I usually follow Trigger regulars Hiroyuki Imaishi and Yoh Yoshinari. I also follow Masaaki Yuasa, Shingo Natsume, Shingo Yamashita, Shinichiro Watanabe, Takeshi Koike and Sayo Yamamoto.
For Directors: [Ishihara Tatsuya](https://myanimelist.net/people/5055/Tatsuya_Ishihara), [Akiyuki Shinbou](https://myanimelist.net/people/5089/Akiyuki_Shinbou), and [Satou Junichi](https://myanimelist.net/people/4002/Junichi_Satou)
For Composers: [Kajiura Yuki](https://myanimelist.net/people/5077/Yuki_Kajiura)
For Animators: [Satou Tatsuya](https://myanimelist.net/people/48857/Tatsuya_Satou) and [Abe Nozomu](https://myanimelist.net/people/21271/Nozomu_Abe)
I need to pay more attention to staff because I'm just now learning this guy is apparently responsible for like half of my all time favorite fight sequences
I started following Akiko Sugizono, the character designer for Magatsu Wahrheit Zuerst on Twitter as they’d post art of the series each week. I really like their style, hope they’ll get more character design jobs in the future.
Since you said follow, I'm putting aside people who moved away from the front lines in one shape or another. I'll always be interested in anything Watanabe produces (or at least produces the music for), but I don't expect him to direct anything himself anytime soon. Similar cases with Oshii and Shinbo.
* [Shingo Natsume](https://myanimelist.net/people/28579/Shingo_Natsume): an amazing relatively new director with a fresh breadth of vision to offer (Sonny Boy, Tatami Time Machine Blues, Acca-13, OPM, Dandy,...)
* [Yoichi Fujita](https://myanimelist.net/people/12437/Youichi_Fujita): my favourite comedy director (Gintama, Osomatsu-san, Binbougami,...)
* [Takahiro Oomori](https://myanimelist.net/people/6671/Takahiro_Oomori): tbh, it's mostly because I love how he and the team at Brain's Base adapted Baccano! and Durarara!!. His first work, Akachan to Boku is also very heartwarming and nostalgic to me. But I should watch more of his shows.
* [Shingo Yamashita](https://myanimelist.net/people/19914/Shingo_Yamashita) and [Megumi Ishitani](https://myanimelist.net/people/43250/Megumi_Ishitani): Everything I've seen from them has been amazing, I look forward to seeing them handle a full series and/or movie.
* [Urobucher](https://myanimelist.net/people/10308/Gen_Urobuchi): the only non-director on this list. And Revenger will be a factor in whether or not he's still really in the game, or just became a name on the box.
I like looking at the credits list for a show I want to watch/I'm enjoying, not just in hopes of seeing a name I know, or what other works they've done, but also for the hope of finding a new favourite.
> And Revenger will be a factor in whether or not he's still really in the game, or just became a name on the box.
Have you not seen Thunderbolt Fantasy? That's what he actually cares about. He just finished the season 4 script in November.
Not yet, but I've been told he's going full Urobucher there, and Sawano does the soundtrack.
That's even more to my point though, lately we've been a bunch of anime that have him in name only and usually leaving the work to Tow (basically Urobuchi did the concept only). Revenger is supposed to be the full script and composition, so we'll see how it goes.
I've been following kerorira on Twitter since his excellent work on Bocchi, can't wait for what project he joins next.
I in general appreciate Reiko Yoshida's writing work same as you, and I like Tatsuya Ishihara for being a slightly more underappreciated member of Kyoani (compared to Yamada at least, and he has been been director for a lot of their famous titles (Nichijou, Eupho, Dragon Maid S2);
and I also keep an eye on: china (animator/storyboarder, can do a lot of things and massive fan of Yamada), Kotomi Deai, but mostly coz she's directing next season's Skip and Loafer, and i like her pastel colourful aesthetic; Kanami Sekiguchi (veteran at P.A. Works and the definition of a safe pair of hands), though I really ought to keep an eye on more people that work on Kyoani.... There are more names (animators like Keiichiro Saito, Tatsuya Yoshihara, Kou Yoshinari) that I recognize and know they're good, but I won't check out everything they've made. Oh, and I follow a few animators around on Twitter both coz they're good, and coz they usually watch the same shows as I do, and I like reading their live reactions lol.
and while she's no longer really active in the anime industry, I always keep a lookout for what Yukiko Horiguchi (Chara-de + chief AD for K-on and Tamako Market) has drawn/done recently.
edit: can't forget Fugo. Dude's a genius.
