is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Yuasa previously served as president of Science SARU, but stepped down from this role in 2020. Recognized for his idiosyncratic art style and directorial voice, Yuasa began his career as an animator on the landmark television series Chibi Maruko-chan (1990–1992) and Crayon Shin-chan (1992–present), before moving into directing with the feature film Mind Game (2004) and developing a cult appeal following. Yuasa spent much of the 2000s and early 2010s working in television directing, helming a trio of series, Kemonozume (2006), Kaiba (2008), and The Tatami Galaxy (2010), before releasing the crowdfunded short film Kick-Heart (2013). During the production of Kick-Heart, Choi proposed the establishment of Science SARU, and the resultant works created at the studio, combined with increased international distribution, led to mainstream breakout successes in the 2010s and saw Yuasa rise to prominence as one of Japan's foremost independent creators. At Science SARU, Yuasa focused on directing both television and feature film productions, starting with an episode of the American animated series Adventure Time (2014);, and continuing with Ping Pong the Animation (2014), The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017), Lu Over the Wall (2017), Devilman Crybaby (2018), Ride Your Wave (2019), Super Shiro (2019), Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! (2020), Japan Sinks: 2020 (2020),<ref name="ann-japansinks-announcement">{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-10-08/devilman-crybaby-masaaki-yuasa-helms-japan-sinks-novel-1st-anime-for-netflix/.152030|title=DEVILMAN crybabys Masaaki Yuasa Helms Japan Sinks Novel's 1st Anime for Netflix |work=Anime News Network|date=October 8, 2019|access-date=February 15, 2021|last=Pineda|first=Rafael Antonio|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215231432/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-10-08/devilman-crybaby-masaaki-yuasa-helms-japan-sinks-novel-1st-anime-for-netflix/.152030|archive-date=February 15, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> and Inu-Oh (2021). Yuasa's productions have won international critical acclaim, receiving awards from Annecy, the Japan Academy Film Prize, the Mainichi Film Awards, and the Japan Media Arts Festival. In recognition of his collective career accomplishments, he has been recognized by the Japanese government and received the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon, as well as the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Cabinet Minister Award for Media Fine Arts. Yuasa's latest project is the musical drama feature film Inu-Oh, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2021 and was released worldwide in August 2022. Early life Masaaki Yuasa was born on March 16, 1965 in Fukuoka, Japan. As a child, Yuasa liked animation, and as early as his kindergarten years found he could entertain classmates with his drawings. Despite pressure to abandon animation and move onto more serious interests as he grew to