Akio Watanabe

Akio Watanabe (渡辺 明夫, Watanabe Akio, born July 27, 1969 in Tokyo) is a Japanese animator, illustrator, character designer, animation supervisor, anime director, and dōjin artist who is a member of the circle Pokopii (ぽこぴー).[1][2] His pseudonym is Poyoyon♥Rock (ぽよよん♥ろっく). As an animator, he has been working with Akiyuki Shinbo for a long time before he became a mainstay at Shaft. His representative works include key animation for Popotan and character design for Nurse Witch Komugi, The SoulTaker, and the Monogatari series, for which he also served as chief animation director. His characters are often drawn wearing a translucent green bracelet.

Works

Under the name Akio Watanabe

Anime

• Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko (character design)
• The SoulTaker (character design)
• Nurse Witch Komugi (character design)
• Magical Canan (character design)
• Hoshizora Kiseki (director, script, character design, storyboard, animation direction, color design)
• Bakemonogatari (chief animation director, character design)[3]
  • Nisemonogatari (chief animation director, character design)
  • Nekomonogatari (Kuro) (animation director, character design)
  • Monogatari Series Second Season (animation director, character design)
  • Hanamonogatari (character design)
  • Tsukimonogatari (animation director, character design)
• The World God Only Knows (character design)
• Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream (original character design)
• Etotama (original character design)
• Zaregoto (character design)[4]
• Fireworks (character design)[5]
• Higurashi When They Cry - Gou (character design)

Computer games

• Zutto Issho (animation director, character design)
• L no Kisetsu
• Missing Blue
• Grisaia no Kajitsu (character design)

Others

• Hoshiiro Drop (cover art)[6]

• 22/7 (original character design for Yuki Tojo)

Under the name Poyoyon♥Rock

Anime

• Djibril – The Devil Angel (episode 2 opening movie)
• Netrun-mon
• Popotan (character design)

Computer games

• Let's Fish! Hooked On
• Court no Naka no Tenshi-tachi
• Popotan
• To Heart 2 (opening movie)
• Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos (character design; for some characters)
• Queen's Gate: Spiral Chaos (character design; for some characters)
• Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed (character design)

Trading Card Games

• Aquarian Age

Others

• Saitama O157 prevention campaign poster
• "Moe Loan" Ron-tan (Livedoor Credit)
• "Akiba Kei SNS 'Filn'" Mascot characters Fil and Fal

References

1. 伊藤真広、村中宣彦（編）、2006、「【プロ作家】→【同人名義】データベース」、『ゲームラボ特別編集「現代視覚文化研究」』、三才ブックス ISBN 4-86199-061-0 p. 191
2. https://web.archive.org/web/20130624205558/http://poyo.chu.jp/profile.htm
3. 「渡辺あきお☓桃井はるこ対談」 『Rolling Stone (ローリング・ストーン) 日本版 2013年 05月号』 セブン&アイ出版 pp.44-47
4. Green, Scott. "'Zaregoto' OVA Cast, Staff, Themes and Character Designs Published". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
5. "Japanese Film 'Fireworks' Finds Distributors Around the World". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
6. "星色ガールドロップ　コミックアンソロジー｜書籍｜竹書房 -TAKESHOBO-". www.takeshobo.co.jp. Retrieved 2020-01-06.

External links

• Akio Watanabe on Twitter
• Poyoyon♥Rock on Pixiv
• Sukumizu Pettan (in Japanese)
• Akio Watanabe at Anime News Network's encyclopedia