Seriously the production materials for this scene is insane. Did I mention Imai uses Flash to animate roughs?

Imai would take a backseat for the rest of the season, later handling an explosion sakugabooru.com/post/show/233599\. Imai’s dynamite sized explosions are so unique, look how the rocks in this shot are flying up almost resembling an exotic plant the way the flying rock debris flys up and out of the Pure Titan

Between the two parts Imai did a great cut on the first OP for Boogiepop Wa Waranai

Imai 1:21-1:27

Now for Season 3 Part 2

Imai had only a few scenes to handle in the second half. The one scene that he got dibs on the quickest was the final encounter between Levi and the Beast Titan.

Imai 0:17-0:29, 0:38-1:21
higher quality sakugabooru.com/post/show/85603\. Imai has always been a consistently good animator, but this final outing for the Wit Era Attack on Titan is monstrously amazing. A super impressive long scene outing from Imai. The power of Levi is so well accentuated here, not only that but the shock from Zeke’s face is amusing and satisfying. The camera work is insane per usual, but there are little (maybe even unnecessary) details that make this scene work so well.

No hangups or shortcuts felt made here, despite some the still frames that interrupt the flow of the action somewhat. Imai still keeps everything as high octane as possible with quick mixtures of hatching and speed lines interspersed with Levi’s deep and heroic sword cuts. It’s not only details like that, that are hard to ignore, but also the quick framing devices.

Look at this quick POV shot of the maneuver gear, it is head scratching that no shots like that had even been attempted before. But Imai did it. He even payed attention to the sunlight reflection on the metal.

Another previous shot of the beast titan falling, notice the jaw crack of it hitting the ground? Utter Insanity!!!

On Episode 59, Imai animated the final shots of Mikasa and Armin looking out across the ocean, to see what is really out there

Imai 2:00-2:23
I love Mikasa’s half smile to Armin. A great final scene, and closing chapter of Wit’s involvement before the series’s most confusing and tumultuous arcs handled by Mappa. But that’s a story for another time

Post AOT, Imai was staying pretty busy. He did some nice work on an episode of Vinland Saga with Thorfinn taking on Thorkell

Imai 1:24-1:54

In 2020, he did a nice quick fight scene in the Great Pretender, working with character designs by former Gainax creative Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion, FLCL, Gunbuster 2).

Imai 1:01-1:23, characters talking are someone else.

He even did a small part on a Doraemon movie sakugabooru.com/post/show/140598

In 2021, a new show from Wit debuted, Ranking of Kings directed by Yosuke Hatta

Another big adaptation, that prioritized bringing a lot of freelance talent on to keep up a relative level of quality. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Imai had a bigger position on Kings then any other previous show with Wit. Imai was not only an AD and key animator per usual, instead he assisted as the series Assistant Director, and Episode Director for two episodes. Imai’s involvement was so key to a lot of the outlying freelance staff brought on board, with way too many to name. Imai himself came back with a stunning opening fight scene, a sparring match.

Imai 0:14-end this is a heavily edited video version full version here sakugabooru.com/post/show/168182\. So Imai at this point had nothing to prove in terms of action, but comparatively with his other works this is a very low stakes scene (well not to Daida), but he’s still able to make up through intensity in his drawings. Even at the smallest fight in scope Imai’s animation is blood-pumping. The fast yet heavy smears on the sticks exude so much power, and there is a lot of fantastic character acting. The darker bark debris is nice for contrast on Imai’s part. Great use of squash and stretch on Daida’s face in one shot, highlighting the flexibility of Atsuko Nozaki’s designs.

Detailed Imai genga, he leaves a lot of notes for the in-between animators, even giving distance points to explain how much spacing he wants in a scene.

Imai directed two episodes on the show. Episode 9, and 19. He boarded 9 and was action AD. Episode 9 was phenomenal in setting up the loyalty of one character that being Dorsche.

This wonderful sequence was handled by animators including some webgeners such as Miso, Kouki Fujimoto, Osamu Murata, Spike, and Takeshi Maenami. Some in house Wit animators like Mitsuaki Takabe. And two legendary animators one being Bones’s Yoshimichi Kameda, and a monolith in effects animation: Hirofumi Masuda.

Another great scene from the episode was Daida trapped inside his father’s head walled off from everything else. Daida’s abandonment and isolation leads to some insane psychological horror animated by Imai himself sakugabooru.com/post/show/192140\. This is some wild, Yasunori Miyazawa levels of character deformation to Imai, something completely new to him, but executed flawlessly. Another standout scene is Hilling somehow being able to hear Daida inside Bosse, first getting some animation from Takahito Sakazume sakugabooru.com/post/show/192145, then followed up by one of the greatest animators of all time Norio Matsumoto (or at least its presumed since he was credited) sakugabooru.com/post/show/192149\. Matsumoto’s animation is so emotionally resonant. It’s easy to see the convincing passion Matsumoto put into this entire scene, and paired with Imai’s great boards, and even voice acting direction it makes for the strongest bit in the series by far.