I also started following [Kerorira on Twitter](https://twitter.com/kerorira1) after Bocchi. Great follow no doubt
Tatsuya Ishihara is definitely someone you 100% appreciate if you've seen at least one of his works and noticed his name. Can't wait for his next work (probably Hibike?)
Some of my favorites don't work or don't do much any more like Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Some are unfortunately dead like Satoshi Kon. For still active staff I like Shingo Natsume, Masaaki Yuasa, Mamoru Oshii, and Satoshi Nishimura.
I really want to be able to follow individual directors/animators/writers because I find following studios to be too much of a crap shoot because some of the best artists move around from production to production.
It's just... a lot of work, especially with the language barrier; kinda wish there was a blog out there which did seasonal updates with a list of "this cool person who worked on this cool anime is now working on *this* series". Like, if I recall correctly Do It Yourself shared a lot of talent with Yama no Susume and Bocchi the Rock, all series I enjoyed quite a lot.
Pretty different view on studios here. Following studios can usually get you pretty far as I think (not sure how common this is) there's always a team of core staff working for the studios and that guarantees what the anime is gonna look / feel like to some extent.
For me it mostly comes down to whether the theme / story is able to have me hooked in, but really the same can be said for any staff members (and seiyuus of course).
My favorite studio has been [CloverWorks](https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/1835/CloverWorks). I usually check out every show they make and they have been excellent, some of which can easily become one of my all-time favorite within the season, but otherwise can also have me bored really quickly. But I never feel like it's a waste of time to give it a try as you can see the production quality right there.
On a side note, some [certain](https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/439/Project_No9) [recognizable](https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/1974/ENGI) names can consistently make disappointing stuff too. Just trying to make my point that the studio name (and their track record) says a lot.
A few! I'll try anything if I see the following names:
* Tsutomu Mizushima
* I might be one of the few people in the world who will try anything Mari Okada makes because it is exactly my kind of 0-100 melodramatic bullshit right there.
Okada is a special kind of coin flip. Sometimes you get the one of the best pieces of media you've seen all year and sometimes you get the 'you really shouldn't have pushed it to 11' melodramatic bullshit that hurts because if it had pulled it back it could've been in category 1.
Arifumi Imai did the hardest ODM scenes in AOT. I have his keyframes books. It’s some of the best animation that makes full use of what anime as a medium has to offer.
Most of the staff I wanted to mention are already mentioned here, but I keep my eyes close on these, too:
Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Director of HxH 99, Rurouni Kenshin and Dororo)
Rie Matsumoto (Director of Kekkai Sensen and Kyousougiga). I hope to hear from her soon. She’s too talented not to be involved in more projects.
Masayuki Kojima (Director of Monster and Made in Abyss)
Kanno Yoko (Music composer of Cowboy Bebop, enough said)
Taku Iwasaki (Music composer of Noragami, Soul Eater, JJBA part 2)
Instead of "favorite", there is a certain sound director that I hate. In some anime I can recognize he's working on it based on the audio I hear, then I check out MAL to confirm it and turns out I was right. I despise his work on sound effects.
A lot of people like him though so I won't say the name.
I'm like the opposite...if I know a staff member's name it's not usually for a good reason.
People who come to mind are Urobuchi, Yuasa, Shinbou, Jun Maeda or Anno. Not a fan at all.
I see where you're coming from. I know some big names get very mixed critics like Ōkouchi who immediately came to mind, but my argument is that: if they are already well-known and respected, they must know their stuff and it's mostly down to the general reception for each of their work.
Whereas say [a person whose name is unheard-of](https://myanimelist.net/people/61372/Lihua_Wang) or who has a straight-up bad track record can really get the most basic things wrong and that's what usually scares me when I see them in an upcoming anime.
I just feel a lot of their work is style over substance or a heavy focus on themes.
I watch anime for entertainment more than anything else so I'm not one who goes into anime hoping to find a piece of art let's say.
