Since 1975
  • facebook
  • twitter

Japanese illustrator sets his mark in the anime production industry

Tenjin’s art style brings a realism to some of anime's most iconic mecha properties, which among them most notably includes The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and its many sequels. (Supplied)
Tenjin’s art style brings a realism to some of anime's most iconic mecha properties, which among them most notably includes The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and its many sequels. (Supplied)
Short Url:
07 Sep 2020 04:09:29 GMT9
07 Sep 2020 04:09:29 GMT9

Amin Abbas Dubai

Japanese mechanical illustrator and designer Hidetaka Tenjin began his drawing career at the age of three and has since become a renowned professional artist in Japan’s anime production and plastic model kit industry.

Tenjin’s art style brings a realism to some of anime’s most iconic mecha properties, which among them most notably includes The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and its many sequels.

Bandai and HASEGAWA, two of Japan’s top model kit manufacturers, routinely work with Tenjin and showcase his artwork on their retail products, such as the widely popular Master Grade Gundam model kit series. Tenjin’s expertise also expands beyond anime-related titles. Most recently, he has illustrated box art for Bandai’s newest line of Star Wars vehicle and character model kits. 

Tenjin takes an active role in his mechanical design art and has worked on many high profile projects in the last decade, including Macross Zero, Macross Frontier, Macross Frontier: The False Diva, Macross Frontier: The Wings of Farewell, , Macross Delta,Hellsing Ultimate, Knights & Magic, SAINT SAIYA LEGEND of SANCTUARY, Genisis of Aquarion and Aquarion Evol. Tenjin continues to be an integral part of the Macross franchise.

Tenjin told Arab News Japan he enjoys “the roughness and simple beauty of Japanese anime and manga.  I enjoy a lot of anime, but there is one that changed my life, which is called The Super Dimension Fortress Macross.”

“As for manga, I enjoy a lot of different manga, too, but my favorite is ‘AREA 88.’ The manga gives a detailed account of the Middle East. Now that I think of it, it wasn’t until I read this manga that I became aware of the Middle East,” he added.

Tenjin explained that he established his career in 2001 after he worked on a Sci-Fi robot anime, which was about nature, gods and extraterrestrials like Macross Zero. The animation took four years for him to complete.

“Until then, when I worked on showing single pictures, I would always focus on showing them for a long period of time like I would the box drawings on plastic models. With animation, however, I usually spent less than a second. I began to think seriously about what and how I wanted to show and communicate in those situations,” he told Arab News Japan.

Hidetaka Tenjin recently released a special book for Star Wars series called STAR WARS: The Box Artistry of HIDETAKA TENJIN. The book features box arts of his designs, along with comments for each work and talks with the BANDAI SPIRITS development staff.

Speaking of his artwork book, Tenjin said: “In 2018, my 20th anniversary art book ‘Heaven’ came out. It carried most of my previous works such as: Gundam, Votoms, Dougram, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac and various game packages. In June 2020, the STAR WARS art book that I drew for BANDAI SPIRITS came out and I’d like everyone to see all the 70 meticulous illustrations in it.”

Tenjin said he is currently working on a mechanical design for an animation set to air next year.

Most Popular
Recommended

return to top