Pocket Monster: Sun & Moon Main Staff Revealed

[JacobYBM]

The official TV Toukyou website revealed the main staff for Pocket Monster: Sun & Moon. There's some big changes in store.

Tomiyasu Daiki (storyboard artist for several XY episodes and The Origin Episode #4) will take over as series director, but Yuyama Kunihiko remains as the chief director. Hiro'oka Toshihito passes the role of character designer to Nakano Satoshi and Yasuda Shuuhei. Nakano was the action animation supervisor for The Origin Episode #4. Tomioka Atsuhiro passes the role of series composition (basically, the head writer role) over to Matsui Aya. Matsui Aya held the same role for Dragon Ball GT and wrote many early episodes of Pokemon. It's so sad to see Tomioka leave. When he took over the role beginning with Diamond & Pearl Episode #1 he really helped turn the franchise around. It makes sense that XY & Z was going to be his big finale. He's written a lot of episodes for it has been busy writing for Dragon Ball Super, One Piece and Gyakuten Saiban this year, too. It's such a shame.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I am a bit worried with the change in head writer. Tomioka has done really great work for the series and while I'm sure he's busy with those other projects, I was hoping that he'd stay in the staff. I haven't heard much of Matsui Aya before, but looking through Bulbapedia, she did write quite a few good episodes in AG and DP in particular. She only did two episodes in XY from what I can tell, but hopefully she's be able to do a good job as the head writer too.

 

[Silktree]

Tomioka's time was up. I find his work overrated.

 

[ehh123]

I looked up Aya Matsui's work. In addition to those episodes, her experience for Pokemon is also writing all three Mystery Dungeon specials and at least two Pikachu shorts. She also did the screenplay for the Professor Layton movie and was the head writer for what seems like every season of the Tomagotchi anime.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

Doesn't matter whether there is staff changes or the same, the series looks like it is going to be the worst of the entire show in my opinion.

 

[Daren]

Aya Natsui has also worked on some Dr. Slump movies and various Dragon Ball series'.

 

[CrystaI]

For the Art Director and Color Keys, are they also different new people from any previous saga? Because the SM animation is also too much different from any of the past series.

 

[Necrozma]

For the Art Director and Color Keys, are they also different new people from any previous saga? Because the SM animation is also too much different from any of the past series.

Noriyuki Yoshino (color keys) is not one of the new staff, they have worked on both BW and XY.

Masatoshi Muto (the new art director) has also worked on many of the previous movies.

Bigger changes (in my opinion) are the character designers, one of which has seemingly only worked on episode 4 of Pokemon Origins and the other one seems to be brand new as I can't find any information of him having worked on Pokemon episodes/movies prior to SM.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

I am a bit worried with the change in head writer. Tomioka has done really great work for the series and while I'm sure he's busy with those other projects, I was hoping that he'd stay in the staff. I haven't heard much of Matsui Aya before, but looking through Bulbapedia, she did write quite a few good episodes in AG and DP in particular. She only did two episodes in XY from what I can tell, but hopefully she's be able to do a good job as the head writer too.

Knowing she seems to have a decent track record in AG and DP gives me some hope.

 

[JacobYBM]

For the Art Director and Color Keys, are they also different new people from any previous saga? Because the SM animation is also too much different from any of the past series.

Art director refers to background art and design, not animation.

 

[Hidden Mew]

Knowing she seems to have a decent track record in AG and DP gives me some hope.

Yeah, I was worried at first when Anime News Network only listed her work on the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon specials as her experience with the franchise, but seeing her write some pretty good episodes from my two favorite series, made me happy. She did also write Sawyer vs. Tierno, which was one of the best episodes in the Kalos League that I've seen so far, so that's promising. It's just surprising that she would become the head writer after doing so little for the past couple of series. She only did two episodes for XY and none for BW.

 

[LuxrayOfTheWild]

Yeah, I was worried at first when Anime News Network only listed her work on the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon specials as her experience with the franchise, but seeing her write some pretty good episodes from my two favorite series, made me happy. She did also write Sawyer vs. Tierno, which was one of the best episodes in the Kalos League that I've seen so far, so that's promising. It's just surprising that she would become the head writer after doing so little for the past couple of series. She only did two episodes for XY and none for BW.

That's a plus. I liked that episode and knowing she didn't do anything bad in BW is a bonus, so I think we might be in good hands this series.

 

[CrystaI]

Art director refers to background art and design, not animation.

Is there any information on the Animation Director for SM saga?

 

[ii kanji]

Omg no more Tomioka. Don't know how to react to this.
Tomioka did DP. But he also did BW and XY so.
Maybe he's a bit stale?
Can we trust the anime with someone else though?!?!?!?!?!??!!?!
But... we were all well hapz about Aya Matsui doing episodes in XY after her DP track record.
Plus, she's a woman so automatically better right?

 

[Shadao]

Aha Matsui is also the head writer of the Tomagotchi anime and Dragon Ball GT.

 

[JacobYBM]

Is there any information on the Animation Director for SM saga?

There is a separate animation director for every episode. They correct the layouts and key animation drawings. So far we know Iwane Masa'aki, Oohashi Aito and Nishiya Yasushi are returning. They are the three best animation supervisors on the series.

The chief animation supervisor is usually the character designer. I don't know Nakano's work well, but he was the action animation supervisor for The Origin #4, so he is trusted for specifically overseeing action shots.

 

[Silktree]

The fourth Origins episode had very good animation.

How good is the writing in Dragon Ball GT?

 

[JacobYBM]

The fourth Origins episode had very good animation.

How good is the writing in Dragon Ball GT?

Dragon Ball GT was all over the place and Series Director Kasai Osamu showed pretty much no idea of where he wanted to take the series. Matsui only wrote a few episodes and was no longer credited as head writer after Episode #50. In fact, Episode #51-64 have no head writer.

 

[Hidden Mew]

I've never heard quite the best things about GT, but I'm also not too familiar with the Dragon Ball franchise in general. She also only wrote eleven episodes according to ANN. I'm not sure how much we could get of her writing quality given that and all of the problems I've heard that GT had over the years.

This is the list of episodes she has written for Pokemon though: Category:Episodes written by Aya Matsui - Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia

I should have brought that link before instead of just going off of my memory before. I do like the majority of episodes listed there. There are a few that I didn't care for too much, mainly a few of the early AG episodes, but not too many episodes there that I'd call flat out bad and her most recent work in XY is still a good sign. She was also involved with writing a really good comedy filler episode in AG, which is a promising sign as well given the emphasis on comedy with the trailers for this series.

It also took way too long for it to hit me that this is the first time that the Pokemon anime has a female head writer. That's pretty neat, especially when it is difficult for women to break through in the entertainment industry in general. Hopefully it works out for both her and the show.

 

[Arceus the Dragon]

It also took way too long for it to hit me that this is the first time that the Pokemon anime has a female head writer. That's pretty neat, especially when it is difficult for women to break through in the entertainment industry in general. Hopefully it works out for both her and the show.

Doubt it. Show seems to going down hill since Unova.