Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Katsuhiro Ôtomo

  • Writer
  • Director
  • Animation Department
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Katsuhiro Ôtomo
Katsuhiro Ôtomo is a Japanese manga artist, screenwriter and film director. He is best known as the creator of the manga Akira and its animated film adaptation.

In 1979, after writing multiple short-stories for the magazine Action, Otomo created his first science-fiction work, titled Fireball. Although the manga was never completed, it is regarded as a milestone in Otomo's career as it contained many of the same themes he would explore in his later. In 1982, Otomo made his anime debut, working as character designer for the animated film Harmagedon. The next year, Otomo began work on a manga which would become his most acclaimed and famous work: Akira. It took eight years to complete and would eventually culminate in 2000 pages of artwork. While the serialization of Akira was taking place, Otomo decided to animate it into a feature film, although the manga was yet to be finished. In 1988, the animated film Akira was released.

Otomo became the fourth manga artist ever inducted into the American Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2012, and was awarded the Purple Medal of Honor from the Japanese government in 2013.
BornApril 14, 1954
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornApril 14, 1954
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 3 nominations total

    Photos5

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 2
    View Poster

    Known for

    Akira (1988)
    Akira
    8.0
    • Writer
    • 1988
    Steamboy (2004)
    Steamboy
    6.8
    • Writer
    • 2004
    Memories (1995)
    Memories
    7.5
    • Writer(segments "Cannon Fodder", "Stink Bomb ")
    • 1995
    Wârudo apâtomento horâ (1991)
    Wârudo apâtomento horâ
    5.9
    • Writer
    • 1991

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • Akira Part I
      • manga
      • In Production
    • Akira
      • created by (creator)
      • In Development
      • TV Series
    • Orbital Era
      • original plan, screenplay
      • In Development



    • Sexy Bike Man (Akira) (2018)
      Sexy Bike Man (Akira)
      7.2
      Short
      • characters
      • 2018
    • Domu
      Short
      • manga
      • 2016
    • The Akira Project (2014)
      The Akira Project
      7.2
      Short
      • Based on the work of
      • 2014
    • Short Peace (2013)
      Short Peace
      6.8
      • original story
      • screenplay (segments "A Farewell to Weapons ", "Combustible")
      • 2013
    • A Farewell to Arms (2013)
      A Farewell to Arms
      7.6
      Short
      • original creator
      • 2013
    • Akira: The Offspring - Come Out and Play (2012)
      Akira: The Offspring - Come Out and Play
      Music Video
      • manga
      • 2012
    • Combustible (2012)
      Combustible
      6.6
      Short
      • original story
      • screenplay
      • 2012
    • The American Akira (2008)
      The American Akira
      6.8
      Short
      • characters
      • 2008
    • Shin SOS dai Tôkyô tankentai (2007)
      Shin SOS dai Tôkyô tankentai
      5.7
      Short
      • manga
      • 2007
    • Spriggan: Mudvayne - Not Falling (2006)
      Spriggan: Mudvayne - Not Falling
      Music Video
      • manga
      • 2006
    • Akira: P.O.D. - Boom (2006)
      Akira: P.O.D. - Boom
      Music Video
      • manga
      • 2006
    • Joe Odagiri in Mushi-Shi: The Movie (2006)
      Mushi-Shi: The Movie
      6.0
      • screenplay
      • 2006
    • Steamboy (2004)
      Steamboy
      6.8
      • original story
      • screenplay by
      • 2004
    • Akira Psycho Ball (2002)
      Akira Psycho Ball
      6.2
      Video Game
      • manga
      • 2002
    • Metropolis (2001)
      Metropolis
      7.2
      • screenplay
      • 2001

    Director



    • Akira
      • Director
      • In Development
      • TV Series
    • Orbital Era
      • Director
      • In Development



    • Domu
      Short
      • Director
      • 2016
    • Short Peace (2013)
      Short Peace
      6.8
      • Director (segment "Combustible")
      • 2013
    • Combustible (2012)
      Combustible
      6.6
      Short
      • Director
      • 2012
    • Joe Odagiri in Mushi-Shi: The Movie (2006)
      Mushi-Shi: The Movie
      6.0
      • Director
      • 2006
    • Steamboy (2004)
      Steamboy
      6.8
      • Director
      • 2004
    • Spriggan (1998)
      Spriggan
      6.5
      • supervising director
      • 1998
    • Gundam: Mission to the Rise (1998)
      Gundam: Mission to the Rise
      5.6
      Video
      • Director
      • 1998
    • Gondora (1997)
      Gondora
      5.0
      Short
      • Director
      • 1997
    • Stink Bomb (1995)
      Stink Bomb
      7.1
      Short
      • chief director
      • 1995
    • Cannon Fodder (1995)
      Cannon Fodder
      7.1
      Short
      • chief director
      • 1995
    • Magnetic Rose (1995)
      Magnetic Rose
      8.2
      • chief director
      • 1995
    • Memories (1995)
      Memories
      7.5
      • chief director (segment "Cannon Fodder")
      • 1995
    • Jûrôta Kosugi in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (1993)
      Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
      7.7
      TV Mini Series
      • Director
      • 1994
    • Wârudo apâtomento horâ (1991)
      Wârudo apâtomento horâ
      5.9
      • Director
      • 1991
    • Akira (1988)
      Akira
      8.0
      • supervising director
      • 1988

    Animation Department



    • Uru in Blue
      • mechanical designer
      • In Development



    • Yamanaka Sadao ni Sasageru Manga Eiga Nezumikozo Jirokichi
      6.4
      Short
      • character designer
      • 2023
    • Shin SOS dai Tôkyô tankentai (2007)
      Shin SOS dai Tôkyô tankentai
      5.7
      Short
      • original character design
      • 2007
    • Freedom (2006)
      Freedom
      7.2
      TV Mini Series
      • character designer
      • 2006
    • Gundam: Mission to the Rise (1998)
      Gundam: Mission to the Rise
      5.6
      Video
      • mechanical designer
      • 1998
    • Stink Bomb (1995)
      Stink Bomb
      7.1
      Short
      • original character design
      • 1995
    • Cannon Fodder (1995)
      Cannon Fodder
      7.1
      Short
      • original character design
      • 1995
    • Memories (1995)
      Memories
      7.5
      • original character design (segments "Cannon Fodder", "Stink Bomb")
      • 1995
    • Roujin Z (1991)
      Roujin Z
      6.8
      • key animator
      • mechanical designer
      • 1991
    • Neo Tokyo (1987)
      Neo Tokyo
      7.0
      • character designer
      • key animator (segment "Construction Cancellation Order")
      • 1987
    • Neo Tokyo (1987)
      The Order to Stop Construction
      6.7
      Short
      • character designer
      • key animator
      • 1986
    • Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Noriko Ohara, Run Sasaki, and Hiraku Takemura in Crusher Joe: The Movie (1983)
      Crusher Joe: The Movie
      7.0
      • special character designer: "Arakune"
      • 1983
    • Harmagedon (1983)
      Harmagedon
      5.5
      • character designer
      • key animator
      • 1983

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • Official X site
    • Alternative name
      • Katsuhiro Ohtomo
    • Born
      • April 14, 1954
      • Miyagi, Japan
    • Spouse
      • Yoko? - present (2 children)
    • Parents
      • Shohei Otomo
    • Other works
      Author of the manga 'A Gun Report'
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Article

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A fan of James Dean's "Rebel Without a Cause" and Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey".
    • Trademarks
        Very unorthodox use of red and green colours in backgrounds and characters.

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.