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Manga Impact
editManga Impact: The World of Japanese Animation, 6 December 2010, ISBN 978-0714857411; pg 262;
Yamashita Ikuto (born in 1965 in Gifu) is renowned for his contributions to mecha design, the giant fighting robot icons of Japanese animation. Apart from his striking original work on Sento Yosei Yukikaze (Yukikaze, 2002, dir. Okura Masahiko), he has contributed to Gainax productions including Fushigi no Umi no Nadia (The Secret of Blue Water, 1990, dir. Anno Hideaki) and the landmark television series, Shinseiki Evangelion (Neon Genesis Evangelion, 1995, dir. Anno Hideaki.)
His mecha designs employ a complex, sinuous shape echoing human physical anatomy, while at the same time reflecting cutting-edge technologies, car design and even lizard and dinosaur anatomy. In this, Yamashita shifts away from the kabuto styling of blocky, samurai armour-inspired mecha, found in manga such as Tetsujin 28-go (1956).
Maeda Mahiro's Angel designs in Evangelion are the perfect counterpoint to Yamashita's mecha. Both are stunning and elegant but also deadly, reflecting not only the murderous beauty of nature, but also futuristic technologies and alien science. These two creative visions combine with Anno Hideaki's conceptual framework to create one of the most memorable and important anime of the past twenty years.
D.S. [David Surman]
--Gwern (contribs) 19:48 23 December 2011 (GMT)