Animation Veteran Kunihiko Hamada Leaves Madhouse After 35 Years
Hamada's departure removes a long-tenured staff member who shaped the visual identity of multiple Madhouse productions across three decades.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime News Network.
Animator and character designer Kunihiko Hamada confirmed on May 31 that he left Madhouse at the end of March after 35 years with the studio. He is now working at a different company and said he did not receive severance pay. Hamada's credits include chief animation director on Monster, NANA, and Chihayafuru, and character design on Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card.
Kunihiko Hamada, a veteran animator and character designer, confirmed on his birthday Sunday that he left Madhouse at the end of March. He posted on X that he devoted 35 years to the studio, including more than 20 as a staff employee, and claimed he did not receive severance pay. Hamada now works at a different company.
Hamada joined Madhouse in 1990 on Cyber City Oedo 808. His chief animation director credits include Monster, NANA, Kaiji -Ultimate Survivor-, Chihayafuru, and My Love Story!!. He also designed characters for NANA, Chihayafuru, My Love Story!!, Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, and My Love Story With Yamada-kun at Lv999. Madhouse's April 2026 series A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA credits him for character designs.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Animation Veteran Kunihiko Hamada Departs From Madhouse