap in the Skin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Saishū seiki! Natsume nana ~ kyūkyoku no erosu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)
Honto Ni Atta! Noroi No Video 14 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Speakerman: The Boo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)
Utsushimi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Rubber's Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)
Anatomia Extinction (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)
Sham Nation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Paradox (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Career shape
A full career of 74 titles from 1984 to 2026.
Film career
- 2009Screen debut· RoboGeisha
By role
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 Yoshihiro Nishimura's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 38th percentile, the median of all 19; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 33rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up2
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th8
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
14 of their 19 titles are Mixed.
- Universally Loved1
- Universally Panned1
- Crowd Pleaser2
- Broadly Agreed1
- Mixed14
Reviewers score the atmosphere 56/100 and the pacing 41/100 in their films, across 8 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
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 Yoshihiro Nishimura work with?
People who share at least 2 of Yoshihiro Nishimura's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kou Nakagawa shares the most, 6.
Directors
- Noboru IguchiShared titles: The ABCs of Death (2012), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), RoboGeisha (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Noboru Iguchi
Writers
- Jun TsugitaShared titles: Jellyfish Eyes (2013), Mutant Girls Squad (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Jun Tsugita
Actors
- Takumi SaitōShared titles: Haruko's Paranormal Laboratory (2015), Jellyfish Eyes (2013), Helldriver (2010), RoboGeisha (2009)See all 4 shared titles with Takumi Saitō
- Cay IzumiShared titles: Helldriver (2010), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), RoboGeisha (2009), Tokyo Gore Police (2008)See all 4 shared titles with Cay Izumi
- Tak SakaguchiShared titles: Tokyo Dragon Chef (2020), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), Tokyo Gore Police (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Tak Sakaguchi
- AsamiShared titles: Helldriver (2010), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), RoboGeisha (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Asami
Composers and cinematographers
- Kou NakagawaShared titles: Tokyo Dragon Chef (2020), Meatball Machine Kodoku (2017), The ABCs of Death (2012), Helldriver (2010), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), Tokyo Gore Police (2008)See all 6 shared titles with Kou Nakagawa
- Shu G. MomoseShared titles: Haruko's Paranormal Laboratory (2015), The ABCs of Death (2012), Helldriver (2010), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), Tokyo Gore Police (2008)See all 5 shared titles with Shu G. Momose
- Yasutaka NaganoShared titles: Jellyfish Eyes (2013), The ABCs of Death (2012), RoboGeisha (2009)See all 3 shared titles with Yasutaka Nagano
- Keizô SuzukiShared titles: Tokyo Dragon Chef (2020), Meatball Machine Kodoku (2017)See all 2 shared titles with Keizô Suzuki
Producers
- Yoshinori ChibaShared titles: Helldriver (2010), Mutant Girls Squad (2010), Tokyo Gore Police (2008)See all 3 shared titles with Yoshinori Chiba
- Ryô UchiyamaShared titles: Jellyfish Eyes (2013), Helldriver (2010)See all 2 shared titles with Ryô Uchiyama
Mixed roles
- Yudai YamaguchiShared titles: Meatball Machine Kodoku (2017), The ABCs of Death (2012)See all 2 shared titles with Yudai Yamaguchi
- Maki MizuiShared titles: Mutant Girls Squad (2010), Tokyo Gore Police (2008)See all 2 shared titles with Maki Mizui
