Masahiko Ōtsuka

**Masahiko Ōtsuka** (大塚 雅彦 Ōtsuka Masahiko) is a well known director, producer, screen writer, and storyboard artist known as a co-founder of Studio Trigger. He is known directorial credits including *Gurren Lagann*, *Neon Genesis Evangelion* and Studio Ghibli's *Whisper of the Heart*. He was a screen writer for the *Little Witch Academia* initial short film, a producer for the *Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade* sequel film, and executive producer of the series' anime TV Series adaptation.

He has worked on many well-known Studio Trigger projects like *BNA: Brand New Animal*, *DARLING in the FRANXX*, *Kill la Kill*, *Kiznaiver*, *SSSS.Gridman*, and *When Supernatural Battles Became Commonplace*.

## Gallery

### Miscellaneous

Sushio and co. at Pixar Animation StudiosDittoDittoDitto
## Trivia

* According to Masahiko Ōtsuka, he wanted to provide more insight about secondary and minor character since he and his fellow Studio Trigger staff did little regarding the matter in TV Series' second cour.
* During his time as a former member of Studio Gainax at 2011, Masahiko Ōtsuka proposed and spearheaded the 84-page Gurren Lagann Quake charity book entitled *Jibun o Shinjite* (Believe in Yourself) to raise charity funds for the Japanese Red Cross Society after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai) disaster. According to his message in the website for Gainax's Talk Live Animated events, this project came from the feelings of a few anime staff wondering what they could do to help.
* It is known that Masahiko Ōtsuka has visited Pixar a total of two times, the first being during 2011 during his tenure as a member of Studio Gainax accompanying various assorted Gainax members at the time, and the second being during 2014 as President/Co-Founder of Studio Trigger, accompanying with Tatsuru Tatemoto as intepreter to give a Q&A interview with Pixar artists Grant Alexander and Bobby Rubio.

## References

1. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220108110331/https://twitter.com/poriyama\_san/status/888741616759865344
2. ↑ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-09-08/gurren-lagann-quake-charity-book-sold-on-kindle-store
3. ↑ https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-04-27/gainax-last-airbender-artists-sell-quake-charity-book
4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20131111000031/http://grantalexander.blogspot.com/
5. ↑ http://talkliveanimated.web.fc2.com/index\_english.html
6. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20120115013005/http://grantalexander.blogspot.com/
7. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20150522230215/http://grantalexander.blogspot.com/

## External links

* Official Twitter: @tuka\_trg
* Studio Trigger - About

### News

* Anime News Network
	+ Anime Expo 2013 Studio Trigger by Bamboo Dong July 7, 2013

### Interviews

* Full Frontal
	+ Episodic Gurren Lagann Interviews with Director Hiroyuki Imaishi & co. – Episode 5 (Anime Style, January 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham March 24, 2020
		- Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第５話　俺にはさっぱりわからねえ！February 1, 2013
	+ Episodic Gurren Lagann Interviews with Director Hiroyuki Imaishi & co. – Episode 6 (Anime Style, January 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham April 29, 2020
		- Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第５話　俺にはさっぱりわからねえ！February 1, 2013
* WAVE MOTION CANNON
	+ EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 1 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham April 10, 2018
		- Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第１話　お前のドリルで天を突け！ January 22, 2013
	+ EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 2 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham October 2, 2019
		- Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第２話　俺が乗るって言ってんだ!! January 23, 2013
	+ EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 3 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham October 15, 2019
		- Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第３話　顔が２つたぁナマイキな!! January 24, 2013
	+ EPISODIC GURREN LAGANN INTERVIEWS WITH DIRECTOR HIROYUKI IMIASHI & CO. – EPISODE 4 (ANIME STYLE, JANUARY 2008) by NohAcro and Josh Dunham November 15, 2019
		- Japanese source (Anime Style) - 第４話　顔が多けりゃ偉いのか？ January 25, 2013
* *XD*
	+ 作り手の熱量の“渦”から、良いアニメは生まれる。 TRIGGER代表・大塚雅彦インタビュー (in Japanese; in English: *A good animation is born from the "vortex" of the creator's heat. Interview with Masahiko Ōtsuka, Representative of TRIGGER*) by 須藤 輝 (Sudō Hikaru) 2021年9月15日

Other info
 *大塚雅彦*
 *Masahiko OTSUKA*
 *Ootsuka, Masahiko*