Takamura Mukuo

Takamura Mukuo was a famous art director from Sasebo Nagasaki Japan. He was a graduate of Musashino Art University where he majored in Western Painting. After graduating in 1963 Mukuo joined Tokyo Movie Studio and started his career as a background artist for animation. In 1966 he established his own studio Mukuo Group and Mukuo Studio in 1968 which was incorporated three years later in 1971. Some of his best known works include the feature film Cello Hiki no Gauchehttps://anilist.co/anime/1049/ and Haha o Tazunete Sanzenrihttps://anilist.co/anime/1663/ part of the WMT series both directed by Isao Takahatahttps://anilist.co/staff/100579/. For the latter he visited actual places in Italy and Argentina together with Takahata and Miyazaki to ensure an authentic feel to the series. He was also known for his contribution to sciencefiction anime franchises Uchuu Senkan Yamatohttps://anilist.co/anime/1650/ Uchuu Kaizoku Captain Harlockhttps://anilist.co/anime/1000/ and Ginga Tetsudou 999https://anilist.co/anime/1491/. He was awarded the first grandprix of the first anime popularity contest in the category of art which was organised by the publisher TokumaShoten. The contest was won by Mukuo five times in a row until it was cancelled making him the only winner in the art category. Mukuo had greatly contributed to the rapid development of the animation in Japan during the 1970s and 80s. He passed away from cancer on June 9 1992 at the age of 54. At that time he was working on the Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moonhttps://anilist.co/anime/530/ series. Tadao Kubotahttps://anilist.co/staff/154564/ took over his place but Mukuo was still credited as art designer of the Sailor Moon series subsequently for all later works. Tadao Kubota who was a manager at the Mukuo Studio took also over Mukuos duties as representative director of the studio. In April 2004 a book that collected all of his best works was released posthumously. Titled Takamura Mukuo: The Art of Animation and supervised by Keiko Mukuo and Tadao Kubota it does include much of Mukuos background art image boards and plans to masterpieces like Ginga Tetsudou 999 Haha o Tazunete Sanzenri Neo Tokyohttps://anilist.co/anime/1951/ Cello Hiki no Gauche Sailor Moon and Kamui no Kenhttps://anilist.co/anime/496/.