MIND GAME

YUASA Masaaki

Born in Fukuoka, Japan. He graduated from Kyushu Sangyo University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Fine Arts, and participated in “Chibi Maruko-chan” and “Crayon Shin-chan” TV animation series. He also worked on the film series of "Crayon Shin-chan.”

His feature film directorial debut was “MIND GAME” released in 2004, which won the Grand Prize in the Animation Division of the 8th Japan Media Arts Festival, Noburo Ofuji Award for the 59th Mainichi Film Awards, and six other awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay at 2005 Fantasia International Film Festival. He also directed animated TV series “The Tatami Galaxy” and “Ping Pong the Animation.”

In 2013, he launched Science SARU Inc. with Eunyoung Choi. Since then, he has directed, written, and storyboarded an episode of the animated television series “Adventure Time,” which was nominated for Best Direction TV/Media at the 42nd Annie Awards, and won the Best Animation of the Year at the 41st Japan Academy Awards for the animated feature film “The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl.”

He won the Crystal Prize, the highest award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, for his work on “Lu over the wall,” and has also worked on the Netflix animated series "DEVILMAN crybaby.”

In 2020, he left Science SARU at the end of the animated TV series "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!" In 2021, he was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon. In the same year, the animated film “Inu-Oh” was selected for the Orizzonti section at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, and after its release in Japan the following year, it was nominated for the 80th Golden Globe Award for Best Feature Animated Film and the 50th Annie Award for Best Animated Feature-Independent.

In February 2025, ame pippin, Inc. was established.