Munetaka Abe

Munetaka Abe (阿部 宗孝 Abe Munetaka) is a Japanese director and animator known for his Masami Ōbari inspired style of animation, and his collaborations with Obari on such series as Detonator Orgun, Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Inspector, Gundam Build Fighters, and Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. He's worked on every Brave series installment from Brave Express: Might Gaine onward, and was also part of Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen's staff, alongside former Studio OX members Tsuyoshi Nonaka, Asao Takahashi, and Shin Matsuo. While drawing a lot from Obari in terms of art style, Abe's style tends to use less exaggerated musculature, and more expressive character acting animation, which includes Transformers blinking to emphasize their emotion, and extreme close ups which actually show pupil-like optics.

He is notable for animating the transformation sequences in Beast Wars II, Beast Wars Neo, Robots in Disguise, Armada, and the transformations used before episodes in the Japanese release of Transformers Animated. He also animated most if not all of the 2D Transformer animation in Transformers: Energon, so if you enjoyed seeing those characters emote for once you have him to thank.

Animation director

Beast Wars II

• "The End of Starscream"
• "Emissary of the Fourth Planet"
• "Assemble, Thirty-Nine Warriors"
• "Farewell! Lio Convoy"

Beast Wars Neo

• "Mirage of the Sand"
• "Break Is a Predacon?"
• "Ship's Log"
• "Mysterious Beast Warriors!?"
• "Unicron Revived!?"
• "The Final Battle"
• "Graduation Ceremony!!"

Armada

• Japanese title sequence
• "Mortal Combat"

Energon

• "Energon Tower"

Animated

• Japanese title sequence

Cover Art

• S(uper) Car Robo 3 Kyodai Set <Clear Version>
• Legends Armada Starscream Super Mode
• Pioneer's Transformers 2010 Instruction booklet
• Transformers: Legends of the Microns Volume 1-13
• Transformers: Galaxy Force DVD "Memories of Transformers" booklet art
• Transformers Song Universe
• Transformers Music Matrix
• Transformers Theme Song DVD ~Transformers Music Matrix 30th Anniversary Ver.~
• Transformers Song Masterpiece

Notes

• He is perhaps the most prevalent Transformers animator, having worked on six TV series in total.
• As a result of animating Armada Starscream's sacrifice in the episode "Cramp", Munetaka Abe was brought on by Takara Tomy to illustrate Legends Starscream Super Mode's box art.

Gallery

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Extended Munetaka Abe gallery

External links

• Munetaka ABE at Anime News Network
• Munetaka Abe's Twitter feed
• Munetaka Abe's animation on Sakugabooru