With a career spanning decades, Mitsuru Hongo demonstrates that versatility is not at odds with narrative solidity. From the childish antics of Crayon Shin-chan to the meticulous world-building in Ascendance of a Bookworm, this director has known how to adapt his style to every genre. His ability to prioritize clarity and coherence makes him a reliable craftsman, capable of changing registers without losing control of the story.
The technical engine behind a seamless narrative 🎬
Hongo does not seek to revolutionize animation, but rather to use its tools with surgical precision. In Ascendance of a Bookworm, the slow pace and attention to detail in the book-making processes elevate the experience. His direction avoids excessive shots, betting on a functional staging that guides the viewer. In contrast, with Shin-chan, he speeds up the tempo and uses comic repetition as a resource. This ability to modulate the visual language according to the original material is his greatest technical strength.
From pooping with Shin-chan to building medieval libraries 📚
One might think that going from directing a five-year-old obsessed with his buttocks to an epic about a girl who just wants to read books is a death-defying leap. But Hongo does it with the naturalness of someone changing channels. The same director who choreographed Shin-chan's Ultimate Cannon is the one who makes you get emotional over the crafting of a rudimentary notebook. If that's not versatility, then I don't know what is.