Masami Obari is anime’s answer to Russ Meyer. In other words, he is a director who loves big breasts. However, unlike Meyer, who must cast real women for his parts, Masami Obari also serves as a character designer, allowing him to craft his characters to his own liking.
His female characters are almost always well-endowed with large breasts that jiggle with every movement they make. His male characters usually have a scrawny, yet muscular, look. He also tends to favor sharp facial features, typically chins and noses, for all of his characters. Obari even does mecha designs for several series. As far as his directing goes, he regularly includes massive amounts of fan service and action.
Most anime fans either love Masami Obari or hate him. On the one hand, some fans love the campy style of a lot of his work and enjoy the massive amounts of fan service he places in his work, arguing that it is meant for fun and not to be taken seriously. On the other hand, other fans think his work, especially his more hentai oriented titles, demeans anime as a whole and gives it a bad name in the eyes of outsiders. They argue that it makes anime appear to be nothing more than an outlet for the desires of horny otaku.
Below is an alphabetical list of titles he’s been involved in and his role(s) in each work.
- Angel Blade (OAV) : Director, Original creator, Character Design, Planning
- Angel Blade Punish! (OAV) : Director, Original creator, Character Design
- Bastard!! (OAV) : Episode Director
- Battle Arena Toshinden (OAV) : Director
- Bubblegum Crisis (OAV) : Director (ep 5-6)
- Dancougar - Super Beast Machine God (TV) : Character Design, Mecha design
- Dangaioh (OAV) : Mecha design
- Dangaizer 3 (OAV) : Director
- Detonator Orgun (OAV) : Director
- Fatal Fury 2: The New Battle (OAV) : Character Design, Executive animation director
- Fatal Fury: Legend of the Hungry Wolf (OAV) : Character Design, Executive animation director
- Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture : Director, Character Design, Executive animation director
- Ginsou Kikou Audian (TV) : Series director, Character Design (Mecha)
- Gravion (TV) : Director, Original creator, Character Design, Mecha design
- Gravion Zwei (TV) : Director, Original creator
- Gunbuster (OAV) : Animation
- Iczer-One (OAV) : Mecha design
- Knight Hunters (TV) : Animation (OP)
- Machine Robo: Revenge of Chronos (TV) : Episode Director
- Macross II (OAV) : Animation (OP)
- Moldiver (OAV) : Animation (OP)
- Platinumhugen Ordian (TV) : Series director, Director, Mecha design
- Ranma ½: Nihao My Concubine (movie) : Key Animation
- Takegami - Guardian of Darkness (OAV) : Character Design
- Tekkaman Blade (TV) : Director, Character Design
- Viper GTS (OAV) : Director
- Virus Buster Serge (TV) : Director, Screenplay, Storyboard, Character Design
- Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer (OAV) : Director, Storyboard, Character Design, Chief animator