Sayo Yamamoto

is a Japanese anime director and storyboard artist. She is known for directing the critically acclaimed anime series Michiko & Hatchin, Yuri!!! on Ice, and Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. After graduating from the College of Art and Design in Tokyo, she began work at Studio Madhouse, where she had her directing debut at age 25.

Fujiko Mine was awarded the "New Face" award from the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2012.

Career Education and early work During her time at the College of Art and Design, Yamamoto focused her attention on animation, as she felt less interested in the other things she was being taught. Her student project was an animation about samurai using actor, and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator, Toshiro Mifune as an inspiration. While in the process of looking for a job after graduation, she showed this work to director Satoshi Kon. Enthusiastic about her potential, Kon intended to hire her to work on his second feature Millennium Actress, but studio politics eventually caused her to leave the project.

Yamamoto has stated that it was during her work on Samurai Champloo where she felt she was first able to truly express herself.

Episode Director Dragon Drive (2002; storyboard, episode director) Texhnolyze (2003; storyboard, episode director, ending animation director) Gunslinger Girl (2003; storyboard, episode director) Ergo Proxy (2006; storyboard, Hanamaru Kindergarten (2010; storyboard and unit director for 1st ending animation) Highschool of the Dead (2010; storyboard) Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge (2010; opening animation storyboard artist) Sacred Seven (2011; opening animation 1 storyboard) Wooser's Hand-to-Mouth Life (2012; opening and ending animation director) Psycho-Pass (2012; opening animation storyboard and director) Attack on Titan (2013; ending animation storyboard and episode/unit director) Space Dandy (2014; ending animation storyboard and director; episode 2, 20 storyboard and director) Rage of Bahamut: Genesis (2014; ending animation storyboard and director) Persona 5 (2016; storyboard and unit director for opening animation)

OVA Trava: Fist Planet (2003; storyboard, assistant director) The Animatrix: World Record (2003; costume design, original art)

Shorts

Endless Night (2015, 2016; creator and director) Toruru's Adventure (2014; director of Crazy Consumption short)

Music Videos

Yasuyuki Okamura: Viva Namida (2013; director)

All Works