Shin'ya Ōhira

is a Japanese animator, director and character designer. He is known for his animation style with constantly shifting linework, described as being both realistic and surreal. He is part of the animator circle Studio Break, along with animators like Atsushi Yano and Shinji Hashimoto. He has worked on several Studio Ghibli films, with Hayao Miyazaki even storyboarding certain scenes with Ohira in mind for the animation.

Career After graduating school, Ohira decided to start working as animator due to family circumstances making it difficult for him to pursue higher education. He joined Studio Pierrot after seeing an opening for work in the magazine Animage. 8 months later, he was promoted to key animator and Ninja Senshi Tobikage (1985) was his first work as Key animator. He drew parts of the elevator scene, as well as parts of the iconic explosion scene. His work on the film would influence his style towards realistic animation. Yuasa ended up working as Ohira's partner, helping him with layouts, key animation and animation direction. The production of the episode went beyond the planned schedule, with layouts taking 4 months and 2 months for corrections. The episode featured constantly moving characters, in contrast to the limited animation seen in commercial anime. In-spite of a lack of visual coherence, the episode was well received and provoked a lot of conversation within the industry. Ohira would later work on several of Yuasa's anime such as Ping pong The Animation and Lu Over the Wall.

After The Hakkenden, Ohira would briefly retire from animation, returning to his hometown of Nagoya and taking over his parents' sewing factory business. However he was convinced by animator Norimoto Tokura to return to the anime industry.

He worked on the episode "Kid's story" directed by Shinichirō Watanabe from the anthology The Animatrix (2003). His work in the episode is described as resembling "unfinished pencil sketches", his style emphasizing "the materiality of Kid’s world and the status of his body as a drawn construct".

He participated in the climax of the "Wano arc'" in episode 1072 of One piece, animating a scene of the main character Monkey D. Luffy's "Gear 5" power up along with animator Akihiro Ota.

Ohira was one of the first animators to join the production of The Boy and the Heron (2023). He animated the scene at the beginning of the film, where the main character Mahito runs through a fire. Reviewers described the scene as "feverish and desperate", "frenzied and fluid" and "bone chilling". Joshua Fox of Screen Rant called it "one of the best scenes to ever appear in a Studio Ghibli film".

Style Shinya Ohira's animation style features exaggerated motion and constantly shifting line work. His style has been described as "expressionist". Ohira has stated that the way he draws is free of logic and restrictions. This mentality has gotten Ohira banned from some productions, but he also believes that it is what brought him to where he is today. His work on the anime Pluto was post processed with digital effects. While his work in Spirited Away was corrected to be visually consistent with the rest of the film, his scene in The Boy and the Heron was left uncorrected and appears in the film exactly as he drew it.

Works

Animated television series Star Musketeer Bismarck (1984-1985) In-between animation Ninja Senshi Tobikage (1985-1986) In-between animation, Key animation Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos (1986-1987) Key animation Mobile Suit Gundam ΖΖ (1986-1987) Key animation Around the World in 80 Days (1987-1988) Key animation Peter Pan and Wendy (1989) Key animation Momotaro Densetsu PEACHBOY LEGEND (1989-1990) Opening Animation, Key animation / Transformation Bank City Hunter 3 (1989-1990) Opening animation, Key animation Sci-Fi Harry (2000-2001) Opening animation (as Shinnosuke Harada) WIndy Tales (2004-2005) Key animation Ping Pong THE ANIMATION (2014) Opening animation, Storyboard, Animation director, Key animation Space Dandy (2014) Key animation Lupin III Part IV (2015) Key animation ONE PIECE (1999-) Key animation Pluto (2023) Key animation

Animated films Bats & Terry (1987) Key animation Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988) Key animation AKIRA (1988) Key animation Utsunomiko (1989) Key animation Only Yesterday (1991) Key animation Porco Rosso (1992) Key animation Junkers Come Here (Pilot) (1995) Character design, Animation director, Key animation Junkers Come Here (1995) Ending SPRIGGAN (1998) Key animation (uncredited) My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) Key animation Spirited Away (2001) Key animation Ghiblies Episode 2 (2002) Key animation The ANIMATRIX "Kid's Story" (2003) Key animation Mind Game (2004) Key animation (uncredited) Ghost in the Shell: Innocence (2004) Key animation Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Key animation Portable Airport (2004) Key animation Space station No.9 (2005) Key animation Prince of Tennis: The First Game (2005) Key animation Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle the Movie: The Princess in the Birdcage Kingdom (2005) Key animation xxxHOLiC the Movie: Midsummer Night Dream (2005) Key animation Tekkonkinkreet (2006) Key animation Genius Party Beyond "Wanwa" (2008) Director, Storyboard, Character Design, Animation Director, Key animator REDLINE (2010) Key animation A Letter to Momo (2012) Key animation Rainbow Fireflies (2012) Key animation Berserk: The Golden Age III: Advent (2013) Storyboard (co-) The Wind Rises (2013) Key animation Giovanni's Island (2014) Key animation The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014) Key animation The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017) Storyboard Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017) Key animation Lu Over the Wall (2017) Key animation Batman Ninja (2018) Key animation (under the name of Shinnosuke Harada) The Boy and the Heron (2023) Key animation

Live-action films Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) Key animator (Animation Part) The World of Kanako (2014) Animation director, Storyboard

OVA Armored Gallian Part III Iron Emblem (1986) Key animation (uncredited) Ai City (1986) Key animation Megazone 23 Part II (1986) Key animation GALL FORCE 2 DESTRUCTION (1987) Key animation Bubblegum Crisis (1987) Key animation Gakuen Special Search Hikaru On (1987) Key animation Blackmagic M-66 (1987) Key animation GOD BLESS DANCOUGA (1987) Key animation Dragon's Heaven (1988) Key animation Project A-Ko 3: Cinderella Rhapsody (1988) Key animator (uncredited) Riding Bean (1989) Key animation Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! (1989) Key animator Angel Cop (1989) Key animation Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989) Effect settings, original publicity video "ALL THAT GUNDAM" Peacock King 2 Phantom Castle (1989) Key animation The Hakkenden (1990) Animation Director (Co-) Project A-ko: Gray Side/Blue Side (1990) Key animation (uncredited) Violence Jack Hellwind (1990) Key animation Yume Pillow (1991) Director, Script, Storyboard, Character design, Animation Director The Hakkenden - A New Saga - Episode 4 "Hamaji's Resurrection" (1994) Director, Storyboard, Key animator Blue Submarine No. 6 (1998-2000) Key animation (uncredited) FLCL (1999) Key animation Slime Bōkenki (1999) Key animation JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (2000-2002) Key animation (under the name of Shinnosuke Harada) Kage (2004) Art setting and original art (under the name of Shinnosuke Harada)

Web animation Japan Animator Expo "20min Walk From Nishi-Ogikubo Station, 2 Bedrooms, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2mos Deposit, No Pets Allowed" (2014) Key animation Blade Runner Blackout 2022 (2017) Key animation

Games Captain Power Training Video (1988) Animation Director (Co-Production) Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) Key animation Tales of the Abyss (2005) Event animation Asura's Wrath Episode 11.5 "Forging ahead" (2012) Director, Character design, Storyboard, Animation Director

In popular culture In the first episode of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, the character Tsubame rushes home to watch a fictional anime by "the dream team, Inoue-san, Iso-san and Ohira-san" referring to Toshiyuki Inoue, Mitsuo Iso and Shinya Ohira.