Episode 19, was boarded by former Ghibli unit director Atsushi Takahashi, and had a ton of ADs just to make the fight scenes work. Again so many highlights. The first and obvious being the immortal Ouken’s fight against the Big Four

The DNA of many AD’s are on this scene, but its the animators really shining through here. You got guys like Blue, and Shin Ogasawara (0:00-37) carrying the more subtle moments, and Hiromitsu Seki kicking in the action at (1:06-End). In an interesting turn of events, Castlevania freelancer Blu Shade was brought on into the proceeding scene sakugabooru.com/post/show/181327\. Shade’s animation exude’s a lot more realism bound weight to it similar to a Hiroyuki Okiura as the scene is primarily animated on 1s and 2s.

The more character driven scenes in purgatory, are just as good as the action. Newcomer Natsuki Shimaukuro sakugabooru.com/post/show/181319 does a nice cut, then god tier freelancer Toshiyuki Sato does an unbelievably sad scene with Kage trying to reunite with his mother sakugabooru.com/post/show/181320.

At the end of the series, Bojji has to face his father Bosse, in his brother’s body, a climatic scene lead by Shota Goshozono sakugabooru.com/post/show/182379\. A lot of people helmed this scene Imai, Gosso, Nozaki, all key figures helped, with some others including A-1 Pictures animator Hirotaka Tokuda, Nozomi Fujii, Shosuke Ishibashi, and mecha animator Toya Oshima. Gosso’s inclusion of Blender as 3D layouts were invaluable to this scene. It gives the animators perfect material to trace over, and also slices the time it takes to animate scenes on 1s by hand (sort of).

The scene is consistently beautiful with the dreamy atmosphere feelings so well realized, even exaggerated making Bosse more bigger than he actually is. Such a glorious fight with unbelievably great understanding of the key animator’s placement.

While Ranking of Kings was airing Imai was asked to work on one of the best animated episodes of 2022 on Princess Connect Re:Dive Season 2 Episode 4. He agreed at the behest of Takahito Sakazume, and did the opening beam attack against the giant golem.

Imai 0:27-0:33

On Summertime Rendering Imai was brought on to do some quick and snappy action scenes.
sakugabooru.com/post/show/196121 sakugabooru.com/post/show/202259 sakugabooru.com/post/show/214517\. It can be bizarre seeing Imai on an OLM production of all things, but former collaborator and the shows unit director Washio is friends with Imai.

Imai was pretty quiet for the rest of 2022 until he returned back on Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 in mid 2023, where he directed Episode 4.
Directed by new series director Shota Goshozono, he opted to simplify a lot of the overabundant shading of Season 1, resulting in a much more smoother and animator friendly production for everyone. Episode 4 had Imai directing a large ensemble of the show’s animators getting off what they could do under his supervision. After Keiichiro Watanabe did a phenomenal job of handling the last episode, Imai gets into the action immediately as the episode starts. We get Q Kawa doing opening attacks sakugabooru.com/post/show/232987, then some unknown artists and presumedly Yoshihide Ideue take over after

Other key animators such as Hayato Kurosaki, Fei Hung, and Xiao Lin finish the sequence off.

Later on, Gojo and Toji go for round two, with Gojo being an unbelievably powerful wall of power. Takashi Tomioka and others handle the sequence with my favorite being the liquid effects at 4:33 by another Castlevania associated animator Tam Lu

Imai is a dynamic master. Like I said in terms of action sakuga of the 10s there are few animator/directors that have been able to consistently convey that viscera that he does in his scenes. Yes, his scenes are exaggerated, over the top and preposterously animated, but it’s his clever use of weight, interesting ostentatious camera movement, and effects that really bring his work to life. Whether it’s his stellar AD work, or KA by itself the results will pretty much come out the same. These scenes would be nothing without the level of strong and meaty character acting embed throughout his action. Being able to relay elements of the story into the action is no easy feat, but Imai says so much through his drawings. It’s powerful to say the least. What more can I say? Imai is a man of action

Some of Imai’s AOT art, made around Season 2




Mikasa giving Alita vibes

Fun fact Imai is married to art director Hisako Akagi who’s work you might have seen on Jujutsu Kaisen and Mushoku Tensei, super talented landscape painter

Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman

This was super fire when it happened one of the most memorable scenes

❤💙

watch more than a married couple but not lovers

I’m at episode 28

Past the corporation having a death note and I’m on the part where N is in the picture

This show was compelling up until the corporation stuff to now

It just feels like it should have already ended. Like these plots feel so unnecessary lol

Maybe the ending will hit with being under 10 episodes left but this just seems like such weird directions to go