Takeshi Honda

is a Japanese animator, designer, and animation director.

Honda is one of Japan's outstanding animators. He is best known for his character design and animation directing work on Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, The Boy and the Heron, Millennium Actress and Den-noh Coil. While Honda is an animator who draws realistic, theatrical characters, he also specializes in catchy "Bishōjo" characters. He was nicknamed from the early days of his career.

Honda made his debut as an animator with the inbetweening for the 1987 OVA Relic Armor Legaciam and debuted as character designer on the series Metal Fighter Miku in 1994. After a brief stint at small studios such as Atelier Giga, he joined Gainax, where Hideaki Anno and Yoshiyuki Sadamoto worked. However, he quarreled with Iso and dropped out after the first half of the series. Honda soon afterwards joined Khara, which was newly established by Anno after he left Gainax, and worked with him again on the Rebuild of Evangelion film series.

Honda moved to Studio Ghibli in 2017 to accept the post of animation director for Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron. It all started in the summer of 2016. He was approached by Hayao Miyazaki himself, who had long held him in high esteem, about taking part in his new film. Tokyo Godfathers (2003, key animation) Beyond (2003, character design, animation director) The Second Renaissance (2003, key animation) Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004, key animation) Naruto the Movie: Snow Princess' Book of Ninja Arts (2004, key animation, animation director, scene director) Tennis no Ōjisama - Futari no Samurai (2005, key animation) One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005, key animation) Tales from Earthsea (2006, key animation) Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007, key animation, Design Works, mechanical animation director) Ponyo (2008, key animation) The Sky Crawlers (2008, key animation) Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009, key animation, Design Works, mechanical animation director) Pan-dane to tamago hime (2010, key animation) Legend of the Millennium Dragon (2011, key animation) From up on Poppy Hill (2011, key animation) A Letter to Momo (2011, assistant animation director, key animation) Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012, key animation, Design Works, chief animation director) The Wind Rises (2013, key animation) When Marnie Was There (2014, key animation) The Boy and the Beast (2015, key animation) Classmates (2016, key animation) Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018, key animation) Boro the Caterpillar (2018, animation director) Wakaokami wa shōgakusei! (2018, key animation) Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021, original character design) The Boy and the Heron (2023, character design and animation director) The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store (2023, key animation) The Imaginary (2023, key animation)

Independent films Uracon II Opening Animation (1983, character design, inbetweening) Uracon III Opening Animation (1984, character design, animation director, key animation, inbetweening)

OVA Relic Armor Legaciam (1987, inbetweening) Gunbuster (1988, key animation on ep.3–6, inbetweening on ep.1–2) Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (1989, key animation on ep.4) Gosenzo-sama Banbanzai! (1990, key animation on ep.5) The Hakkenden (1990, key animation on ep.5) Bubblegum Crisis Part 8 (1991, key animation) Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991, key animation) Doomed Megalopolis (1991, key animation on ep.1, 4) Otaku no Video (1991–1992, animation director, key animation on ep.1–2, opening ep.2) Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1992–1998, key animation on ep.1) Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki (1992–1993, key animation on ep.3) Oh My Goddess! (1993–1994, general animation director on ep.2, assistant animation director on ep.1, 4–5) Green Legend Ran (1992–1993, assistant animation director on ep.3, key animation) Dominion (1993–1994, key animation on ep.2) Macross Plus (1994–1995, key animation on ep.1) Oira Uchū no Tankōfu (1994, key animation) Elementalors (1995, key animation) Golden Boy (1995–1996, animation director on ep.2) Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko (1996, key animation on ep.1) Detatoko Princess (1997–1998, key animation on ep.2) Blue Submarine No. 6 (1998–2000, animation character design on ep.3–4, animation director on ep.3–4, key animation on ep.1, 4) Vassalord (2013, key animation on ep.2)

ONA Japan Animator Expo: 20min Walk From Nishi-Ogikubo Station, 2 Bedrooms, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, 2mos Deposit, No Pets Allowed (2014, original story, director (with Mahiro Maeda)) Japan Animator Expo: Sokokara no Ashita (2015, key animation) Japan Animator Expo: Obake-chan (2015, key animation) Japan Animator Expo: Sora no Robo kara (2015, animation director, key animation) Khara Co., Ltd.'s 10th anniversary commemorative work: Good child's historical animation Ōkina Kabu (Big stocks) (2016, key animation)

Games Lunar: The Silver Star (1996, animation director) Tales of Legendia (2005, key animation)

Music video Yasutaka Nakata Portable Kūkō (2004, key animation) Yasutaka Nakata Soratobu Toshi Keikaku (2005, key animation) Yasutaka Nakata space station No.9 (2006, key animation) Mylène Farmer Peut-être toi (2008, key animation) 244 ENDLI-x Kurikaesu Haru (2008, key animation) Yui Aragaki piece (2009, key animation) Glay Je t'aime (2010, key animation) Shirō Sagisu Peaceful Times(F02)petit film (2013, key animation)