Chiaki J. Konaka

Chiaki J. Konaka (小中 千昭, Konaka Chiaki, born April 4, 1961) is a Japanese writer and novelist. He was the head writer of anime series such as Serial Experiments Lain, Digimon Tamers, and Hellsing, as well as the television drama Ultraman Gaia.

Chiaki J. Konaka
Native name
小中 千昭
BornChiaki Konaka
(1961-04-04) April 4, 1961
Tokyo, Japan
OccupationScreenwriter, novelist
Alma materSeijo University[1]
Years active1988–present
Notable works
RelativesKazuya Konaka (younger brother)

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. [2]

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.[3] Following this, he received a camera of his own, and by middle school finished a film called Invader.[2]

Upon entering Seikei High School, 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.[2]

While working in special effects after graduating college, Konaka was offered his first scriptwriting job on Teruyoshi Ishii's 1988 Japanese horror film Jaganrei.[2] This served as a starting point for working on future projects.[4]

He has previously worked as a screenwriting instructor at The Film School of Tokyo.[1]

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.[5][6] He has cited Ghost Hound as his favorite screenwriting project.[3]

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.[7][8][9]

Controversy

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.[10] In response, Konaka posted a statement in English addressed to his overseas fans on August 8, 2021, to explain his circumstances[11] and to apologize for triggering a divide among the fandom.[12]

List of works

Anime

Television dramas

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: ISBN 4-902075-12-1)

Novel

Video games

References
  1. "映画美学校 小中千昭". Archived from the original on 2020-02-10. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  2. "小中千昭さんインタビュー(1)". Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  3. Seraphita, Nicole (June 23, 2015). "Interview with Screenwriter Chiaki J. Konaka". APGNation. Archived from the original on June 24, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  4. "小中千昭さんインタビュー(2)". Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  5. Bush, Laurence (2001). Asian Horror Encyclopedia. Writers Club Press. pp. 101–102. ISBN 0-595-20181-4.
  6. "Ask John: Is There Any Lovecraftian Anime?". AnimeNation. 2002-08-13. Archived from the original on 2005-01-07. Retrieved 2008-01-01.
  7. Eiga Hiho (映画秘宝), 2021, Vol.April
  8. Heisei Gamera Perfection (平成ガメラ パーフェクション), 2014, KADOKAWA/ASCII Media Works
  9. 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。, Twitter
  10. Morissy, Kim (2021-08-04). "Digimon Tamers 20th Anniversary Stage Show Features 'Cancel Culture' Villain". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  11. Morissy, Kim (2021-08-09). "Digimon Tamers Writer Chiaki J. Konaka Responds to Overseas Backlash Over 20th Anniversary Stage Play". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  12. Konaka, Chiaki. ""Digimon Tamers 2021" Announcement to Overseas Fans". Chiaki J. Konaka in Nyx. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  13. "Air Gear DVD 1 - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  14. "Armitage III Perfect Collection - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  15. "Astro Boy [2003] - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  16. "The Big O - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  17. "Birdy the Mighty VHS 1 - Double Trouble - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  18. "Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040 - Complete Collection". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  19. "The Mike Toole Show -The Other 100 Best Anime Movies of All Time, Part 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  20. "Yoshitoshi ABe's Despera Project is Moving Forward With New Director". Anime News Network. January 10, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  21. デビルマンレディー (in Japanese). TMS Entertainment. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  22. "CJK's Profile". Konaka (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  23. ""Digimon Tamers" Blu-ray Box to Include Newly-Recorded Special Drama". Crunchyroll. October 2, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  24. "デジモンテイマーズ感想" (in Japanese). Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  25. "Step Up Love Story Sub.DVD 2 - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  26. "Gasaraki (TV) - Anime News Network". www.animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
  27. "Chiaki J. KONAKA". www.animenewsnetwork.com. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  28. "Ghost Hound Blu-Ray - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  29. "GR ジャイアントロボ プラチナセット(DVD＋CD＋爆裂造形フィギュア応募券) Vol.3 【DVD】" (in Japanese). Rakuten. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  30. "Chiaki J. Konaka & Junichi Fujisaku double interview (1)". Production I.G. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  31. "Done with Computers - The Mike Toole Show". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  32. Planty, Blake. "ESSAY: Stranger in a Stranger Land — How Chiaki J. Konaka Made Aughties Anime Terrifying". www.crunchyroll.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  33. Egan, Toussaint (4 August 2023). "Cult classic anime Mononoke returns with a new film next summer". Polygon. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  34. Browne, Nicoletta Christina. "THEM Anime Reviews 4.0 - Parasite Dolls". themanime.org. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  35. "Princess Tutu - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  36. "RahXephon DVD 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  37. "Rahxephon: Pluralitas Concentio DVD - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  38. "なるたるアニメ版逐話読解" (in Japanese). Yahoo! GeoCities. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  39. "Texhnolyze DVD 1 - Review". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
  40. "Undead Murder Farce (TV)". Anime News Network. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  41. "Kowloon's Curse Launches Kickstarter Campaign, Adds Serial Experiments Lain Writer, Character Designer". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 20, 2022.


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