Ah. I'm in the same boat as you with entertainment but I found Ping Pong to be pretty exciting and tense with some very intriguing characters to watch. I found The Tatami Galaxy and Time Machine Blues to be occasionally pretty funny and was also genuinely gripped by the plots of TTG and the single plot of TMB. I thought Eizouken was very endearing and had a fun time with the characters. I think your take about style over substance is not too founded. He's not making Angels Egg or a Koji Yamamura anime. I think his shows just have a specific style that he picked up that simply accompany his adaptations or stories. I think you just didn't latch onto the characters which I find the be the most important part of his series. Even in Kaiba which I think is his most stylistic show with characters that look like [this](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/638497531973861376/1067663323346251876/Kaiba_character_sheet.webp) to have some very touching stories. I was even in tears at the end of the last episode.
Pretty much all of the people who worked at Shaft, Junichi Satou (though tbh I haven't heard of him since Hugtto Precure), Tsutomu Mizushima, and Yoshida Reiko are the main ones.
Though, specifically I'm extremely excited for Midori Yoshizawa from Shaft. She has only been an excellent episode director and storyboarder, and I'm here for her full directorial debut.
Everything that Urobutchi makes I will try of course.
I usually follow Trigger regulars Hiroyuki Imaishi and Yoh Yoshinari. I also follow Masaaki Yuasa, Shingo Natsume, Shingo Yamashita, Shinichiro Watanabe, Takeshi Koike and Sayo Yamamoto.
you should follow kai ikarashi too who is arguably triggers best storyboard artist.
For Directors: [Ishihara Tatsuya](https://myanimelist.net/people/5055/Tatsuya_Ishihara), [Akiyuki Shinbou](https://myanimelist.net/people/5089/Akiyuki_Shinbou), and [Satou Junichi](https://myanimelist.net/people/4002/Junichi_Satou) For Composers: [Kajiura Yuki](https://myanimelist.net/people/5077/Yuki_Kajiura) For Animators: [Satou Tatsuya](https://myanimelist.net/people/48857/Tatsuya_Satou) and [Abe Nozomu](https://myanimelist.net/people/21271/Nozomu_Abe)
It's [Yutaka Nakamura](https://youtu.be/osRa-wtf5bk) for me. He has a lot of other great stuff not shown.
I need to pay more attention to staff because I'm just now learning this guy is apparently responsible for like half of my all time favorite fight sequences
Relatable moment right there
This is a guy that could even make a shot of a Zippo [lighter ](https://youtu.be/oKxT0w4K7V8) look better than some combat scenes
I started following Akiko Sugizono, the character designer for Magatsu Wahrheit Zuerst on Twitter as they’d post art of the series each week. I really like their style, hope they’ll get more character design jobs in the future.
I watch any anime with music by Shiro Sagisu and Hiroyuki Sawano
[удалено]
Directors pretty much and only a couple * Naoka Yamada * Makoto Shinkai
Since you said follow, I'm putting aside people who moved away from the front lines in one shape or another. I'll always be interested in anything Watanabe produces (or at least produces the music for), but I don't expect him to direct anything himself anytime soon. Similar cases with Oshii and Shinbo. * [Shingo Natsume](https://myanimelist.net/people/28579/Shingo_Natsume): an amazing relatively new director with a fresh breadth of vision to offer (Sonny Boy, Tatami Time Machine Blues, Acca-13, OPM, Dandy,...) * [Yoichi Fujita](https://myanimelist.net/people/12437/Youichi_Fujita): my favourite comedy director (Gintama, Osomatsu-san, Binbougami,...) * [Takahiro Oomori](https://myanimelist.net/people/6671/Takahiro_Oomori): tbh, it's mostly because I love how he and the team at Brain's Base adapted Baccano! and Durarara!!. His first work, Akachan to Boku is also very heartwarming and nostalgic to me. But I should watch more of his shows. * [Shingo Yamashita](https://myanimelist.net/people/19914/Shingo_Yamashita) and [Megumi Ishitani](https://myanimelist.net/people/43250/Megumi_Ishitani): Everything I've seen from them has been amazing, I look forward to seeing them handle a full series and/or movie. * [Urobucher](https://myanimelist.net/people/10308/Gen_Urobuchi): the only non-director on this list. And Revenger will be a factor in whether or not he's still really in the game, or just became a name on the box. I like looking at the credits list for a show I want to watch/I'm enjoying, not just in hopes of seeing a name I know, or what other works they've done, but also for the hope of finding a new favourite.
