Akio Sugino (杉野 昭夫, Sugino Akio) is a Japanese character designer, animator, and art director known for his collaborations with Osamu Dezaki and his work on iconic anime series such as Golgo 13, Space Adventure Cobra, and The Rose of Versailles. Sugino has played a key role in shaping the visual style of numerous anime productions, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s, contributing to both television series and feature films.
Career
Sugino began his career in the 1960s, working as an animator on early television anime such as Astro Boy and Kimba the White Lion. His expertise in character design and animation direction led to his collaborations with director Osamu Dezaki, resulting in some of the most visually distinctive anime of the 20th century.
Over the decades, Sugino contributed to a wide range of genres, from historical dramas (The Rose of Versailles) and sports anime (Ashita no Joe, Aim for the Ace!) to science fiction and action (Golgo 13, Space Adventure Cobra). His designs are known for their realistic proportions, dramatic shading, and expressive character animations, which became hallmarks of his work.
Notable Works
Television Anime
- Astro Boy (1963) – Animation
- Kimba the White Lion (1965) – Character design
- Sabu to Ichi Torimono Hikae (1968) – Animation
- Ashita no Joe (1970) – Character design, animation
- Nobody's Boy: Remi (1970) – Character design
- Aim for the Ace! (1973) – Character design
- La Seine no Hoshi (1975) – Character design
- Gaiking (1976) – Character design, animation
- Jetter Mars (1977) – Character design, animation
- Treasure Island (1978) – Animation
- The Rose of Versailles (1979) – Character design
- Tom Sawyer (1980) – Animation
- Cat’s Eye (1983) – Character design
- Gin Tama (2005) – Animation
- Mokke (2007) – Animation
- Ultraviolet: Code 044 (2008) – Character design
Films & OVAs
- A Thousand and One Nights (1969) – Key animation
- Golgo 13: The Professional (1983) – Character design
- They Were 11 (1986) – Character design
- Golgo 13: Queen Bee (1998) – Character design
- Black Jack (1993) – Character design, animation direction
- Phoenix (2004) – Animation director
Artbooks
- Akio Sugino Drawings (1982)
- Hakugei Densetsu Artbook (1994)
Legacy
Sugino's work, particularly his collaborations with Osamu Dezaki, helped define anime aesthetics during the 1970s and 1980s. His contributions to Golgo 13, The Rose of Versailles, and Ashita no Joe continue to be celebrated as foundational in anime character design. His realistic and dramatic style remains influential in modern anime productions, bridging traditional cel animation with cinematic storytelling techniques.