Mari Okada

Early life

Okada was born in Chichibu, Saitama. She has stated that she was often bullied at school and was thus truant to deal with social anxiety. She would consequently spend most of her time alone at home writing stories. She has stated that her focus on art gradually helped her deal with her anxiety and resocializing. She added that no acquaintances in her life "had high hopes for her" and that she was repeatedly told that she "would not survive in the real world."

She went on to enroll at the Tokyo Amusement Media School to study entertainment industry and game design.

Career

Through her studies, Okada developed a passion for screenwriting, but found it difficult to take it seriously as a profession due to her social anxiety. Her earliest jobs included creating scenarios for direct-to-video pornography and transcribing interviews for a magazine. It was through this latter job that she met Tetsurō Amino, who asked her to contribute some of her ideas for the plot of DT Eightron. She went on to write the script for five episodes, and the connection with Amino helped in kickstarting her career. Okada pitched an idea for her first original anime, based on her experience. The screenplay was unpublished, but several elements of it would be used in some of her works.

After several years, her reputation within the industry had grown considerably, with the screenplay for numerous successful series. Okada wrote the script for her directorial debut anime film Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms. It was well received by critics and was awarded the prize for best animated film at the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival.

Works

Manga

• O Maidens in Your Savage Season (2016–2019; writer)
• Sistar Resistar (2024– ; collaboration with Makoto Ojiro)

Television

• DT Eightron (1998; screenplay, eps. 9, 15, 17, 20, 22)
• Angel Tales (2001; screenplay, eps. 1-13)
• Crush Gear Nitro (2003; screenplay, eps. 9, 17, 19, 30-31, 40-41, 48)
• Hamtaro (2003; screenplay, eps. 146, 152, 157, 165, 172, 177, 185, 191, 197, 202, 204, 208, 217, 223, 228, 233, 238-239, 243, 248, 255)
• Popolocrois (2003; screenplay, eps. 5, 9, 17, 20, 24)
• Diamond Daydreams (2004; screenplay, eps. 3-4, 7)
• Kyo kara Maoh! (2004; screenplay, eps. 5, 11-12, 17, 22, 28, 32, 39, 44, 47, 49, 52, 58, 61, 65, 70)
• Rozen Maiden (2004; screenplay, eps. 4, 8-9)
• Basilisk (2005; screenplay, eps. 3, 6, 12, 14, 16, 20)
• Canvas 2: Niji Iro no Sketch (2005; scenario, eps. 3, 5, 11, 14, 22)
• Animal Yokochō (2005; scenario, eps. 62, 66, 78, 92)
• Rozen Maiden: Träumend (2005; screenplay, eps. 4, 9, 11)
• Fate/stay night (2006; screenplay, eps. 4, 9, 12, 16, 20, 24)
• Aria – The Natural (2006; screenplay, eps. 9-10, 14, 23)
• Simoun (2006; screenplay, eps. 12-13, 15-16, 18, 20-21, 23-24)
• Sasami: Magical Girls Club (2006; series composition)
• Sasami: Magical Girls Club Season 2 (2006; series composition)
• Red Garden (2006; screenplay, eps. 5, 8, 13, 17-18, 21-22)
• Venus to Mamoru (2006; series composition)
• Sketchbook full color'S (2007; series composition)
• Kodomo no Jikan (2007; series composition)
• True Tears (2008; series composition)
• Vampire Knight (2008; series composition)
• Vampire Knight Guilty (2008; series composition)
• Toradora! (2008; series composition)
• Black Butler (2008; series composition)
• Kyo kara Maoh! 3rd Series (2008; screenplay, ep. 22)
• Canaan (2009; series composition)
• The Book of Bantorra (2009; series composition)
• Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor (2009; series composition)
• Black Butler II (2010; series composition)
• Otome Yōkai Zakuro (2010; series composition)
• Gosick (2011; series composition)
• Fractale (2011; series composition)
• Wandering Son (2011; series composition)
• Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011; series composition)
• Hanasaku Iroha (2011; series composition)
• Aquarion Evol (2012; series composition)
• Black Rock Shooter (2012; series composition)
• Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine (2012; series composition)
• AKB0048 (2012; series composition)
• Blast of Tempest (2012; series composition)
• The Pet Girl of Sakurasou (2012; series composition)
• AKB0048 next stage (2013; series composition)
• Ganbare! Lulu Lolo - Tiny Twin Bears (2013; screenplay, eps. 6-10, 21-23)
• Nagi no Asukara (2013; series composition)
• Selector Infected WIXOSS (2014; series composition)
• M3: The Dark Metal (2014; series composition)
• Selector Spread WIXOSS (2014; series composition)
• Gourmet Girl Graffiti (2015; series composition)
• Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015; series composition)
• Kiznaiver (2016; series composition)
• The Lost Village (2016; series composition)
• Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan (2018; series composition)
• Rinshi!! Ekoda-chan (2019; screenplay, ep. 2)
• O Maidens in Your Savage Season (2019; series composition, original creator)
• Oni: Thunder God's Tale (2022; screenplay)

Original video animation

• Dead Girls (2007; screenplay)
• Kodomo no Jikan: Anata ga Watashi ni Kureta Mono (2007; series composition)
• Kodomo no Jikan Nigakki (2009; series composition)
• Kodomo no Jikan: Kodomo no Natsu Jikan (2011; series composition)
• Rurouni Kenshin: New Kyoto Arc (2011; series composition)
• Koitabi: True Tours Nanto (2013; series composition)
• Zetsumetsu Kigu Shojo Amazing Twins (2014; series composition)
• Winter Oath, Summer Festival, Takeo Ōkusu (2016; screenplay)
• Cup's Promise, First Love of Arita (2016; screenplay)