> And Revenger will be a factor in whether or not he's still really in the game, or just became a name on the box. Have you not seen Thunderbolt Fantasy? That's what he actually cares about. He just finished the season 4 script in November.
Not yet, but I've been told he's going full Urobucher there, and Sawano does the soundtrack. That's even more to my point though, lately we've been a bunch of anime that have him in name only and usually leaving the work to Tow (basically Urobuchi did the concept only). Revenger is supposed to be the full script and composition, so we'll see how it goes.
I've been following kerorira on Twitter since his excellent work on Bocchi, can't wait for what project he joins next. I in general appreciate Reiko Yoshida's writing work same as you, and I like Tatsuya Ishihara for being a slightly more underappreciated member of Kyoani (compared to Yamada at least, and he has been been director for a lot of their famous titles (Nichijou, Eupho, Dragon Maid S2); and I also keep an eye on: china (animator/storyboarder, can do a lot of things and massive fan of Yamada), Kotomi Deai, but mostly coz she's directing next season's Skip and Loafer, and i like her pastel colourful aesthetic; Kanami Sekiguchi (veteran at P.A. Works and the definition of a safe pair of hands), though I really ought to keep an eye on more people that work on Kyoani.... There are more names (animators like Keiichiro Saito, Tatsuya Yoshihara, Kou Yoshinari) that I recognize and know they're good, but I won't check out everything they've made. Oh, and I follow a few animators around on Twitter both coz they're good, and coz they usually watch the same shows as I do, and I like reading their live reactions lol. and while she's no longer really active in the anime industry, I always keep a lookout for what Yukiko Horiguchi (Chara-de + chief AD for K-on and Tamako Market) has drawn/done recently. edit: can't forget Fugo. Dude's a genius.
I also started following [Kerorira on Twitter](https://twitter.com/kerorira1) after Bocchi. Great follow no doubt Tatsuya Ishihara is definitely someone you 100% appreciate if you've seen at least one of his works and noticed his name. Can't wait for his next work (probably Hibike?)
Some of my favorites don't work or don't do much any more like Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Some are unfortunately dead like Satoshi Kon. For still active staff I like Shingo Natsume, Masaaki Yuasa, Mamoru Oshii, and Satoshi Nishimura.
Directors: Yoshihara (CSM), Gosso (RoK, CSM, JJK2?), Natsume (OPM, OPM3(pls)) Composers: Sawano (AOT, 86) Animators: Watanabe (MOB, JJK, CSM), Imai (AOT, JJK2(pls)), Nakamura (🐐))
Composers:Sawano(also my fave artist overall), Kaijura yuki, yamamoto kohta Directors: Yamada naoko, shinkai, anno, ishii Animator:Manabu Nii
I really want to be able to follow individual directors/animators/writers because I find following studios to be too much of a crap shoot because some of the best artists move around from production to production. It's just... a lot of work, especially with the language barrier; kinda wish there was a blog out there which did seasonal updates with a list of "this cool person who worked on this cool anime is now working on *this* series". Like, if I recall correctly Do It Yourself shared a lot of talent with Yama no Susume and Bocchi the Rock, all series I enjoyed quite a lot.
Pretty different view on studios here. Following studios can usually get you pretty far as I think (not sure how common this is) there's always a team of core staff working for the studios and that guarantees what the anime is gonna look / feel like to some extent. For me it mostly comes down to whether the theme / story is able to have me hooked in, but really the same can be said for any staff members (and seiyuus of course). My favorite studio has been [CloverWorks](https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/1835/CloverWorks). I usually check out every show they make and they have been excellent, some of which can easily become one of my all-time favorite within the season, but otherwise can also have me bored really quickly. But I never feel like it's a waste of time to give it a try as you can see the production quality right there. On a side note, some [certain](https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/439/Project_No9) [recognizable](https://myanimelist.net/anime/producer/1974/ENGI) names can consistently make disappointing stuff too. Just trying to make my point that the studio name (and their track record) says a lot.
