Kenichi Shirai

Kenichi Shirai, yeah, he's one of those names anime fans will randomly drop in conversation like you’re just supposed to know—because, honestly, you probably should. He made his mark with “Berserk: Ougon jidai-hen III - Kourin” back in 2013, and if you’ve seen it, you know it’s not exactly a Sunday morning cartoon. That’s a film where swords are sharp, emotions are sharper, and no one gets out clean. The Golden Age Arc stuff is brutal—betrayal, monsters, all the existential crisis you could ask for, packed into a dark fantasy world that’s more grim than most horror flicks. Fast forward to “Mononoke Movie: Paper Umbrella” in 2024, and Shirai’s still at it, this time dipping his toes into the supernatural. The Mononoke series is sort of a cult classic, with weird spirits, trippy visuals, and a Medicine Seller who’s basically the world’s most mysterious traveling exorcist. “Paper Umbrella” leans into those vibes, taking the bizarre folklore and putting it front and center. It’s not just your standard ghost story—think more like psychological horror with a splash of surrealism. The way Shirai handles all the tension, the mood swings, and that weirdly beautiful art style, just hits different. Honestly, Shirai’s work doesn’t pull any punches. You get stories that stick with you, visuals that mess with your head, and characters you remember—maybe not always fondly, but you remember them. If you’re into anime that isn’t afraid to get a little weird, a little dark, and a whole lot stylish, his movies are basically required viewing.