Anime films

• Kaiketsu Zorori: Quest For The Mysterious Treasure (2006; screenplay)
• Cinnamon the Movie (2007; screenplay)
• Hanasaku Iroha: The Movie – Home Sweet Home (2013; screenplay)
• Kaiketsu Zorori: Uchu no Yusha-tachi (2015; screenplay)
• The Anthem of the Heart (2015; screenplay)
• Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018; director, screenplay)
• Her Blue Sky (2019; screenplay)
• Kimi dake ni Motetainda (2019; screenplay)
• A Whisker Away (2020; screenplay)
• Maboroshi (2023; director, screenplay)
• Fureru (2024; screenplay)

Live-action films

• My Teacher (2017; screenplay)
• Ankoku Joshi (2017; screenplay)
• The Flowers of Evil (2019; screenplay)

References

References

1. (March 3, 2018). Shueisha News. [[Shueisha]]. link
2. "ANIME NEWS: Mari Okada wins Kobe Animation Award - AJW by the Asahi Shimbun".
3. (June 22, 2018). "Mari Okada: from teenage recluse to anime superstar". [[The Irish Times]].
4. (September 6, 2017). "How Mari Okada Went From Shut-In to Anime Director". [[Anime News Network]].
5. (August 10, 2018). "Interview: Mari Okada on Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms". [[Anime News Network]].
6. "Winners of the 21st SIFF Golden Goblet Awards".
7. (November 9, 2016). "Mari Okada, Forget Me Not's Emoto Launch New Manga".
8. (September 4, 2024). "Anime Creator Mari Okada, Insomniacs After School's Makoto Ojiro Launch New Manga". Anime News Network.
9. link. (May 7, 2010)
10. link. (December 30, 2010)
11. (August 5, 2010). "Fractale Noitamina Anime with Kannagi's Yamakan Revealed (Updated)".
12. link. Natalie]]. Natasha, Inc.. (September 10, 2010)
13. (December 30, 2010). "Anohana Project with Toradora Team's TV Ad Streamed".
14. link
15. (August 13, 2011). "Satelight's Aquarion Evol Anime Trailer Streamed".
16. (November 3, 2011). "Black Rock Shooter TV Staff Revealed in New Promo Video".
17. (March 7, 2012). "New Lupin III TV Anime's Staff, Cast, Title Revealed (Updated)".
18. (October 17, 2011). "AKB48 Idol Group Gets 1st Anime on Air Next Spring (Updated)".
19. (June 10, 2012). "Stranger Film's Ando Helms BONES' Zetsuen no Tempest Anime".
20. (August 9, 2012). "Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo Anime's Promo Streamed".
21. "Do your best! Lulurolo | NHK Anime World".
22. (August 24, 2012). "P.A. Works, Dengeki Daioh Make Nagi no Asu Kara Anime".
23. (January 27, 2014). "Steins;Gate's Satō, anohana's Okada Make selector infected WIXOSS Anime".
24. (March 13, 2014). "Sailor Moon's Sato, anohana's Okada, Macross' Kawamori Make M3 Sono Kuroki Hagane Anime".
25. (August 9, 2014). "Rina Satou, Asuka Ōgame, Mikako Komatsu Star in Happy Cooking Graffiti Anime".
26. (July 15, 2015). "Mobile Suit Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans Visuals, Staff, October 4 Premiere Announced".
27. (October 8, 2015). "Studio Trigger Reveals New Kiznaiver Original TV Anime".
28. (December 28, 2015). "Girls & Panzer's Mizushima, Anohana's Okada Make Mayoiga TV Anime".
29. (December 3, 2017). "Shin Godzilla's Shinji Higuchi, Anohana's Mari Okada, BONES Make Modern Dragon TV Anime Hisone to Masotan".
30. (November 30, 2018). "Mari Okada, Nao Emoto's O Maidens in Your Savage Season Manga Gets TV Anime".
31. (September 11, 2021). "Mari Okada Joins Production of Tonko House's Oni CG Series (Updated)".
32. "Koitabi ～True Tours Nanto～ | アニメーション制作会社P.A.WORKS公式HP".
33. "Tamayura/Kaleido Star's Sato Makes Zetsumetsu Kigu Shōjo Amazing Twins Anime - News - Anime News Network".
34. "VIDEO: Junji Nishimura and Mari Okada Team Up On Saga Prefecture Anime".
35. (24 December 2015). "ポニーキャニオンが「佐賀県を巡るアニメーション」を制作。監督に西村純二、脚本協力として岡田麿里も参加 - 記事詳細｜Anime Recorder｜アニメレコーダー".
36. (January 22, 2015). "''anohana'' Team Airs ''Kokoro ga Sakebitagatterun Da'' Film's Ad". [[Anime News Network]].
37. (February 26, 2018). "REVIEW: Maquia - When the Promised Flower Blooms". [[Anime News Network]].
38. (March 21, 2019). "Super Peace Busters Creative Team Unveil Sora no Aosa o Shiru Hito yo Original Anime Film".
39. (August 29, 2019). "Kimi dake ni Motetainda Anime's Teaser Reveals Cast, October Debut in Theaters". [[Anime News Network]].
40. (January 27, 2020). "Studio Colorido's Original Anime Film Nakitai Watashi wa Neko o Kaburu Opens on June 5".
41. (May 21, 2023). "Mari Okada, MAPPA's Alice to Therese no Maboroshi Kōjō Anime Film Reveals Cast, Story, Teaser, September 15 Debut". [[Anime News Network]].
42. (December 5, 2023). "Super Peace Busters Creative Team Reunite for New Original Anime Film Fureru.". [[Anime News Network]].