Shinji Higuchi
Directing
Biography
Shinji Higuchi is a movie director, storyboard artist and SFX specialist. He is one of the top special effects wizards in Japan, often working in animation. Higuchi is one of the original founders of Gainax, along with Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Takami Akai. Higuchi gain recognition for his special effects work in Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera trilogy and is a frequent collaborator with Hideaki Anno on both anime and tokusatsu projects.
Born: September 22, 1965
Place of Birth: Tokyo, Japan
Known For
The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga
Japan, 1954. A legend emerges from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, devastated by atomic bombs in 1945. The creature's name is Godzilla. The film that tells its story is the first of kaiju eiga, the giant monster movies.
Hideaki Anno: The Final Challenge of Evangelion
EVANGELION is coming to an end. NHK spent 4 years with exclusive access to director Hideaki Anno, documenting the creative process behind the final EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME. For the first time, the camera is allowed inside Anno's studio. The documentary attempts to capture why master filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (STUDIO GHIBLI) describes him as one who sheds blood for his films.
The Private Detective Mike
Mike Hama, Private Detective, is a chain-smoking, wisecracking tough guy with a weakness for the ladies and a soft spot in his heart, especially for his kid sister Akane. Mike's so down on his luck he'll take any case, from finding a lost pet to spying on cheating spouses. But every now and then, along comes a client with dubious and dangerous case… and that's when Mike shows his stuff.
Kyrie
Luca lost her family in the Great East Japan Earthquake causing her not to be able to speak. However, her singing voice shakes the hearts of those who listen to her. It is a hymn of compassion played by Luca and the people.
Luca on the Road
A young girl named Ruka, who had been living a wandering life in Osaka, is taken in by Fumi, an elementary school teacher. Later, Ruka spends time in Obihiro, Hokkaido, with Natsuhiko, who was her sister's lover, and forms a friendship with a high school girl named Maori. However, the fate that awaits her is always harsh. After arriving in Tokyo, Ruka becomes a musician and begins singing on the streets under the name Kyrie. There, she reunites with Maori, who now goes by the name Ikko and survives in Tokyo through her ever-changing cosplay and relationships with men. From Ishinomaki, Osaka, and Obihiro to Tokyo—Ruka, while being tossed about by fate, weaves a grand lyrical poem through her determined life.
His and Her Circumstances
In His and Her Circumstances, like a drug, Yukino Miyazawa was addicted to admiration and praise from those around her. She worked hard to become the perfect student, the perfect girl. But that was before… him. Souichirou Arima. The instant she met him, she hated him. Without even trying, he snatched the very glory from her hands by easily acing the high school entrance exam that should have made her the class representative. To take back what is rightfully hers, Yukino is putting all her efforts into plotting her revenge – but was love part of the plan?
Lost Man Found
Satoru Matsudo moves to Tokyo in hopes of becoming an actor. He has trouble breaking into the industry, but his luck begins to change when he finds an airplane ticket belonging to a talent agency CEO. Time passes, and Satoru makes a name for himself as an actor. He gets a call from America. Hoping it is a Hollywood offer, he instead hears about his estranged older brother.
Brush of the God
His story follows a schoolgirl named Akari Tokimiya and the fantastical adventure which occurs when she visits the memorial service of her grandfather Kenzo, a master special effects man. She has unhappy memories of the old man and his passion projects, the last of which he died during the making of. At the memorial service, she meets classmate Takuya, a tokusatsu superfan, and a strange person named Hozumi, the star of the movie Kenzo was making when he died. Hozumi has with him a prop from the film, the titular “Brush of the God,” which transports Akari and Takuya into the world of the movie where they face fearsome Kaiju, including the legendary Yamata-no-orochi who is attempting to destroy everything. If they are to survive and get back to their homes, Akari and Takuya must find out the secret of the movie.
Breakfast of the Movie
Documentary on the legendary bento shop "Popeye," known to everyone in the film industry.
All About Lily Chou-Chou
Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of pop star Lily Chou-Chou.
Filmography
as Himself
as Takashi Shiomi
as Takashi Shiomi
as Himself
as Self - SFX Director
as Reporter
as Beefbowl Ushigoro (voice)
as Shinnosuke Higuchi
as No. 19
as Otaku
as Member B (voice)