Directed credits
23
Established
Strong directing catalog.
Director
Shinichiro Watanabe
Directing
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
1.9
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 11Directed series: 12All crew credits: 40
TMDB ID: 56342
IMDb ID: nm0913860
Known for: Directing
Born: May 24, 1965
Age: 61
Place of birth: Kyoto, Japan
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1985 - 2026
Years active: 42
Average TMDB rating: 7.36
Wikidata: Q723867
Also known as
Shinichirô Watanabe • Shinichirō Watanabe • Shin'ichirou WATANABE • Shin'ichirô Watanabe
Frequent jobs
Director (19)Series Director (4)Storyboard Artist (5)Writer (4)Music Producer (2)Characters (1)Creative Producer (1)Music Consultant (1)Production Assistant (1)Storyboard Designer (1)
Biography
Shinichiro Watanabe (渡辺 信一郎 Watanabe Shin'ichirō, born May 24, 1965) is a Japanese anime television and film director. He is best known for directing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful anime series Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, and Space Dandy. Watanabe is known for incorporating multiple genres into his anime creations. In Cowboy Bebop, for example, Watanabe blends classic cowboy western with 1960s/1970s New York City film noir, jazz/blues music, Hong Kong action movies, and sets the entire series in space. In his later work, Samurai Champloo, Watanabe unites the cultures of Okinawa, hip hop, modern-day Japan, and chanbara. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by Shinichiro Watanabe.
Edge of Time
Director
2025 Movie
TAISU PROJECT
Director
2024 Movie
A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot
Director
2022 Movie
Space Dandy : The Cosmic Compilation
Director
2014 Movie
Cowboy Bebop: Don't Bother None
Director
2012 Movie
Genius Party
Director
2007 Movie
Kid's Story
Director
2003 Movie
The Animatrix
Director
2003 Movie
A Detective Story
Director
2003 Movie
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Director
2001 Movie
Macross Plus: The Movie
Director
1995 Movie
Series
Directed Series
Series directed by Shinichiro Watanabe.
Lazarus
Series Director • 13 eps
2025 Series
To Be Hero
Series Director • 12 eps
2016 Series
Terror in Resonance
Director • 1 eps
2014 Series
Space Dandy
Series Director • 26 eps
2014 Series
Kids on the Slope
Director • 1 eps
2012 Series
Genius Party
Director • 1 eps
2007 Series
Samurai Champloo
Series Director • 26 eps
2004 Series
The Animatrix
Director • 2 eps
2003 Series
The Vision of Escaflowne
Director • 2 eps
1996 Series
Macross Plus
Director • 4 eps
1994 Series
Armor Hunter Merowlink
Director • 4 eps
1988 Series
Dirty Pair OVA
Director • 3 eps
1987 Series
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with Shinichiro Watanabe.
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Director
2001 Movie
The Animatrix
Director
2003 Movie
A Detective Story
Director
2003 Movie
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway
Storyboard Artist
2021 Movie
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
Writer
2017 Movie
Kid's Story
Director
2003 Movie
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with Shinichiro Watanabe.
Cowboy Bebop
Writer • 2 eps
1998 Series
Samurai Champloo
Series Director • 26 eps
2004 Series
The Vision of Escaflowne
Director • 2 eps
1996 Series
Terror in Resonance
Director • 1 eps
2014 Series
Ergo Proxy
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2006 Series
Space Dandy
Series Director • 26 eps
2014 Series
Lazarus
Series Director • 13 eps
2025 Series
Sonny Boy
Music Consultant • 12 eps
2021 Series
CAROLE & TUESDAY
Supervising Producer • 24 eps
2019 Series
Blade Runner: Black Lotus
Creative Producer • 13 eps
2021 Series
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with Shinichiro Watanabe.
The Animatrix
Director
2003 Movie
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe
Storyboard Artist
2026 Movie
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway
Storyboard Artist
2021 Movie
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie
Director
2001 Movie
Macross Plus: The Movie
Director
1995 Movie
Genius Party
Director
2007 Movie
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
Writer
2017 Movie
TAISU PROJECT
Director
2024 Movie
Scrolls to Screen: A Brief History of Anime
as Self
2003 Movie
A Detective Story
Director
2003 Movie
A Girl Meets a Boy and a Robot
Director
2022 Movie
Kid's Story
Director
2003 Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with Shinichiro Watanabe.
Cowboy Bebop
Writer • 2 eps
1998 Series
CAROLE & TUESDAY
Supervising Producer • 24 eps
2019 Series
Lazarus
Series Director • 13 eps
2025 Series
Samurai Champloo
Series Director • 26 eps
2004 Series
Birdy the Mighty: Decode
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2008 Series
Space Dandy
Series Director • 26 eps
2014 Series
Sonny Boy
Music Consultant • 12 eps
2021 Series
Ergo Proxy
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2006 Series
Noein: To Your Other Self
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2005 Series
The Vision of Escaflowne
Director • 2 eps
1996 Series
Blue Comet SPT Layzner
Production Assistant • 8 eps
1985 Series
Michiko & Hatchin
Music Producer • 22 eps
2008 Series
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for Shinichiro Watanabe.
MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY The Sorcery of Nymph Circe
Storyboard Artist
2026 Movie
Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway
Storyboard Artist
2021 Movie
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022
Writer
2017 Movie
Ein's Summer Vacation
Characters
2012 Movie
Osamekamaijo The Art Of Sexual Love In The Edo Period 36 Kind Guides
Writer
2011 Movie
Osamekamaijo The Art of Sexual Love in the Edo Period Technique Guide
Writer
2011 Movie
Series
Other Crew Work in Series
Additional series credits for Shinichiro Watanabe.
Blade Runner: Black Lotus
Creative Producer • 13 eps
2021 Series
Sonny Boy
Music Consultant • 12 eps
2021 Series
CAROLE & TUESDAY
Supervising Producer • 24 eps
2019 Series
Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine
Music Producer • 13 eps
2012 Series
Michiko & Hatchin
Music Producer • 22 eps
2008 Series
Birdy the Mighty: Decode
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2008 Series
Ergo Proxy
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2006 Series
Noein: To Your Other Self
Storyboard Artist • 1 eps
2005 Series
Cowboy Bebop
Writer • 2 eps
1998 Series
Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory
Storyboard Designer • 1 eps
1991 Series
Blue Comet SPT Layzner
Production Assistant • 8 eps
1985 Series
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for Shinichiro Watanabe.
Scrolls to Screen: A Brief History of Anime
as Self
2003 Movie
Series
Acting Appearances in Series
Series cast credits for Shinichiro Watanabe.
Hoshino Gen no Ongaku Kōron
as VTRゲスト • 1 eps
2022 Series