Profile | プロフィール
Born / 出身
January 22, 1941 | Tokyo, Japan
Age / 年齢
84 years old (as of 2025)
Occupation / 職業
Anime Director, Animator
アニメ監督、アニメーター
Biography | 経歴
[English] Shigeyuki Hayashi, known professionally as Rintaro (stylized as りんたろう), is a legendary Japanese anime director and animator whose career spans over six decades. Starting his career at Toei Animation in 1958, Rintaro worked under the pioneering anime director Osamu Tezuka at Mushi Production in the 1960s, participating in groundbreaking works like Astro Boy (1963). He co-founded the anime studio Madhouse in 1972 with Masao Maruyama and other Mushi Production veterans. Rintaro gained international recognition for directing the science fiction epic Galaxy Express 999 (1979) and its sequel Adieu Galaxy Express 999 (1981), based on Leiji Matsumoto’s manga. His other major works include Harmagedon (1983), the influential cyberpunk film Metropolis (2001) based on Osamu Tezuka’s manga with a script by Katsuhiro Otomo, and the anthology film Yona Yona Penguin (2009). Known for his versatility across genres, ambitious visual style, collaborations with manga legends, and influence on generations of anime creators, Rintaro is considered one of the founding fathers of modern anime and received the prestigious Person of Cultural Merit honor from the Japanese government.
[日本語] 林重行、芸名りんたろうは、60年以上にわたるキャリアを持つ伝説的な日本のアニメ監督・アニメーターです。1958年に東映動画でキャリアを開始し、1960年代に虫プロダクションで先駆的アニメ監督の手塚治虫の下で働き、『鉄腕アトム』(1963)などの画期的作品に参加しました。1972年に丸山正雄や他の虫プロダクションのベテランと共にアニメスタジオ・マッドハウスを共同設立。松本零士の漫画を原作とするSF叙事詩『銀河鉄道999』(1979)とその続編『さよなら銀河鉄道999』(1981)の監督で国際的な認知を得ました。他の主要作品には『幻魔大戦』(1983)、手塚治虫の漫画を原作に大友克洋脚本の影響力のあるサイバーパンク映画『メトロポリス』(2001)、アンソロジー映画『よなよなペンギン』(2009)があります。ジャンルを超えた多様性、野心的なビジュアルスタイル、漫画界の伝説とのコラボレーション、世代を超えたアニメクリエイターへの影響で知られ、りんたろうは現代アニメの創始者の一人と見なされ、日本政府から名誉ある文化功労者の称号を授与されました。
Highlights / 主な歩み:
- 1963: Worked on Astro Boy; pioneering TV anime under Osamu Tezuka. / 『鉄腕アトム』に参加。手塚治虫の下でパイオニア的TVアニメ。
- 1972: Co-founded Madhouse studio. / マッドハウススタジオ共同設立。
- 1979: Galaxy Express 999 released; international success. / 『銀河鉄道999』公開。国際的成功。
- 2001: Metropolis released; acclaimed cyberpunk film. / 『メトロポリス』公開。称賛されたサイバーパンク映画。
- 2007: Awarded Person of Cultural Merit by Japanese government. / 日本政府から文化功労者表彰🏆。
Filmography | 主な作品
Theatrical Films / 劇場用アニメーション
| Year | Title (English / Japanese) | Award | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Galaxy Express 999 / 銀河鉄道999 | Leiji Matsumoto / Space train / $22M Japan / International success | |
| 1981 | Adieu Galaxy Express 999 / さよなら銀河鉄道999 アンドロメダ終着駅 | Sequel / Leiji Matsumoto / Epic conclusion | |
| 1983 | Harmagedon / 幻魔大戦 | Shotaro Ishinomori manga / Apocalyptic / Psychic powers / Ambitious | |
| 1985 | Captain / キャプテン | Baseball / Sports anime | |
| 2001 | Metropolis / メトロポリス | Multiple festival awards 🏆 | Osamu Tezuka manga / Katsuhiro Otomo script / Cyberpunk masterpiece / CGI integration |
| 2009 | Yona Yona Penguin / よなよなペンギン | Anthology / Fantasy / Madhouse |
Television Series (Selected) / テレビシリーズ(選抜)
| Years | Title | Credit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-1966 | Astro Boy / 鉄腕アトム | Animator, Episode Director | Osamu Tezuka / First TV anime series / Mushi Production |
| 1978-1981 | Galaxy Express 999 / 銀河鉄道999 | Director | TV series / 113 episodes / Leiji Matsumoto |
| 1982-1983 | Space Cobra / コブラ | Director | Buichi Terasawa manga / Space adventure |
| 1997-1998 | Brave King GaoGaiGar / 勇者王ガオガイガー | Director | Super robot / Sunrise |
| 2003 | Astro Boy (2003 series) / 鉄腕アトム | Director | Remake / Osamu Tezuka tribute / Fuji TV |
| 2008 | Mnemosyne / ムネモシュネの娘たち | Director | OVA series / Immortality / Adult-oriented |
OVAs & Other Works / OVA・その他
| Year | Title | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Dagger of Kamui / カムイの剣 | Historical / Ninja / Sanpei Shirato |
| 1991 | X: An Omen / X | CLAMP / Pilot film |
| Various | Multiple OVAs throughout career | Extensive body of work |
Awards & Recognition | 受賞歴
Japanese Government Honors
Won (受賞): 1 major honor 🏆
- Person of Cultural Merit (文化功労者) – Awarded by Japanese government (2007) 🏆
Mainichi Film Awards (毎日映画コンクール)
Won (受賞):
- Animation Film Award – Metropolis (2002) 🏆
Tokyo Anime Award
Won (受賞):
- Lifetime Achievement Award – For contributions to anime (2005) 🏆
International Film Festivals
Recognition:
- Metropolis – Multiple festival awards and nominations worldwide
- Venice Film Festival screenings
- Annecy International Animation Film Festival recognition
Other Major Honors
- Co-founder of Madhouse (1972) – One of anime’s most influential studios
- Worked under Osamu Tezuka – “God of Manga” at Mushi Production
- Directed first TV anime series – Astro Boy (as animator/episode director)
- Over 60 years in anime industry
- Influenced generations of anime directors
- Known as one of the “Founding Fathers of Modern Anime”
- Extensive collaboration with legendary manga artists (Tezuka, Matsumoto, Ishinomori)
- Pioneer in integrating CGI with traditional animation (Metropolis)
