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Sunao Katabuchi

Sunao Katabuchi

Director and writer · Born August 10, 1960 (66) · Hirakata, Osaka, Japan

Sunao Katabuchi is a Japanese animation director, screenwriter, and storyboard artist. He is director of Contrail Co. Ltd. He has been a part-time lecturer at Nihon University College of Art since 2006, and a Project Professor at the college of Art of at the same university since 2018.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 10, 1960 (66)
From
Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Works as
Director and writer
Titles
11 on MovieCove · 34 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

What are Sunao Katabuchi's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
38%
Self
38%
Society
11%
Ideas
8%
Survival
6%
Friendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 3 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 2 · Serious 0 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 0 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 1 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Joyful
3
Thrilling
2
Melancholic
1
Contemplative
2
Other
2

How their films linger

Feel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sunao Katabuchi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Crunchyroll (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sunao Katabuchi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

34 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • FukuFuku Map (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Sherlock Hound: The Movie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Writer

  • A Balance(2020)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Borderless Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Script

  • In This Corner of the World(2016)

    Director · Screenplay · Sound Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hereafter With You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Storyboard

  • Flowers Will Bloom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Black Lagoon: Roberta's Blood Trail (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Show 5 episodes · Director

  • Mai Mai Miracle(2009)

    Director · Screenplay · as Man with Cart (voice)

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Black Lagoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 24 episodes · Director · Screenplay · Series Composition · Series Director · Storyboard Artist · Writer

  • Rockman Zero3 CM (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Director

  • Tweeny Witches (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 40 episodes · Writer

  • Monster(2004)

    Show 4 episodes · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Gunslinger Girl(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • Rockman Zero2 CM (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Director

  • Chobits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Storyboard Artist

  • Princess Arete (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Screenplay

  • World Masterpiece Theater Complete Edition: Lassie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director

  • Cardcaptor Sakura (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Cardcaptor Sakura(1998)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · Storyboard Artist

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Upon This Planet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 2 episodes · Storyboard Artist

  • The Legend of Zorro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Storyboard Artist

  • Famous Dog Lassie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 25 episodes · Director · Series Director · Storyboard Artist

  • Memories(1995)

    Technical Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Street Fighter: The Animated Series(1995)

    Show 13 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all shows

  • Kiki's Delivery Service(1989)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 65 episodes · Director

  • Sherlock Hound: Mrs. Hudson Is Taken Hostage / The White Cliffs of Dover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    Screenplay

  • The Blinkins: The Bear and the Blizzard(1987)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sherlock Hound(1984)

    Show 26 episodes · Assistant Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • Sherlock Hound: The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle / Treasure Under the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Screenplay

  • Rusty House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director · Writer

  • The Mourning Children: Nagiko and the Girls Wearing Tsurubami Black (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Original Story · Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 34 titles, 33 of them dated from 1982 to 2026.

Biggest box office

In This Corner of the World (2016)

$19M worldwide

Highest rated

In This Corner of the World (2016)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Cardcaptor Sakura (1998)

Film career

  • 2009Screen debut· Mai Mai Miracle

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 34: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting22 of 34: 10 only directing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thWriting13 of 34: 4 only writing, 9 with another roleProducing1 of 34: 1 only producing, 0 with another roleOther crew13 of 34: 6 only other crew, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score94th

34 titles, 13 with more than one role — directing and other crew overlap on 6 of them.

By decade

1980s7 · crew1990s8 · crew2000s10 · 1 acting · 10 crew2010s5 · crew2020s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Sunao Katabuchi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 87th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Reach · how many have seen their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 3

Midcredits score across 11 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 11 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · director

The Blinkins: The Bear and the Blizzard (1987)

87th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer

In This Corner of the World (2016)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 80/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 84, detractors 65. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Sunao Katabuchi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sunao Katabuchi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Kashiko Kimura shares the most, 2.

Editors

Producers