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Katsuro Onoue

おのうえ かつろう

Onoue Katsuro

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-06-04 （Ichiki-Kushikino, Kagoshima, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
Tokusatsu director (special effects director), Director, VFX supervisor, Special effects technician, Special effects
Active Years
1985-
Affiliations
Tokusatsu Kenkyujo (Special Effects Laboratory), Toei Tokusatsu
Influenced By
Nobuo Yajima, Eiji Tsuburaya

Education

Saga Nishi High School
Country: Japan

Awards

Art Encouragement Prize (Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award)
2022
Work: Shin Ultraman
Organization: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Result: 受賞
Japan SF Award
2016
Work: Shin Godzilla
Category: 特別賞
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan (SFWJ)
Result: 受賞
VFX-JAPAN Awards
2013
Work: Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo
Category: CM、博展映像部門
Organization: VFX-JAPAN
Result: 優秀賞
VFX-JAPAN Awards
2023
Work: Shin Ultraman
Category: 劇場公開実写映画部門
Organization: VFX-JAPAN
Result: 優秀賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Shin Godzilla

2016 Tokusatsu / Kaiju film

A modern kaiju film depicting the emergence of a giant monster and the government's response. Onoue served as B-unit (special effects) director and oversaw practical effects.

disaster and government responsethreat of giant creaturesminiature and VFX integration

Shin Ultraman

2022 Tokusatsu / Superhero film

A contemporary reimagining of Japan's classic tokusatsu hero. Onoue participated as photography and special effects unit director/assistant director, deeply involved in practical effects production.

reexamining the hero archetypefusion of tokusatsu tradition and modern technology

Attack on Titan (live-action)

2015 Live-action action / Tokusatsu

Live-action adaptation of a popular manga. Onoue worked in the special effects unit, handling techniques for depicting giant creatures in live-action.

physicalization of giantsscale representation in live-action
Adaptations
  • [Film] Attack on Titan (live-action) (2015)

Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo

2012 Short film / Tokusatsu

A short tokusatsu film created as an exhibition/commercial piece. Onoue participated as assistant director and special effects coordinator, receiving acclaim for the visual work.

retro kaiju designminiature and live-action fusion

The Floating Castle

2012 Period drama (special effects)

Handled special effects direction for battle scenes in this period drama, supporting the historical scale through photography and effects.

historical reconstructioncombining location shooting with VFX

Shinkansen Daibakuha (2025)

2025 Action / Special effects (second unit)

A 2025 action release in which Onoue is credited as second-unit director (special effects), responsible for explosive setpieces and practical effects.

large-scale actionpractical explosive effects

Bibliography

  • Burst City (1982) - Art department
  • Terra Warrior ΨBOY (1985) - Special effects operator
  • Blue Swat (1994) - Debut as tokusatsu director (TV)
  • Gamera 3 (1999) - B-unit leader (special effects squad)
  • Shin Godzilla (2016) - B-unit director (special effects)
  • Shin Ultraman (2022) - Assistant director / Special effects photography
  • Shin Kamen Rider (2023) - Special effects unit director
  • Shinkansen Daibakuha (2025) - Second unit (special effects) director

Style & Themes

Literary Style
practical, efficiency-focused approach to special effectspursuit of realism by combining miniature work with digital VFXproducer-minded schedule management
Recurring Motifs
giant monstersminiature city destructionhybrid use of location shooting and VFX

Legacy

A practitioner who bridged practical production and digital VFX in Japan's contemporary tokusatsu scene. Recognized for contributions to works like Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman, he has influenced and mentored younger special effects staff.

In Popular Culture

  • Shin Godzilla's special effects approach influenced contemporary discourse on kaiju films.
  • The combination of practical shooting and digital processing in Shin Ultraman drew wide attention within special effects production circles.

Quotes

  • A schedule will stay on track if you complete the first day properly.
    Source: Interview / Dialogue (Uchusen vol.169) (2020)
  • I prioritize deciding what to cut to raise the overall quality of the work over doing what I personally want to do.
    Source: Interview (The Art of Shin Godzilla) (2016)

Trivia

  • Began working in the film industry after participating in student-made independent films.
  • Appeared as the lead 'cabbage man' in Akira Ogata's debut film 'Tokyo Hakusai Kansha' (credited anecdote).
  • Listed as blood type A in some sources (citation needed).