Noboru Ishiguro

was a Japanese anime director, anime producer, and animator. He was the founder and president of the animation studio Artland.

As a director, he did not emphasize his own style, and instead entrusted important positions to talented and motivated people, regardless of their career.

For Super Dimension Fortress Macross and Megazone 23, he selected young artists such as Haruhiko Mikimoto, Ichirō Itano, and Toshihiro Hirano (currently Toshiki Hirano), most of whom were amateurs except for Itano, and placed them at the core of the production to create works of youthful sensibility. Hiroyuki Yamaga and Hideaki Anno of later Gainax, who were still in college, also joined as part-time workers. As an animator, he specializes in effects animation and has made it widely known to the Japanese animation industry that such techniques exist. These animators, along with Yoshinori Kanada, have led the Japanese animation industry by positioning the effects animator in animation as the F/X or VFX creative director in live action. His participation in the Space Battleship Yamato project was due to the fact that he was favored by producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, who had musical experience. Nue brought the project to Ishiguro, so he was involved from the planning stage. In addition, the longer production period of the OVA compared to the TV series allowed Ishiguro to concurrently produce the animation and run the studio, and the regularity of the work improved the business situation at Artland.

Works Lists his work as a series director, film director and chief director.

Year Title Format Studio Role Remarks column 1963 Gigantor TV series TJC Inbetweening Joined as a part-time worker. 1964 TV series P Productions Inbetweening Joined as a part-time worker. 1965 TV series Televi Dōga Inbetweening, key frame His professional debut. 1965 Astro Boy TV series Mushi Production Key frame 1966 Hang On! Marine Kid TV series Televi Dōga Key frame, episode director 1967-1968 Golden Bat TV series Dai-ichi Dōga Episode director 1968-1971 Star of the Giants TV series Tokyo Movie Key frame 1968-1969 The Monster Kid TV series A Production, Studio Zero Episode director 1968-1969 Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae TV series Mushi Production, Tōei Dōga, Studio Zero Episode director 1969 Sobakasu Pucchi TV series Fuji TV Enterprise Script 1969 TV series A Production, Studio Zero Episode director 1969 Dororo TV series Mushi Production Episode director 1969-1970 Pinch & Punch TV series Fuji TV Enterprise Script 1969-1970 Moomin TV series A Production, Mushi Production Episode director 1970 TV series Dai-ichi Dōga Script 1970-1971 Ashita no Joe TV series Mushi Production Episode director, storyboards 1971 Andersen Monogatari TV series Mushi Production Episode director 1971 -1972 Tensai Bakabon TV series A Production Storyboards 1971-1972 Kunimatsu-sama no Otoridai! TV series Mushi Production Episode director 1972 New Moomin TV series Mushi Production Episode director 1972-1973 Akadō Suzunosuke TV series A Production Storyboards 1972-1974 The Gutsy Frog TV series A Production Storyboards 1973 Jungle Kurobe TV series A Production Storyboards 1973 Doraemon TV series Nippon TV Dōga Storyboards 1973 Little Wansa TV series Mushi Production Episode director, storyboards 1973-1974 Kōya no Shōnen Isamu TV series A Production Storyboards 1973-1974 Zero Tester TV series Sunrise Storyboards 1973-1974 Karate Master TV series A Production Storyboards 1973-1974 Aim for the Ace! TV series A Production Storyboards 1973-1974 TV series A Production Storyboards 1974-1975 Vicky the Viking TV series Zuiyo, Nippon Animation Episode director 1974 Hoshi no Ko Chobin TV series Studio Zero Storyboards for all episodes 1974–1975 TV series Studio Zero Animation director, episode director 1974 Space Battleship Yamato Pilot Television pilot Office Academy Storyboards 1974-1975 Space Battleship Yamato TV series Office Academy Animation director, episode director for all episodes, storyboards He assisted Leiji Matsumoto, a manga artist who became a director without any experience in actually producing anime, and did the actual direction. He checked all the storyboards and reflected the images of Matsumoto and producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki in the work. 1975-1994 TV series Group TAC Episode director 1975-1976 Arabian Nights: Sinbad's Adventures TV series Nippon Animation Storyboards 1975-1977 Grendizer TV series Tōei Dōga Storyboards 1976-1977 Chōdenji Robo Combattler V TV series Tohokushinsha, Soeisha Storyboards 1976-1977 Little Lulu and Her Little Friends TV series Nippon Animation Storyboards 1976-1979 Dokaben TV series Nippon Animation Storyboards 1976-1979 Manga Sekai Mukashi Banashi TV series Madhouse Episode director 1976-1977 TV series Soeisha Episode director, storyboards 1977-1979 Yatter TV series Tatsunoko Production Episode director 1977 Jetter Mars TV series Tōei Dōga, Madhouse Episode director 1977 Space Battleship Yamato Feature film Office Academy Animation director Toshio Masuda, the director of the live-action film, who was credited as a supervisor in the TV series but was not involved in the production, edited the footage from the TV series and was credited as the film director. 