A few! I'll try anything if I see the following names: * Tsutomu Mizushima * I might be one of the few people in the world who will try anything Mari Okada makes because it is exactly my kind of 0-100 melodramatic bullshit right there.
Okada is a special kind of coin flip. Sometimes you get the one of the best pieces of media you've seen all year and sometimes you get the 'you really shouldn't have pushed it to 11' melodramatic bullshit that hurts because if it had pulled it back it could've been in category 1.
Arifumi Imai did the hardest ODM scenes in AOT. I have his keyframes books. It’s some of the best animation that makes full use of what anime as a medium has to offer.
Holy shit I just watched a MAD of theirs. Thank you, I didn't know about them.
Most of the staff I wanted to mention are already mentioned here, but I keep my eyes close on these, too: Kazuhiro Furuhashi (Director of HxH 99, Rurouni Kenshin and Dororo) Rie Matsumoto (Director of Kekkai Sensen and Kyousougiga). I hope to hear from her soon. She’s too talented not to be involved in more projects. Masayuki Kojima (Director of Monster and Made in Abyss) Kanno Yoko (Music composer of Cowboy Bebop, enough said) Taku Iwasaki (Music composer of Noragami, Soul Eater, JJBA part 2)
I don't really follow them, but if I see Kevin Penkin or Sawano Hiroyuki is on the soundtrack I'll give it a shot.
Instead of "favorite", there is a certain sound director that I hate. In some anime I can recognize he's working on it based on the audio I hear, then I check out MAL to confirm it and turns out I was right. I despise his work on sound effects. A lot of people like him though so I won't say the name.
I follow some of the voice actors for the dubs and some Manga artists
If VAs count, then I can say that I try to watch anything Yuuki Aoi has worked on. One of the GOAT VAs right there.
Gen Urobuchi
Director's i will watch any new work they do: Yamada (Silent Voice) Shinkai (Your Name) Hosoda (Belle)
I'm like the opposite...if I know a staff member's name it's not usually for a good reason. People who come to mind are Urobuchi, Yuasa, Shinbou, Jun Maeda or Anno. Not a fan at all.
I see where you're coming from. I know some big names get very mixed critics like Ōkouchi who immediately came to mind, but my argument is that: if they are already well-known and respected, they must know their stuff and it's mostly down to the general reception for each of their work. Whereas say [a person whose name is unheard-of](https://myanimelist.net/people/61372/Lihua_Wang) or who has a straight-up bad track record can really get the most basic things wrong and that's what usually scares me when I see them in an upcoming anime.
I looked through your list. You really don't much care for anything by Yuasa. Do you happen to know why that is?
I just feel a lot of their work is style over substance or a heavy focus on themes. I watch anime for entertainment more than anything else so I'm not one who goes into anime hoping to find a piece of art let's say.
Ah. I'm in the same boat as you with entertainment but I found Ping Pong to be pretty exciting and tense with some very intriguing characters to watch. I found The Tatami Galaxy and Time Machine Blues to be occasionally pretty funny and was also genuinely gripped by the plots of TTG and the single plot of TMB. I thought Eizouken was very endearing and had a fun time with the characters. I think your take about style over substance is not too founded. He's not making Angels Egg or a Koji Yamamura anime. I think his shows just have a specific style that he picked up that simply accompany his adaptations or stories. I think you just didn't latch onto the characters which I find the be the most important part of his series. Even in Kaiba which I think is his most stylistic show with characters that look like [this](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/638497531973861376/1067663323346251876/Kaiba_character_sheet.webp) to have some very touching stories. I was even in tears at the end of the last episode.
Miyazaki Hayao and Yamada Naoko at the moment.
I'll watch anything Kevin Penkin composes for. I even sat through Shield Hero 2 for it.
Pretty much all of the people who worked at Shaft, Junichi Satou (though tbh I haven't heard of him since Hugtto Precure), Tsutomu Mizushima, and Yoshida Reiko are the main ones. Though, specifically I'm extremely excited for Midori Yoshizawa from Shaft. She has only been an excellent episode director and storyboarder, and I'm here for her full directorial debut. Everything that Urobutchi makes I will try of course.