There are several worldly famous anime directors in Japan, and more expected creators have distinguished themselves as a leader in the anime industry recently. Tatsuyuki Nagai is one of the outstanding anime directors, who directed the popular drama anime series Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.
In addition to the masterpiece of him, Tatsuyuki Nagai has created many famous anime series and anime movies. Today, I’d like to give an introduction to Tatsuyuki Nagai and 5 best anime directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai of all time.
(Photo on top: (C)ANOHANA PROJECT)
Tatsuyuki Nagai
Tatsuyuki Nagai (長井龍雪) is a famous Japanese anime director, creating many popular anime series and movies as a freelance. In 2000, he joined the team to produce a fantasy anime series Hand Maid May (HAND MAID メイ).
Tatsuyuki Nagai’s first directed anime is Honey and Clover II (ハチミツとクローバーII), the second season of the popular romance anime series, broadcasted in 2006. Finally, his first original anime Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。) was released in 2011, which touched a large number of anime fans emotionally.
He has directed some highly-appraised anime series and movies with Super Peace Busters (超平和バスターズ) since the anime producing team was formed by Tatsuyuki Nagai, a screenwriter Mari Okada and a character designer Masayoshi Tanaka when Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day was made in 2011.
▶︎▷▶︎▷Here is the list of 7 Best Anime Written by Mari Okada!
List of Anime Directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai
2006: Honey and Clover II (ハチミツとクローバーII)
2007: Idolmaster: Xenoglossia (アイドルマスター XENOGLOSSIA)
2008-2009: Toradora! (とらドラ!)
2009-2010: A Certain Scientific Railgun (とある科学の超電磁砲)
2011: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。)
2011: Kaito Tenshi Twin Angel (快盗天使ツインエンジェル)
2012: Waiting in the Summer (あの夏で待ってる)
2013: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day: The Movie (劇場版 あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。)
2013: A Certain Scientific Railgun S (とある科学の超電磁砲S)
2015: The Anthem of the Heart (心が叫びたがってるんだ。)
2015-2017: Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (機動戦士ガンダム 鉄血のオルフェンズ)
2019: Her Blue Sky (空の青さを知る人よ)
2020: A Certain Scientific Railgun T (とある科学の超電磁砲T)
2024: Fureru (ふれる。)
*Following Her Blue Sky in 2019, it has been announced that a new anime movie titled Fureru (ふれる。) is being produced, once again in collaboration with Mari Okada and Masayoshi Tanaka, and is scheduled for release in the autumn of 2024. The teaser movie for Fureru has already been released.
5 Best Anime Directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai
5. A Certain Scientific Railgun
A Certain Scientific Railgun (とある科学の超電磁砲), a major spin-off of the famous anime series A Certain Magical Index, has made its director Tatsuyuki Nagai well-known to anime fans. The popular fantasy anime has been adapted from the original light novels written by Kazuma Kamachi, and there are three seasons of the anime adaptation so far: A Certain Scientific Railgun in 2009-2010, A Certain Scientific Railgun S in 2013 and A Certain Scientific Railgun T in 2020.
A Certain Scientific Railgun is set in a highly-developed Academy City in Tokyo, where students account for 80% of the population. They are espers who have psychic powers, who are divided into six groups (0 to 5) by skill level. The story follows a 14-year old girl Mikoto Misaka ranked at the highest level. She investigates and handles various incidents occurring in the city with her electromagnetic cannon, which she is called Railgun for.
A Certain Scientific Railgun, which is also known as Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, is one of the most popular action sci-fi a[…]
4. The Anthem of the Heart
The Anthem of the Heart (心が叫びたがってるんだ。) is a modern drama anime movie directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai with other Super Peace Busters members, released in 2015. Unlike the many popular anime movies adapted from novels or manga, The Anthem of the Heart was made from scratch by them.
The setting is Chichibu City, Saitama and other towns nearby as other Tatsuyuki Nagai anime movies are based on the areas. The Anthem of the Heart centers on a high school girl Jun Naruse, who has difficulty speaking for the past related to her parents divorce. She is designated as a member of the executive committee for a local community event with three other classmates. Her class comes to perform in a musical though she is unable to speak.
3. Toradora!
A popular anime series Toradora! (とらドラ!), one of the masterpieces of Tatsuyuki Nagai, was broadcasted in 2008-2009. The romance and comedy anime was adapted from the famous 13-volume light novels written by Yuyuko Takemiya between 2006 and 2009. Toradora! was the first opportunity for Tatsuyuki Nagai to work with a screenwriter Mari Okada and a character designer Masayoshi Tanaka, who formed the anime creation team Super Peace Busters later.
Toradora! depicts daily lives of a high school girl Taiga Aisaka and her classmate boy Ryuji Takasu comically and seriously. He comes to take care of her, who drifts away from her family living alone. The story mainly follows the relationships of Taiga, Ryuji and his friend Yusaku Kitamura and her friend Minori Kushieda.
2. Her Blue Sky
In 2019, Tatsuyuki Nagai’s recent anime movie Her Blue Sky (空の青さを知る人よ) was released. The drama anime movie was made by Super Peace Busters following the previous film The Anthem of the Heart in 2015. It is a brand new anime movie that is not adapted from any contents. It was made into novel and manga adations later.
Her Blue Sky in a Japanese countryside Chichibu as well as other Super Peace Busters anime, focusing on a high school girl named Aoi Aioi with her older sister Akane. One day, when she practices bass in a shrine’s hall, Aoi finds a high schooler Shinno, who is the ex-boyfriend of Akane and is supposed to be 31 years old. The sisters relations ships with each other and with him are changing in the small regional community.
1. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (あの日見た花の名前を僕達はまだ知らない。) is the best drama anime series within a few decades and the best anime directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai of all time. The completely original anime was made by him with the Toradora! created team including the writer Mari Okada and the character designer Masayoshi Tanaka. The fantasy drama anime series was aired with 11 episodes in 2011, which was followed by its anime movie adaptation with a sequel story added in 2013.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day depicts the childhood past of 6 main characters: Jintan, Menma, Anaru, Yukiatsu, Tsuruko and Poppo. And, the present lives of them who are high schoolers after the heroine Menma dies in an accident as a child. The story begins when the grown-up Menma who is not supposed to exist anymore appears in front of Jintan.
Jintan loses access to other 4 Super Peace Busters members after the Menma’s death and refuses to attend the high school. However, he gradually becomes to meet Anaru and others, triggered by the fact that Menma shows up again for unexplained reasons.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is positioned as a first part of the three serial anime movies followed by The Anthem of the Heart in 2015 and Her Blue Sky in 2019. There are also lots of places inspired by the real-life location in Chichibu City as well as the following two anime movies.
How about completing watching all of the five anime directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai above? Anime fans all over the world should pay attention to the praised anime director and his creation team Super Peace Busters. They will made more attractive anime in the future, too!
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