From the outset, the anime industry's biggest names have typically been men. Nearly every anime fan out there will be familiar with the works of directors like Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Hideaki Anno, and Satoshi Kon, and deservedly so - they are the creators of some of the most important works in the medium. Unfortunately, however, although women have been present in the animation industry since its inception, they have typically not been as well represented at its highest levels.
But, over the past decade or so, that has started to change. Women who have risen through the ranks of some of the industry's most prominent studios and are directing work that makes waves in the world of anime. Whether it's the eye-popping bombast of Rie Matsumoto, the subtle pathos of Naoko Yamada, or the arty surrealism of Sayo Yamamoto, these works from women are must-sees for any anime fan.
Free!
The 2013 sports anime Free! is a project from Kyoto Animation veteran, Hiroko Utsumi, an animator and storyboard artist with credits on many of the studio's biggest titles, such as Nichijou, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and Clannad. The anime's story centers around a high school swimming club and the challenges that its have to overcome to make it competitive.
Like many high school sports anime Free! is, at its core, a sort of coming of age story. The audience gets to see the main of the club grow as characters, as they spend time together in and out of the pool, and as they struggle with both swimming and the transition into adulthood.
A Place Further Than The Universe
An original anime project from Atsuko Ishizuka, a longtime director at studio Madhouse, A Place Further Than The Universe tells the story of four ordinary girls accomplishing extraordinary things in equally extraordinary places. The extraordinary places here being Antarctica.
While the premise of anime girls going to Antarctica might sound somewhat farcical, the show's writing grounds the story in its believable, yet also endearing, cast. The story takes the appropriate steps to show that every accomplishment and every moment of character growth feels appropriately set up and earned. The final product ends up being as moving as it is inspiring, helped along by some well-timed humor and a heavy dose of pathos towards the end.
Lupin The Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
The venerable Lupin The Third franchise has attracted some of anime's preeminent talents across its many decades of existence, including the likes of Hayao Miyazaki in 1979's Castle of Cagliostro. The franchise stars the loveable and carefree thief Lupin and chronicles his exploits as he endeavors to stay one step ahead of the cops.
Except, that isn't what Fujiko Mine is about. In ditching Lupin's typical lighthearted tone for a jazzy neo-noir feel, and switching the focus of the story to Lupin's sidekick, Fujiko Mine, director Sayo Yamamoto signals early on that The Woman Called Fujiko Mine has no intentions of being a typical Lupin story, both in tone and aesthetics.
Kyousou Giga
An early work for director Rie Matsumoto, Kyousou Giga began its lifespan as a single episode web animation in 2011. It would go on to spawn a TV anime, as well as a re-imagining of the original ONA, but the common element between all versions of the anime is the director's signature hyperactive visual style.
This is the project that put Matsumoto in the anime spotlight, and it's not difficult to see why. Watching Kyousou Giga for the first time is guaranteed to make an impression because it looks entirely unlike nearly everything else on the market. Bombastic action sequences, insane characters, and bold color choices make this a visual treat that's hard to forget.
A Silent Voice
The breakaway success of Naoko Yamada's A Silent Voice catapulted her work into international acclaim, and when watching the film, it's not hard to see why it was so successful. The story is a harrowing one of flawed characters seeking redemption, and it asks stark questions about what it means to live with mistakes and what it means to move past them.
A Silent Voice isn't a movie interested in pulling many emotional punches either, and thanks to Yamada's characteristically stellar direction of character animation, many of the movie's pivotal scenes can feel painfully real.
Yuri!!! On Ice
The hugely popular Yuri!!! On Ice is a 2016 sports/romance anime from director Sayo Yamamoto, famous for her prior work on shows like Michiko & Hatchin and Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine. Although Yuri!!! opts out of some of the surrealist elements present in her past work in favor of a more grounded style, it still has an unmistakable character to it that made it stand out among audiences.
For one, the show offers what feels like a surprisingly well-researched depiction of a competitive figure skating environment, and the tribulations that the characters go through while living in that world come across as grounded and believable. Helped along by some impressive skating animation, Yuri!!! is a sports love story fans won't want to miss.
Liz And The Blue Bird
While some animators, specifically in the world of anime, prefer to specialize in spectacle and bombast, Naoko Yamada stands out on of her laser focus on character acting through subtle body language. Liz and The Blue Bird is perhaps the best example of this tendency in her work, as whole ranges of emotion are conveyed wordlessly through masterful character animation.
The story itself is tragic, but also deeply inspiring, and while some viewers may find it slow those who stick with it will be rewarded with one of the most moving romance stories the medium has to offer. It also feels like Yamada's most confident work as a director and leans heavily into the stylistic choices that make her anime so impressive.
Michiko & Hatchin
From director Sayo Yamamoto comes a funky, sun-baked adventure story about femme fatale Michiko Malandro on a quest for her lost ex-boyfriend, alongside his supposed daughter, Hana Morenos (aka Hatchin). Many of the aesthetic choices in the anime are ed for their boldness: Michiko's fashion choices have made her something of an icon among fans, and the Latin American iconography and music give the show a distinct artistic vibe.
The core of the show, of course, is the relationship between Michiko and Hatchin, and the audience gets to see it develop through the challenges that the two meet on the road to Michiko's boyfriend and Hatchin's father. The story deals with some rather poignant themes at times and also features some exceptionally endearing character moments.
Kekkai Sensen
Director Rie Matsumoto has an eye for outlandish, high energy, and visually complex action sequences, as is perfectly exemplified in her project Kekkai Sensen, known in English as Blood Blockade Battlefront. Set in a dysfunctional New York City after a disaster sends the supernatural crashing into our reality, Blood Blockade Battlefront features dynamic battles between characters of mysterious power against villains of mysterious goals.
The action-heavy setup of Kekkai Sensen is perfectly suited to Matsumoto's talents as a director: the battle sequences are dizzyingly directed and animated with exceptional craftsmanship by studio Bones, and her signature use of color morphs fight scenes into sensory assaults that won't soon be forgotten.
K-On!!
The greatest tragedy ever to befall anime communities was the widespread acceptance of the opinion that Naoko Yamada's K-On!! is nothing more than a worthless and vapid "cute girls doing cute things" show. In reality, it is an exceptionally well-constructed show with believable characters, an uplifting tone, and some truly excellent animation.
Elements that elevate K-On!! above a "typical cute girls doing cute things" show are its grounded sense of setting, its well-defined character growth, and its sense of forward progress. Although the atmosphere of the anime is laid back, this isn't a show where nothing happens. Our characters are doing things and going places, and as they learn along the way the story becomes a surprisingly naturalistic portrait of their lives.
