Shōji Kawamori

Shōji Kawamori
Taken during the 14th edition of Japan Expo in 2013 organised at the 'Parc de expositions of Villepinte near Paris in France
Born (1960-02-20) February 20, 1960
NationalityJapanese
Other namesEiji Kurokawa
Occupation(s)Anime creator
Producer
Screenwriter
Visual artist
Mecha designer
EmployerSatelight
Known forMacross
Diaclone
The Vision of Escaflowne
Robotech (Macross Saga)
Transformers toyline

Shōji Kawamori (河森 正治, Kawamori Shōji, born February 20, 1960) is a Japanese animation creator and producer, screenwriter, visual artist, and mecha designer. He is best known for creating the Macross mecha animated franchise and the Diaclone toyline, which were in turn the basis for the Robotech and Transformers franchises, respectively. He is also known for creating The Vision of Escaflowne anime series. He pioneered several innovative concepts in his works, such as transforming mecha (including the VF-1 Valkyrie in Macross and Optimus Prime in Transformers) and virtual idols (including Lynn Minmay and Sharon Apple in the Macross franchise). His work has had a significant impact on popular culture, both in Japan and internationally.