Mari Okada (Japanese: 岡田 麿里, Hepburn: Okada Mari, born 23 April 1976) is a Japanese screenwriter, director and manga artist. She is one of the most prolific writers currently working in the anime industry. She won the 16th Animation Kobe Award.[2]

Mari Okada
岡田 麿里
Okada at the 2011 Anime Festival Asia
Born (1976-04-23) April 23, 1976 (age 48)[1]
Occupation(s)Screenwriter, director

Among her credits, Okada is best known for her writing and producing work on acclaimed anime series and films, including Toradora!, Anohana, Gosick, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou, Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms, and her original manga series and its anime adaptation O Maidens in Your Savage Season.

Early life

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Okada was born in Chichibu, Saitama. She has stated that she was often bullied at school and was thus truant to deal with social anxiety.[3] She would consequently spend most of her time alone at home writing stories. She believes that it gradually helped with her anxiety and resocializing. She has also stated that no one in her life "had high hopes for her" and that, as a senior, she was repeatedly told that she “would not survive in the real world.”[4] She went on to enroll at the Tokyo Amusement Media School to study entertainment industry and game design.

Career

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Through her studies, Okada developed a passion for screenwriting, but found it difficult to take it seriously as a profession due to her social anxiety. Her earliest jobs included creating scenarios for direct-to-video pornography and transcribing interviews for a magazine. It was through this latter job that she met Tetsurō Amino, who asked her to contribute some of her ideas for the plot of DT Eightron. She went on to write the script for five episodes, and the connection with Amino helped in kickstarting her career. Okada pitched an idea for her first original anime, based on her experience. The screenplay was unpublished, but several elements of it would be used in some of her works. After several years, her reputation within the industry had grown considerably, with the screenplay for numerous successful series. Okada wrote the script for her directorial debut anime film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms.[5] It was well received by critics and was awarded the prize for best animated film at the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival.[6]

Works

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Manga

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Television

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Original video animation

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Anime films

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Live-action films

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References

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  1. ^ 『さよ朝』で初監督に挑戦の岡田麿里。自身の脚本に思わず「あー、ムカつく!」 [Mari Okada makes her directorial debut with "Sayoasa". She can't help but say to her own script, "Oh, this is so annoying!]. Shueisha News (in Japanese). Shueisha. 3 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  2. ^ "ANIME NEWS: Mari Okada wins Kobe Animation Award - AJW by the Asahi Shimbun". Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013
  3. ^ "Mari Okada: from teenage recluse to anime superstar". The Irish Times. 22 June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  4. ^ "How Mari Okada Went From Shut-In to Anime Director". Anime News Network. 6 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Interview: Mari Okada on Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms". Anime News Network. 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Winners of the 21st SIFF Golden Goblet Awards". www.siff.com. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Mari Okada, Forget Me Not's Emoto Launch New Manga". Anime News Network. 9 November 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  8. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (4 September 2024). "Anime Creator Mari Okada, Insomniacs After School's Makoto Ojiro Launch New Manga". Anime News Network. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  9. ^ 星野リリィ原作『おとめ妖怪 ざくろ』がTVアニメ化決定! 監督には今千秋!!. Animate Times (in Japanese). 7 May 2010. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  10. ^ 桜庭一樹さんの『GOSICK』がTVアニメに! ヴィクトリカ役は悠木碧さん!!. Dengeki (in Japanese). 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Fractale Noitamina Anime with Kannagi's Yamakan Revealed (Updated)". Anime News Network. 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  12. ^ アニメ「放浪息子」はノイタミナで!2011年1月より放送. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Anohana Project with Toradora Team's TV Ad Streamed". Anime News Network. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  14. ^ スタッフ&キャスト [Staff & Cast]. hanasakuiroha.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Satelight's Aquarion Evol Anime Trailer Streamed". Anime News Network. 13 August 2011. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Black Rock Shooter TV Staff Revealed in New Promo Video". Anime News Network. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  17. ^ "New Lupin III TV Anime's Staff, Cast, Title Revealed (Updated)". Anime News Network. 7 March 2012. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  18. ^ "AKB48 Idol Group Gets 1st Anime on Air Next Spring (Updated)". Anime News Network. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Stranger Film's Ando Helms BONES' Zetsuen no Tempest Anime". Anime News Network. 10 June 2012. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  20. ^ "Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo Anime's Promo Streamed". Anime News Network. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Do your best! Lulurolo | NHK Anime World". Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  22. ^ "P.A. Works, Dengeki Daioh Make Nagi no Asu Kara Anime". Anime News Network. 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  23. ^ "Steins;Gate's Satō, anohana's Okada Make selector infected WIXOSS Anime". Anime News Network. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 17 June 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Sailor Moon's Sato, anohana's Okada, Macross' Kawamori Make M3 ~Sono Kuroki Hagane~ Anime". Anime News Network. 13 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  25. ^ "Rina Satou, Asuka Ōgame, Mikako Komatsu Star in Happy Cooking Graffiti Anime". Anime News Network. 9 August 2014. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  26. ^ "Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans Visuals, Staff, October 4 Premiere Announced". Anime News Network. 15 July 2015. Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Studio Trigger Reveals New Kiznaiver Original TV Anime". Anime News Network. 8 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  28. ^ "Girls & Panzer's Mizushima, Anohana's Okada Make Mayoiga TV Anime". Anime News Network. 28 December 2015. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  29. ^ "Shin Godzilla's Shinji Higuchi, Anohana's Mari Okada, BONES Make Modern Dragon TV Anime Hisone to Masotan". Anime News Network. 3 December 2017. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  30. ^ "Mari Okada, Nao Emoto's O Maidens in Your Savage Season Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. 30 November 2018. Archived from the original on 30 November 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  31. ^ "Mari Okada Joins Production of Tonko House's Oni CG Series (Updated)". Anime News Network. 11 September 2021. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  32. ^ "Koitabi ~True Tours Nanto~ | アニメーション制作会社P.A.WORKS公式HP". Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  33. ^ "Tamayura/Kaleido Star's Sato Makes Zetsumetsu Kigu Shōjo Amazing Twins Anime - News - Anime News Network". Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  34. ^ "VIDEO: Junji Nishimura and Mari Okada Team Up On Saga Prefecture Anime". Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  35. ^ "ポニーキャニオンが「佐賀県を巡るアニメーション」を制作。監督に西村純二、脚本協力として岡田麿里も参加 - 記事詳細|Anime Recorder|アニメレコーダー". 24 December 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  36. ^ "anohana Team Airs Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterun Da Film's Ad". Anime News Network. 22 January 2015. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  37. ^ "REVIEW: Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms". Anime News Network. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  38. ^ "Super Peace Busters Creative Team Unveil Sora no Aosa o Shiru Hito yo Original Anime Film". Anime News Network. 21 March 2019. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  39. ^ "Kimi dake ni Motetainda Anime's Teaser Reveals Cast, October Debut in Theaters". Anime News Network. 29 August 2019. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  40. ^ "Studio Colorido's Original Anime Film Nakitai Watashi wa Neko o Kaburu Opens on June 5". Anime News Network. 27 January 2020. Archived from the original on 10 October 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  41. ^ "Mari Okada, MAPPA's Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Kōjō Anime Film Reveals Cast, Story, Teaser, September 15 Debut". Anime News Network. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  42. ^ "Super Peace Busters Creative Team Reunite for New Original Anime Film Fureru". Anime News Network. 5 December 2023. Archived from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
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