Umetsu also worked on one of Masashi Ishihama’s earlier OPs for Welcome to the NHK highlighting his blooming artistic quirks

Unknown what Umetsu did, I am assuming he did the cut of the people walking with the red backdrop

In 2008, Umetsu released the sequel to Kite, titled Kite Liberator

A strange and puzzling sequel filled with aliens, angels, of death and weird and wacky antics Umetsu was keen on keeping the series running

Interview with Umetsu trying to explain what is going on
While lacking in a story department Umetsu kept the action train going, bringing in a bigger brigade of animators. Yamaguchi and Kaneko both returned, but the surprises to the ka roster was one Satoru Utsunomiya who handled a longer scene, the second being Production IG animator Tetsuya Takeuchi who does a cool foot chase, and lastly Nozomu Abe (bringing it back around) Takeuchi’s Naruto cohort and one of the most well regarded effects animators around. Valuing action on 1s and 2s Abe’s animation is buttery smooth, and still able to be detailed.

After Kiss and Cry got cancelled as it was in waiting for too many years Umetsu went back into working on OPs and freelance KA animation. And Yet the Town Moves was one of his first directed OPs reuniting with Akiyuki Shinbo and also Shaft.

Umetsu last cut
A nice and classy OP with Umetsu’s character centric boarding, it is rife with a lot of soul, and Shibo’s creative use of light. There was likely some inspiration was taken from Ishihama’s vibrant OPs.

Umetsu was the animation director on Beezlebub’s second ED, with his character framing with a red backdrop in tact

He’d join Production IG on Blood C directing the first OP for the show

He even did some long cuts of nude animation for the movie

Umetsu then 2013, after five years released his first original series Galilei Donna produced with A1-Pictures

A very un-Umetsu looking series due to outsider designs this time by Shingo Adachi, it is a strange series about three descendants of Galileo who are siblings getting caught in an espionage tinged, interstellar, and mystery driven plot. Whatever comes out of Umetsu’s mind is bound to be interesting.

that’s it

The next year an actually Umetsu looking show came out, Wizard Barristers

Another ridiculous premise that pits magic users and humans side by side with a judicial system divided between the two, Umetsu was so keen on doing an original series, but just maybe does not know how to write something. The show is all over the place with a lovely assortment of action animators on a somewhat disappointing story. Nozomu Abe is the primary action animator for the series and literally kills it in every scene he’s on, no wonder he is currently the top credited animator on Demon Slayer nowadays.




Other guys like Shinya Takahashi, Hironori Tanaka, and Yasushi Muraki among others stepped in to help. Besides that the series had diminishing returns in animation, and only Abe and other animators had to take up the slack. Paired with another addition of bad cgi and of course the weaker story.

After Barristers ended Umetsu went back to OPs and EDs starting with Seraph of the End’s OP in 2015

Next he’d come swinging into 2016 doing the OPs on Dimension W and Twin Star Exorcists as well as the ED on Bungou Stray Dogs

great dance scene near the start

Shinya Takahashi lays on some killer effects once the action starts

The same year he did those OPs, Umetsu contributed some KA to Kizumonogatari’s first part

Of all the staff Umetsu, and Yasuhiro Nakura had seniority over everyone else being the two key figures of the older gen bringing out the best in the middle and younger members of the film. Umetsu was placed on the scene where Araragi is bitten by Under Blade as the two join in a nearly sexual embrace, one of his longest scenes in years.

The next year Umetsu worked on the second OP for Bungou Stray Dogs

Heavy AD by Umetsu

Umetsu then did direction on AD on a music video for Sin Nanatsu no Taizai, given the show was an ecchi it wasn’t surprising Umetsu wanted to do it. Shinya Takahashi joined along to assist on animation

Umetsu start to 0:14, 0:46 to 1:19 presumed

In 2018, Umetsu got another character gig after doing disappointing designs on Dynamic Chord, on Kokkoku a strange series about time travel

A big sea change for Umetsu, the show was basically his designs given a new light with all the sexy window dressing, and apparel gone and working with more civilian and casual attire

Umetsu directed, and solo animated the ED

Ever since then Umetsu has been a freelance KA, and OP director. His most recent was on Pretty Boys Detective Club on Shaft.

And recently did KA on Madoka Magica Side Story, The Cafe Terrace and its Goddesses, Fate/Strange Fake, and Quintessential Quintuplets. He currently is at Shaft poised to direct a secret project though it is unknown what it is.

So that is Yasuomi Umetsu. Though his fall off wasn’t received to well, and practically the entire animation industry doesn't take him as seriously anymore his entire personality, and merit of his craft caused huge ripples in the industry. His detail focused designs in the 80s were a bit of an eyesore, but it was animation that stood alone against the greats of the era, and thanks to the mentorship of anime edge lords like Yoshiaki Kawajiri I don’t think Umetsu would’ve ended up being the gratuitous creative he is today. Through the fire Umetsu has managed to puzzle anime fans to this day, basically going from one of the top effects and character animators of the decade going on a hot streak to Polymar then making a hentai. That kind of change would make you hate him but having a wild card like this makes him a staple of the anime industry. Umetsu has helped raise up some of the industry’s heavy hitters, from Ando, to Ishihama, to Shinbo, Abe, and Ohira this guy has been such a undervalued presence in the development of so many creatives, and I’m not surprised some don’t like to admit him as an influence due to his banned and controversial nature. A puzzle piece of the realist era.

Yasuomi Umetsu Artwork and Illustrations

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