After credits on a Kingdom Heart character and more unexciting animation on New Translation, Manglobe would entrust Murase to direct Ergo Proxy.

A pilot film was first launched.

Murase 2:14-2:33
Several key figures made the show what it was, with Dai Sato as chief writer, Naoyuki Honda as character designer (he also worked on New Translation), Hideto Komori on Chief Animation Direction, Yoshihiro Ike on music. The show feels very influenced aesthetically by Kazuto Nazakawa, as the whole show looks like an animated Linkin Park video. He even animates part of the OP

Though initially approached as a futuristic detective thriller by Manglobe producers, the show would then turn into an existential dread thanks to writer Dan Sato.

“It is set in the future. A group of robots become infected with something called the Kojiro sic virus, and become aware of their own existence. So these robots, which had been tools of humans, decide to go on an adventure to search for themselves. They have to decide whether the virus that infected them created their identity, or whether they gained their identity through their travels. This question is meant to represent our own debate over whether we become who we are because of our environment, or because of things that are inherent in us. The robots are all named after philosophers: Derrida and Lacan and Husserl.”

There is a conscientious effort to not have a one character narrative with it split between Vincent and Rei-I.

Murase for the next few years would be few and far between, directing one episode on Michiko and Hatchin and also doing his first movie on Dante’s Inferno, co-directing along with six others.

The next series Murase would do is Gangsta in 2015. Based off of the manga written by Kohske, this would be one of the last shows Manglobe produced. Very short with 12 episodes.

The next year, Murase would return to a primary key animation role animating on 14 episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn a series that takes place three years after Char’s Counterattack.


Episode 7 is a special standout, with Murase animating one of the most gorgeous smoke plumes I’ve ever seen.

Though Murase would return to Gundam in a huge way later on, he’d first focus next year on Genocidal Organ based off the novel by Project Itoh. Studio Manglobe would unfortunately file for bankruptcy, with Geno Studio handling the second half. A dark espionage show about world ending conflicts, and a terrorist John Paul that has destroyed the world system. Also a pretty brutal take on American politics.

Though these aren’t Murase’s designs they still take on the more realistic approach solidified on Robin and Proxy. The movie isn’t super KA heavy but Bahi JD and Snipes joined on to give the film some life.

The same year Shinichiro Watanabe reached out to Murase and asked him to design characters for Blade Runner Black Out 2022.

Murase does KA with Gaff, 3:48-4:15
Though this short was directed by Watanabe, you can see him channeling Murase’s aesthetics playing into the dark edgy aesthetics of his designs while simultaneously working in director Denis Villeneuve’s vision.

After several years of production, Murase would make his feature film debut on Gundam with Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway, an adaptation of the first half of novels by Tomino in the late 80s early 90s

A super stunning film brought to life by a stacked animation department. Murase personally worked with Shinichiro Watanabe to storyboard the entire movie, and Proxy designer Naoyuki Onda would return as chief animation director, as well as designer alongside two others. One of the most pivotal people that assisted with the look of the film would be director of photography, Kentaro Waki who worked on Unicorn on Thunderbolt. His attention to detail in the movie is fantastic, helping coordinate a super realistic feel, and helping showcase the horrors of war. Eureka Seven effects animator Shuichi Kaneko was in charge of the action sequences, working alongside a great CGI department, and on the KA side there is great character acting here and there but Production IG’s Hiroyuki Okiura is the obvious standout. sakugabooru.com/post/show/158611 even in a scene shrouded in near darkness Okiura’s incredibly weighty animation is prevalent. Murase himself also animated a few scenes here and there my favorite being this six second flashback sequence from the Char’s Counterattack story sakugabooru.com/post/show/158586\.

Murase is supposedly directing the next installment of the Hathaway films.

When coming to terms with shows that embolden darkness and realism, Shukou Murase checks those boxes. He is a seriously underrated director, and should be appreciated for fostering in a more edgy and grim storytelling in anime, and not being afraid to approach that. Though other directors have done similar approaches I think Murase is able to strike a serious balance in his designs, and carefully selecting the right people to help achieve a vision. He is the right person to take on future Gundam projects, and will remain an unsung hero of the franchise.

gonna start tsurune s2 tonite then prolly gonna drop all the s*** from last season that’s still on my ptw

🤣🤣🤣🤣

Lmao I succumbed after the first season

gundam, sf2 animated movie, and gangsta? this the best spotlight

The divider between Mitsumi and Shima to symbolize their current distant relationship

Putting Mitsumi, who's always willing to reach out to others and be herself, in the open window and putting Shima, who always keeps people at an arm's length and holds back from what he wants, in the closed window.

Storyboarding storyboarding storyboarding

choux cream love custard chocolate strawberry

damn shoulda waited to start mashle now ima have to watch week to week

i thought i was gonna drop it so i started it but i’m all the way in (for now)

show funny af lol

:)

Holy based

I don’t care I watch this show because they’re cute