Chiaki J. Konaka
Template:Short description Template:Infobox writer
Template:Nihongo is a Japanese writer and novelist. He was the head writer of anime series such as Serial Experiments Lain (1998), The Big O (1999–2003), Digimon Tamers (2001–02), Hellsing (2001–02), and Texhnolyze (2003), as well as the television drama Ultraman Tiga (1996–97).
Personal life
Konaka was born in Tokyo, Japan on 4 April 1961. His interest in filmmaking began at the age of 10, influenced by his parents' love for movies and the wide range of film genres he experienced as a child.<ref name="fjmovie" />
Konaka gave himself the middle initial "J", evoking the Christian name "John", due to him being born to parents who were members of the Anglican Church, but he does not identify as Christian. He began using the middle initial at the age of 12, when he started making 8 mm films, patterning the style after Western names such as Charles M. Schulz.<ref name="2015interview">Template:Cite web</ref> Following this, he received a camera of his own, and by middle school finished a film called Invader.<ref name="fjmovie">Template:Cite web</ref>
Upon entering Template:Ill, Konaka joined the school's film club where he met Makoto Tezuka who was his senior. His films during this period adopted largely science-fiction themes, and it wasn't until watching The Exorcist and The Legend of Hell House that he began to garner an interest in horror.<ref name="fjmovie" />
While working in special effects after graduating college, Konaka was offered his first scriptwriting job on Teruyoshi Ishii's 1988 Japanese horror film Template:Ill.<ref name="fjmovie" /> This served as a starting point for working on future projects.<ref name="fjmovie2">Template:Cite web</ref>
He has previously worked as a screenwriting instructor at Template:Ill.<ref name="alma" />
Artistry and themes
Konaka's serious works generally have a dark, psychological tone. As a Cthulhu Mythos writer, he tends to add Lovecraftian elements to his works.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="askjohn546">Template:Cite web</ref> He has cited Ghost Hound as his favorite screenwriting project.<ref name="2015interview"/>
The story-line of the early episodes of Digimon Tamers was based on one of the original scripts by Chiaki and Kazuya Konaka for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe in 1995 before the final draft by Kazunori Itō. Konaka brothers' plot was later used for Digimon Tamers and Gamera the Brave in 2006.<ref>Eiga Hiho (映画秘宝), 2021, Vol.April</ref><ref>Heisei Gamera Perfection (平成ガメラ パーフェクション), 2014, KADOKAWA/ASCII Media Works</ref><ref>Chiaki J. Konaka, 2018, という事をここに書いているのは、以前にも書いたけれど、テイマーズの1～3話は設定などは全然違うものの、小中兄弟版ガメラのエッセンスが濃厚に入っている。だからもしこの映画が成立していたら、テイマーズは生まれなかったとも言える。 Template:Webarchive, Twitter</ref>
Controversy
Template:Undue weight section In 2021, Konaka wrote a stage drama for Digimon Tamers' 20th anniversary that was performed at DigiFes 2021, an official Digimon event held annually on August 1. The drama featured the cast of the show being confronted by a physical manifestation of "political correctness" that uses "cancel culture" as an attack. This brought attention to his blog meant for retrospective commentary on Digimon Tamers, in which he also discussed conspiracy theories, and sparked international controversy among Internet Digimon circles.<ref name="ann 2021-08-04">Template:Cite news</ref> In response, Konaka posted a statement in English addressed to his overseas fans on August 8, 2021, to explain his circumstances<ref name="ann 2021-08-09">Template:Cite news</ref> and to apologize for triggering a divide among the fandom.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
List of works
Anime
- Air Gear: Series composition, script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Armitage III: Screenplay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Astro Boy (2003): Script (eps 1–3, 14)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The Big O: Screenplay, script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Birdy the Mighty: Screenplay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040: Screenplay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Catnapped!: Screenplay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Despera: Script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Devil Lady: Script (episodes 1–5, 8, 12, 18, 25–26), series composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Digimon Adventure 02: Scenario (episode 13)<ref name="Konaka">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Digimon Tamers: Series composition,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> script (episodes 1–3, 7, 13–14, 23–24, 34–35, 41, 44–45, 49–51)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Futari Ecchi: Script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Gasaraki: Script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- GeGeGe no Kitarō (1996): Script (Episode 89 only)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ghost Hound: Series composition, screenplay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- GR: Giant Robo: Series composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hellsing: Series composition, script (episodes 1–6, 8–9, 11–13)<ref name="interview">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Magic User's Club: Script (eps 2–6), novelization (1, 2, 5, 6)<ref name="Konaka"/>
- Malice@Doll: Script, original story<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Mononoke: Script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Parasite Dolls: Script<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Princess Tutu: Script (4, 9, 22, 23)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- RahXephon: Screenplay (episodes 11–12, 17–18, 24–25)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- RahXephon: Pluralitas Concentio: Screenplay<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Serial Experiments Lain: Miniseries composition, script<ref name="interview"/>
- Shadow Star: Series composition, script (eps 1–3, 12–13)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Texhnolyze: Series composition, script,<ref name="interview"/> scenario<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (episodes 1–4, 6, 12, 20–22)
- Undead Girl Murder Farce: Script (eps 5-8)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Vampire Princess Miyu: Script (ep 20)<ref name="Konaka"/>
Television dramas
- Ultraman: Towards the Future: Original story (episodes 4, 11)
- Ultraman Tiga: Screenplay (eps 3, 5–6, 9, 19–20, 25, 34–35, 43–44, 50–52)
- Ultraman Gaia: Series composition, screenplay (eps 1–3, 5, 10, 18, 26, 40, 42, 50–51)
- Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy: Screenplay (episodes 7, 24–25)
- Ultraman Max: Screenplay (eps 27, 29–30, 38–39)
Cthulhu Mythos
- Cthulhu's Strange Record
- Insumasu wo Oou Kage (a Japanese television adaptation of The Shadow Over Innsmouth)
- "Terror Rate", a short story included in Volume 2 of the Lairs of the Hidden Gods anthology (Kurodahan Press: Template:ISBN)
Novel
- Marebito (also screenplay of 2004 feature film)
Video games
- Serial Experiments Lain
- Kowloon's Curse<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>