1977 TV series Tokyo Movie Chief Director, Episode Director 1977-1978 Temple the Balloonist TV series Tatsunoko Production Episode director 1977-1980 Lupin the 3rd Part II TV series Tokyo Movie Episode director, storyboards 1977–1978 TV series World Television Series director 1978 Future Boy Conan TV series Nippon Animation Storyboards 1978 Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato Feature film Tōei Dōga Technical director Unlike the previous film, Masuda actively participated in the production by directing and writing the script, while Ishiguro assisted him in the animation process. 1978–1979 Space Battleship Yamato II TV series Academy Seisaku Series director, episode director for all episodes, storyboards As in the previous work, he assisted Matsumoto. Matsumoto, who was very busy, could hardly participate in the production, and Ishiguro played the role of director. 1978-1981 Galaxy Express 999 TV series Tōei Dōga OP key frame 1978-1979 Captain Future TV series Tōei Dōga Storyboards 1979-1980 The Ultraman TV series Sunrise Storyboards 1979 Yamato: The New Voyage Television film Artland Technical director He assisted producer Nishizaki, who had replaced Matsumoto as director himself. 1980 TV series Tsuchida Production Storyboards 1980 Phoenix 2772 Feature film Tezuka Productions Animation director 1980–1981 Astro Boy TV series Tezuka Productions Series director, script, storyboards 1981-1987 Ninja Hattori-kun TV series Shin-Ei Animation Script, storyboards 1982 Thunderbirds 2086 TV series Green Box, AIC Supervisor, script 1982–1983 Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series Tatsunoko Production, Artland Chief director, script, episode director, storyboards, voice actor 1982-1983 Tokimeki Tonight TV series Group TAC Storyboards 1983–1984 Super Dimension Century Orguss TV series Tokyo Movie Shinsha, Artland Chief director, episode director, storyboards 1983 Television film Tezuka Productions Storyboards 1984 Noozles TV series Nippon Animation Episode director, storyboards 1984 Macross: Do You Remember Love? Feature film Tatsunoko Production, Artland Director 1985 Megazone 23 – Part I OVA Artland, Tatsunoko Original author, director, mecha design 1985-1986 Ninja Senshi Tobikage TV series Pierrot Episode director, storyboards 1985 Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū Independent film Daicon Film Provision of equipment 1986 Animated Classics of Japanese Literature (The Harp of Burma) TV series Nippon Animation, Artland Episode director, storyboards 1986 Megazone 23 – Part II: Please Give Me Your Secret OVA Artland, Tatsunoko Original author, general supervisor 1988 Legend of the Galactic Heroes: My Conquest is the Sea of Stars Feature filmMadhouse, Artland Director 1988 Topo Gigio TV series Nippon Animation, Trans Arts Series director, script, storyboards 1988-1989 Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Part I OVA Kitty Films Series director, episode director, storyboards 1989 OVA Lifework Director , storyboards 1989 OVA Artland Original author, director, lyrics for OP and ED theme songs 1990 OVA Artland Director, storyboards 1989 Megazone 23 – Part III OVA AIC, Artmic Original author 1989 Locke the Superman: Lord Leon OVA Nippon Animation Director 1989 OVA Artland, Nippon Animation Director, storyboards 1990 Heavy Feature film Nippon Animation Director, storyboards 1991 Shōnen Ashibe OVA Nippon Animation Director 1991 Bubblegum Crash OVA Artland Supervisor 1991-1992 Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Part II OVA Kitty Films Chief director, storyboards 1991 OVA Artland Director, storyboards 1992 OVA Artland, Nippon Animation Director, script, storyboards 1992 Tottoi Television film Nippon Animation, Artland Supervisor 1992–1993 Mikan Enikki TV series Nippon Animation Series director, storyboards 1994 Kunichan no Ikka Ran Ran Short film Nippon Animation Segment director A short anime included in the omnibus movie . 1994-1995 Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Part III OVA Kitty Films Chief director, storyboards 1996 TV series Magic Bus Storyboards 1996-1997 Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Part IV OVA K-Factory Chief director, storyboards 1998 Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Side Stories: A Hundred Billion Stars, a Hundred Billion Lights OVA K–Factory Chief director , episode director, storyboards 1999–2001 Legend of the Galactic Heroes – Side Stories: Spiral Labyrinth OVA K-Factory Chief director , storyboards 1999–2002 10 Tokyo Warriors OVA Zexcs Chief director, episode director, storyboards 2005-2006 Mushi-Shi TV series Artland Production management 2006 We Were There TV series Artland Production management 2006-2010 Reborn! TV series Artland Supervisor 2008–2009 Tytania TV series Artland Series director, storyboards 2008 Pattenrai!! Feature film Mushi Production Director, storyboards